तस्यावनिज्य चरणौ तदप: स्वमूर्ध्ना बिभ्रज्जगद्गुरुतमोऽपि सतां पतिर्हि । ब्रह्मण्यदेव इति यद्गुणनाम युक्तं तस्यैव यच्चरणशौचमशेषतीर्थम् ॥ १५ ॥
tasyāvanijya caraṇau tad-apaḥ sva-mūrdhnā bibhraj jagad-gurutamo ’pi satāṁ patir hi brahmaṇya-deva iti yad guṇa-nāma yuktaṁ tasyaiva yac-caraṇa-śaucam aśeṣa-tīrtham
- tasya
- his
- avanijya
- washing
- caraṇau
- the feet
- tat
- that
- apaḥ
- water
- sva
- His own
- mūrdhnā
- on the head
- bibhrat
- carrying
- jagat
- of the entire universe
- guru-tamaḥ
- the supreme spiritual master
- api
- even though
- satām
- of the saintly devotees
- patiḥ
- the master
- hi
- indeed
- brahmaṇya
- who favors the brāhmaṇas
- devaḥ
- the Lord
- iti
- thus called
- yat
- since
- guṇa
- based on His quality
- nāma
- the name
- yuktam
- fitting
- tasya
- His
- eva
- indeed
- yat
- whose
- caraṇa
- of the feet
- śaucam
- the bathing
- aśeṣa
- complete
- tīrtham
- holy shrine
The Lord bathed Nārada’s feet and then put the water on His own head. Although Lord Kṛṣṇa is the supreme spiritual authority of the universe and the master of His devotees, it was proper for Him to behave in this way, for His name is Brahmaṇya-deva, “the Lord who favors the bṛāhmaṇas.” Thus Śrī Kṛṣṇa honored the sage Nārada by bathing his feet, even though the water that bathes the Lord’s own feet becomes the Ganges, the ultimate holy shrine.