Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.22.47

yair īdṛśī bhagavato gatir ātma-vāda

ekāntato nigamibhiḥ pratipāditā naḥ

tuṣyantv adabhra-karuṇāḥ sva-kṛtena nityaḿ

ko nāma tat pratikaroti vinoda-pātram

SYNONYMS

yaiḥ — by those; īdṛśī — such kind of; bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; gatiḥ — progress; ātma-vāde — spiritual consideration; ekāntataḥ — in complete understanding; nigamibhiḥ — by Vedic evidences; pratipāditā — conclusively established; naḥ — unto us; tuṣyantu — be satisfied; adabhra — unlimited; karuṇāḥ — mercy; sva-kṛtena — by your own activity; nityam — eternal; kaḥ — who; nāma — no one; tat — that; pratikaroti — counteracts; vinā — without; uda-pātram — offering of water in cupped hands.

TRANSLATION

Pṛthu Mahārāja continued: How can such persons, who have rendered unlimited service by explaining the path of self-realization in relation to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and whose explanations are given for our enlightenment with complete conviction and Vedic evidence, be repaid except by folded palms containing water for their satisfaction? Such great personalities can be satisfied only by their own activities, which are distributed amongst human society out of their unlimited mercy.

PURPORT

Great personalities of the material world are very eager to render welfare service to human society, but actually no one can render better service than one who distributes the knowledge of spiritual realization in relation with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All living entities are within the clutches of the illusory energy. Forgetting their real identity, they hover in material existence, transmigrating from one body to another in search of a peaceful life. Since these living entities have very little knowledge of self-realization, they are not getting any relief, although they are very anxious to attain peace of mind and some substantial happiness. Saintly persons like the Kumāras, Nārada, Prahlāda, Janaka, Śukadeva Gosvāmī and Kapiladeva, as well as the followers of such authorities as the Vaiṣṇava ācāryas and their servants, can render a valuable service to humanity by disseminating knowledge of the relationship between the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the living entity. Such knowledge is the perfect benediction for humanity.

Knowledge of Kṛṣṇa is such a great gift that it is impossible to repay the benefactor. Therefore Pṛthu Mahārāja requested the Kumāras to be satisfied by their own benevolent activities in delivering souls from the clutches of māyā. The King saw that there was no other way to satisfy them for their exalted activities. The word vinoda-pātram can be divided into two words, vinā and uda-pātram, or can be understood as one word, vinoda-pātram, which means "joker." A joker's activities simply arouse laughter, and a person who tries to repay the spiritual master or teacher of the transcendental message of Kṛṣṇa becomes a laughingstock just like a joker because it is not possible to repay such a debt. The best friend and benefactor of all people is one who awakens humanity to its original Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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