Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 5.10.16

kas tvam nigudhas carasi dvijanam

bibharsi sutram katamo 'vadhutah

kasyasi kutratya ihapi kasmat

ksemaya nas ced asi nota suklah

SYNONYMS

kah tvam -- who are you; nigudhah -- very much covered; carasi -- you move within this world; dvijanam -- among the brahmanas or saintly persons; bibharsi -- you also wear; sutram -- the sacred thread belonging to the first-class brahmanas; katamah -- which; avadhutah -- highly elevated person; kasya asi -- whose are you (whose disciple or son are you); kutratyah -- from where; iha api -- here in this place; kasmat -- for what purpose; ksemaya -- for the benefit; nah -- of us; cet -- if; asi -- you are; na uta -- or not; suklah -- the personality of the pure mode of goodness (Kapiladeva).

TRANSLATION

King Rahugana said: O brahmana, you appear to be moving in this world very much covered and unknown to others. Who are you? Are you a learned brahmana and saintly person? I see that you are wearing a sacred thread. Are you one of those exalted, liberated saints such as Dattatreya and other highly advanced, learned scholars? May I ask whose disciple you are? Where do you live? Why have you come to this place? Is your mission in coming here to do good for us? Please let me know who you are.

PURPORT

Maharaja Rahugana was very anxious to receive further enlightenment in Vedic knowledge because he could understand that Jada Bharata belonged to a brahmana family either by disciplic succession or by birth in a brahmana dynasty. As stated in the Vedas: tad vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. Rahugana was accepting Jada Bharata as a guru, but a guru must prove his position not only by wearing a sacred thread but by advancing knowledge in spiritual life. It is also significant that Rahugana asked Jada Bharata which family he belonged to. There are two types of families -- one according to dynasty and the other according to disciplic succession. In either way, one can be enlightened. The word suklah refers to a person in the mode of goodness. If one wants to receive spiritual knowledge, he must approach a bona fide brahmana-guru, either in the disciplic succession or in a family of learned brahmanas.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness