Verse 2.23.123

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 2.23.123:

প্রেম-ভক্তি-বৃষ্টি আজি করিব বিশাল পাষণ্ডি-গণের সে হৈব আজি `কাল’ ॥ ১২৩ ॥

प्रेम-भक्ति-वृष्टि आजि करिब विशाल पाषण्डि-गणेर से हैब आजि `काल’ ॥ १२३ ॥

prema-bhakti-vṛṣṭi āji kariba viśāla pāṣaṇḍi-gaṇera se haiba āji `kāla’ || 123 ||

prema-bhakti-vrsti aji kariba visala pasandi-ganera se haiba aji `kala’ (123)

English translation:

(123) “Today I will shower an incessant rain of pure devotional service. Today the atheists will face their ultimate fate.

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

Śrī Gaurasundara has instructed that one should have unlimited patience, yet in anger He personally assumed the form of Rudra and expressed a desire to destroy the houses of those who were opposed to kīrtana.

Therefore how can these two contradictory statements be reconciled? Many people may inquire like this. The main principle in chanting the holy name of the Lord is to favorably engage all activities in the service of Kṛṣṇa. To directly or indirectly support or participate in activities that are unfavorable to the service of Kṛṣṇa is detrimental to the service of the Supreme Lord. Therefore the instruction to become “lower than a straw in the street” and “tolerant like a tree” is given for the favorable cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The patience and the freedom from material designations meant to support activities that are unfavorable to devotional service are completely opposed to the process of chanting the holy names. Those who are resolute in supporting nāma-aparādha certainly misuse the instruction to become lower than a straw in the street and more tolerant than a tree. Śrī Gaurasundara has given the instructions to become “lower than a straw in the street” and “more tolerant than a tree” to reveal that this misuse is a type of unfavorable cultivation and to encourage the full cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Although to externally remain indifferent to unfavorable cultivation appears like a favorable adjustment, the sinful mentality or ignorance of covering the soul’s propensity is revealed in such activities. In this regard one should carefully discuss the verse from the Fourth Canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam that begins, karṇau pidhāya nirayād [karṇau pidhāya nirayād yad akalpa īśe, dharmāvitary asṛṇibhir nṛbhir asyamāne, chindyāt prasahya ruśatīm asatīṃ prabhuś cej, jihvām asūn api tato visṛjet sa dharmaḥ, “If one hears an irresponsible person blaspheme the master and controller of religion, one should block his ears and go away if unable to punish him. But if one is able to kill, then one should by force cut out the blasphemer’s tongue and kill the offender, and after that one should give up his own life.”

(Bhāg. 4.4.17)], otherwise one will become bereft of devotional service and simply accumulate offenses. While displaying His anger and desire for revenge, Śrī Gaurasundara simultaneously declared, “Today I will shower an incessant rain of pure devotional service that will act like Yamarāja, death personified, for the atheists.” Innumerable varieties of realization such as found in verses like mallānām aśanir nṛṇāṃ [For a translation of this verse see pages 260-261] are possible only in Him.