Shloka 17
भगवन् किमिदं जातं कर्म वो ब्रह्मवादिनाम् । विपर्ययमहो कष्टं मैवं स्याद् ब्रह्मविक्रिया ॥ १७ ॥
bhagavan kim idaṁ jātaṁ karma vo brahma-vādinām viparyayam aho kaṣṭaṁ maivaṁ syād brahma-vikriyā
O venerable lord, you are brahmavādins, expert in Vedic mantras—how has this come to pass? The result has turned out opposite; alas, how grievous! Such a reversal should not occur in the operation of Vedic mantras.
In this age, the performance of yajña has been forbidden because no one can properly chant the Vedic mantras. If Vedic mantras are chanted properly, the desire for which a sacrifice is performed must be successful. Therefore the Hare Kṛṣṇa chant is called the mahā-mantra, the great, exalted mantra above all other Vedic mantras, because simply chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra brings so many beneficial effects. As explained by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ( Śikṣāṣṭaka 1):
FAQs
This verse highlights that the words and acts of brahma-vādins carry great potency; therefore, a harsh or misdirected use of that power can create a painful “viparyaya” (reversal) and is lamented as brahma-vikriyā—an undesirable distortion of sacred authority.
Sudyumna, suffering an unexpected reversal due to the sages’ action/curse, questions how such a deed could arise from those devoted to Brahman, appealing that brahminical power should protect dharma rather than produce suffering.
Use authority, knowledge, and speech responsibly—especially when you hold influence—because words can deeply shape others’ lives; spiritual learning should express compassion and dharmic restraint, not harshness.