dīkṣāyāḥ paśu-saḿsthāyāḥ
sautrāmaṇyāś ca sattamāḥ
anyatra dīkṣitasyāpi
nānnam aśnan hi duṣyati
dikshayah -- beginning with the initiation for a sacrifice; pasu-samsthayah -- until sacrificing the animal; sautramanyah -- outside of the sacrifice known as Sautramani; ca -- and; sat-tamah -- O purest ones; anyatra -- elsewhere; dikshitasya -- of one who has been initiated for the sacrifice; api -- even; na -- not; annam -- food; asnan -- eating; hi -- indeed; dushyati -- creates offense.
Except during the interval between the initiation of the performer of a sacrifice and the actual sacrifice of the animal, O most pure brahmanas, it is not contaminating for even the initiated to partake of food, at least in sacrifices other than the Sautramani.
The cowherd boys anticipated the possible objection from the brahmanas that they couldn't give the boys any food because they themselves had not yet eaten, and that a priest initiated to perform a sacrifice should not eat. Therefore the boys humbly informed the brahmanas about various technicalities of ritualistic sacrifice. The cowherd boys were not unaware of the formalities of Vedic culture, but their real intention was simply to render loving service to Lord Krishna.
