338
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 5, Ch. 10]
TRANSLATION
O lord, please note that we are not at all negligent in discharging our duties. We have been faithfully carrying this palanquin according to your desire, but this man who has been recently engaged to work with us cannot walk very swiftly. Therefore we are not able to carry the palanquin with him.
PURPORT
The other palanquin carriers were  śūdras , whereas Jaḍa Bharata was not only a high-caste  brāhmaṇa  but also a great devotee.  Śūdras  do not sympathize with other living beings, but a Vaiṣṇava cannot act like a  śūdra . Whenever a  śūdra  and a  brāhmaṇa  Vaiṣṇava are combined, there will certainly be imbalance in the execution of duties. The  śūdras  were walking with the palanquin without at all caring for the ants on the ground, but Jaḍa Bharata could not act like a  śūdra , and therefore difficulty arose.
TEXT 5
सांसर्गिको दोष एव नूनमेकस्यापि सर्वेषां सांसर्गिकाणां मत्रितुमर्हतीति निश्चित्य निशम्य कृपणत्रचो राजा रहूगण उपासित- वृद्धोऽपि निसर्गेण बलात्कृत ईषदुत्थितमन्युरविस्पष्टमक्षतेजसं जातवेदसमिव रजसाऽऽष्ठतमतिराह ॥ ५ ॥
sāṁsargiko doṣa eva nūnam ekasyāpi sarveṣāṁ sāṁsargikāṇāṁ bhavitum arhatīti niścitya niśamya kṛpaṇa-vaco rājā rahūgaṇa upāsita- vṛddho 'pi nisargeṇa balāt kṛta īṣad-utthita-manyur avispaṣṭa-brahma- tejasaṁ jāta-vedasam iva rajasāvṛta-matir āha.
sāṁsargikaḥ —resulting from intimate association;  doṣaḥ —a fault;  eva —indeed;  nūnam —certainly;  ekasya —of one;  api —although;  sar- veṣām —of all other;  sāṁsargikāṇām —persons associated with him;  bhavitum —to become;  arhati —is able;  iti —thus;  niścitya —ascertain- ing;  niśamya —by hearing;  kṛpaṇa-vacaḥ —the words of the poor ser- vants, who were very afraid of being punished;  rājā —the King;