Devanagari
परिभूत इमां गाथामगायत नराधमै: ।
पातयद्भि: स्व धर्मस्थो धृतिमास्थाय सात्त्विकीम् ॥ ४१ ॥
Verse text
paribhūta imāṁ gāthām
agāyata narādhamaiḥ
pātayadbhiḥ sva dharma-stho
dhṛtim āsthāya sāttvikīm
Synonyms
paribhūtaḥ
—
insulted
;
imām
—
this
;
gāthām
—
song
;
agāyata
—
he sang
;
nara-adhamaiḥ
—
by low-class men
;
pātayadbhiḥ
—
who were trying to make him fall down
;
sva-dharma
—
in his own duty
;
sthaḥ
—
remaining firm
;
dhṛtim
—
his resolution
;
āsthāya
—
fixing
;
sāttvikīm
—
in the mode of goodness.
Translation
Even while being insulted by these low-class men who were trying to effect his downfall, he remained steady in his spiritual duties. Fixing his resolution in the mode of goodness, he began to chant the following song.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Though insulted, he became firmly fixed in his duties through these low-class men who were trying to make him fall. Fixing his resolution in the mode of goodness, he began to chant the following song.
Being situated in his dharma by persons who tried making him fall from his duties, he sang this song. Determination in sattva is described as follows:
dhṛtyā yayā dhārayate manaḥ-prāṇendriya-kriyāḥ
yogenāvyabhicāriṇyā dhṛtiḥ sā pārtha sāttvikī ||
Determination by which one restrains the activities of the mind, life airs and senses, using unswerving concentration of mind, is in the mode of sattva. BG 18.33
Purport
Resolution in the mode of goodness is described in Bhagavad-gītā (18.33) :
dhṛtyā yayā dhārayate manaḥ-prāṇendriya-kriyāḥ yogenāvyabhicāriṇyā dhṛtiḥ sā pārtha sāttvikī
“O son of Pṛthā, that determination which is unbreakable, which is sustained with steadfastness by yoga practice, and thus controls the mind, life and the acts of the senses, is in the mode of goodness.”
Atheists who are envious of the devotees of the Supreme Lord are called narādhamas, or the lowest of men, and undoubtedly are enroute to hell. By all means at their disposal they disturb the devotional service of the Lord, sometimes by direct attack and sometimes by mockery. The devotees, however, remain tolerant, fixing their determination in the mode of goodness. As described by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in Śrī Upadeśāmṛta (1):
vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ krodha-vegaṁ jihvā-vegam udaropastha-vegam etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ sarvām apīmāṁ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt
“A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind’s demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world.”