FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.10.24

तन्मे भवान्नरदेवाभिमान-मदेन तुच्छीकृतसत्तमस्य कृषीष्ट मैत्रीद‍ृशमार्तबन्धोयथा तरे सदवध्यानमंह: ॥ २४ ॥
tan me bhavān nara-devābhimāna-
[tan me bhavaan nara-devaabhimaana-]
madena tucchīkṛta-sattamasya
[madena tuchcheekrita-sattamasya]
kṛṣīṣṭa maitrī-dṛśam ārta-bandho
[krisheeshta maitree-drisham aarta-bandho]
yathā tare sad-avadhyānam aṁhaḥ
[yathaa tare sad-avadhyaanam amhah]
Word-for-word
tat — therefore me — unto me bhavān — your good self nara-deva-abhimāna-madena — by madness due to having the body of a king and thus being proud of it tucchīkṛta — who has insulted sat-tamasya — you who are the best among human beings kṛṣīṣṭa — kindly show maitrī-dṛśam — your causeless mercy upon me like a friend ārta-bandho — O friend of all distressed persons yathā — so tare — I can get relief from sat-avadhyānam — neglecting a great personality like you aṁhaḥ — the sin.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tan me bhavān nara-devābhimāna-
tat
therefore
me
unto me
bhavān
your good self
nara-deva-abhimāna-madena
by madness due to having the body of a king and thus being proud of it
madena tucchīkṛta-sattamasya
tucchīkṛta
who has insulted
sat-tamasya
you who are the best among human beings
kṛṣīṣṭa maitrī-dṛśam ārta-bandho
kṛṣīṣṭa
kindly show
maitrī-dṛśam
your causeless mercy upon me like a friend
ārta-bandho
O friend of all distressed persons
yathā tare sad-avadhyānam aṁhaḥ
yathā
so
tare
I can get relief from
sat-avadhyānam
neglecting a great personality like you
aṁhaḥ
the sin.
Whatever you have spoken appears to me to be contradictory. O best friend of the distressed, I have committed a great offense by insulting you. I was puffed up with false prestige due to possessing the body of a king. For this I have certainly become an offender. Therefore I pray that you kindly glance at me with your causeless mercy. If you do so, I can be relieved from sinful activities brought about by insulting you.
Purport

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that by offending a Vaiṣṇava, one finishes all his spiritual activities. Offending a Vaiṣṇava is considered the mad elephant offense. A mad elephant can destroy an entire garden which has been developed with great labor. One may attain the topmost platform of devotional service, but somehow or other if he offends a Vaiṣṇava, the whole structure collapses. Unconsciously, King Rahūgaṇa offended Jaḍa Bharata, but due to his good sense, he asked to be excused. This is the process by which one can be relieved from a vaiṣṇava-aparādha. Kṛṣṇa is always very simple and by nature merciful. When one commits an offense at the feet of a Vaiṣṇava, one must immediately apologize to such a personality so that his spiritual advancement may not be hampered.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O friend of the distressed! Please show your friendly glance on this person who has insulted the greatest devotee out of false identity as a king, so that I can overcome the sin of neglecting the devotee. Since your statements appear to me to contrary, glance upon me with affection. I have been intoxicated with false identity as a king, thinking myself learned, and being falsely proud. Because of this I have offended the greatest devotee. I thought, “What do these people know?” Because of this I will fall to hell. Thinking in this way, show an affection glance to me, by which I will be able to cross the sin of insulting the devotees.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
When you recognize you have offended a real devotee, the right response is immediate humility: 'I have offended you. Please glance on me with mercy.' Pride keeps the wound open; sincere apology lets the mercy in.
Reflection Questions
  • Whose mercy do you need to ask for after a careless offense, and what is keeping you from asking?
  • What does sincere, non-defensive apology actually look like for you?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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