he bhÅ«mi-devÄḥ śṛṇuta
kṛṣṇasyÄdeÅ›a-kÄriṇaḥ
prÄptÄñ jÄnÄ«ta bhadraá¹ vo
gopÄn no rÄma-coditÄn
he bhÅ«mi-devÄḥ - O earthly gods; śṛṇuta - please hear us; kṛṣṇasya ÄdeÅ›a - of the order of Kṛṣṇa; kÄriṇaḥ - the executors; prÄptÄn - arrived; jÄnÄ«ta - please recognize; bhadram - all good; vaḥ - unto you; gopÄn - cowherd boys; naḥ - us; rÄma-coditÄn - sent by Lord RÄma.
[The cowherd boys said:] O earthly gods, please hear us. We cowherd boys are executing the orders of Kṛṣṇa, and we have been sent here by BalarÄma. We wish all good for you. Please acknowledge our arrival.
The term bhÅ«mi-devÄḥ, “gods on earth,†refers here to the brÄhmaṇas, who are supposed to closely represent the will of the Supreme Lord. The philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not a primitive polytheistic doctrine holding that human beings on the earth are gods. Rather, it is a science that traces the descent of authority from the Absolute Truth Himself, ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa. The authority and power of God naturally extend along with the extension of His creation, and on the earth the Lord’s will and authority are represented by purified, enlightened men called brÄhmaṇas.
This account will illustrate that the ritualistic brÄhmaṇas approached by the cowherd boys were not at all properly enlightened and thus could not appreciate the position of Kṛṣṇa and BalarÄma or that of Their intimate associates. In fact, this pastime exposes the pretentious position of so-called brÄhmaṇas who are not faithful devotees of the Supreme Lord.
