Devanagari
तान् वीक्ष्य वातारशनांश्चतुर: कुमारान्
वृद्धान्दशार्धवयसो विदितात्मतत्त्वान् ।
वेत्रेण चास्खलयतामतदर्हणांस्तौ
तेजो विहस्य भगवत्प्रतिकूलशीलौ ॥ ३० ॥
Verse text
tān vīkṣya vāta-raśanāṁś caturaḥ kumārān
vṛddhān daśārdha-vayaso viditātma-tattvān
vetreṇa cāskhalayatām atad-arhaṇāṁs tau
tejo vihasya bhagavat-pratikūla-śīlau
Synonyms
tān
—
them
;
vīkṣya
—
after seeing
;
vāta
—
raśanān — naked
;
caturaḥ
—
four
;
kumārān
—
boys
;
vṛddhān
—
aged
;
daśa
—
ardha — five years
;
vayasaḥ
—
appearing as of the age
;
vidita
—
had realized
;
ātma
—
tattvān — the truth of the self
;
vetreṇa
—
with their staffs
;
ca
—
also
;
askhalayatām
—
forbade
;
a
—
tat — arhaṇān — not deserving such from them
;
tau
—
those two porters
;
tejaḥ
—
glories
;
vihasya
—
disregarding the etiquette
;
bhagavat
—
pratikūla — śīlau — having a nature displeasing to the Lord .
Translation
The four boy-sages, who had nothing to cover their bodies but the atmosphere, looked only five years old, even though they were the oldest of all living creatures and had realized the truth of the self. But when the porters, who happened to possess a disposition quite unpalatable to the Lord, saw the sages, they blocked their way with their staffs, despising their glories, although the sages did not deserve such treatment at their hands.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Seeing the four young naked boys who were as old as Brahmā but appearing to be five years old, who had realized Brahman, the gate keepers forbade them from entering, though they acted against the nature of the Lord and should not have done so, ignoring their great power.
Generally they had no clothing, but actually they had small bells as decorations. Though they were as old as Brahmā, they appeared to be five years old boys. Seeing those brahma-jṣānīs, the gate keepers prevented them from entering by placing their sticks horizontally in front and saying “Do not enter the palace of the Lord.” The Kumāras did not deserve to be stopped. Ignoring their greatness, the gate keepers thought that the boys were proud because of their brahma-jṣāna. The gate keepers thus showed natures unfavorable to the Lord, who is affectionate to brāhmaṇas. Even the Lord’s servants should not obstruct his friendliness to brāhmaṇas, because they follow the qualities of the Lord’s mind. Being virtuous, the Kumāras should not have been punished.
Purport
The four sages were the first-born sons of Brahmā. Therefore all other living entities, including Lord Śiva, are born later and are therefore younger than the four Kumāras. Although they looked like five-year-old boys and traveled naked, the Kumāras were older than all other living creatures and had realized the truth of the self. Such saints were not to be forbidden to enter the kingdom of Vaikuṇṭha, but by chance the doormen objected to their entrance. This was not fitting. The Lord is always anxious to serve sages like the Kumāras, but in spite of knowing this fact, the doormen, astonishingly and outrageously, prohibited them from entering.