Text 16] The Meeting of Nanda Maharaja and Vasudeva 333
stita-mdgadha-vandibhyo
ye ‘nye vidyopajivinah
tais taih kamair adinaétma
yathocitam apijayat
visnor drddhanarthaya
sva-putrasyodaydya ca
nandah—Maharaja Nanda; mahd-manah—who among the cowherd
men was the greatest of all upright persons; tebhyah—unto the cowherd
men; vdsah—clothing; alankara—ornaments; go-dhanam—and cows;
siita-maégadha-vandibhyah—unto the siitas (the professional reciters of
the old histories), the magadhas (the professional reciters of the histories
of royal dynasties) and the vandis (general singers of prayers); ye
anye—as well as others; vidyd-upajivinah—who were continuing their
livelihood on the basis of educational qualifications; taih taih—with
whatever; kadmaih—improvements of desire; adina-dtma—Maharaja
Nanda, who was so magnanimous; yathd-ucitam—as was suitable;
apijayat—worshiped them or satisfied them; visnoh drddhana-
arthaya—for the purpose of satisfying Lord Visnu; sva-putrasya—of
his own child; udayaéya—for the improvement in all respects; ca—and.
TRANSLATION
The great-minded Maharaja Nanda gave clothing, ornaments and
cows in charity to the cowherd men in order to please Lord Visnu,
and thus he improved the condition of his own son in all respects.
He distributed charity to the siitas, the magadhas, the vandis, and
men of all other professions, according to their educational
qualifications, and satisfied everyone’s desires.
PURPORT
Although it has become fashionable to speak of daridra-ndrayana, the
words visnor Grddhandarthaya do not mean that all the people satisfied by
Nanda Maharaja in this great ceremony were Visnus. They were not
daridra, nor were they Narayana. Rather, they were devotees of
Narayana, and by their educational qualifications they would satisfy
