158 Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

Being thus ordered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all the
boys went to the brahmanas and began to ask for some charity. They
approached them with folded hands and fell down on the ground to offer
respect. ““O earthly gods, kindly hear us who are ordered by Lord Krsna
and Balarama. We hope you know Them both very well, and we wish you
all good fortune. Krsna and Balarama are tending cows nearby, and we
have accompanied Them. We have come to ask for some food from you.

You are all brahmanas and knowers of religious principles, and if you
think that you should give us charity, then give us some food and we
shall all eat along with Krsna and Balarama. You are the most respectable
brahmanas within the human society, and you are expected to know all
the principles of religious procedure.”

Although the boys were village boys and were not expected to be
learned in all the Vedic principles of religious ritual, they hinted that
because of their association with Krsna and Balarama, they knew all those
principles. When the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna and Bala-
rama, asked for food, the boys would immediately deliver it without
hesitation because it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita that one should
perform yajria (sacrifices) only for the satisfaction of Visnu.

The boys continued, “Lord Visnu as Krsna and Balarama is standing
waiting, and you should immediately deliver whatever food you have in
your stock.” They also explained to the brahmanas how foodstuffs are to
be accepted. Generally, the Vaisnavas, or pure devotees of the Lord, do
not take part in ordinary sacrificial performances. But they know very
well the ceremonials called diksad pasusamtha sautramnya. One is per-
mitted to take food after the procedure of diksd and before the animal
sacrificial ceremony and the Sautramani, or ceremony in which liquors are
also offered. The boys said, “We can take your food at the present stage
of your ceremony, for now it will not be prohibitory. So you can deliver
us the foodstuff.”

Although the companions of Lord Krsna and Balarama were simple
cowherd boys, they were in a position to dictate even to the high class
brahmanas engaged in the Vedic rituals of sacrifices. But the smarta
brahmanas, who were simply sacrificial-minded, could not understand the
dictation of the transcendental devotees of the Lord. They could not even
appreciate the begging of the Supreme Lord, Krsna and Balarama. Al-
though they heard all the arguments on behalf of Krsna and Balarama,
they did not care for them, and they refused to speak to the boys. Despite
being highly elevated in the knowledge of Vedic sacrificial rites, all such
nondevotee brahmanas, although they think of themselves as very highly
