Devanagari
तपो विद्या च विप्राणां नि:श्रेयसकरे उभे ।
ते एव दुर्विनीतस्य कल्पेते कर्तुरन्यथा ॥ ७० ॥
Verse text
tapo vidyā ca viprāṇāṁ
niḥśreyasa-kare ubhe
te eva durvinītasya
kalpete kartur anyathā
Synonyms
tapaḥ
—
austerities
;
vidyā
—
knowledge
;
ca
—
also
;
viprāṇām
—
of the brāhmaṇas
;
niḥśreyasa
—
of what is certainly very auspicious for upliftment
;
kare
—
are causes
;
ubhe
—
both of them
;
te
—
such austerity and knowledge
;
eva
—
indeed
;
durvinītasya
—
when such a person is an upstart
;
kalpete
—
become
;
kartuḥ
—
of the performer
;
anyathā
—
just the opposite .
Translation
For a brāhmaṇa, austerity and learning are certainly auspicious, but when acquired by a person who is not gentle, such austerity and learning are most dangerous.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
For a brāhmaṇa, austerity and learning are certainly auspicious, but when acquired by a person of bad conduct, such austerity and learning give opposite results.
“How is it possible that a kṣatriya like Ambarīṣa is capable of delivering me, endowed with austerity and knowledge?” Austerity and knowledge cannot exist in you, since you are not qualified. Rather they become the opposite. Knowledge and austerity in a person of bad conduct produce opposite results.
Purport
It is said that a jewel is very valuable, but when it is on the hood of a serpent, it is dangerous despite its value. Similarly, when a materialistic nondevotee achieves great success in learning and austerity, that success is dangerous for all of society. So-called learned scientists, for example, invented atomic weapons that are dangerous for all humanity. It is therefore said,
maṇinā bhūṣitaḥ sarpaḥ kim asau na bhayaṅkaraḥ.
A serpent with a jewel on its hood is as dangerous as a serpent without such a jewel. Durvāsā Muni was a very learned
brāhmaṇa
equipped with mystic power, but because he was not a gentleman, he did not know how to use his power. He was therefore extremely dangerous. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is never inclined toward a dangerous person who uses his mystic power for some personal design. By the laws of nature, therefore, such misuse of power is ultimately dangerous not for society but for the person who misuses it.