FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.74.40

निन्दां भगवत: श‍ृण्वंस्तत्परस्य जनस्य वा । ततो नापैति य: सोऽपि यात्यध: सुकृताच्च्युत: ॥ ४० ॥
nindāṁ bhagavataḥ śṛṇvaṁs
[nindaam bhagavatah shrinvams]
tat-parasya janasya vā
[tat-parasya janasya vaa]
tato nāpaiti yaḥ so ’pi
[tato naapaiti yah so ’pi]
yāty adhaḥ sukṛtāc cyutaḥ
[yaaty adhah sukritaach chyutah]
Word-for-word
nindām — criticism bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Lord śṛṇvan — hearing tat — to Him parasya — who is dedicated janasya — of a person vā — or tataḥ — from that place na apaiti — does not go away yaḥ — who saḥ — he api — indeed yāti — goes adhaḥ — down su - kṛtāt — from the good results of his pious works cyutaḥ — fallen .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
nindāṁ bhagavataḥ śṛṇvaṁs
nindām
criticism
bhagavataḥ
of the Supreme Lord
śṛṇvan
hearing
tat-parasya janasya vā
tat
to Him
parasya
who is dedicated
janasya
of a person
vā
or
tato nāpaiti yaḥ so ’pi
tataḥ
from that place
na apaiti
does not go away
yaḥ
who
saḥ
he
api
indeed
yāty adhaḥ sukṛtāc cyutaḥ
yāti
goes
adhaḥ
down
su - kṛtāt
from the good results of his pious works
cyutaḥ
fallen .
Important Words
  • nindām bhagavataḥ — criticism of the Supreme Lord
    Genitive: 'of Bhagavān'. The targeted speech act. Gauḍīyas distinguish nindā of Bhagavān from nindā of His devotee — the latter is even more dangerous; cf. Padma Purāṇa's list of nāmāparādhas, where vaiṣṇava-nindā is first.
  • tat - parasya — of one dedicated to Him
    Compound: tat (Him) + para (devoted-to). 'Of His devotee'. The verse extends the rule from Lord-blasphemy to bhakta-blasphemy. Gauḍīyas: this is the verse cited to require leaving any room where a vaiṣṇava is being insulted.
  • adhaḥ — down
    Indeclinable — 'downward'. The trajectory of one who stays. The Bhāgavatam locates the fall direction precisely — adhaḥ-gati.
  • su - kṛtāt cyutaḥ — fallen from pious credit
    Compound + past participle: sukṛta (good karma) + cyuta (fallen). Even accumulated piety leaks out. Gauḍīyas: sukṛta is the entry-currency to bhakti (Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya 22.45); to lose it is to be reset.
Anyone who fails to immediately leave the place where he hears criticism of the Supreme Lord or His faithful devotee will certainly fall down, bereft of his pious credit.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Anyone who fails to immediately leave the place where he hears criticism of the Supreme Lord or His faithful devotee will certainly fall down, bereft of his pious credit.
Commentary

This verse gives scriptural support for their leaving the hall.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

They left in order to avoid a bad future for themselves. One who hears criticism of the Lord or his devotee falls to the greatest hell. With the destruction of his pious credits or devotion, he can never attain a fortunate destination.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

They left in order to avoid a bad future for themselves. The Lord is the best, worthy of worship (parasya). He who does not leave from that place or because of the criticism (tataḥ) destroys his pious credits. One who hears criticism of the Lord or his devotee falls to the greatest hell. With the destruction of his pious credits or devotion, he can never attain a fortunate destination.

Related values & verses
Related values
Sthitaprajna (Steady Wisdom)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Discriminative WisdomAbhaya (Fearlessness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender to God)Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)
Related verses
BG 2.60 BG 5.7 BG 12.5 BG 5.4 BG 6.1 BG 10.4 BG 3.27 BG 3.11 BG 18.1 BG 6.13 BG 7.8
Personal Guidance
One who fails to leave a place where the Lord or His devotee is criticized falls down, bereft of pious credit. Spiritual hygiene includes choosing where we are present.
Reflection Questions
  • Whose words and rooms am I in that quietly erode my devotion?
  • What boundary would honor the principle here without becoming self-righteous?
Analogy

If you remain seated at a feast where the host is being insulted, you have eaten the insult into yourself. Sukṛta evaporates the way perfume evaporates from an open vial — the moment you accept the room, you accept the contents.

Stories
Citraketu's silence and Pārvatī's curse

In SB 6.17, the great devotee-king Citraketu witnessed Pārvatī being teased and offered an unwise remark. Pārvatī cursed him to take asura-birth — and he received the curse with a smile, becoming Vṛtrāsura in his next life.

The link to this verse: even devotees can fall from sukṛta by failing the etiquette of a sacred assembly. Gauḍīyas treasure SB 6.17 as the case-study; the rule here in 10.74.40 is the doctrine.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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