Verse 2.23.9

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 2.23.9:

কেহ বলে,—“কলি-কালে কিসের বৈষ্ণব? যত দেখ-হের পেট-পোষা-গুলা সব” ॥ ৯ ॥

केह बले,—“कलि-काले किसेर वैष्णव? यत देख-हेर पेट-पोषा-गुला सब” ॥ ९ ॥

keha bale,—“kali-kāle kisera vaiṣṇava? yata dekha-hera peṭa-poṣā-gulā saba” || 9 ||

keha bale,—“kali-kale kisera vaisnava? yata dekha-hera peta-posa-gula saba” (9)

English translation:

(9) Someone said, “What kind of Vaiṣṇava can there be in Kali-yuga? Those Vaiṣṇavas we see are simply engaged in filling their stomachs.”

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

The blasphemers always say the Vaiṣṇavas are “simply interested in filling their bellies.” Their idea was that particularly in the age of quarrel there is no possibility of finding any Vaiṣṇavas or attaining devotional service to Viṣṇu.