svÄgataá¹ vo dvija-Å›reá¹£á¹hÄ
yad-vratÄni mumuká¹£avaḥ
caranti Å›raddhayÄ dhÄ«rÄ
bÄlÄ eva bá¹›hanti ca
su-Ägatam - welcome; vaḥ - unto you; dvija-Å›reá¹£á¹hÄḥ - the best of the brÄhmaṇas; yat - whose; vratÄni - vows; mumuká¹£avaḥ - of persons desiring liberation; caranti - behave; Å›raddhayÄ - with great faith; dhÄ«rÄḥ - controlled; bÄlÄḥ - boys; eva - like; bá¹›hanti - observe; ca - also.
The specific importance of the KumÄras is that they were brahmacÄrÄ«s, living the life of celibacy from birth. They kept themselves as small children about four or five years old because by growing into youth one’s senses sometimes become disturbed and celibacy becomes difficult. The KumÄras therefore purposefully remained children because in a child’s life the senses are never disturbed by sex. This is the significance of the life of the KumÄras, and as such MahÄrÄja Pá¹›thu addressed them as the best of the brÄhmaṇas. Not only were the KumÄras born of the best brÄhmaṇa (Lord BrahmÄ), but they are addressed herein as dvija-Å›reá¹£á¹hÄḥ, “the best of the brÄhmaṇas,†on account of their being Vaiṣṇavas also. As we have already explained, they have their sampradÄya (disciplic succession), and even to date the sampradÄya is being maintained and is known as the NimbÄrka sampradÄya. Out of the four sampradÄyas of the Vaiṣṇava ÄcÄryas, the NimbÄrka sampradÄya is one. MahÄrÄja Pá¹›thu specifically appreciated the position of the KumÄras because they maintained the brahmacarya vow from the very beginning of their birth. MahÄrÄja Pá¹›thu, however, expressed his great appreciation of Vaiṣṇavism by addressing the KumÄras as vaiṣṇava-Å›reá¹£á¹hÄḥ. In other words, everyone should offer respect to a Vaiṣṇava without considering his source of birth. Vaiṣṇave jÄti-buddhiḥ: no one should consider a Vaiṣṇava in terms of birth. The Vaiṣṇava is always the best of the brÄhmaṇas, and as such one should offer all respects to a Vaiṣṇava, not only as a brÄhmaṇa but as the best of the brÄhmaṇas.