Shloka 10
The Lord’s Apology to the Kumāras and the Fall of Jaya and Vijaya
ये मे तनूर्द्विजवरान्दुहतीर्मदीया भूतान्यलब्धशरणानि च भेदबुद्ध्या । द्रक्ष्यन्त्यघक्षतदृशो ह्यहिमन्यवस्तान् गृध्रा रुषा मम कुषन्त्यधिदण्डनेतु: ॥ १० ॥
ye me tanūr dvija-varān duhatīr madīyā bhūtāny alabdha-śaraṇāni ca bheda-buddhyā drakṣyanty agha-kṣata-dṛśo hy ahi-manyavas tān gṛdhrā ruṣā mama kuṣanty adhidaṇḍa-netuḥ
The brāhmaṇas, the cows, and all defenseless beings are My own body. Those whose vision is wounded by their sins see them as separate from Me through a mind of division. They are like enraged serpents, and Yamarāja’s vulturelike messengers—he who punishes the sinful—tear them apart in wrath with their beaks.
The defenseless creatures, according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, are the cows, brāhmaṇas, women, children and old men. Of these five, the brāhmaṇas and cows are especially mentioned in this verse because the Lord is always anxious about the benefit of the brāhmaṇas and the cows and is prayed to in this way. Therefore the Lord especially instructs that no one should be envious of these five, especially the cows and brāhmaṇas. In some of the Bhāgavatam readings, the word duhitṝḥ is used instead of duhatīḥ. But in either case, the meaning is the same. Duhatīḥ means “cow,” and duhitṝḥ can also be used to mean “cow” because the cow is supposed to be the daughter of the sun-god. Just as children are taken care of by the parents, women as a class should be taken care of by the father, husband or grown-up son. Those who are helpless must be taken care of by their respective guardians; otherwise the guardians will be subjected to the punishment of Yamarāja, who is appointed by the Lord to supervise the activities of sinful living creatures. The assistants, or messengers, of Yamarāja are likened here to vultures, and those who do not execute their respective duties in protecting their wards are compared to serpents. Vultures deal very seriously with serpents, and similarly the messengers will deal very seriously with neglectful guardians.
FAQs
This verse warns that those who, out of envy and sinful vision, harm the Lord’s devotees and the unprotected living beings invite divine chastisement; the Lord Himself becomes the ultimate punisher of such offenders.
In the Vaikuṇṭha incident surrounding the Kumāras and the doorkeepers (Jaya and Vijaya), the Lord establishes the gravity of envy and mistreatment toward devotees, affirming that He defends His own and upholds dharma.
Treat devotees and vulnerable people with respect, avoid envy-driven criticism, and cultivate humility—because spiritual progress is harmed most by contempt and sectarian judgment.