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The brahmanas and Vaisnavas are personally glorified by their characteristic powers of tolerance, penance, knowledge and education. By dint of all these spiritual assets, Vaisnavas are more powerful than royalty. It is therefore advised that the princely order not exhibit its material prowess before these two communities and should avoid offending them. (More...) First-class men, let them become scholars, philosophers, preachers, instructors, brahminical business. Pathana pathana yajana yajana dana pratigrahah. These are the six businesses for the brahmana class. They should be highly educated, pathana, highly learned, and pathana, and they should educate others also. But if he is not educated, how he will educate others? Pathana pathana yajana yajana. He should be worshipper of the Supreme Lord, yajana, and yajana, he should instruct others also. (More...) So here it is said, pasyanti te me rucirany amba santah? "They can see Me, santah." Not these rascals and fools. They cannot see. Naham prakasah sarvasya yoga-maya-samavrtah [Bg. 7.25], Bhagavan says in the Bhagavad-gita that "I am not exposed to these fools and rascals, nondevotees." Why I say "fools and rascals" to the nondevotees? I am not saying; Krsna says. Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. Mudha means rascal. Mudha means rascal. And duskrtinah, duskrtinah mean always engaged in sinful activities, no restraint. They can eat everything, they can drink everything, they can do everything without any restriction. They think, "What is there in drinking and eating in the matter of religion?" That is the new invention of swamis and yogis, that "You can do everything, and still you become advanced." But that is not possible. One has to become a pure brahmana. Then why, in the Vedic civilization, a pure brahmana is so respected? Because they are symbolic representation of the Vedas. Satyam samo damas titiksa arjavam jnanam vijnanam astikyam [Bg. 18.42]. That is brahmana, who has got this qualification, satyam, who has taken the Absolute Truth as the aim of life. People, ordinary people, how they will know? Satyam saucam, very clean always, tri-sandhya-snana, taking bathing thrice. Satyam saucam samam, controlling the mind, not that "I am servant of my mind. I shall do whatever my mind dictates." These are the qualification of brahmana. Samam damam, controlling the senses. These are the symbolic representation of the Vedas. (More...) The Vedas are My eternal transcendental sound incarnation. Therefore the Vedas are sabda-brahma. In this world, the brahmanas thoroughly study all the Vedas, and because they assimilate the Vedic conclusions, they are also to be considered the Vedas personified. The brahmanas are situated in the supreme transcendental mode of naturesattva-guna. Because of this, they are fixed in mind control [sama], sense control [dama], and truthfulness [satya]. They describe the Vedas in their original sense, and out of mercy [anugraha] they preach the purpose of the Vedas to all conditioned souls. They practice penance [tapasya] and tolerance [titiksa], and they realize the position of the living entity and the Supreme Lord [anubhava]. These are the eight qualifications of the brahmanas. Therefore among all living entities, no one is superior to the brahmanas. (More...) Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/?g=1546 Previous: [none] Next: [none]
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