The Lowest Of Mankind

The second class of miscreants is called the "lowest of mankind." Out of 8,400,000 species of life, 400,000 are said to be human, but of these 400,000 most are uncivilized. Civilized means to be regulated in matters of social, political and religious life, and perfect regulation is exemplified in the system of varnasrama-dharma. The purpose of varnasrama-dharma is simply that society is so regulated that maximum facilities are given to each individual so that he may pursue his eternal course back to Godhead. To that end every society needs a head: brahmanas. It needs arms for defense: ksatriyas. It needs an abdomen for sustenance (vaisyas) and legs for movement (sūdras). All head or all feet is equally bad, but a society, nicely divided on the basis of qualification, not birth, is a society in which everyone can revive his lost consciousness or his eternal relationship with the Supreme Truth, Krsna.

The civilized human form of life is meant for reviving this lost consciousness or invoking this dormant love of God that is within all of us. And if the opportunity is lost, then life is wasted, and a person who wastes his valuable time is called naradhama, or lowest of mankind. By the grace of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, one can reawaken his Krsna consciousness simply by submissively hearing the message and activities of the Supreme Lord Krsna as contained in such great literatures as this Bhagavad-gita. Even naradhamas or the lowest of human beings can be delivered by this submissive hearing process, by simply chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Unfortunately they do not even listen to these transcendental vibrations, let alone surrender unto the will of the Supreme Lord. Therefore the naradhamas fully neglect the prime duty of the human being.

The next class of miscreants are those whose erudite knowledge has been nullified by the influence of illusory material energy. In mundane circles these are called very learned men, great philosophers, poets, PhD's, scientists, philanthropists, utopians, etc., but because of impure desires, the illusory energy of Krsna misguides them, and therefore they disobey the Supreme Lord. A truly learned man has been described as one who sees all women as his mother, the property of others as so much refuse in the street and himself in all beings. And according to Krsna's statement in the Gita, "A learned man is he who sees on equal terms the learned brahmana, the dog, the cow, the elephant, and the dog-eater." But when the whole population becomes naradhama and when they thereby neglect the purpose of self-realization, their education has no such vision. What is circulated under the name of education is actually void of all eternal potency by the powerful illusory energy. Most intellectuals are more interested in the creature than in the creator, and ultimately their knowledge is frustrated because they are seeking for everything in the wrong place.

The Gita clearly states in many places that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that there is none equal to or greater than Him. He is said to be the father of Brahma, and He claims to be the father of all living entities. He declares Himself to be the ground of impersonal Brahman, and He states that Paramatma or the Supersoul resides in every living entity by His expansion. In short, He is the fountainhead of everything, and everyone is advised to surrender unto Him. That is the ultimate conclusion of Bhagavad-gita: "Simply surrender unto Me." But despite all these clear statements, those whose knowledge has been nullified by the influence of illusory energy consider Him merely another human being. They do not know that this human form of life is designed after the eternal and transcendental feature of the Supreme Lord. As the Bible says, "Man is made in the image and likeness of God." All the unauthorized interpretations of the Gita by this class of so-called learned scholars who are outside the purview of the parampara system, the disciplic succession of devotees, are so many stumbling blocks in the path of spiritual understanding.

The last class of miscreants are those of demonic principles. This class is openly atheistic. They sometimes maintain that the Supreme cannot descend to the material plane, but they are unable to give any valid reason why not, other than it does not conform to their reasoning patterns. Because it is their desire, Krsna remains forever veiled from them. Sri Yamunacarya says, "O My Lord, You are unknowable to persons involved with atheistic principles, despite Your uncommon features, qualities, and activities, despite Your personality being strongly confirmed by all the revealed scriptures, and despite Your being acknowledged by the famous authorities renowned for their depth of knowledge and situated in godly qualities." Therefore, the grossly foolish, the lowest of mankind, the deluded speculators and the atheists, never surrender unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead despite all scriptural authoritative advice.