Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.5.26
ब्रह्मबन्धो किमेतत्ते विपक्षं श्रयतासता ।
असारं ग्राहितो बालो मामनादृत्य दुर्मते ॥ २६ ॥
brahma-bandho kim etat te
[brahma-bandho kim etat te]
vipakṣaṁ śrayatāsatā
[vipaksham shrayataasataa]
asāraṁ grāhito bālo
[asaaram graahito baalo]
mām anādṛtya durmate
[maam anaadritya durmate]
Word-for-word
brahma-bandho
—
O unqualified son of a brāhmaṇa
kim etat
—
what is this
te
—
by you
vipakṣam
—
the party of my enemies
śrayatā
—
taking shelter of
asatā
—
most mischievous
asāram
—
nonsense
grāhitaḥ
—
taught
bālaḥ
—
the boy
mām
—
me
anādṛtya
—
not caring for
durmate
—
O foolish teacher.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
brahma-bandho kim etat te
brahma-bandho
O unqualified son of a brāhmaṇa
kim etat
what is this
te
by you
vipakṣaṁ śrayatāsatā
vipakṣam
the party of my enemies
śrayatā
taking shelter of
asatā
most mischievous
asāraṁ grāhito bālo
asāram
nonsense
grāhitaḥ
taught
bālaḥ
the boy
mām anādṛtya durmate
mām
me
anādṛtya
not caring for
durmate
O foolish teacher.
O unqualified, most heinous son of a brāhmaṇa, you have disobeyed my order and taken shelter of the party of my enemies. You have taught this poor boy about devotional service! What is this nonsense?
Purport
In this verse the word asāram, meaning, “having no substance,” is significant. For a demon there is no substance in the process of devotional service, but to a devotee devotional service is the only essential factor in life. Since Hiraṇyakaśipu did not like devotional service, the essence of life, he chastised Prahlāda Mahārāja’s teachers with harsh words.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
O unqualified brāhmaṇa! Fool! What is this? Disrespecting me, you have deceptively taken shelter of the enemy, and taught nonsense to the boy.
Te should be tvayā (by you). You have taught something which has no worth (asāram). However the other meaning is “you have taught something which has no comparison.”
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Hiraṇyakaśipu accuses Ṣaṇḍa of teaching the boy devotional service — calling it asāram, 'having no substance.' To the demonic mind, the most substantial thing in existence appears as empty. Worldview determines what looks real and what looks like nonsense.
Reflection Questions
- What in your spiritual life have you been told is 'without substance' by those who cannot see it?
- Where is your own dismissal of someone's path actually a confession of your worldview?
My note
Source: vedabase.io