CC Madhya 22.73
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 73
- īśvare tad-adhīneṣu
- bāliśeṣu dviṣatsu ca
- prema-maitrī-kṛpopekṣā
- yaḥ karoti sa madhyamaḥ
SYNONYMS
īśvare — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tat-adhīneṣu — to persons who have taken fully to Kṛṣṇa consciousness; bāliśeṣu — unto the neophytes or the ignorant; dviṣatsu — to persons envious of Kṛṣṇa and the devotees of Kṛṣṇa; prema — love; maitrī — friendship; kṛpā — mercy; upekṣā — negligence; yaḥ — anyone who; karoti — does; saḥ — he; madhyamaḥ — a second-class devotee.
TRANSLATION
"'An intermediate, second-class devotee shows love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is friendly to all devotees and is very merciful to neophytes and ignorant people. The intermediate devotee neglects those who are envious of devotional service.
PURPORT
This is also a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (SB 11.2.46). This statement was made by the great sage Nārada while he was speaking to Vasudeva about devotional service. This subject was originally discussed between Nimi, the King of Videha, and the nine Yogendras.