ity ukto 'pi dviyas tasmai
vrīḍitaḥ pataye śriyaḥ
pṛthuka-prasṛtiḿ rājan
na prāyacchad avāń-mukhaḥ
iti -- thus; uktah -- addressed; api -- although; dvijah -- the brahmana; tasmai -- to Him; vriditah -- embarrassed; pataye -- to the husband; sriyah -- of the goddess of fortune; prithuka -- of flat rice; prasritim -- the palmfuls; rajan -- O King (Parikshit); na prayacchat -- did not offer; avak -- bowed down; mukhah -- whose head.
[Sukadeva Gosvami continued:] Even after being addressed in this way, O King, the brahmana felt too embarrassed to offer his palmfuls of flat rice to the husband of the goddess of fortune. He simply kept his head bowed in shame.
According to Acarya Visvanatha Cakravarti, the description here of Krishna as "the husband of the goddess of fortune" implies that Sudama questioned himself, "How can the Lord of Sri eat this hard, stale rice?" By bowing his head, the brahmana revealed his meditation: "My dear master, please do not make me ashamed. Even if You request it from me repeatedly, I will not give this to You. I have made up my mind." But the Lord countered with His own thought: "The intention you had fixed in your mind while coming here must not be frustrated, for you are My devotee."
