Verse 1.12.198-200

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 1.12.198-200:

মনে ভাবে শ্রীধর,—“উদ্ধত বিপ্র বড কোন্ দিন আমারে কিলায পাছে দড মারিলে ও ব্রাহ্মণেরে কি করিতে পারি? কডি-বিনা প্রতি-দিন দিবারে ও নারি তথাপিহ বলে ছলে যে লয ব্রাহ্মণে সে আমার ভাগ্য বটে, দিমু প্রতি-দিনে” ॥ ১৯৮-২০০ ॥

मने भावे श्रीधर,—“उद्धत विप्र बड कोन् दिन आमारे किलाय पाछे दड मारिले ओ ब्राह्मणेरे कि करिते पारि? कडि-विना प्रति-दिन दिबारे ओ नारि तथापिह बले छले ये लय ब्राह्मणे से आमार भाग्य बटे, दिमु प्रति-दिने” ॥ १९८-२०० ॥

mane bhāve śrīdhara,—“uddhata vipra baḍa kon dina āmāre kilāya pāche daḍa mārile o brāhmaṇere ki karite pāri? kaḍi-vinā prati-dina dibāre o nāri tathāpiha bale chale ye laya brāhmaṇe se āmāra bhāgya baṭe, dimu prati-dine” || 198-200 ||

mane bhave sridhara,—“uddhata vipra bada kon dina amare kilaya pache dada marile o brahmanere ki karite pari? kadi-vina prati-dina dibare o nari tathapiha bale chale ye laya brahmane se amara bhagya bate, dimu prati-dine” (198-200)

English translation:

(198-200) Śrīdhara thought, “This brāhmaṇa is very aggressive. I’m afraid that one day He will beat me. But even if He beats me, what can I do to a brāhmaṇa? At the same time, I can’t supply Him free of charge every

day. Anyway, whatever this brāhmaṇa takes by force or deceit, that is my good fortune. So I’ll continue to give Him every day.”

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

Śrīdhara Vipra thought, “Prabhu has a very arrogant nature. If I do not act according to His will, then He may even beat me. Moreover, I am personally poor and unable to meet the expenses of my own food and clothing. Therefore it is impossible for me to give anything free of cost.

Nevertheless a brāhmaṇa is the representative of the Supreme Lord; if I can help Him without duplicity in any way, then there is a possibility of awakening my good fortune. For this reason whatever He will take from me either by force or trickery, I have no objection. I will be prepared to give Him every day. If by His exhibition of force or trickery this brāhmaṇa is benefited by me in any way, then I will consider it the result of my good fortune.” By this pastime, Śrī Gaurasundara and His devotee, Śrīdhara, set an example for living entities who desire their own benefit to earn unknown piety. Although the smārta communities, or persons who are expert in worldly morality, consider the behavior of both as unsatisfactory and apparently contradictory, a living entity who is self- realized can understand that such exchanges are the source of unlimited auspiciousness. Great personalities who desire the welfare of other living entities give fallen souls the opportunity to earn unknown piety; it is to be understood that their apparent use of force and trickery is only for the benefit of others (in other words, for the benefit of the fallen souls).