Text 4
puṁsāṁ ślāghyatamaṁ manye
daṇḍam arhattamārpitam
yaṁ na mātā pitā bhrātā
suhṛdaś cādiśanti hi
puṁsām — of men; ślāghya-tamam — the most exalted; manye — I consider; daṇḍam — punishment; arhattama-arpitam — given by You, the supreme worshipable Lord; yam — which; na — neither; mātā — mother; pitā — father; bhrātā — brother; suhṛdaḥ — friends; ca — also; ādiśanti — offer; hi — indeed.
Although a father, mother, brother or friend may sometimes punish one as a well-wisher, they never punish their subordinate like this. But because You are the most worshipable Lord, I regard the punishment You have given me as most exalted.
Punishment meted out by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is accepted by the devotee as the greatest mercy.
tat te ’nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇo
bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam
hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk
“One who seeks Your compassion and thus tolerates all kinds of adverse conditions due to the karma of his past deeds, who engages always in Your devotional service with his mind, words and body, and who always offers obeisances to You is certainly a bona fide candidate for liberation.” (Bhāg. 10.14.8) A devotee knows that so-called punishment by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is only His favor to correct His devotee and bring him to the right path. Therefore the punishment awarded by the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be compared to even the greatest benefit awarded by one’s material father, mother, brother or friend.