898
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 4, Ch. 22]
immediately makes that place a  tīrtha , a place of pilgrimage. The Vaiṣṇava  sannyāsīs  travel all over the world to make every place a place of pilgrimage by the touch of their lotus feet. It is mentioned there that any house which does not receive a Vaiṣṇava in the manner already explained in the previous verse is to be considered the residential quarters of venomous serpents. It is said that about the sandalwood tree, which is a very valuable tree, there is a venomous serpent. Sandalwood is very cold, and venomous serpents, because of their poisonous teeth, are always very warm, and they take shelter of the sandalwood trees to become cooler. Similarly, there are many rich men who keep watchdogs or doormen and put up signs that say do not enter, trespassers not allowed, beware of the dog, etc. Sometimes in western countries a trespasser is shot, and there is no crime in such shooting. This is the position of demoniac householders, and such houses are considered to be the residential quarters of venomous snakes. The members of such families are no better than snakes because snakes are very much envious, and when that envy is directed to the saintly persons, their position becomes more dangerous. It is said by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita that there are two envious living entities, the snake and the envious man. The envious man is more dangerous than a snake because a snake can be subdued by charming  mantras  or by some herbs, but an envious person cannot be pacified by any means.
TEXT 12
स्वागतं वो द्विजश्रेष्ठा यद्वतानि मुमुक्षवः । चरन्ति श्रद्धया धीरा बाला एव बृहन्ति च ॥१२॥
svāgatam vo dvija-śreṣṭhā yad-vratāni mumukṣavaḥ caranti śraddhayā dhīrā bālā eva bṛhanti ca
svāgatam—welcome; vaḥ—unto you; dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ—the best of the brāhmaṇas; yat—whose; vratāni—vows; mumukṣavaḥ—of persons desiring liberation; caranti—behave; śraddhayā—with great faith; dhīrāḥ—controlled; bālāḥ—boys; eva—like; bṛhanti—observe; ca—also.
TRANSLATION
Mahārāja Pṛthu offered his welcome to the four Kumāras, addressing them as the best of the brāhmaṇas. He welcomed them, saying: From the beginning of your birth you were strictly observing the vows of celibacy,