Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.16.35
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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tapaḥ - su - taptam
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austerity properly performed
Compound: tapaḥ (austerity) + su (well) + taptam (heated). Classical tapas vocabulary. The wives canvas the merit-categories — and will find none of them sufficient.
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nirasta - mānena
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with pride cast aside
Compound: nirasta (cast off) + māna (pride). The first quality of valid tapas — humility. Gauḍīya: tapas with pride is no tapas at all; tṛṇād api sunīcena.
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māna - dena
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(by one who is) the giver of honor (to others)
Compound: māna (honor) + da (giver). Cf. Caitanya's Śikṣāṣṭaka 3: amāninā māna-dena. The Gauḍīya formula for humility — to expect no honor and to give honor to all — is built into the wives' assessment.
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sarva - jana - anukampayā
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with compassion for all beings
Compound: sarva (all) + jana (beings) + anukampā (compassion). The second merit-category they consider: universal compassion. Cf. the Vaiṣṇava-aparādha gravity of cruelty to any living being.
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sarva - jīvaḥ
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(the Lord in whom dwell) all souls / the soul of all
Compound: sarva (all) + jīva (soul). Bhagavān as the indweller of all. Gauḍīya: pleasing the antaryāmin is pleasing all jīvas at once — and vice versa.
In this regard Śrīla Prabhupāda comments in his Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Chapter Sixteen: “The Nāgapatnīs confirm that one cannot come in contact with Kṛṣṇa without having executed pious activities in devotional service in his previous lives. As Lord Caitanya advised in His Śikṣāṣṭaka, one has to execute devotional service by humbly chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street and not expecting honor for himself but offering all kinds of honor to others. The Nāgapatnīs were astonished that, although Kāliya had the body of a serpent as the result of grievous sinful activities, at the same time he was in contact with the Lord to the extent that the Lord’s lotus feet were touching his hoods. Certainly this was not the ordinary result of pious activities. These two contradictory facts astonished them.”
"Previously we said that punishment was mercy, but this case is different. Though an object is very difficult to attain, if a person has done previous punyas, he can easily attain it." In this way they reason. ‘He has done austerity (tapas), being without pride, without desire to gain the respect of others (nirasta manena), and giving respect to all others (manadena). Such tapas is that of a real vaisnava, for one does not see this type of tapas practiced by the-non vaisnavas. Ass the Lord says, ‘I am not pleased with wealth or with tapas,’ regular tapas does not invoke the mercy of God. That dharma which shows mercy to others was performed by him, and thus he is vaisnava. Mercy towards all entities does not arise in the heart of the karmi. Because of Kaliya’s tapas and dharma, he has attained the affection of the Lord in the form of the Lord dancing on his head. If a person gives respect to all living entities and satisfies them with his compassion, the Lord who is the shelter for all entities is satisfied." That is the meaning here. The inferred meaning is, "If you maintain the life of all entities and satisfy all entities with compassion, then why should you kick our husband on the head?"
Did he previous perform austerities perfectly -devoid of pride, giving all respect to others? Thinking that those two austerities and other optional ones as well would not satisfy the Lord, they give other alternatives. He must have performed his dharmas daily. Having stated the essential nature of the item, they then elaborate on this: he did acts beneficial for others with complete dedication in previous lives since in this life that was impossible. Because of these two actions which were done to satisfy you, you who are all jīvas are satisfied with him in this life. He accomplished satisfying you by showing respect and compassion to all jīvas.
- RSWP SB 10-16-35 - Test of a True Vaishnava - 2013-03-13 ISKCON Chowpatty
- Sesa Pr SB 10-16-35 - 2013-04-04 ISKCON Alachua
- Bhanu Sw SB 10-16-35 - 2005-12-01
- Haladhar Sw SB 10-16-35 - 2020-04-05
- 06 - RGS SB 10-16-35-48 Hindi - Kaliya Daman Leela-06 - 2006 Bhuvaneshwar
- 16 - RGS SB 10-16-35-37 Hindi - Vrindavan Bihar Leela-16 - 2000 Haridwar
- What past 'austerity without pride' of mine might be opening current strange mercies?
- Where do I dismiss as misfortune what may be a past good ripening into contact with Him?
The wives wonder aloud: what could our husband have done in a previous life to deserve this favor? They cannot find the merit. The Gauḍīya reading: Bhagavān's mercy exceeds the calculus of karma. The wives ask the question precisely so the reader will realize it has no karmic answer.
My note
Source: vedabase.io