Brahma Vaivarta Purana Chapter 18:11-20

Brahma Vaivarta Purana

Vipra-patni-mokñana

Delivering the Wives of the Brähmanas

Chapter 18: Verse 11-20

ENGLISH TRANSLATION 11.These brähmanas, learned in the Çruti and Småti, and followers of Aìgirä Muni, are performing a yajïa in their äçrama near the forest. 12.They are all great devotees free of material desires and yearning for liberation, and they worship Me by performing yajïas. Still,bewildered by My illusory potency, they do not know that I am here, pretending to be an ordinary human being. 13.If the brähmanas intent on performing yajïas will not give you any food, then ask their wives, who are naturally kind to children. 14.Hearing Lord Kåñna's words, the exalted boys approached the brähmanas and stood before them with humbly bowed heads. 15.The boys said, O best of the brähmanas, please give us some food." Some brähmanas pretended not to hear. Others heard, but simply stood and smiled. 16.Then the boys went to the kitchen, where the brähmanas' wives were cooking. The boys bowed their heads before the brähmanas' wives. 17.Bowing down, the boys said, O brähmanas' wives devoted to your husbands, O mothers, please give some food to us boys. We are hungry." 18.Looking at the beautiful boys and hearing their words, the saintly women, their lotus faces smiling, asked them a question. 19.The brähmanas' wives said: Who are you? Who sent you? What are your names? Tell us and we will give you many kinds of delicious, beautifully spiced foods. 20.Hearing the brähmanas' wives' words, the happy boys smiled.