nÄsÄá¹ dvijÄti-saá¹skÄro
na nivÄso gurÄv api
na tapo nÄtma-mÄ«mÄá¹sÄ
na Å›aucaá¹ na kriyÄḥ Å›ubhÄḥ
tathÄpi hy uttamaḥ-Å›loke
kṛṣṇe yogeśvareśvare
bhaktir dá¹›á¸hÄ na cÄsmÄkaá¹
saá¹skÄrÄdimatÄm api
na - there is not; ÄsÄm - on their part; dvijÄti-saá¹skÄraḥ - the purificatory rituals pertaining to the twice-born classes of society; na - nor; nivÄsaḥ - residence; gurau - in the ÄÅ›rama of a spiritual master (that is, training as a brahmacÄrÄ«); api - even; na - no; tapaḥ - execution of austerities; na - no; Ätma-mÄ«mÄá¹sÄ - philosophical inquiry into the reality of the self; na - no; Å›aucam - rituals of cleanliness; na - no; kriyÄḥ - ritualistic activities; Å›ubhÄḥ - pious; tathÄ api - nevertheless; hi - indeed; uttamaḥ-Å›loke - whose glories are chanted by the exalted mantras of the Vedas; kṛṣṇe - for Lord Kṛṣṇa; yoga-īśvara-īśvare - the supreme master of all masters of mystic power; bhaktiḥ - pure devotional service; dá¹›á¸hÄ - firm; na - not; ca - on the other hand; asmÄkam - of us; saá¹skÄra-Ädi-matÄm - who possess such purification and so forth; api - even though.
According to ÅšrÄ«la ÅšrÄ«dhara SvÄmÄ«, the husbands were not aware that their wives had occasionally associated with residents of Vá¹›ndÄvana, such as the flower ladies, and had heard about the beauty and qualities of Kṛṣṇa. The brÄhmaṇas were astonished at their wives’ loving devotion for Lord Kṛṣṇa, not realizing that this devotion had developed as a result of hearing and chanting about the Lord in the association of His pure devotees.