Text 25
durmanā bhagavān kāvyaḥ
paurohityaṁ vigarhayan
stuvan vṛttiṁ ca kāpotīṁ
duhitrā sa yayau purāt
durmanāḥ — being very unhappy; bhagavān — the most powerful; kāvyaḥ — Śukrācārya; paurohityam — the business of priesthood; vigarhayan — condemning; stuvan — praising; vṛttim — the profession; ca — and; kāpotīm — of collecting grains from the field; duhitrā — with his daughter; saḥ — he (Śukrācārya); yayau — went; purāt — from his own residence.
As Śukrācārya listened to what had happened to Devayānī, his mind was very much aggrieved. Condemning the profession of priesthood and praising the profession of uñcha-vṛtti [collecting grains from the fields], he left home with his daughter.
When a brāhmaṇa adopts the profession of a kapota, or pigeon, he lives by collecting grains from the field. This is called uñcha-vṛtti. A brāhmaṇa who takes to this uñcha-vṛtti profession is called first class because he depends completely on the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and does not beg from anyone. Although the profession of begging is allowed for a brāhmaṇa or sannyāsī, one does better if he can avoid such a profession and completely depend on the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead for maintenance. Śukrācārya was certainly very sorry that because of his daughter’s complaint he had to go to his disciple to beg some mercy, which he was obliged to do because he had accepted the profession of priesthood. In his heart, Śukrācārya did not like his profession, but since he had accepted it, he was obliged to go unwillingly to his disciple to settle the grievance submitted by his daughter.