Verse 2.16.113

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 2.16.113:

`ভিখারী’ করিযা জ্ঞান, লোকে নাহি চিনে দরিদ্রের অবধি—করযে ভিক্ষাটনে ॥ ১১৩ ॥

`भिखारी’ करिया ज्ञान, लोके नाहि चिने दरिद्रेर अवधि—करये भिक्षाटने ॥ ११३ ॥

`bhikhārī’ kariyā jñāna, loke nāhi cine daridrera avadhi—karaye bhikṣāṭane || 113 ||

`bhikhari’ kariya jnana, loke nahi cine daridrera avadhi—karaye bhiksatane (113)

English translation:

(113) People thought he was a beggar and therefore could not recognize him. He was so poor that he had to beg alms to maintain himself.

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

Being deceived by external vision, foolish people considered that Śuklāmbara Brahmacārī was an ordinary beggar who desired sense gratification. The ideal examples of poverty or deficiency displayed in the activities of Kṛṣṇa’ devotees who dress as bhikṣukas, or beggars, cannot be understood by persons who are maddened by three types of false ego. Persons who are puffed-up with false ego and bewildered by the illusory energy consider the Lord’s devotees as afflicted by poverty and forced to enjoy the fruits of their karma, but they are incapable of understanding the poverty, deficiency, or lack of material possessions in the Vaiṣṇavas. Although such Vaiṣṇavas are exalted, they visit the houses of the poor householders in order to help the living entities accumulate ajñāta-sukṛti, or some unknown devotional service. In Caitanya- caritāmṛta (Madhya 8.39) it is stated:

mahānta-svabhāva ei tārite pāmara nija kārya nāhi tabu yāna tāra ghara

“It is the general practice of all saintly people to deliver the fallen. Therefore they go to people’s houses, although they have no personal business there.” As a result, the giver acquires ajñāta-sukṛti. Only those who can understand this spiritual propensity are able to worship Hari by accepting the dress of a beggar in the temple of devotional service and by helping foolish people who are attached to material objects attain piety.

Accepting pure brahminical behavior, the beggars in the temple of devotional service do not engage in self-deceit by remaining on the platform of materialistic brahminical behavior but rather engage all their accumulated alms in the service of Kṛṣṇa. Since Vaiṣṇavas do not abide in the so-called brahmanism based on sense gratification like the brahmanism that is averse to Kṛṣṇa and aimed at enjoying the fruits of

karma, they engage everything in the service of Kṛṣṇa and do not allow the fools of the world to understand their characteristics and exalted position.