gāś cārayantāv avidūra odanaḿ
rāmācyutau vo laṣato bubhukṣitau
tayor dvijā odanam arthinor yadi
śraddhā ca vo yacchata dharma-vittamāḥ
gah -- Their cows; carayantau -- grazing; avidure -- not far away; odanam -- food; rama-acyutau -- Lord Rama and Lord Acyuta; vah -- from you; lashatah -- are desiring; bubhukshitau -- being hungry; tayoh -- for Them; dvijah -- O brahmanas; odanam -- food; arthinoh -- begging; yadi -- if; sraddha -- any faith; ca -- and; vah -- on your part; yacchata -- please give; dharma-vit-tamah -- O best knowers of the principles of religion.
Lord Rama and Lord Acyuta are tending Their cows not far from here. They are hungry and want you to give Them some of your food. Therefore, O brahmanas, O best of the knowers of religion, if you have faith please give some food to Them.
The cowherd boys doubted the generosity of the brahmanas, and thus they used the word bubhukshitau, meaning that Krishna and Balarama were hungry. The boys expected the brahmanas to know the Vedic injunction annasya kshuditam patram: "Anyone who is hungry is a fit candidate for receiving food in charity." But if the brahmanas would not recognize the authority of Krishna and Balarama, their title dvija would be taken to mean merely "born from two parents" (dvi -- from two, ja -- born) rather than "twice-born." When the brahmanas did not respond to the cowherd boys' initial request, the boys addressed the brahmanas, with a slight trace of sarcasm, as dharma-vit-tamah, "O best of the knowers of religion."
