CC Madhya 12.32
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 32
yājñika-brāhmaṇī saba tāhāte pramāṇa
kṛṣṇa lāgi’ pati-āge chāḍileka prāṇa
SYNONYMS
yājñika-brāhmaṇī—the wives of the brāhmaṇas who were engaged in performing great sacrifices; saba—all; tāhāte—in that connection; pramāṇa—evidence; kṛṣṇa lāgi’—for the matter of Kṛṣṇa; pati-āge—in front of their husbands; chāḍileka prāṇa—gave up their lives.
TRANSLATION
“For instance, some of the wives of the brāhmaṇas who were performing sacrifices gave up their lives in the presence of their husbands for the sake of Kṛṣṇa.”
PURPORT
This refers to the day Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His cowherd boys and flocks of animals were present in the pasturing grounds near Mathurā. At that time the cowherd boys, being a little hungry, requested food, and Lord Kṛṣṇa asked them to go to the brāhmaṇas who were engaged nearby in performing yajña, or sacrifice, and to get some food from that yajña. Being so ordered by the Lord, all the cowherd boys went to the brāhmaṇas and asked them for food, but they were denied. After this, the cowherd boys begged food from the wives of the brāhmaṇas. All these wives were very much devoted to Lord Kṛṣṇa in spontaneous love, and as soon as they heard the request of the cowherd boys and understood that Kṛṣṇa wanted some food, they immediately left the place of sacrifice. They were very much chastised for this by their husbands, and they were ready to give up their lives. It is the nature of a pure devotee to sacrifice his life for the transcendental loving service of the Lord.