Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 10.69.15

tasyavanijya caranau tad-apah sva-murdhna

bibhraj jagad-gurutamo 'pi satam patir hi

brahmanya-deva iti yad guna-nama yuktam

tasyaiva yac-carana-saucam asesha-tirtham

SYNONYMS

tasya -- his; avanijya -- washing; caranau -- the feet; tat -- that; apah -- water; sva -- His own; murdhna -- on the head; bibhrat -- carrying; jagat -- of the entire universe; guru-tamah -- the supreme spiritual master; api -- even though; satam -- of the saintly devotees; patih -- the master; hi -- indeed; brahmanya -- who favors the brahmanas; devah -- the Lord; iti -- thus called; yat -- since; guna -- based on His quality; nama -- the name; yuktam -- fitting; tasya -- His; eva -- indeed; yat -- whose; carana -- of the feet; saucam -- the bathing; asesha -- complete; tirtham -- holy shrine.

TRANSLATION

The Lord bathed Narada's feet and then put the water on His own head. Although Lord Krishna is the supreme spiritual authority of the universe and the master of His devotees, it was proper for Him to behave in this way, for His name is Brahmanya-deva, "the Lord who favors the briahmanas." Thus Sri Krishna honored the sage Narada by bathing his feet, even though the water that bathes the Lord's own feet becomes the Ganges, the ultimate holy shrine.

PURPORT

Since Lord Krishna's own lotus feet are the source of the most holy Ganges, the Lord did not have to purify Himself by bathing Narada Muni's feet. Rather, as Srila Prabhupada explains, "Lord Krishna in Dvaraka enjoyed the pastimes of a perfect human being. When, therefore, He washed the feet of the sage Narada and took the water on His head, Narada did not object, knowing well that the Lord did so to teach everyone how to respect saintly persons."

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
His Holiness Hrdayananda dasa Goswami
Gopiparanadhana dasa Adhikari
Dravida dasa Brahmacari