FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.15.1

श्रीशुक उवाच भरतस्यात्मज: सुमतिर्नामाभिहितो यमु ह वाव केचित्पाखण्डिन ऋषभपदवीमनुवर्तमानं चानार्या अवेदसमाम्नातां देवतां स्वमनीषया पापीयस्या कलौ कल्पयिष्यन्ति ॥ १ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca
[shree-shuka uvaacha]
bharatasyātmajaḥ sumatir nāmābhihito yam u ha vāva kecit pākhaṇḍina ṛṣabha-padavīm anuvartamānaṁ cānāryā aveda-samāmnātāṁ devatāṁ sva-manīṣayā pāpīyasyā kalau kalpayiṣyanti.
[bharatasyaatmajah sumatir naamaabhihito yam u ha vaava kechit paakhandina rishabha-padaveem anuvartamaanam chaanaaryaa aveda-samaamnaataam devataam sva-maneeshayaa paapeeyasyaa kalau kalpayishyanti.]
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued to speak bharatasya — of Bharata Mahārāja ātma-jaḥ — the son sumatiḥ nāma-abhihitaḥ — named Sumati yam — unto whom u ha vāva — indeed kecit — some pākhaṇḍinaḥ — atheists, men without Vedic knowledge ṛṣabha-padavīm — the path of King Ṛṣabhadeva anuvartamānam — following ca — and anāryāḥ — not belonging to the Āryans who strictly follow the Vedic principles aveda-samāmnātām — not enumerated in the Vedas devatām — to be Lord Buddha or a similar Buddhist deity sva-manīṣayā — by their own mental speculation pāpīyasyā — most sinful kalau — in this Age of Kali kalpayiṣyanti — will imagine.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-śuka uvāca
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued to speak
bharatasyātmajaḥ sumatir nāmābhihito yam u ha vāva kecit pākhaṇḍina ṛṣabha-padavīm anuvartamānaṁ cānāryā aveda-samāmnātāṁ devatāṁ sva-manīṣayā pāpīyasyā kalau kalpayiṣyanti.
bharatasya
of Bharata Mahārāja
ātma-jaḥ
the son
sumatiḥ nāma-abhihitaḥ
named Sumati
yam
unto whom
u ha vāva
indeed
kecit
some
pākhaṇḍinaḥ
atheists, men without Vedic knowledge
ṛṣabha-padavīm
the path of King Ṛṣabhadeva
anuvartamānam
following
ca
and
anāryāḥ
not belonging to the Āryans who strictly follow the Vedic principles
aveda-samāmnātām
not enumerated in the Vedas
devatām
to be Lord Buddha or a similar Buddhist deity
sva-manīṣayā
by their own mental speculation
pāpīyasyā
most sinful
kalau
in this Age of Kali
kalpayiṣyanti
will imagine.
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: The son of Mahārāja Bharata known as Sumati followed the path of Ṛṣabhadeva, but in the Age of Kali some unscrupulous people will imagine him to be Lord Buddha himself. These people, who will actually be atheistic and of bad character, will interpret the Vedic principles in an imaginary, infamous way to support their activities. Thus these sinful people will accept Sumati as Lord Buddhadeva and propagate the theory that everyone should follow the principles of Sumati. In this way they will be carried away by mental concoction.

Those who are Āryans strictly follow the Vedic principles, but in this Age of Kali a community has sprung up known as the Arya Samaj, who members are ignorant of the import of the Vedas in the paramparā system. They decry all bona fide ācāryas and pose themselves as the real followers of the Vedic principles, but in fact such non-Āryans do not follow the Vedic principles. Another group of non-Āryans are the Jains, who are referred to in the present verse. Not only do they not follow the Vedic principles, but they have no relationship with Lord Buddha, though they claim to. Imitating the behavior of Sumati, they also claim to be descendants of Ṛṣabhadeva. Those who are Vaiṣṇavas carefully avoid their company because they are ignorant of the path of the Vedas. In Bhagavad-gītā (15.15) Kṛṣṇa says, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ: “The real purpose of the Vedas is to understand Me.” This is the injunction of all Vedic literatures. One who does not know the greatness of Lord Kṛṣṇa cannot be accepted as an Āryan. Lord Buddha, an incarnation of Lord Kṛṣṇa, adopted a particular means to propagate the philosophy of bhāgavata-dharma. He preached almost exclusively among atheists. Atheists do not want any God, and Lord Buddha therefore said that there is no God, but he adopted the means to instruct his followers for their benefit. Therefore he preached in a duplicitous way, saying that there is no God. Nonetheless, he himself was an incarnation of God.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Śukadeva said: The son of Bharata named Sumati followed the path of Ṛṣabha. Some inferior, sinful heretics will imagine him by their own minds to be Buddha, who is not approved by the Vedas. In the Fifteenth Chapter, the glories of King Gaya and of the last king of Priyavrata’s line, Viraja, are described.
In Kali-yuga, the historical Sumati is misidentified as the Buddha by those who twist Vedic principles to support their preferences. Misinterpretation of scripture is one of the age's signature symptoms; verify your sources with care.
Reflection Questions
  • Where have you accepted an interpretation of scripture because it suited your preferences rather than because it was authorized?
  • How could you cross-check your teachings against bona fide paramparā?
📝 My note

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