Devanagari
ब्रह्मण्यस्य परं दैवं ब्राह्मणा: किल ते प्रभो ।
विप्राणां देवदेवानां भगवानात्मदैवतम् ॥ १७ ॥
Verse text
brahmaṇyasya paraṁ daivaṁ
brāhmaṇāḥ kila te prabho
viprāṇāṁ deva-devānāṁ
bhagavān ātma-daivatam
Synonyms
brahmaṇyasya
—
of the supreme director of the brahminical culture
;
param
—
the highest
;
daivam
—
position
;
brāhmaṇāḥ
—
the brāhmaṇas
;
kila
—
for the teaching of others
;
te
—
Your
;
prabho
—
O Lord
;
viprāṇām
—
of the brāhmaṇas
;
deva
—
devānām — to be worshiped by the demigods
;
bhagavān
—
the Supreme Personality of Godhead
;
ātma
—
the self
;
daivatam
—
worshipable Deity .
Translation
O Lord, You are the supreme director of the brahminical culture. Your considering the brāhmaṇas to be in the highest position is Your example for teaching others. Actually You are the supreme worshipable Deity, not only for the gods but for the brāhmaṇas also.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
O Lord! The brāhmaṇas are the supreme deity only because you are fond of brāhmaṇas. You are the supreme deity of the brāhmaṇas, who are worshipped by the devatās.
In this verse the Kumāras explain how it is hard to understand the Lord’s words. Only because you are fond of brāhmaṇas do the brāhmaṇas have a high position. They do not have that position naturally. The brāhmaṇas are worshipped by the devatās (deva-devānām), but you are Bhagavān. By nature (ātma-daivatam) you are in a high position. You are actually in the position of the Lord, not the brāhmaṇas. Ātma-daivatam also means without you they are simply dead. So what is the meaning of saying that without service to them your foot dust has no power?
Purport
In the
Brahma-saṁhitā
it is clearly stated that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the cause of all causes. There are undoubtedly many demigods, the chiefs of whom are Brahmā and Śiva. Lord Viṣṇu is the Lord of Brahmā and Śiva, not to speak of the
brāhmaṇas
in this material world. As mentioned in
Bhagavad-gītā,
the Supreme Lord is very favorable towards all activities performed according to brahminical culture, or the qualities of control of the senses and mind, cleanliness, forbearance, faith in scripture, and practical and theoretical knowledge. The Lord is the Supersoul of everyone. In
Bhagavad-gītā
it is said that the Lord is the source of all emanations; thus He is also the source of Brahmā and Śiva.