Chapter 81: The Brahmin Honored: Lord Krishna the Godhead of the Brahmins
(1-2)
S'rî S'uka said: 'He, Bhagavân
Krishna, the True Goal of the Devotees, the Lord Knowing Perfectly the
Minds of All Beings, in this manner conversing with this best one among
the brahmins, then, in His dedication to the ones of learning, spoke to
His dear friend, with a loving glance looking at him, smiling and
laughing. (3) The Supreme Lord said: 'What gift have you
brought for Me from home, o brahmin? Even the slightest thing offered
by devotees in pure love turns into something immense for Me, whereas
not even the greatest being presented by non-devotees may please Me. (4) Whoever offers Me a leaf, a flower, a fruit
and water with devotion, that offer brought from the heart by a soul of
good habits I accept [same as in B.G.
9: 26].'
(5) The one twice-born though, thus being addressed, was, bowing down his head, too embarrassed with Him, the Husband of the Goddess of Fortune, and didn't offer the few hands of rice grains, o King. (6-7) As the direct Witness in the heart of all living beings fully cognizant of the reason why he came thought He to Himselves: 'He worshiped Me in the past and never desired the opulence, but because he, My friend, to keep his chaste and devoted wife happy, now came to Me, will I give him riches that are [even] out of reach for the immortals [see also B.G. 9: 22].' (8) With this in mind snatched He Himself from under the garment of the twice-born one away the ricegrains that were tied up in a bundle, and said He: 'What is this? (9) Have you brought this to My pleasure My dear friend? These ricegrains satiate Me and the whole universe [that I am]!
(5) The one twice-born though, thus being addressed, was, bowing down his head, too embarrassed with Him, the Husband of the Goddess of Fortune, and didn't offer the few hands of rice grains, o King. (6-7) As the direct Witness in the heart of all living beings fully cognizant of the reason why he came thought He to Himselves: 'He worshiped Me in the past and never desired the opulence, but because he, My friend, to keep his chaste and devoted wife happy, now came to Me, will I give him riches that are [even] out of reach for the immortals [see also B.G. 9: 22].' (8) With this in mind snatched He Himself from under the garment of the twice-born one away the ricegrains that were tied up in a bundle, and said He: 'What is this? (9) Have you brought this to My pleasure My dear friend? These ricegrains satiate Me and the whole universe [that I am]!
(12) The brahmin the night thereafter residing in Acyuta's palace, having drunken and eaten to his fill felt as if he had attained heaven. (13) The next day went he who was honored by Him, the Self-satisfied Maintainer of the Universe, back to his own residence my dear, feeling delighted as he walked the road. (14) Even though he had received no wealth from Krishna and had been too embarrassed to beg for it on his own accord, was he on his way home filled with joy about the audience he had with the Great One. (15) 'Ah, what a privilege it is to have witnessed the extend of the devotion to the twice-born of the Godhead of the Brahmins; He who carries Lakshmî on His chest embraced the poorest man! (16) Who am I? Someone poor and sinful! And who is Krishna? The temple of S'rî! And He, this friend of the brahmins, closed me unblinking in His arms! (17) Like one of His brothers having me seated on the bed of His beloved, was I, tired as I was, by His queen fanned with a hair-fan she held. (18) With sincerity served and with my feet massaged and such was I like a demigod worshiped by the God of Gods, the Godhead of the Learned! (19) The worship of His feet is the root cause of all perfections and opulence a person may find in heaven, in his emancipation, in the lower regions and on earth. (20) 'If this poor one obtains riches will he, delighting in excess, not remember Me', He must have thought, in His grace not to grant me the slightest amount of wealth.'
(38) This way firmly fixed in intelligence was he most devoted to Janârdana and enjoyed he together with his wife free from inordinate desire. Therewith kept he aways in mind that he [time and again] had to renounce the objects of the senses. (39) Because of Him, the God of Gods, Hari, the Master and Lord of Sacrifice are the brahmins truly the masters; there is no higher deity to be found than them. Thus seeing the Unconquerable One as conquered by His own servants and was he, the learned friend of the Supreme Lord, by the momentum of his meditation upon Him released from his bondage to the [material] self and attained he soon His abode, the destination of the truthful. (41) A man hearing of this sympathy for the twice-born of the Godhead of the Brahmins, finds love for the Supreme Lord and is freed from the bondage of fruitive labor.