FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.14.41

ब्राह्मण: समद‍ृक् शान्तो दीनानां समुपेक्षक: । स्रवते ब्रह्म तस्यापि भिन्नभाण्डात्पयो यथा ॥ ४१ ॥
brāhmaṇaḥ sama-dṛk śānto
[braahmanah sama-drik shaanto]
dīnānāṁ samupekṣakaḥ
[deenaanaam samupekshakah]
sravate brahma tasyāpi
[sravate brahma tasyaapi]
bhinna-bhāṇḍāt payo yathā
[bhinna-bhaandaat payo yathaa]
brāhmaṇaḥ — a brāhmaṇa sama-dṛk — equipoised śāntaḥ — peaceful dīnānām — the poor samupekṣakaḥ — grossly neglecting sravate — diminishes brahma — spiritual power tasya — his api — certainly bhinna-bhāṇḍāt — from a cracked pot payaḥ — water yathā — just as.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
brāhmaṇaḥ sama-dṛk śānto
brāhmaṇaḥ
a brāhmaṇa
sama-dṛk
equipoised
śāntaḥ
peaceful
dīnānāṁ samupekṣakaḥ
dīnānām
the poor
samupekṣakaḥ
grossly neglecting
sravate brahma tasyāpi
sravate
diminishes
brahma
spiritual power
tasya
his
api
certainly
bhinna-bhāṇḍāt payo yathā
bhinna-bhāṇḍāt
from a cracked pot
payaḥ
water
yathā
just as.
The great sages began to think that although a brāhmaṇa is peaceful and impartial because he is equal to everyone, it is still not his duty to neglect poor humans. By such neglect, a brāhmaṇa’s spiritual power diminishes, just as water kept in a cracked pot leaks out.

Brāhmaṇas, the topmost section of human society, are mostly devotees. They are generally unaware of the happenings within the material world because they are always busy in their activities for spiritual advancement. Nonetheless, when there is a calamity in human society, they cannot remain impartial. If they do not do something to relieve the distressed condition of human society, it is said that due to such neglect their spiritual knowledge diminishes. Almost all the sages go to the Himālayas for their personal benefit, but Prahlāda Mahārāja said that he did not want liberation alone. He decided to wait until he was able to deliver all the fallen souls of the world.

In their elevated condition, the brāhmaṇas are called Vaiṣṇavas. There are two types of brāhmaṇas — namely, brāhmaṇa-paṇḍita and brāhmaṇa-vaiṣṇava. A qualified brāhmaṇa is naturally very learned, but when his learning is advanced in understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he becomes a brāhmaṇa-vaiṣṇava. Unless one becomes a Vaiṣṇava, one’s perfection of brahminical culture is incomplete.

The saintly persons considered very wisely that although King Vena was very sinful, he was born in a family descending from Dhruva Mahārāja. Therefore the semen in the family must be protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Keśava. As such, the sages wanted to take some steps to relieve the situation. For want of a king, everything was being disturbed and turned topsy-turvy.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
If a peaceful brāhmaṇa who sees all equally but ignores others’ suffering, his spiritual power diminishes just like water flowing from a broken pot. What to speak of devotees and kṣatriyas being obligated to stop suffering of the people, if even the brāhmaṇa, peaceful and seeing all beings equally, ignores the suffering, then even his austerity as a brāhmaṇa dissipates.
Brāhmaṇas, though peaceful and impartial, can't neglect poor humans — like water in a cracked pot, their spiritual power leaks. Detachment without compassion is a leak; both must be intact.
Reflection Questions
  • Where has my detachment cracked into actual neglect of someone in poverty or pain?
  • What single compassionate act could seal a leak I've been ignoring?
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 14