Krishna tolerates insult to Himself but never forgives offense to His pure devotees.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.15.22–23 — December 2, 1973, Los Angeles 731202SB-LOS ANGELES [40:20 Minutes] SB-01.15.22–23_731202SB-LOS ANGELES Prabhupāda: [leads singing of Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava] [prema-dvani prayers] Thank you very much.
Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. [break] [06:03] Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.
[leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] rājaṁs tvayānupṛṣṭānāṁ suhṛdāṁ naḥ suhṛt-pure vipra-śāpa-vimūḍhānāṁ nighnatāṁ muṣṭibhir mithaḥ vāruṇīṁ madirāṁ pītvā madonmathita-cetasām ajānatām ivānyonyaṁ catuḥ-pañcāvaśeṣitāḥ [SB 1.15.22-23] [break]
Prabhupāda: That's all. Word meaning. Pradyumna: rājan—O King; tvayā—by you; anupṛṣṭānām—as you inquired; suhṛdām—of friends and relatives; naḥ—our; suhṛt-pure—in the city of Dvārakā; vipra—the brāhmaṇas; śāpa—by the curse of; vimūḍhānām—of the befooled; nighnatām—of the killed; muṣṭibhiḥ—with bunches of sticks; mithaḥ—among themselves; vāruṇīm—fermented rice; madirām—wine; pītvā—having drunk; mada-unmathita—being intoxicated; cetasām—of that mental situation; ajānatām—of the unrecognized; iva—like; anyonyam—one another; catuḥ—four; pañca—five; avaśeṣitāḥ—now remaining. [break] [10:01] Translation: "O King, since you have asked me about our friends and relatives in the city of Dvārakā, I will inform you that all of them were cursed by the brāhmaṇas, and as a result they all became intoxicated with wine made of purified rice and fought among themselves with sticks, not even recognizing one another.
Now all but four or five of them are dead and gone." Prabhupāda: I think this editing was wrong, "purified rice." What is called? Fermented, petrified? Putrefied. So instead of "putrefied" it has been "purified." Editing. Yes, rice...
They, in India still... Because in India still, no gentleman, brāhmaṇa, at least brāhmaṇas, those who are strictly following brāhmaṇa principles, they do not drink. Neither the kṣatriyas. Kṣatriyas, they are allowed to drink in some particular function.
That is also very rarely. And vaiśyas, they do not drink. Śūdras, some of them. Those who are less than śūdras, they drink, and they make their own liquor at home. They boil the rice, and with water, they keep it for few days, it becomes fermented, putrefied, and it becomes intoxicating, homemade liquor.