SB 7.1.19 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.1.19

शपतोरसकृद्विष्णुं यद्ब्रह्म परमव्ययम् । श्वित्रो न जातो जिह्वायां नान्धं विविशतुस्तम: ॥ १९ ॥

śapator asakṛd viṣṇuṁ

[shapator asakrid vishnum]

yad brahma param avyayam

[yad brahma param avyayam]

śvitro na jāto jihvāyāṁ

[shvitro na jaato jihvaayaam]

nāndhaṁ viviśatus tamaḥ

[naandham vivishatus tamah]

Word-for-word

śapatoḥ — of both Śiśupāla and Dantavakra, who were blaspheming asakṛt — repeatedly viṣṇum — Lord Kṛṣṇa yat — which brahma param — the Supreme Brahman avyayam — without diminution śvitraḥ — white leprosy na — not jātaḥ — appeared jihvāyām — on the tongue na — not andham — dark viviśatuḥ — they did enter tamaḥ — hell.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

śapator asakṛd viṣṇuṁ

śapatoḥ

of both Śiśupāla and Dantavakra, who were blaspheming

asakṛt

repeatedly

viṣṇum

Lord Kṛṣṇa

yad brahma param avyayam

yat

which

brahma param

the Supreme Brahman

avyayam

without diminution

śvitro na jāto jihvāyāṁ

śvitraḥ

white leprosy

not

jātaḥ

appeared

jihvāyām

on the tongue

nāndhaṁ viviśatus tamaḥ

not

andham

dark

viviśatuḥ

they did enter

tamaḥ

hell.

Although these two men — Śiśupāla and Dantavakra — repeatedly blasphemed the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu [Kṛṣṇa], the Supreme Brahman, they were quite healthy. Indeed, their tongues were not attacked by white leprosy, nor did they enter the darkest region of hellish life. We are certainly most surprised by this.

Purport

Kṛṣṇa is described by Arjuna in Bhagavad-gītā (10.12) as follows: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. “You are the Supreme Brahman, the supreme abode and purifier.” Herein this is confirmed. Viṣṇuṁ yad brahma param avyayam . The Supreme Viṣṇu is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the cause of Viṣṇu, not vice versa. Similarly, Brahman is not the cause of Kṛṣṇa; Kṛṣṇa is the cause of Brahman. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the Parabrahman ( yad brahma param avyayam ).

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Although these two men—Śiśupāla and Dantavakra—repeatedly blasphemed the indestructible Supreme Brahman called Kṛṣṇa, their tongues were not attacked by white leprosy, nor did they enter the darkest region of hell. Param brahman means Kṛṣṇa.

Personal Guidance

Despite blaspheming the Supreme Lord, Śiśupāla and Dantavakra suffered no obvious punishment — no leprosy, no hell. The Lord's mercy is unfathomable and does not always follow our expectations of justice. Reserve judgment about who is being punished and who is being prepared.

Reflection Questions

Where have you assumed someone was being punished when they might have been receiving hidden grace?
How does this verse challenge your sense of cosmic fairness?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io