Verse 1.16.257

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 1.16.257:

এ বামনগুলা সব মাগিযা খাইতে ভাবুক-কীর্তন করি’ নানা ছল পাতে ॥ ২৫৭ ॥

ए वामनगुला सब मागिया खाइते भावुक-कीर्तन करि’ नाना छल पाते ॥ २५७ ॥

e vāmanagulā saba māgiyā khāite bhāvuka-kīrtana kari’ nānā chala pāte || 257 ||

e vamanagula saba magiya khaite bhavuka-kirtana kari’ nana chala pate (257)

English translation:

(257) “These brāhmaṇas perform sentimental kīrtana and play various tricks in order to beg alms.

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

Although the devotees gave up bad association and gathered together to congregationally chant the names of Hari, the godless atheistic persons who were devoid of devotion to the Lord angrily ridiculed them as follows: “In order to fill their bellies and earn their livelihood, these loudly chanting brāhmaṇas spread various deceptions and accept the dress of sentimentalists while chanting the names of Hari. They have no other business than filling their bellies on the pretext of religious performances. Because of their behavior, there will be famine in this country, and in this way they will cause great harm to the world by introducing begging.”

Actually, attributing such false accusations on the devotees of the Lord will never bring any auspiciousness to the world, rather, it will lead people to hell. The devotees engage in the exalted service of the Lord by chanting His holy names. They do not partake of or enjoy the hard-earned wealth of ordinary people under the inducement of greed or by giving indulgence to laziness born of ignorance; rather, the wealth and ingredients that ordinary people accumulate for sense gratification are utilized by the devotees in the service of Hari for the eternal benefit of those persons.