222
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 4, Ch. 7]
which he was condemned even by Lord Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna excused him by not killing him because he happened to be the son of a  brāhmaṇa . The word  brahma-bandhuṣu  used here is significant.  Brahma-bandhu  means a person who is born of a  brāhmaṇa  father but whose activities are not up to the standard of the  brāhmaṇas . Such a person is not a  brāhmaṇa , but is a  brahma-bandhu . Dakṣa proved himself to be a  brahma-bandhu . He was born of a great  brāhmaṇa  father, Lord Brahmā, but his treatment of Lord Śiva was not exactly brahminical; therefore he admitted that he was not a perfect  brāhmaṇa . Lord Śiva and Lord Viṣṇu, however, are affectionate even to an imperfect  brāhmaṇa . Lord Śiva punished Dakṣa not as one does his enemy, but he punished him just to bring him to his senses, so that he would know that he had done wrong. Dakṣa could understand this, and he acknowledged the great mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Śiva towards the fallen  brāhmaṇas , including even himself. Although he was fallen, his vow was to execute the sacrifice, as is the duty of  brāhmaṇas , and thus he began his prayers to Lord Śiva.
TEXT 14
विद्यातपोत्रतधरानुमुखतः स विप्रान्
ब्रह्माऽऽत्मतत्त्वमवितुं प्रथमं त्वमस्राक् ।
तद्वाह्मणान् परम सर्वविपत्सु पासि
पालः पशूनिव विभो प्रगृहीतदण्डः ॥१४॥
vidyā-tapo-vrata-dharān mukhataḥ sma viprān brahmātma-tattvam avitum prathamam tvam asrāk tad brāhmaṇān parama sarva-vipatsu pāsi pālaḥ paśūn iva vibho pragrhīta-daṇḍaḥ
vidyā—learning; tapaḥ—austerities; vrata—vows; dharān—the followers; mukhataḥ—from the mouth; sma—was; viprān—the brāhmaṇas; brahmā—Lord Brahmā; ātma-tattvam—self-realization; avitum—to disseminate; prathamam—first; tvam—you; asrāk—created; tat—therefore; brāhmaṇān—the brāhmaṇas; parama—O great one; sarva—all; vipatsu—in dangers; pāsi—you protect; pālaḥ—like the protector; paśūn—the animals; iva—like; vibho—O great one; pragrhīta—taking in hand; daṇḍaḥ—a stick.
TRANSLATION
My dear great and powerful Lord Śiva, you were created first from the mouth of Lord Brahmā in order to protect the brāhmaṇas in pursuing education, austerities, vows and self-realization. As protector of the