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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.64.42

యథాహం ప్రణమే విప్రాననుకాలం సమాహిత: । తథా నమత యూయం చ యోఽన్యథా మే స దణ్డభాక్ ॥ ౪౨ ॥
yathāhaṁ praṇame viprān
[yathaaham praname vipraan]
anukālaṁ samāhitaḥ
[anukaalam samaahitah]
tathā namata yūyaṁ ca
[tathaa namata yooyam cha]
yo ’nyathā me sa daṇḍa-bhāk
[yo ’nyathaa me sa danda-bhaak]
Word-for-word
yathā — as aham — I praṇame — bow down viprān — to brāhmaṇas anu - kālam — all the time samāhitaḥ — carefully tathā — so namata — should bow down yūyam — all of you ca — also yaḥ — one who anyathā — (does) otherwise me — by Me saḥ — he daṇḍa — for punishment bhāk — a candidate .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yathāhaṁ praṇame viprān
yathā
as
aham
I
praṇame
bow down
viprān
to brāhmaṇas
anukālaṁ samāhitaḥ
anu - kālam
all the time
samāhitaḥ
carefully
tathā namata yūyaṁ ca
tathā
so
namata
should bow down
yūyam
all of you
ca
also
yo ’nyathā me sa daṇḍa-bhāk
yaḥ
one who
anyathā
(does) otherwise
me
by Me
saḥ
he
daṇḍa
for punishment
bhāk
a candidate .
Important Words
  • yathā aham praṇame — as I bow down
    Yathā (as) + aham (I) + pra-√nam (to bow). The Lord's own action is named the standard. Bhīṣma's prayer in SB 1.9.42 — vipra-pāda-rajaṁ vande — describes precisely this: Kṛṣṇa worships the dust of brāhmaṇas' feet.
  • anu - kālam — all the time
    Anu (along with) + kāla (time). Continuously, not occasionally. The Lord's reverence for brāhmaṇas is not ceremonial but constant — Gauḍīyas read this as the time-pattern bhaktas should imitate.
  • samāhitaḥ — carefully, with focused mind
    Sam-ā-√dhā (to compose, to focus). The Lord bows samāhitaḥ — with full attention. Mechanical or distracted obeisance does not match the standard. The qualitative ask is as strong as the quantitative.
  • daṇḍa - bhāk — a candidate for punishment
    Daṇḍa (rod, punishment) + bhāj (sharing in, deserving). Kṛṣṇa, who is daṇḍa-pāṇi for the lawless and the giver of mukti for the surrendered, declares Himself the rod-bearer for any who disobey this command. The verse closes with the threat of personal kṣatriya-daṇḍa from Bhagavān.
Just us I always carefully bow down to brāhmaṇas, so all of you should likewise bow down to them. I will punish anyone who acts otherwise.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Just us I always carefully bow down to brāhmaṇas, so all of you should likewise bow down to them. I will punish anyone who acts otherwise.
Commentary

Just as I pay respects (praname), you should pay respects.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

One should not offer obeisances with disrespect or offense but with devotion. Just as I always (anukālam) offer respects with attention to all brāhmaṇas, you should offer respects. Anyone who does otherwise will be punished by me--by Yama after death, and directly by me.

Related values & verses
Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Prema (Divine Love)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)
Related verses
BG 9.1 BG 9.34 BG 15.20 BG 15.7 BG 10.4 BG 7.1 BG 12.5 BG 2.60 BG 13.8 BG 6.4 BG 3.21 BG 6.1
Concepts
Jiva
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Analogy

The teacher demonstrates first, the students follow — Kṛṣṇa bows to brāhmaṇas Himself before commanding His audience to do the same. The verse establishes a doctrinal point: even Bhagavān models the gesture; how then can any kṣatriya excuse himself?

Stories
Kṛṣṇa washing Sudāmā's feet

When His childhood brāhmaṇa friend Sudāmā arrived in tattered clothes at Dvārakā, Kṛṣṇa Himself washed his feet, embraced him, and treated him with such honour that Rukmiṇī fanned him (SB 10.80–81). The Lord did not merely tolerate the brāhmaṇa; He served him in person.

This chapter's command — 'as I bow to brāhmaṇas, so should you' — is not abstract. The Bhāgavata has already shown the gesture being performed by Kṛṣṇa Himself, in His own city, in the very canto we are reading.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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