FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.64.18

विप्रौ विवदमानौ मामूचतु: स्वार्थसाधकौ । भवान् दातापहर्तेति तच्छ्रुत्वा मेऽभवद् भ्रम: ॥ १८ ॥
viprau vivadamānau mām
[viprau vivadamaanau maam]
ūcatuḥ svārtha-sādhakau
[oochatuh svaartha-saadhakau]
bhavān dātāpaharteti
[bhavaan daataapaharteti]
tac chrutvā me ’bhavad bhramaḥ
[tach chrutvaa me ’bhavad bhramah]
Word-for-word
viprau — the two brāhmaṇas vivadamānau — arguing mām — to me ūcatuḥ — said sva — their own artha — interest sādhakau — fulfilling bhavān — you, sir dātā — giver apahartā — taker iti — thus tat — this śrutvā — hearing me — my abhavat — there arose bhramaḥ — consternation .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
viprau vivadamānau mām
viprau
the two brāhmaṇas
vivadamānau
arguing
mām
to me
ūcatuḥ svārtha-sādhakau
ūcatuḥ
said
sva
their own
artha
interest
sādhakau
fulfilling
bhavān dātāpaharteti
bhavān
you, sir
dātā
giver
apahartā
taker
iti
thus
tac chrutvā me ’bhavad bhramaḥ
tat
this
śrutvā
hearing
me
my
abhavat
there arose
bhramaḥ
consternation .
Important Words
  • sva - artha - sādhakau — each fulfilling his own purpose
    Sva (own) + artha (interest) + sādhaka (one accomplishing). The poet does not blame either brāhmaṇa — both are doing what their station demands. The conflict is structural, not moral. Gauḍīyas read the phrase as descriptive, not pejorative.
  • dātā — giver
    From √dā. The second brāhmaṇa's claim names Nṛga the giver. To accept the title is to accept ownership of the original transfer — and therefore ownership of the offence if the transfer was wrong.
  • apahartā — taker / stealer
    Apa-√hṛ (to take away). The first brāhmaṇa names Nṛga the thief. The chapter's later verses (35, 43) will use this same root. The accusation is harsh but, in śāstra-grammar, technically accurate — what is taken from a brāhmaṇa, even unknowingly, is apahāra.
  • bhramaḥ — consternation, confusion
    From √bhram (to wander, to whirl). The king's mental state is named with the very word for saṁsāra's spinning. Dharma-confusion at this scale becomes ontological dizziness — Arjuna's bhrama in BG 1, in miniature.
As the two brāhmaṇas argued, each trying to fulfill his own purpose, they came to me. One of them said, “You gave me this cow,” and the other said, “But you stole her from me.” Hearing this, I was bewildered.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
As the two brāhmaṇas argued, each trying to fulfill his own purpose, they came to me. One of them said, "You gave me this cow," and the other said, "But you stole her from me." Hearing this, I was bewildered.
Commentary

The second receiver said, "You have the cow to me." The first owner said, "You took her away from me." Hearing that, I was put in extreme perplexity (bhramah).

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The two spoke to preserve their senses of pride (svārtha-sādhakau).

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The two spoke, being attached to the same cow (svārtha-sādhakau).

Related values & verses
Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)
Related verses
BG 15.9 BG 17.20 BG 18.64 BG 2.62 BG 3.11 BG 12.3 SB 4.29.2 BG 9.11 BG 8.2 BG 17.4 BG 7.8 BG 10.3 BG 13.1 BG 5.18 BG 6.1
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The two brāhmaṇas argued before Nṛga, each pressing his case — one claiming the gift, the other accusing theft. Bewildered, the king listened. Even a saintly king is shaken when virtuous people stand on opposite sides.
Reflection Questions
  • What recent dispute among good people has bewildered me, and have I let myself sit with not-knowing?
  • How might bewilderment be the doorway to a wisdom I cannot reach by certainty?
Analogy

A king who has settled a thousand disputes finds the one he cannot settle right at his own door — and discovers that dharma is not a panel of cases to be judged from above, but a stream that can sweep the judge himself off his feet.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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