dharmasya te bhagavatas tri-yuga tribhiḥ svaiḥ
dharmasya te bhagavatas tri-yuga tribhiḥ svaiḥ
padbhiś carācaram idaṁ dvija-devatārtham
nūnaṁ bhṛtaṁ tad-abhighāti rajas tamaś ca
sattvena no varadayā tanuvā nirasya
O Lord, appearing in three yugas! Destroying rajas and tamas which obstruct dharma by sattva, using your body which bestows blessing upon us, as the personification of dharma you protect the universe of moving and nonmoving beings with your extraordinary qualities of austerity, cleanliness and mercy in order to benefit brāhmaṇas and devatās.
We, the brāhmaṇas, have never suffered contempt from you before this time. Because you appear clearly in three yugas you are called tri-yuga. Or tri-yuga can mean three pairs (yuga), Bhagavān possessing six qualities. The universe is protected by the three extraordinary (svaih) qualities of austerity, cleanliness and mercy. Three qualities are mentioned because truth continues in Kali-yuga in spite of the destruction of dharma.
You protect the universe for the devatās and brahmaṇas. By your body which gives blessing to us, you destroy rajas and tajas which obstruct the qualities of austerity, cleanliness and mercy by sattva-guṇa.
|| 3.16.23||
na tvaṁ dvijottama-kulaṁ yadi hātma-gopaṁ
goptā vṛṣaḥ svarhaṇena sa-sūnṛtena
tarhy eva naṅkṣyati śivas tava deva panthā
loko ’grahīṣyad ṛṣabhasya hi tat pramāṇam
If you, the most excellent form of dharma, did not protect the class of best brāhmaṇas who are to be protected by you with kind words and worship, then your auspicious path of the Vedas would be destroyed, since people accept the actions of the most excellent person as authoritative.
“You should be merciful to us even now.” He seems upset. Let us pacify him. If you, the form of dharma (vṛṣaḥ), do not clearly (ha) protect the class of the best brāhmaṇas who should be protected by you (ātma-gopam), the path of the Vedas will be destroyed, since (hi) the people would accept the actions of the best persons as authoritative. They would not worship the brāhmaṇas or praise them with kind words. The Gītā says “Whatever the great man does, others follow.” Thus when you said that you take the dust from the brāhmaṇas (verse 7), though we could not understand, those words are for teaching the people.
|| 3.16.24||
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