Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 17
Nābhi’s Sacrifice and Lord Viṣṇu’s Promise to Appear as a Son (Ṛṣabhadeva’s Advent Prelude)
श्रीभगवानुवाच अहो बताहमृषयो भवद्भिरवितथगीर्भिर्वरमसुलभमभियाचितो यदमुष्यात्मजो मया सदृशो भूयादिति ममाहमेवाभिरूप: कैवल्यादथापि ब्रह्मवादो न मृषा भवितुमर्हति ममैव हि मुखं यद् द्विजदेवकुलम् ॥ १७ ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca aho batāham ṛṣayo bhavadbhir avitatha-gīrbhir varam asulabham abhiyācito yad amuṣyātmajo mayā sadṛśo bhūyād iti mamāham evābhirūpaḥ kaivalyād athāpi brahma-vādo na mṛṣā bhavitum arhati mamaiva hi mukhaṁ yad dvija-deva-kulam.
Đấng Tối Thượng đáp: Hỡi các bậc hiền triết vĩ đại, Ta thật sự hoan hỷ trước những lời cầu nguyện chân thật của các ông. Các ông đã cầu xin cho vua Nābhi một người con giống như Ta, nhưng ân huệ ấy vô cùng khó được. Ta là Ngôi Vị Tối Thượng, không có kẻ thứ hai; không ai ngang bằng Ta, nên không thể tìm được một nhân vị giống Ta. Dẫu vậy, các ông là những brāhmaṇa xứng đáng; lời rung động của các ông không nên trở thành hư dối, vì Ta xem những brāhmaṇa đầy đủ phẩm chất như chính miệng của Ta.
The word avitatha-gīrbhiḥ means “they whose spoken vibrations cannot be nullified.” The brāhmaṇas ( dvija, the twice-born), are given a chance by the śāstric regulations to become almost as powerful as the Supreme Lord. Whatever a brāhmaṇa speaks cannot be nullified or changed in any circumstance. According to the Vedic injunctions, a brāhmaṇa is the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore in all rituals a brāhmaṇa is offered food ( brāhmaṇa-bhojana ) because when a brāhmaṇa eats, it is considered that the Supreme Lord Himself eats. Similarly, whatever a brāhmaṇa speaks cannot be changed. It must act. The learned sages who were priests at Mahārāja Nābhi’s sacrifice were not only brāhmaṇas but were so qualified that they were like devas, demigods, or God Himself. If this were not the case, how could they invite Lord Viṣṇu to come to the sacrificial arena? God is one, and God does not belong to this or that religion. In Kali-yuga, different religious sects consider their God to be different from the God of others, but that is not possible. God is one, and He is appreciated according to different angles of vision. In this verse the word kaivalyāt means that God has no competitor. There is only one God. In the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.8) it is said, na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate: “No one is found to be equal to Him or greater than Him.” That is the definition of God.
FAQs
This verse states that the speech of true sages is avitatha—never false—and even the Supreme Lord ensures that a brāhmaṇa’s declaration does not become untrue, honoring them as His own ‘mouth.’
Because brāhmaṇas preserve and speak Vedic truth; the Lord identifies them with His ‘mouth’ to show that He protects the integrity of dharma and the truthfulness of their blessings and vows.
It teaches reverence for truth and sacred speech: cultivate honest words, respect authentic spiritual teachers, and remember that divine grace supports sincere, dharmic intentions.