FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.64.33

नाहं हालाहलं मन्ये विषं यस्य प्रतिक्रिया । ब्रह्मस्वं हि विषं प्रोक्तं नास्य प्रतिविधिर्भुवि ॥ ३३ ॥
nāhaṁ hālāhalaṁ manye
[naaham haalaahalam manye]
viṣaṁ yasya pratikriyā
[visham yasya pratikriyaa]
brahma-svaṁ hi viṣaṁ proktaṁ
[brahma-svam hi visham proktam]
nāsya pratividhir bhuvi
[naasya pratividhir bhuvi]
Word-for-word
na — not aham — I hālāhalam — the poison named hālāhala, which Lord Śiva is famous for having drunk without toxic effects manye — I consider viṣam — poison yasya — of which pratikriyā — counteraction brahma - svam — a brāhmaṇa’s property hi — indeed viṣam — poison proktam — called na — not asya — for it pratividhiḥ — antidote bhuvi — in the world .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
nāhaṁ hālāhalaṁ manye
na
not
aham
I
hālāhalam
the poison named hālāhala, which Lord Śiva is famous for having drunk without toxic effects
manye
I consider
viṣaṁ yasya pratikriyā
viṣam
poison
yasya
of which
pratikriyā
counteraction
brahma-svaṁ hi viṣaṁ proktaṁ
brahma - svam
a brāhmaṇa’s property
hi
indeed
viṣam
poison
proktam
called
nāsya pratividhir bhuvi
na
not
asya
for it
pratividhiḥ
antidote
bhuvi
in the world .
Important Words
  • hālāhalam — the hālāhala poison
    The poison from the churning of the Milk Ocean. By name, the worst poison the Bhāgavatam knows. Kṛṣṇa places brāhmaṇa-property above it — a doctrinal hierarchy with this verse at the apex.
  • pratikriyā — counteraction, antidote
    Prati-√kṛ (to counter-do). Hālāhala had its prati-kriyā in Śiva's throat. Brāhmaṇa-property has none — the verse's whole grammar turns on this absence.
  • viṣam proktam — is called poison
    Pra-√vac (to declare). The Lord is formally declaring a new technical term: brāhmaṇa-sva is, by śāstric definition, viṣa. Not 'like poison' — viṣa itself.
  • na asya pratividhiḥ bhuvi — there is no antidote for it on earth
    Na (not) + asya (its) + pratividhi (remedy) + bhuvi (on earth). The denial is absolute and located precisely — no antidote 'on earth.' Gauḍīya readers note the implicit opening: only Kṛṣṇa's mercy from above (cf. v. 5) can remedy what no earthly remedy can.
I do not consider hālāhala to be real poison, because it has an antidote. But a brāhmaṇa’s property, when stolen, can truly be called poison, for it has no antidote in this world.
Purport

One who takes a brāhmaṇa’s property, thinking to enjoy it, has actually taken the most deadly poison.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
I do not consider hālāhala to be real poison, because it has an antidote. But a brāhmaṇa's property, when stolen, can truly be called poison, for it has no antidote in this world.
Commentary

"If it is like indigestible food, it is not so bad as poison is it?" " Siva could digest the halahal poison so it is not real poison. But there is no antidote for taking from the brahmana."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The brāhmaṇa’s property is more poisonous than poison. The poison effect is described with increasing intensity in two verses. Poison refers to a nature of continuous violence. A brāhmaṇa’s property is said to be poison, using examples and logic (pra—uktam). There is no remedy like using gems or mantras, anywhere, by any intelligent person (bhuvi).

Related values & verses
Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)
Related verses
BG 15.9 BG 18.64 BG 2.62 BG 3.11 BG 12.3 SB 4.29.2 BG 9.11 BG 7.8 BG 10.3 BG 13.1 BG 5.18 BG 6.1 BG 6.5 BG 1.1 BG 16.4 BG 1.41
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Hālāhala poison has an antidote, but a brāhmaṇa's stolen property has no antidote in this world. Some categories of mistake cannot be neutralized once made — only prevented.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I assuming that every fault has an antidote, ignoring categories that require prevention?
  • What boundary should I set today precisely because crossing it would be irreversible?
Analogy

Hālāhala, the world-burning poison of the Kṣīra-sāgara churning, had at least an antidote — Lord Śiva drank it. Brāhmaṇa-property has none: no Śiva to drink it down. The poison metaphor is exact, not rhetorical.

Stories
Śiva drinking the hālāhala

When the devas and asuras churned the Kṣīra-sāgara for nectar, the world-burning hālāhala poison emerged first. Lord Śiva, out of mercy to all beings, drank it; Pārvatī held his throat so it would not pass — and his throat turned blue (Nīla-kaṇṭha) (cf. SB 8.7).

Kṛṣṇa cites this as the limit-case: even hālāhala, the worst poison known to creation, had Śiva as its antidote. Brāhmaṇa-property has none. The comparison places brāhmaṇa-aparādha above the worst material toxin.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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