Text 48]
Mahārāja Parīkṣit Cursed by a Brāhmaṇa Boy
981
hereby not to become as foolish as Śṛṇigi and be always on guard against the demoniac qualities which they had in their previous births. The foolish boy was, of course, excused by the Lord, but others, who may not have a father like Śamīk Rṣi, will be put into great difficulty if they misuse the advantages obtained by birth in a  brāhmaṇa  family.
TEXT 48
तिरस्कृता विप्रलब्धाः शप्ताः क्षिप्ता हता अपि। नास्य तत् प्रतिकुर्वन्ति तद्भक्ताः प्रभवोऽपि हि ॥४८॥
tiras-kṛtā vipralabdhāḥ śaptāḥ kṣiptā hatā api nāsya tat pratikurvanti tad-bhaktāḥ prabhavo'pi hi
tiraḥ-kṛtāḥ—being defamed; vipralabdhāḥ—being cheated; śaptāḥ—being cursed; kṣiptāḥ—disturbed by negligence; hatāḥ—or even being killed; api—also; na—never; asya—for all these acts; tat—them; pratikurvanti—counteract; tat—the Lord's; bhaktāḥ—devotees; prabhavaḥ—powerful; api—although; hi—certainly.
TRANSLATION
The devotees of the Lord are so forbearing that even though they are defamed, cheated, cursed, disturbed, neglected or even killed, they are never inclined to avenge themselves.
PURPORT
Rṣi Śamīk also knew that the Lord does not forgive a person who has committed an offense at the feet of a devotee. The Lord can only give direction to take shelter of the devotee only. He thought within himself that if Mahārāja Parīkṣit would counter-curse the boy, he might be saved. But he knew also that a pure devotee is callous about worldly advantages or reverses. As such, the devotees are never inclined to counteract personal defamation, curses, negligences, etc. As far as such things are concerned, in personal affairs the devotees do not care for them. But in case of their being performed against the Lord and his devotees, then the devotee takes very strong action. It was a personal affair, and therefore Śamīk Rṣi knew that the King would not take counteraction. Thus there was no other alternative than to place an appeal to the Lord for the immature boy.