Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 8.22.4

puḿsāḿ ślāghyatamaḿ manye

daṇḍam arhattamārpitam

yaḿ na mātā pitā bhrātā

suhṛdaś cādiśanti hi

SYNONYMS

puḿsām — of men; ślāghya-tamam — the most exalted; manye — I consider; daṇḍam — punishment; arhattama-arpitam — given by You, the supreme worshipable Lord; yam — which; na — neither; mātā — mother; pitā — father; bhrātā — brother; suhṛdaḥ — friends; ca — also; ādiśanti — offer; hi — indeed.

TRANSLATION

Although a father, mother, brother or friend may sometimes punish one as a well-wisher, they never punish their subordinate like this. But because You are the most worshipable Lord, I regard the punishment You have given me as most exalted.

PURPORT

Punishment meted out by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is accepted by the devotee as the greatest mercy.

tat te 'nukampāḿ susamīkṣamāṇo

bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaḿ vipākam

hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te

jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk

"One who seeks Your compassion and thus tolerates all kinds of adverse conditions due to the karma of his past deeds, who engages always in Your devotional service with his mind, words and body, and who always offers obeisances to You is certainly a bona fide candidate for liberation." (Bhāg. 10.14.8) A devotee knows that so-called punishment by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is only His favor to correct His devotee and bring him to the right path. Therefore the punishment awarded by the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be compared to even the greatest benefit awarded by one's material father, mother, brother or friend.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness