Verse 2.8.210-211

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 2.8.210-211:

শাস্ত্রের না জানি’ মর্ম অধ্যাপনা করে গর্দভের প্রায যেন শাস্ত্র বহি’ মরে এই-মত শাস্ত্র বহে, অর্থ নাহি জানে অধম সভায অর্থ-অধম বাখানে ॥ ২১০-২১১ ॥

शास्त्रेर ना जानि’ मर्म अध्यापना करे गर्दभेर प्राय येन शास्त्र बहि’ मरे एइ-मत शास्त्र बहे, अर्थ नाहि जाने अधम सभाय अर्थ-अधम वाखाने ॥ २१०-२११ ॥

śāstrera nā jāni’ marma adhyāpanā kare gardabhera prāya yena śāstra bahi’ mare ei-mata śāstra bahe, artha nāhi jāne adhama sabhāya artha-adhama vākhāne || 210-211 ||

sastrera na jani’ marma adhyapana kare gardabhera praya yena sastra bahi’ mare ei-mata sastra bahe, artha nahi jane adhama sabhaya artha-adhama vakhane (210-211)

English translation:

(210-211) Those who teach the scriptures without understanding their purport are simply carrying the burden of the scriptures like asses. In this way they carry the burden of the scriptures without understanding their purpose. They present irrational meanings to irrational audiences.

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

Another reading of sabhāya, or “audiences,” is svabhāva, or “nature.” Proud teachers of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam who display their pride by presenting nondevotional conclusions are like asses who simply carry burdens without understanding the scriptural statements. They uselessly labor to teach and study the scriptures. The purport explained by such professional nondevotee reciters of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam to unqualified audiences is completely abominable. In the Padma Purāṇa (Uttara- khaṇḍa, Chapter Sixty-three) it is stated:

viprair bhāgavatī vārtā gehe gehe jane jane kāritā dhana-lobhena kathā-sāras tato gataḥ

“Brāhmaṇas will describe the topics of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam from house to house in order to accumulate wealth, therefore their audience will not achieve devotional service, which is the essence of hearing such topics.” In the Manu-saṃhitā (12.115) it is stated:

yaṃ vadanti tamo-bhūtā mūrkhādharmam atad-vidaḥtat pāpaṃśatadhā bhūtvā

tad-vaktṛn anugacchati

“Those who instruct religious principles in spite of being foolish, in the mode of ignorance, or ignorant of religion incur one hundred times more sin than their audience.” The Manu-saṃhitā (3.156) also states:

bhṛtak-ādhyāpako yaś ca bhṛtak-ādhyāpitas tathā

śūdra-śiṣyo guruś caiva vāg duṣṭaḥ kuṇḍa-golakau

“Those who charge fees for teaching, those who pay fees for studying, those who are disciples of śūdras, those who are spiritual masters of śūdras, those who speak harshly, those who are illegitimate sons of mothers whose actual husband is still alive, and those who are illegitimate sons of mothers whose husband is dead should not be allowed to participate in śrāddha ceremonies or other Vedic rituals.” In the Padma Purāṇa it is stated:

avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṃ pūtaṃ hari-kathāmṛtam śravaṇaṃ naiva kartavyaṃ sarpocchiṣṭaṃ yathā payaḥ

“No one should hear or take lessons from a person who is not a Vaiṣṇava. Even if he speaks about Kṛṣṇa, such a lesson should not be accepted, for it is like milk touched by the lips of a serpent.” It is stated in the Brahma- vaivarta Purāṇa:

śūdrāṇāṃ sūpakārī ca yo harer nāma-vikrayīyo vidyā-vikrayī vipro viṣahīno yathoragaḥ

“One who is devoid of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, who cooks for śūdras, who charges money to initiate disciples in chanting the holy names, or who lectures on the scriptures for pay is like a poisonless snake.” In the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (7.13.8) it is stated:

na śiṣyān anubadhnīta granthān naivābhyased bahūn na vyākhyām upayuñjīta nārambhān ārabhet kvacit

“A sannyāsī must not present allurements of material benefits to gather many disciples, nor should he unnecessarily read many books or give

discourses as a means of livelihood. He must never attempt to increase material opulences unnecessarily.” In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 24.314) the following ancient statement of Lord Śiva is quoted:

ahaṃ vedmi śuko vetti vyāso vetti na vetti vābhaktyā

bhāgavataṃ grāhyaṃ na buddhyā na ca ṭīkayā

“I may know; Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of Vyāsadeva, may know; and Vyāsadeva may know or may not know the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. On the whole, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, the spotless Purāṇa, can be learned only through devotional service, not by material intelligence, speculative methods or imaginary commentaries.”