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761025SB.VRN
Pradyumna: "Translation: Those who are interested in reviving Krsna consciousness and increasing their love of Godhead do not like to do anything that is not related to Krsna. They are not interested in mingling with people who are busy maintaining their bodies, eating, sleeping mating and defending. They are not attached to their homes, although they may be householders. Nor are they attached to wives, children, friends or wealth. At the same time, they are not indifferent to the execution of their duties. Such people are interested in collecting only enough money to keep the body and soul together."
Prabhupada:
ye va mayise krta-sauhrdartha
janesu dehambhara-vartikesu grhesu jayatmaja-ratimatsu na priti-yukta yavad-arthas ca loke [SB 5.5.3] So the recommendation is that if you want to go back home, back to Godhead, divyam, so you have to practice austerities, penance. That austerity and penance is according to the age, desa, kala, patra. Not that... Just like in the common law also, if a grown-up man commits some theft, he is punished more. And if a child or a boy commits theft, he is not so much punished. So there is consideration of desa kala patra. In the Kali-yuga people cannot undergo very severe austerities. That is impossible for them, because mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutah [SB 1.1.10]. They are already very much suppressed and suffering because they are all unfortunate, manda-bhagya. Mostly people, they have no provision for eating either today or tomorrow. Manda-bhagya. There is no sufficient grains. Formerly even in the villages you would see that a common man has very good stock of foodgrains and cows, dhanvena dhanavan, gavaya dhanavan. Formerly the standard of richness was considered how many morai, the bank, what is called? Where grain is stocked? Silo. So in India it is called morai, grain stock. And how many cows one has got in stock. Then he is rich man. Nowadays how much paper money he has got. Actually it has no value. Suppose you have got some papers. Each paper it is written there "one thousand dollars." But if there is no grain, what will this one-thousand-dollars paper will do? It actually so happened in the last war in Germany. Their money was thrown in the street. Nobody cared to take it, because it has no exchange. So long the paper money you can exchange, there is value. Otherwise it is paper only. But if you have got actual commoditygrains and cowsthen you can eat in any circumstances. Never mind war is going on; you don't care. You get sufficient food. What you will do with the paper money? So this paper currency is useless. If the things are going on nicely it has value, but in times of crisis it has no value.
So here it is description is given that we are recommended to make association with mahat-seva just to get liberation. Mahat-seva. And who is mahatma? That is being described. In the first... Mahantas te. They are mahatma. What is the symptom? In the sastra we'll find not by one symptom, that one has got saffron cloth or big beard, then he is mahatma. No. There are other symptoms. Just like brahmana. In the Kali-yuga brahmana means one two-paisa thread, that's all. But that is not brahmana. Brahmana means samo damo titiksva. These are the symptoms. Similarly, mahatma does not mean a dress. But people have taken advantage of this dress, vesopajivibhih (?). In India still, although poverty-stricken, if a person, simply by dressing in saffron cloth goes to a village, he has no problem. Everyone will call him, invite him, give him shelter, give him food. Still, (Hindi: "Sir, come here. Take prasada.") Everyone will ask. Poor people have taken advantage of it. Without any education, without any..., they take it for solving economic problems. Here also in Vrndavana you'll find so many people have come here because there are many chatras. You can get free capati, dahl. You'll find in the morning so many wretched class. They have come to Vrndavana just for this bread and dahl. And they collect and they exchange. They purchase bidi.
So everything, in Kali-yuga, everything is being misused. But sastra has given us direction who is brahmana, who is mahatma. So here one type of mahatma is given: mahantas te sama-cittah. They are equal. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. Samah sarvesu bhutesu. That is mahatma. He has realized, Brahman realized, so he has no discrimination, either man to man or man to animal. Even a...
Pandita does not mean one who has got degree. Pandita means sama-cittah. That is sama-cittah. Canakya Pandita has also said that,
He is pandita. Otherwise a rascal. Matr-vat para-daresu. As soon as you see one woman except your married wife, you immediately address her "mother." This is pandita. This is pandita. Not that talking phish-phish with other's woman. He's a rascal. So matr-vat para-daresu para-dravyesu lostra-vat: not to touch other's property. Garbage nobody touches. But people are so unfortunate. I have seen in Hong Kong, they are picking out some food frome the garbage like dogs. I have seen. Somebody throws away some foodstuff and that is collecting. People are so unfortunate. So garbage nobody touches. But in Kali-yuga one has to pick out some papers, some pieces of cloth, to make some business in the garbage. Garbage is untouchable, but in the Kali-yuga the people are so unfortunate that they pick out from garbage also something valuable.
So anyway, mahantas, these are the symptoms. Sama-cittah: they have no such thing, "Oh, here is Hindu, here is Muslim, here is rich man, here is poor man." No. He's kind to everyone. That is godly qualification. Krsna says, mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah [Bg. 9.32]. Sama-cittah. This is explanation. Anyone who takes shelter of Krsna's lotus feet, he is te 'pi yanti param gatim. He's eligible to go back home, back to Godhead. So Krsna gives this liberty, open to everyone. Now who will act it? Who will induce people, even though he's born in low-grade family... Mam hi partha..., ye 'pi syuh papa-yoni. Papa-yoni means one who is born in papa-yoni, in low-grade family. They say candala yavana mleccha in the, there... But Krsna is giving liberty to everyone. Ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah. Ye 'nye ca papa, Sukadeva Gosvami said. Then who will do it? You are a big sadhu, very learned sadhu, and if you sit down, "No, no. I shall not go out of India. As soon as I cross the sea, immediately I'll become fallen." Then who will do this business? Krsna wants that te 'pi yanti param gatim, ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah. Then who will deliver these papa-yoni? If "I am a big sannyasi and big devotee, I do not go out side Vrndavana, I do not go outside India. I am jagat-guru..." "Have you seen jagat?" "No. I'm self-made jagat-guru." This is going on. Cheating. This cheating is going on. What is mahatma they do not know; still, they are posing themselves mahatma. Mahatmaji he (Hindi).
So they are not mahatma. Mahat, the first qualification is sama-cittah. Everyone must be delivered. Not "I am... I am undergoing severe austerities. I shall become brahmalina and my business is finished." No. Others should be. That is sama-cittah. Others. Just as Prahlada Maharaja said, "I do not wish to go alone to Vaikuntha unless I take all these rascals with me." That is Vaisnava. Maya sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan [SB 7.9.43]. "These vimudhan who are so much entangled in this material world and trying to adjust things for peace and happiness, unnecessarily they do not know. So I want to take them." That is Vaisnava. "Alone I don't want to go." Just like Narada Muni. Narada Muni is traveling all over the universe. He's going to hell, heaven, everywhere, and trying to make disciples who can become Krsna's devotee. He does not stay anywhere for more than three minutes, like that. He's traveling always. This is sama-cittah: always going everywhere: "You become devotee, you become Krsna conscious so that your life will be successful." Preaching, that is wanted. Sama-cittah. As soon as there is some facility, one should approach the fallen souls. People are suffering. Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya [SB 1.1.10]. They are so unfortunate, they are suffering in this material world. Give them the information at least that "Why you are suffering? You take to Krsna consciousness and be happy." That is wanted. That is sama-cittah.
Prasannatma. Prasanta. Prakistho rupena santah. Preaching is not very, I mean to say, pleasant. They have to meet so many difficulties. Still they are peaceful, not disturbed. Prasanta. Not that... Just like Nityananda Prabhu went to preach amongst Jagai-Madhai. And Jagai-Madhai injured. "Why, You rascal, You have come here to disturb us?" And threw the piece of earthen pot, and Nityananda Prabhu was injured. Still prasanta. This is sadhu. Yes. "My dear Jagai-Madhai, you have injured Me. It doesn't matter. Chant Hare Krsna please." This is prasanta. He's not disturbed: "Oh, you have injured Me. I shall go to the police." No. Peaceful. "All right, never mind. You do not know how to behave; you have injured Me. It doesn't matter. Please chant." When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu heard it, He immediately came, and He was so angry, that "I shall kill these two men immediately. Bring My cakra." Nityananda Prabhu said, "My Lord, You have promised not to take weapon in this incarnation, so kindly be merciful upon them." "No! They have insulted Vaisnava!" This is another example. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is teaching this humbleness: trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna. But when Nityananda Prabhu was injured, did He stop punishing them? No. At that time He became fire: "I shall kill them!" Trnad api sunicena does not mean that if a Vaisnava is insulted or Visnu is defamed, you remain silent, "I am trnad api sunicena." No. At that time you should become fire. That is the teaching of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Just like Hanumanji, he's Vaisnava. But when there was need for the service of Lord Ramacandra, he set fire in the Lanka. So when there is visnu-vaisnava-ninda, defamation, you should not remain trnad api sunicena. You should take steps. This is the instruction. Anyway, Vaisnava is never angry, but that does not mean that you tolerate insult to Visnu and Vaisnava. No.
So prasanta. Prasanta vimanyavah. Without any anger. Vimanyavah. Suhrdah. These are the examples. Just see. Suhrdah. Su-hrda means one who is actually wanting your welfare. That is called suhrt. Just like father, mother. In spite of so many faults on the part of the son, still they are willing always, "How my sons will be happy." These are the examples of suhrdah. He's not ordinary friend. Ordinary friend, that is reciprocation: "If you do me, then I shall do to you. Otherwise not." But suhrdah means the other side does not do anything benefit, but one side is always willing. That is called suhrdah. Similarly, a mahatma, he is not well received. He is criticized, insulted, sometimes injured. Still, he wants Just like Lord Jesus Christ. He was so badly treated and still he was thinking, "Father, they do not know what they are doing. Please excuse." This is suhrdah. He is praying to God This is sadhu, mahatma. Suhrdah prasanta. Not that... In India there are examples like Haridasa Thakura, Prahlada Maharaja. And the Western countries also, Lord Jesus Christ, he is saktyavesa-avatara, God's son. And he tolerated so much. These are the examples of mahatma. Don't misunderstand that we are preaching that mahatmas are only in India. No. By the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead there are mahatmas even amongst the birds, even amongst the beasts, even amongst the lower than animals. Because this Krsna consciousness movement is going on in different places, in different circumstances. That is God's desire. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata tadatmanam srjamy aham [Bg. 4.7]. So Krsna wants this. Just like in your country there is welfare activities by the government. The welfare department is seeing that nobody is unhappy for want of money. Similarly, mahatmas, they are also in the welfare department of Krsna. They are sent to different countries, different places, different species of life, so that the living entity may take advantage of Krsna consciousness.
So vimanyavah suhrdah sadhavah. Sadhavah. Sadhu. Generally sadhu means devotee. Otherwise not sadhu. Sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah. There is a description of sadhu also. That is suhrdah sarva-bhutanam ajata-satru sadhava sadhu-bhusanah titiksavah karunikam. These are the symptoms of sadhu. Very tolerant and kind, titiksava-karunika. And suhrdah sarva-bhutanam: and he's friend of all living entities, not that daridra-narayana seva and cow-narayana killing. If you have got such vision that Narayana is everywhere, why should you distinguish daridra-narayana, dhani-narayana, cow-narayana, goat-narayana? It is not that for the humankind Just like it is going on, nationality. What is this nonsense "nationality"? "Nationality" means one who is born in that country. This is the general definition. So why you are giving protection to the human being and killing the cows and goats? They are not national? This means short-sighted. Because they haven't got Krsna consciousness they are always crippled. They do not know what is the meaning of nationalism, but they are pushing on nationalism. Rascalism.
Here is nationalism, that isavasyam idam sarvam: [Iso mantra 1] everything belongs to God. And Krsna says bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. He's the proprietor. He's the proprietor; everyone is His subject. Everyone requires protection. That is nationalism. Not that crippled ideas: "I am good, my brother is good, and everyone is bad." That is not nationalism. This is going on. My nation, a few people Russia is thinking, "A few people in this area, they are our men." And America is thinking like that. India is thinking like that. But what is this nonsense nationalism? Because it is not perfect. Simply taking care of some human being. Otherwise there is no question of nationalism. Even according to their definition of nationalism, there are so many discriminations. Nowadays in your country, now the white and the black have been given the equal rights. But formerly, although the blacks were born, they were treated like animals. But one of your president has given them the right. But there are so many defects. Unless you become mahatma. So unless you come to Krsna consciousness, this so-called nationalism, philanthropism, altruism, this "ism"that is all rascaldom. It has no value. Real value is here. Mahatma vimanyavah sadhavah suhrdah.
So these mahatmas, tyagis. Generally, they are sannyasis. And so far other mahatmas also, it does not mean only the sannyasi can be mahatma. No. Grhasthas also can be mahatma. How grhasthas can be mahatmas, that is explained in the next verse: ye va mayise krta-sauhrdartha. His only business is to satisfy Krsna. That is... Otherwise, here it is said, jayatmaja-ratimatsu grhesu. He has no interest in so-called family life, wife, children, friends, and nationality. No. Ye va mayise krta-sauhrdartha. Only interest is how to please Krsna. Such person, he is also mahatma. Not that only the mahatmas who are renounced order. There are grhasthas also. Just like Advaita Acarya, He was grhastha. He became very, very sorry that people are so much suffering. "It is not in My power to elevate them. Unless Krsna personally comes, it is not possible." Therefore He offered to Lord Visnu Ganga-jal, tulasi, praying, "Please come. People are very much suffering. So if You come..." And on His request Krsna came in the form of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So it is not that a grhastha cannot be mahatma. There are many mahatmas.
[I offer my obeisances to Sri Krsna Caitanya, Prabhu Nityananda, Sri Advaita, Gadadhara, Srivasa and all others in the line of devotion.]
All gaura-bhakta-vrndas, they were grhasthas. Even Caitanya Mahaprabhu was also grhastha. But their only business was to satisfy Krsna: ye va mayise krta-sauhrdartha janesu dehambhara-vartikesu grhesu jayatmaja-ratimatsu na priti. And the ordinary grhasthas, they are called grhamedhi, they are simply interested with family life, not for the people in general. So a grhastha can be a mahatma also if he is broad-minded, how to do benefit to the mass of people by introducing Krsna consciousness.
Thank you very much. (end)
Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/classes/sb/5/5/3/vrndavana/october/25/1976 Previous: Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.3 -- Hyderabad, April 15, 1975 Next: Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.3-4 -- Bombay, March 29, 1977
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