FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.1.37

पञ्चषड्ढायनार्भाभा: पूर्वेषामपि पूर्वजा: । दिग्वासस: शिशून् मत्वा द्वा:स्थौ तान् प्रत्यषेधताम् ॥ ३७ ॥
pañca-ṣaḍḍhāyanārbhābhāḥ
[pancha-shaddhaayanaarbhaabhaah]
pūrveṣām api pūrvajāḥ
[poorveshaam api poorvajaah]
dig-vāsasaḥ śiśūn matvā
[dig-vaasasah shishoon matvaa]
dvāḥ-sthau tān pratyaṣedhatām
[dvaah-sthau taan pratyashedhataam]
Word-for-word
pañca-ṣaṭ-dhā — five or six years āyana — approaching arbha-ābhāḥ — like boys pūrveṣām — the ancients of the universe (Marīci and the rest) api — even though pūrva-jāḥ — born before dik-vāsasaḥ — being naked śiśūn — children matvā — thinking dvāḥ-sthau — the two gate guards, Jaya and Vijaya tān — them pratyaṣedhatām — forbade.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
pañca-ṣaḍḍhāyanārbhābhāḥ
pañca-ṣaṭ-dhā
five or six years
āyana
approaching
arbha-ābhāḥ
like boys
pūrveṣām api pūrvajāḥ
pūrveṣām
the ancients of the universe (Marīci and the rest)
api
even though
pūrva-jāḥ
born before
dig-vāsasaḥ śiśūn matvā
dik-vāsasaḥ
being naked
śiśūn
children
matvā
thinking
dvāḥ-sthau tān pratyaṣedhatām
dvāḥ-sthau
the two gate guards, Jaya and Vijaya
tān
them
pratyaṣedhatām
forbade.
Although these four great sages were older than Brahmā’s other sons like Marīci, they appeared like small naked children only five or six years old. When Jaya and Vijaya saw them trying to enter Vaikuṇṭhaloka, these two gatekeepers, thinking them ordinary children, forbade them to enter.
Purport

In this regard, Śrīla Madhvācārya says in his Tantra-sāra:

dvāḥ-sthāv ity anenādhikāra-sthatvam uktam

adhikāra-sthitāś caiva vimuktāś ca dvidhā janāḥ viṣṇu-loka-sthitās teṣāṁ vara-śāpādi-yoginaḥ

adhikāra-sthitāṁ muktiṁ niyataṁ prāpnuvanti ca vimukty-anantaraṁ teṣāṁ vara-śāpādayo nanu

dehendriyāsu-yuktaś ca pūrvaṁ paścān na tair yutāḥ apy abhimānibhis teṣāṁ devaiḥ svātmottamair yutāḥ

The purport is that the personal associates of Lord Viṣṇu in Vaikuṇṭhaloka are always liberated souls. Even if sometimes cursed or blessed, they are always liberated and never contaminated by the material modes of nature. Before their liberation to Vaikuṇṭhaloka they possessed material bodies, but once they come to Vaikuṇṭha they no longer have them. Therefore even if the associates of Lord Viṣṇu sometimes descend as if cursed, they are always liberated.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Although these four great sages were older than Brahmā's other sons like Marīci, they appeared like small naked children, only five or six years old. The two gatekeepers, thinking them ordinary children, forbad them to enter. The Kumāras had the beauty (ābhāh) of five or six year old children, but were older than Marīci and others (pūrveṣām). The gate keepers considered them naked babies.
Personal Guidance
Jaya and Vijaya mistook the Kumāras for ordinary children and barred their entry. Spiritual gatekeeping by appearance is a perennial failure mode. Externals — age, dress, language — never reliably reveal who is carrying the most light.
Reflection Questions
  • Whom have you recently dismissed based on appearance who may have been carrying something sacred?
  • Where in your service are you protecting the form so well that you exclude the spirit?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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