Devanagari
दुर्जरं बत ब्रह्मस्वं भुक्तमग्नेर्मनागपि ।
तेजीयसोऽपि किमुत राज्ञां ईश्वरमानिनाम् ॥ ३२ ॥
Verse text
durjaraṁ bata brahma-svaṁ
bhuktam agner manāg api
tejīyaso ’pi kim uta
rājṣāṁ īśvara-māninām
Synonyms
durjaram
—
indigestible
;
bata
—
indeed
;
brahma
—
of a brāhmaṇa
;
svam
—
the property
;
bhuktam
—
consumed
;
agneḥ
—
than fire
;
manāk
—
a little
;
api
—
even
;
tejīyasaḥ
—
for one who is more intensely potent
;
api
—
even
;
kim uta
—
what then to speak of
;
rājṣām
—
for kings
;
īśvara
—
controllers
;
māninām
—
who presume themselves .
Translation
[Lord Kṛṣṇa said:] How indigestible is the property of a brāhmaṇa, even when enjoyed just slightly and by one more potent than fire! What then to speak of kings who try to enjoy it, presuming themselves lords.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
[Lord Kṛṣṇa said:] How indigestible is the property of a brāhmaṇa, even when enjoyed just slightly and by one more potent than fire! What then to speak of kings who try to enjoy it, presuming themselves lords.
KB 10.64.32
At this time, Lord Kṛṣṇa was present among His relatives who were members of the kṣatriya class. To teach them through the exemplary character of King Nṛga, He said, “Even though a kṣatriya king may be as powerful as fire, it is not possible for him to usurp the property of a brāhmaṇa and utilize it for his own purpose. If this is so, how can ordinary kings, who falsely think themselves the most powerful beings within the material world, usurp a brāhmaṇa’s property?
Purport
Even those made powerful by austerity, mystic
yoga
and so on cannot enjoy property stolen from a
brāhmaṇa,
and what to speak of others.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The property of a brahmana, even if tasted just a little, by theft or what not, cannot be enjoyed by even a person powerful as fire, with great sense of austerity.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Enjoying (stealing) a brāhmaṇa’s property produces great grief (durjaram) even for a person who can destroy sin by the power of his austerity or yoga (teīyasah). Bata indicates dismay. What to speak of the result for kings who cannot perform austerity or yoga, because of thinking themselves great. They will come to even greater grief. Or even enjoying a small portion of a brāhmaṇa’s property is indigestible for a person more powerful than fire.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Enjoying (stealing) a brāhmaṇa’s property produces great grief (durjaram). Bata indicates dismay. By thinking themselves controllers, kings become powerful. A great ascetic or jñānī, more powerful than fire, enjoying a brāhmaṇa’s property even a little is indigestible. What to speak of kings.