FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.9.8

पितर्युपरते भ्रातर एनमतत्प्रभावविदस्त्रय्यां विद्यायामेव पर्यवसितमतयो न परविद्यायां जडमतिरिति भ्रातुरनुशासननिर्बन्धान्न्यवृत्सन्त ॥ ८ ॥
pitary uparate bhrātara enam atat-prabhāva-vidas trayyāṁ vidyāyām eva paryavasita-matayo na para-vidyāyāṁ jaḍa-matir iti bhrātur anuśāsana-nirbandhān nyavṛtsanta.
[pitary uparate bhraatara enam atat-prabhaava-vidas trayyaam vidyaayaam eva paryavasita-matayo na para-vidyaayaam jada-matir iti bhraatur anushaasana-nirbandhaan nyavritsanta.]
pitari uparate — after the death of the father bhrātaraḥ — the stepbrothers enam — unto this Bharata (Jaḍa Bharata) a-tat-prabhāva-vidaḥ — without understanding his exalted position trayyām — of the three Vedas vidyāyām — in the matter of material ritualistic knowledge eva — indeed paryavasita — settled matayaḥ — whose minds na — not para-vidyāyām — in the transcendental knowledge of spiritual life (devotional service) jaḍa-matiḥ — most dull intelligence iti — thus bhrātuḥ — their brother (Jaḍa Bharata) anuśāsana-nirbandhāt — from the endeavor to teach nyavṛtsanta — stopped.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
pitary uparate bhrātara enam atat-prabhāva-vidas trayyāṁ vidyāyām eva paryavasita-matayo na para-vidyāyāṁ jaḍa-matir iti bhrātur anuśāsana-nirbandhān nyavṛtsanta.
pitari uparate
after the death of the father
bhrātaraḥ
the stepbrothers
enam
unto this Bharata (Jaḍa Bharata)
a-tat-prabhāva-vidaḥ
without understanding his exalted position
trayyām
of the three Vedas
vidyāyām
in the matter of material ritualistic knowledge
eva
indeed
paryavasita
settled
matayaḥ
whose minds
na
not
para-vidyāyām
in the transcendental knowledge of spiritual life (devotional service)
jaḍa-matiḥ
most dull intelligence
iti
thus
bhrātuḥ
their brother (Jaḍa Bharata)
anuśāsana-nirbandhāt
from the endeavor to teach
nyavṛtsanta
stopped.
After the father died, the nine stepbrothers of Jaḍa Bharata, who considered Jaḍa Bharata dull and brainless, abandoned the father’s attempt to give Jaḍa Bharata a complete education. The stepbrothers of Jaḍa Bharata were learned in the three Vedas — the Ṛg Veda, Sāma Veda and Yajur Veda — which very much encourage fruitive activity. The nine brothers were not at all spiritually enlightened in devotional service to the Lord. Consequently they could not understand the highly exalted position of Jaḍa Bharata.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
After the death of their father, the nine brothers, not understanding the position of Bharata, and being knowledgeable of the three Vedas but not knowing the highest truth, gave up trying to teach Bharata, thinking that he was dull-witted. When the father who desired to teach him died, they desired to stop teaching him. Or nyavṛtsanta can be an aorist form: they gave up trying to teach him. They were not as determined to teach him as their father was. He was free of bodily identification of the dualities of happiness and distressed caused by respect or disrespect.
Even with three Vedas at their command, the stepbrothers were not spiritually enlightened, so they wrote Jaḍa Bharata off as useless. Vedic learning without devotion produces confident misjudgment of who is actually advanced.
Reflection Questions
  • Whose 'simplicity' have you dismissed because you mistook it for dullness?
  • Where is your own learning at risk of producing confident blindness rather than humble sight?
📝 My note

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