Devanagari
स्वागतं वो द्विजश्रेष्ठा यद्व्रतानि मुमुक्षव: ।
चरन्ति श्रद्धया धीरा बाला एव बृहन्ति च ॥ १२ ॥
Verse text
svāgataṁ vo dvija-śreṣṭhā
yad-vratāni mumukṣavaḥ
caranti śraddhayā dhīrā
bālā eva bṛhanti ca
Synonyms
su
—
āgatam — welcome
;
vaḥ
—
unto you
;
dvija
—
śreṣṭhāḥ — the best of the brāhmaṇas
;
yat
—
whose
;
vratāni
—
vows
;
mumukṣavaḥ
—
of persons desiring liberation
;
caranti
—
behave
;
śraddhayā
—
with great faith
;
dhīrāḥ
—
controlled
;
bālāḥ
—
boys
;
eva
—
like
;
bṛhanti
—
observe
;
ca
—
also .
Translation
Mahārāja Pṛthu offered his welcome to the four Kumāras, addressing them as the best of the brāhmaṇas. He welcomed them, saying: From the beginning of your birth you strictly observed the vows of celibacy, and although you are experienced in the path of liberation, you are keeping yourselves just like small children.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Welcome to you! You are the best of the brāhmaṇas because, desiring liberation, you have undergone brahmacārī vows with faith, and though you are boys, you have achieved liberation.
You are the best of brāhmaṇas because (yat), desiring liberation you underwent vows of brahmacārya with faith, and being just boys, you have achieved liberation. You did undergo the difficulties of brahmacārya and the practices for gaining liberation.
Purport
The specific importance of the Kumāras is that they were
brahmacārīs,
living the life of celibacy from birth. They kept themselves as small children about four or five years old because by growing into youth one’s senses sometimes become disturbed and celibacy becomes difficult. The Kumāras therefore purposefully remained children because in a child’s life the senses are never disturbed by sex. This is the significance of the life of the Kumāras, and as such Mahārāja Pṛthu addressed them as the best of the
brāhmaṇas.
Not only were the Kumāras born of the best
brāhmaṇa
(Lord Brahmā), but they are addressed herein as
dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ,
“the best of the
brāhmaṇas,
” on account of their being Vaiṣṇavas also. As we have already explained, they have their
sampradāya
(disciplic succession), and even to date the
sampradāya
is being maintained and is known as the Nimbārka
sampradāya.
Out of the four
sampradāyas
of the Vaiṣṇava
ācāryas,
the Nimbārka
sampradāya
is one. Mahārāja Pṛthu specifically appreciated the position of the Kumāras because they maintained the
brahmacarya
vow from the very beginning of their birth. Mahārāja Pṛthu, however, expressed his great appreciation of Vaiṣṇavism by addressing the Kumāras as
vaiṣṇava-śreṣṭhāḥ.
In other words, everyone should offer respect to a Vaiṣṇava without considering his source of birth.
Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ:
no one should consider a Vaiṣṇava in terms of birth. The Vaiṣṇava is always the best of the
brāhmaṇas,
and as such one should offer all respects to a Vaiṣṇava, not only as a
brāhmaṇa
but as the best of the
brāhmaṇas.