Verse 2.23.99

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 2.23.99:

নগরিযা-গুলা বলে,—“মাগি খাই মরে অকালেতে দুর্গোত্সব আনিলেক ঘরে” ॥ ৯৯ ॥

नगरिया-गुला बले,—“मागि खाइ मरे अकालेते दुर्गोत्सव आनिलेक घरे” ॥ ९९ ॥

nagariyā-gulā bale,—“māgi khāi mare akālete durgotsava ānileka ghare” || 99 ||

nagariya-gula bale,—“magi khai mare akalete durgotsava anileka ghare” (99)

English translation:

(99) The local inhabitants said, “They are unable to maintain themselves by begging, so they are celebrating the Durgā-pūjā festival at the wrong time.”

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

Since the local inhabitants absorbed in sense gratification mistakenly thought that the Vaiṣṇavas, like themselves, engaged in dancing, chanting, and playing musical instruments for enjoying material happiness, they considered hari-kīrtana performed for the pleasure of Kṛṣṇa as another means to enjoy material happiness as in the Durgā-pūjā festival. They further thought that it was not at all proper for poor people to ignore the concern of the hard-working professionals who maintained them and to enjoy happiness in the performance of kīrtana. After working the entire year to maintain their families, people spent their remaining wealth to attain happiness in the Durgā-pūjā festival by dancing and playing musical instruments, so the performance of such activities at the

wrong time was not reasonable.