यं न माता पिता भ्राता सुहृदश्चादिशन्ति हि ॥४॥
puá¹sÄá¹ Å›lÄghyatamaá¹ manye
daṇá¸am arhattamÄrpitam
yaá¹ na mÄtÄ pitÄ bhrÄtÄ
suhá¹›daÅ› cÄdiÅ›anti hi
puá¹sÄm - of men; Å›lÄghya-tamam - the most exalted; manye - I consider; daṇá¸am - punishment; arhattama-arpitam - given by You, the supreme worshipable Lord; yam - which; na - neither; mÄtÄ - mother; pitÄ - father; bhrÄtÄ - brother; suhá¹›daḥ - friends; ca - also; ÄdiÅ›anti - offer; hi - indeed.
Although a father, mother, brother or friend may sometimes punish one as a well-wisher, they never punish their subordinate like this. But because You are the most worshipable Lord, I regard the punishment You have given me as most exalted.
Punishment meted out by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is accepted by the devotee as the greatest mercy.
tat te ’nukampÄá¹ susamÄ«ká¹£amÄṇo
bhuñjÄna evÄtma-ká¹›taá¹ vipÄkam
há¹›d-vÄg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jÄ«veta yo mukti-pade sa dÄya-bhÄk
“One who seeks Your compassion and thus tolerates all kinds of adverse conditions due to the karma of his past deeds, who engages always in Your devotional service with his mind, words and body, and who always offers obeisances to You is certainly a bona fide candidate for liberation.†(BhÄg. 10.14.8) A devotee knows that so-called punishment by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is only His favor to correct His devotee and bring him to the right path. Therefore the punishment awarded by the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be compared to even the greatest benefit awarded by one’s material father, mother, brother or friend.
