Verse 1.16.267

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 1.16.267:

হরিনদী-গ্রামে এক ব্রাহ্মণ দুর্জন হরিদাসে দেখি’ ক্রোধে বলযে বচন ॥ ২৬৭ ॥

हरिनदी-ग्रामे एक ब्राह्मण दुर्जन हरिदासे देखि’ क्रोधे बलये वचन ॥ २६७ ॥

harinadī-grāme eka brāhmaṇa durjana haridāse dekhi’ krodhe balaye vacana || 267 ||

harinadi-grame eka brahmana durjana haridase dekhi’ krodhe balaye vacana (267)

English translation:

(267) In this regard, there was one impious brāhmaṇa that lived in the village of Harinadī. He once angrily said to Haridāsa.

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

There are two methods for ascertaining one’s varṇa: (1) One is by seminal consideration. According to normal procedure, the varṇa of a child is the same as the varṇa of his legitimate father, because he is born from his semen. (2) The second is to ascertain one’s varṇa according to his occupation, which is determined by his qualities and activities. The nature of people is of two types—pious and sinful. Vaiṣṇavas who are engaged in the service of the Lord are pious, and proud persons who are averse to the Lord and devoid of good qualities are sinful, though they may belong to any one of the varṇas. Although one may be identified as a brāhmaṇa according to seminal consideration, as a result of being envious of pious persons, he is considered sinful. Whenever envy is directed towards Viṣṇu, the devotional service of Viṣṇu, or the devotees of Viṣṇu, then due to such demoniac propensities even respected so- called brāhmaṇas are designated as sinful by the pious.

At that time there was a famous village named Harinadī in the district of Yaśohara. On seeing Śrī Haridāsa loudly and constantly chant the holy names, a local seminal brāhmaṇa who was envious of devotional service angrily put forward some false arguments.