SB 10.7.17 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

विप्रा मन्त्रविदो युक्तास्तैर्या: प्रोक्तास्तथाशिष: । ता निष्फला भविष्यन्ति न कदाचिदपि स्फुटम् ॥ १७ ॥

Verse text

viprā mantra-vido yuktās tair yāḥ proktās tathāśiṣaḥ tā niṣphalā bhaviṣyanti na kadācid api sphuṭam

Synonyms

viprāḥ — the brāhmaṇas ; mantra-vidaḥ — completely expert in chanting the Vedic hymns ; yuktāḥ — perfect mystic yogīs ; taiḥ — by them ; yāḥ — whatsoever ; proktāḥ — was spoken ; tathā — becomes just so ; āśiṣaḥ — all blessings ; tāḥ — such words ; niṣphalāḥ — useless, without fruit ; bhaviṣyanti na — never will become ; kadācit — at any time ; api — indeed ; sphuṭam — always factual, as it is.

Translation

The brāhmaṇas, who were completely expert in chanting the Vedic hymns, were all yogīs fully equipped with mystic powers. Whatever blessings they spoke were certainly never fruitless.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The brāhmaṇas, who were completely expert in chanting the Vedic hymns, were all yogīs fully equipped with mystic powers. Whatever blessings they spoke were certainly never fruitless.

Krisna Book (10.7.17)

And the blessings offered by the able brāhmaṇas were never to be baffled.

Purport

Brāhmaṇas fully equipped with the brahminical qualifications are always yogīs fully powerful in mystic yoga. Their words never fail. In every transaction with other members of society, brāhmaṇas are certainly dependable. In this age, however, one must take into account that the brāhmaṇas are uncertain in their qualifications. Because there are no yajṣic brāhmaṇas, all yajṣas are forbidden. The only yajṣa recommended in this age is saṅkīrtana-yajṣa. Yajṣaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ ( Bhāg. 11.5.32 ). Yajṣa is meant to satisfy Viṣṇu ( yajṣārthāt karmaṇo ’nyatra loko ’yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ ). Because in this age there are no qualified brāhmaṇas, people should perform yajṣa by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra ( yajṣaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ ). Life is meant for yajṣa, and yajṣa is performed by the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The brahmanas are described here as yukta which means yoginah (yogis), and thus, whatever blessings they gave must come true.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

Who were these brāhmaṇas? They knew the meaning of the Vedas (veda-vidaḥ). Another version has mantra-vidaḥ (knowers of mantras). That is an indication of their learning. They were devotees of the Lord (yuktāḥ), since the Vedas indicate prema: bhagavān brahma kārtsnyena trir anvīkṣya manīṣayā | tad adhyavasyat kūṭa-stho ratir ātman yato bhavet || The unchanging Lord reviewed three times the Vedas completely with his intelligence and determined that process which produces prema in the self. SB 2.2.34 Bhagavad Gītā 6.47 says śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ: he who worships me with faith is the greatest devotee (yuktatamaḥ). Thus when they gave blessings, the results were certain. Following the desire of the brāhmaṇas, those blessings would be manifested in Kṛṣṇa at the appropriate time.