FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.22.5

तत्पादशौचसलिलैर्मार्जितालकबन्धन: । तत्र शीलवतां वृत्तमाचरन्मानयन्निव ॥ ५ ॥
tat-pāda-śauca-salilair
[tat-paada-shaucha-salilair]
mārjitālaka-bandhanaḥ
[maarjitaalaka-bandhanah]
tatra śīlavatāṁ vṛttam
[tatra sheelavataam vrittam]
ācaran mānayann iva
[aacharan maanayann iva]
tat-pāda — their lotus feet śauca — washed salilaiḥ — water mārjita — sprinkled alaka — hair bandhanaḥ — bunch tatra — there śīlavatām — of the respectable gentlemen vṛttam — behavior ācaran — behaving mānayan — practicing iva — like.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tat-pāda-śauca-salilair
tat-pāda
their lotus feet
śauca
washed
salilaiḥ
water
mārjitālaka-bandhanaḥ
mārjita
sprinkled
alaka
hair
bandhanaḥ
bunch
tatra śīlavatāṁ vṛttam
tatra
there
śīlavatām
of the respectable gentlemen
vṛttam
behavior
ācaran mānayann iva
ācaran
behaving
mānayan
practicing
iva
like.
After this, the King took the water which had washed the lotus feet of the Kumāras and sprinkled it over his hair. By such respectful actions, the King, as an exemplary personality, showed how to receive a spiritually advanced personality.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, āpani ācari prabhu jīvere śikhāya. It is very well known that whatever Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught in His life as ācārya, He Himself practiced. When He was preaching as a devotee, although He was detected by several great personalities to be the incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, He never agreed to be addressed as an incarnation. Even though one may be an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, or especially empowered by Him, he should not advertise that he is an incarnation. People will automatically accept the real truth in due course of time. Pṛthu Mahārāja was the ideal Vaiṣṇava king; therefore he taught others by his personal behavior how to receive and respect saintly persons like the Kumāras. When a saintly person comes to one’s home, it is the Vedic custom first to wash his feet with water and then sprinkle this water over the heads of oneself and one’s family. Pṛthu Mahārāja did this, for he was an exemplary teacher of the people in general.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
He sprinkled water that had washed their feet on his head. He acted according to the conduct of the well-bred, as if teaching others. He acted like the well-bred people. Mānayan means announcing to others. Man means to know.
He sprinkled the water that had washed the Kumāras' feet on his head — showing the exemplary way to receive an advanced soul. The visible humility of one's reception teaches everyone watching.
Reflection Questions
  • What sprinkling have I been embarrassed to perform that would actually teach my household?
  • Where would my visible humility before a sage encourage everyone around me to similarly bow?
📝 My note

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