TEXTS 3132
brahmanyah sila-sampannah
satya-sandho jitendriyah
atmavat sarva-bhutanam
eka-priya-suhrttamah
dasavat sannataryanghrih
pitrvad dina-vatsalah
bhratrvat sadrse snigdho
gurusv isvara-bhavanah
vidyartha-rupa-janmadhyo
mana-stambha-vivarjitah
SYNONYMS
brahmanyahcultured as a good brahmana; sila-sampannahpossessing all good qualities; satya-sandhahdetermined to understand the Absolute Truth; jita-indriyahfully controlling the senses and mind; atma-vatlike the Supersoul; sarva-bhutanamof all living entities; eka-priyathe one beloved; suhrt-tamahthe best friend; dasa-vatlike a menial servant; sannataalways obedient; arya-anghrihat the lotus feet of great persons; pitr-vatexactly like a father; dina-vatsalahkind to the poor; bhratr-vatexactly like a brother; sadrseto his equals; snigdhahvery affectionate; gurusuunto the spiritual masters; isvara-bhavanahwho considered exactly like the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vidyaeducation; arthariches; rupabeauty; janmaaristocracy or nobility; adhyahendowed with; manapride; stambhaimpudence; vivarjitahcompletely free from.
TRANSLATION
[The qualities of Maharaja Prahlada, the son of Hiranyakasipu, are described herewith.] He was completely cultured as a qualified brahmana, having very good character and being determined to understand the Absolute Truth. He had full control of his senses and mind. Like the Supersoul, he was kind to every living entity and was the best friend of everyone. To respectable persons he acted exactly like a menial servant, to the poor he was like a father, to his equals he was attached like a sympathetic brother, and he considered his teachers, spiritual masters and older Godbrothers to be as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He was completely free from unnatural pride that might have arisen from his good education, riches, beauty, aristocracy and so on.
PURPORT
These are some of the qualifications of a Vaisnava. A Vaisnava is automatically a brahmana because a Vaisnava has all the good qualities of a brahmana.
Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousnessthese are the qualities by which the brahmanas work. (Bg. 18.42) These qualities are manifest in the body of a Vaisnava. Therefore a perfect Vaisnava is also a perfect brahmana, as indicated here by the words brahmanyah sila-sampannah. A Vaisnava is always determined to understand the Absolute Truth, and to understand the Absolute Truth one needs to have full control over his senses and mind. Prahlada Maharaja possessed all these qualities. A Vaisnava is always a well-wisher to everyone. The six Gosvamis, for example, are described in this way: dhiradhira jana-priyau. They were popular with both the gentle and the ruffians. A Vaisnava must be equal to everyone, regardless of ones position. Atmavat: a Vaisnava should be like Paramatma. Isvarah sama-bhutanam hrd-dese rjuna tisthati. Paramatma does not hate anyone; indeed, He is in the heart of a brahmana, but he is also even in the heart of a pig. As the moon never refuses to distribute its pleasing rays even to the home of a candala, a Vaisnava never refuses to act for everyones welfare. Therefore a Vaisnava is always obedient to the spiritual master (arya). The word arya refers to one who is advanced in knowledge. One who is deficient in knowledge cannot be called arya. At the present, however, the word arya is used to refer to those who are godless. This is the unfortunate situation of Kali-yuga.
The word guru refers to the spiritual master who initiates his disciple into advancement in the science of Krsna, or Krsna consciousness, as stated by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura (sri-bhagavan-mantropadesake gurav ity arthah).

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