Text 8
evaṁ bahv abaddham api bhāṣamāṇaṁ nara-devābhimānaṁ rajasā tamasānuviddhena madena tiraskṛtāśeṣa-bhagavat-priya-niketaṁ paṇḍita-māninaṁ sa bhagavān brāhmaṇo brahma-bhūta-sarva-bhūta-suhṛd-ātmā yogeśvara-caryāyāṁ nāti-vyutpanna-matiṁ smayamāna iva vigata-smaya idam āha.
evam — in this way; bahu — much; abaddham — nonsensical; api — although; bhāṣamāṇam — talking; nara-deva-abhimānam — King Rahūgaṇa, who thought himself the ruler; rajasā — by the material mode of passion; tamasā — as well as by the mode of ignorance; anuviddhena — being increased; madena — by madness; tiraskṛta — who rebuked; aśeṣa — innumerable; bhagavat-priya-niketam — devotees of the Lord; paṇḍita-māninam — considering himself a very learned scholar; saḥ — that; bhagavān — spiritually most powerful (Jaḍa Bharata); brāhmaṇaḥ — a fully qualified brāhmaṇa; brahma-bhūta — fully self-realized; sarva-bhūta-suhṛt-ātmā — who was thus the friend of all living entities; yoga-īśvara — of the most advanced mystic yogīs; caryāyām — in the behavior; na ati-vyutpanna-matim — unto King Rahūgaṇa, who was not actually experienced; smayamānaḥ — slightly smiling; iva — like; vigata-smayaḥ — who was relieved from all material pride; idam — this; āha — spoke.
Thinking himself a king, King Rahūgaṇa was in the bodily conception and was influenced by material nature’s modes of passion and ignorance. Due to madness, he chastised Jaḍa Bharata with uncalled-for and contradictory words. Jaḍa Bharata was a topmost devotee and the dear abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although considering himself very learned, the King did not know about the position of an advanced devotee situated in devotional service, nor did he know his characteristics. Jaḍa Bharata was the residence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; he always carried the form of the Lord within his heart. He was the dear friend of all living beings, and he did not entertain any bodily conception. He therefore smiled and spoke the following words.
The distinction between a person in the bodily conception and a person beyond the bodily conception is presented in this verse. In the bodily conception, King Rahūgaṇa considered himself a king and chastised Jaḍa Bharata in so many unwanted ways. Being self-realized, Jaḍa Bharata, who was fully situated on the transcendental platform, did not at all become angry; instead, he smiled and began to deliver his teachings to King Rahūgaṇa. A highly advanced Vaiṣṇava devotee is a friend to all living entities, and consequently he is a friend to his enemies also. In fact, he does not consider anyone to be his enemy. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām. Sometimes a Vaiṣṇava becomes superficially angry at a nondevotee, but this is good for the nondevotee. We have several examples of this in Vedic literature. Once Nārada became angry with the two sons of Kuvera, Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva, and he chastised them by turning them into trees. The result was that later they were liberated by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The devotee is situated on the absolute platform, and when he is angry or pleased, there is no difference, for in either case he bestows his benediction.