SB 6.7.35 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

श्रीविश्‍वरूप उवाच विगर्हितं धर्मशीलैर्ब्रह्मवर्चउपव्ययम् । कथं नु मद्विधो नाथा लोकेशैरभियाचितम् । प्रत्याख्यास्यति तच्छिष्य: स एव स्वार्थ उच्यते ॥ ३५ ॥

Verse text

śrī-viśvarūpa uvāca vigarhitaṁ dharma-śīlair brahmavarca-upavyayam kathaṁ nu mad-vidho nāthā lokeśair abhiyācitam pratyākhyāsyati tac-chiṣyaḥ sa eva svārtha ucyate

Synonyms

śrī — viśvarūpaḥ uvāca — Śrī Viśvarūpa said ; vigarhitam — condemned ; dharma — śīlaiḥ — by persons respectful to the religious principles ; brahma — varcaḥ — of brahminical strength or power ; upavyayam — causes loss ; katham — how ; nu — indeed ; mat — vidhaḥ — a person like me ; nāthāḥ — O lords ; loka — īśaiḥ — by the ruling powers of different planets ; abhiyācitam — request ; pratyākhyāsyati — will refuse ; tat — śiṣyaḥ — who is on the level of their disciple ; saḥ — that ; eva — indeed ; sva — arthaḥ — real interest ; ucyate — is described as .

Translation

Śrī Viśvarūpa said: O demigods, although the acceptance of priesthood is decried as causing the loss of previously acquired brahminical power, how can someone like me refuse to accept your personal request? You are all exalted commanders of the entire universe. I am your disciple and must take many lessons from you. Therefore I cannot refuse you. I must agree for my own benefit.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Viśvarūpa said: O masters! Those cultivating dharma will say that I will lose by powers as a brāhmaṇa by being a priest, but how can a person like me, your disciple, refuse the request made by the rulers of the planets! It is in my interest as a disciple. The sages who cultivate dharma criticize being a priest because one loses a great amount of brahma-tejas. But I must do this. O masters (nāthāḥ)! I have been requested by you the rulers of the planets. I am your disciple. A disciple cannot refuse. It is in the interest of the disciple to accept.

Purport

The professions of a qualified brāhmaṇa are paṭhana, pāṭhana, yajana, yājana, dāna and pratigraha. The words yajana and yājana mean that a brāhmaṇa becomes the priest of the populace for the sake of their elevation. One who accepts the post of spiritual master neutralizes the sinful reactions of the yajamāna, the one on whose behalf he performs yajṣa. Thus the results of the pious acts previously performed by the priest or spiritual master are diminished. Therefore priesthood is not accepted by learned brāhmaṇas. Nevertheless, the greatly learned brāhmaṇa Viśvarūpa became the priest of the demigods because of his profound respect for them.