Verse 1.16.302

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 1.16.302:

এ সব বিপ্রের স্পর্শ, কথা, নমস্কার ধর্ম-শাস্ত্রে সর্বথা নিষেধ করিবার ॥ ৩০২ ॥

ए सब विप्रेर स्पर्श, कथा, नमस्कार धर्म-शास्त्रे सर्वथा निषेध करिबार ॥ ३०२ ॥

e saba viprera sparśa, kathā, namaskāra dharma-śāstre sarvathā niṣedha karibāra || 302 ||

e saba viprera sparsa, katha, namaskara dharma-sastre sarvatha nisedha karibara (302)

English translation:

(302) The scriptures forbid one from touching, speaking to, or offering respects to such brāhmaṇas.

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

One should not even touch those proud brāhmaṇas who are opposed to Viṣṇu and the Vaiṣṇavas. If by chance one touches such a brāhmaṇa, he should take bath in the Ganges with his clothes on. If one converses with such a brāhmaṇa, then his falldown is guaranteed. If one respects such a person by offering him obeisances, then one is sure to be deviated from devotional service to Viṣṇu. That is why persons and the families of persons who are averse to following Vaiṣṇava etiquette have been declared as fallen in the following words from the Dharma-śāstras (Manu 2.168) and the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (11.5.3):

yo ‘nadhītya dvijo vedam anyatra kurute śramam sa jīvan eva śūdratvam āśu gaccati sāṇvayaḥ

“A brāhmaṇa who in his lifetime does not endeavor to study the Vedas but labors hard in other pursuits quickly becomes a śūdra along with his family.

ya eṣāṃ puruṣaṃ sākṣād ātma-prabhavam īśvaram na bhajanty avajānanti sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ patanty adhaḥ

“If one simply maintains an official position in the four varṇas and āśramas but does not worship the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu, he falls down from his puffed-up position into a hellish condition.”