33--Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.10, 1971, Calcutta

Prabhupada:

This verse we are discussing. That the brahmana who is qualified with twelve qualifications.

These are the twelve qualifications of a qualified brahmana. He must be religious-dharmasca, he must be truthful-satyam ca, damas ca-self-controlled. Tapas ca-undergoing austerities, penances. Amatsaryam-he is not envious. General people, everyone is envious of his neighbor or even of his father, even of his brother, that is the general condition. Matsarya, matsarya means, Sridhara Svami says, parotkarsasahanam [Bhavartha-dipika 1.1.2], "One who cannot tolerate others opulence." That is the main thing. The whole fight of this material world is that one is envious of others opulence. But a brahmana is not like that, amatsaryam-he is not envious. That's a special qualification. Amatsaryam hris titiksanasūya. Intelligence, tolerance and not inimical to anyone. Yajnas ca, yajna-performance of sacrifices as recommended in the sastras, Vedas, yajnas. So this yajna-sacrifice is not possible to be performed in this age. It is very expensive, neither there is any qualified brahmanas who can perform yajna.

Therefore in this age, Kali-yuga, yajnaiḥ sahkirtana-prayair [SB 11.5.32], this sahkirtana yajna, which is just now we have performed, that is the only yajna in which everyone can participate. In this yajna, we are practically preaching this yajna all over the world and in our camp we have got all kinds of people from national point of view, or from religious point. All over the world. There are Christians, there are Jews, there are Hindus, there are Muhammadans, there are Parsis. All kinds of religions and all kinds of nations. There are Indians, there are Americans, there are English men, there are French people, German people, practical... Japanese. Everyone is joining, it is such a nice movement and everyone is satisfied. Everyone is feeling that they have got something substantial. Param drstva nivartate, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita [2.59].

They have given up their old habits, param drstva, getting a nicer thing. Our students are not allowed, even to smoke. That is ordinary gentleman's affair nowadays. They don't drink tea, they don't drink coffee, and what to speak of illicit sex-life, meat-eating, drinking, they've given up all. This is such a nice movement, Caitanya Mahaprabhu's. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam [Cc Antya 20.12].

The, it is the process, it is a program for cleansing the heart and as soon as the heart is cleansed he becomes released from all blazing fire of material existence: ceto-darpana-marjanam. Everyone, these boys and girls, who are foreigners, you can see. I am not able to give them comfortable seat even, food even, but still they are satisfied because materially they have no more any demands, that is satisfied. This is the first characteristic of devotional life. Bhaktir parasyanubhavo viraktir anyatra syat [SB 11.2.42]. If one is actually advanced in devotional service then he sees the presence of the Supreme Lord and naturally he becomes averse to all kinds of material enjoyment. So, here also, we are discussing the qualification of a bona-fide brahmana. A brahmanas qualification also described in the Bhagavad-gita [18.42]: brahma-karma svabhava-jam.

So:

Vratani, a brahmana should observe the vratas, just like Ekadasi-vrata, Sri Rama-navami-vrata, Janmastami-vrata, there are many vratas. So a brahmana, a qualified brahmana must observe these vratas. So these boys and girls, they strictly follow these vratas also therefore if we study from qualification point of view, all these boys of International Society, they're automatically brahmanas. Brahmanas are not to be supposed monopolized by the Indians or the Hindus. No. Krsna says:

Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whatever He creates. He creates for everyone because every living entity originally is His son. Aham bija-pradaḥ pita, sarva-yonisu kaunteya [Bg 14.4]. In any species of life, He is not only father of human beings, He is father of all animals, all insects, all trees. That is God. So as such: catur varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasaḥ. These qualities is ruling over the universe. So everywhere there are qualified brahmanas, qualified ksatriyas, qualified vaisyas and they are described, the symptoms are described. Satya samo damas titiksaarjavam, jnanam vijnanam astikyam, brahma-karma svabhava-jam. This is stated in the Bhagavad-gita [18.42], similarly ksatriyas characteristics are there, vaisyas: krsi-goraksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam [Bg 18.44].

So every characteristics are there. So:

So even a brahmana, qualified brahmana, but he's averse, he is not a devotee, then he becomes disqualified. He is materially qualified, spiritually unqualified. In another place it is stated that: mantra-tantra-visaradaḥsat-karma-nipuno vipro [Padma Purana].

A brahmana has got twelve characteristics, qualifications and he is meant for being engaged in six kinds of activities. What is that? Sat-karma-nipuno, pathana, pathana, yajana, yajana, dana, pratigraha. These are the brahmanas livelihood. He should be a teacher, he should be a learned scholar in all Vedic literatures therefore in our country still a brahmana is addressed, at least in Northern India it is very prominent, " Panḍitji". Panḍitji means. Panḍita means, "Very learned scholar." So pathana, that is the first qualification of brahmana, he must be a learned scholar in Vedic literature. pathana, pathana, and he must be teacher. Brahmana's profession is, not profession, it is not for money, in exchange of money a brahmana becomes teacher.

A brahmana sits down in any place and students come there automatically, those who are interested in studying. That was the system in every village in India. There was no question of illiteracy or no education. The education from the very beginning. A brahmana would take charge of a village school: pat-sala [?]. Just like Prahlada Maharaja was in charge of two brahmanas, that is the old system. So patana, patana. Is to educate. If the brahmanas of the village take care for educating the children then where is the question of illiteracy or no education? But that is now forgotten. Now one has to go to a school and he has to bribe the headmaster to take admission and if he does not get money, so many things. This is the deterioration of Kali-yuga. Patana, patana, it is the brahmana's duty to give education. Brahmanas, brahmanas and the opposite number is krpana. Brahmana is liberal, he gives education everyone and the students bring from home: rice, dhal, vegetables, cloth. So where is the necessity of his working outside? He is getting everything brought by the students and there is no charge. Naturally the parents of the students give sufficiently so there was no question of brahmana accepting some business or some service for livelihood. There is no possibility.

Pathana, pathana, yajana, yajana. A brahmana is worshiper of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu. In every brahmana's family still, those who are observing strictly, their parents are, they are also [indistinct] excises rules and regulations. There is Visnu, Lord Visnu's seva in every brahmanas family. Yajana and yajana, he would accept many yajamans [clients of a priest] to educate them in spiritual life, how to worship.

He not only worships Lord Visnu personally but he will teach others how to worship Lord Visnu. How to decorate-sri-vigraha-aradhana-how to worship. Sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana, srhgara-decorating. Tan-mandira-marjanadau-keeping the temple neat and cleansed, very clean. Yuktasya bhaktams ca: the brahmana or Vaisnava or spiritual master. He is engaged himself and he engages the disciples or the students and followers. That is the duty. Pathana, pathana, yajana, yajana, dana, pratigraha. Brahmana is supposed to give everything, whatever he has got in his possession, dana. And therefore it is recommended in the sastra that if any charity is to be given then it is to be given to the brahmanas. Not for any other purpose. Nowadays there are so many purposes for charity but according to our Vedic principles the charity is offered to the brahmanas, to the Vaisnavas, to the sannyasis, not anyone.

No one has got any right to accept charity because brahmana, Vaisnava, they will accept charity for spending in the service of the Lord. They're dana, dana pratigraha, they're, a brahmana, is not supposed to take any money for his personal necessities. Yajana, yajana dana pratigraha. So sastra says: sat-karma-nipuno vipro mantra-tantra-visaradaḥ. Not only he is expert in the six kinds of occupational duties recommended for a brahmana. He may be expert at pathana, pathana, yajana, yajana sat-karma-nipuno vipro mantra-tantra-visaradaḥ, not only that he knows all the Vedic mantras. Visaradaḥ means wherever because he must be patana, patana, he must be educated very nicely. So such a brahmana: avaisnavo gurur na syad sva-paco, if he is avaisnava, if he is adverse to Visnu, Lord Visnu. Vaisnava means, "The worshiper of Lord Visnu." Visnur asya devata, this is Vaisnava.

So avaisnava, even a brahmana is so qualified, so advanced in everything but if he is avaisnava. Avaisnava means he does not worship Lord Visnu but any other demigod, he's avaisnava. Just like Ravana, Ravana wasbrahmin and he was mantra tantra visaradaḥ, but he was avaisnava. He didn't care for Lord Ramacandra therefore he is called Raksasa, asura. He was a great devotee of Lord Siva but a still he was not recognized as-as a qualified brahmana. That is the injunction of the sastra: avaisnavo gurur na syad ca vaisnavaḥsva-paco guruḥ. But a sva-paco, one who is coming from the family of dog-eaters, if he is Vaisnava then he shall be guru, not that [indistinct]. That is the injunction. Therefore they, to become Vaisnava is the first qualification to become guru or spiritual master or teacher, otherwise he cannot. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, He is quoting so many slokas from different sastras just to receive Sanatana Gosvami and again He says that:

Caitanya Mahaprabhu is saying: "This is the final decision of all sastras, that one should simply see a Vaisnava, toma dekhi, toma sparsi, "Everyone should take the dust on the lotus feet of a Vaisnava." Toma sparsi, gai tomara-and glorifying a Vaisnava. Gai tomara guna sarvendriya-phala,-ei sastra-nirūpana. "This is the verdict of all sastras, that one should associate with a Vaisnava."

"If anyone is interested to know about the Supreme Personality of Godhead he should hear from a devotee, Vaisnava, not from a professional, that will not be beneficial. Satam prasahgan, then, it is virya-samvido kathaḥ, virya-very forceful, virya. Just like when there is virya in sex life there is pregnancy. Similarly this virya-samvido kathaḥ, if you try to hear from a pure devotee immediately you will inherit to understand what is God. That is pregnancy of spiritual or Krsna consciousness.

So if you hear from a pure devotee it becomes so pleasing to the ear and the heart-hrt-karna-rasayanaḥ-pleasing. Taj-josanad, if anyone is interested, if what you hear from a pure devotee and tries to apply in his own life-taj-josanad. Then: asv apavarga-vartmani sraddha ratir bhaktir anukramisyati. If you hear. Simply if you hear from a pure devotee then the path of liberation becomes open and sraddha-faith, bhakti-devotion, ratiḥ-attachment. Sraddha ratir bhaktir anukramisyati, comes one after another. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu quotes Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya [13.2], that is an authoritative sastra:

So, tvadrsa-darsanam, to see a devotee, to meet a devotee, that is the highest perfection of the eyes. Our eyes are meant for seeing some wonderful, beautiful thing so sastra says. That if your eyes can see some Vaisnava, some devotee, then that is the perfection of your having eyes. Otherwise it is just like, it is compared just like the eyes in the peacock feathers. The peacock feather is also a painted eyes. So anyone who does not see Visnu-mūrti or Vaisnava his eyes are just like, compared with the peacock feather. It appears like there are very nice eyes in the peacock but it has no power to see. So:

And because they have got this body, hands and legs, it is the perfection of the having body and hands and legs when he touches the lotus feet of a Vaisnava. Jihva-phalam tvadrsa-kirtanam hi-and you have got tongue. If you don't glorify. When you glorify a devotee automatically it glorifies the Lord also because a devotees life is nothing but service to the Lord. So how you can glorify? You can glorify a devotee, "Oh such and such personality is so great a devotee that he will sacrifice everything for Krsna, Krsna comes automatically." Glorification of devotee means glorification of: automatically glorification of the Lord. Aksnoḥ phalam, jihva-phalam-otherwise this tongue is considered like the tongue of the frog. The frogs also use their tongues: ka ku kar, ka ku kar, but what is the result? The result is that the snake, it wants to eat the frog but in the darkness he can not find out. By the sound he approaches the frog and immediately takes. Ka ku kar, so inviting. Similarly our speeches, without Krsna consciousness, is just like ka ku kar. This means we are diminishing the duration of our lives and one day Yamaraja will come: "Please stop your taking, come on." That is going on.

So aksnoḥ:

"But it is very difficult to find out a pure devotee in this world." But Caitanya Mahaprabhu is taking advantage of Sanatana Gosvami's presence that, "It is very difficult to see a pure devotee but by chance I have seen you." He's exalting so much Sanatana Gosvami.

Then He begins that, "My dear Sanatana; Krsna is very kind and patita-pavana. His business is to deliver the fallen souls." This is very important patita-pavana. Krsna is patita-pavana and He appeared as patita-pavana-Lord Caitanya, reclaiming all fallen souls. That is the business of Lord Caitanya: Jagai and Madhai. Papi tapi yata chila, hari-name uddharila [Sri Prarthana 4.3]. This is the business of Lord Caitanya, to reclaim all kinds of sinful persons, all kinds of distressed persons. We should believe in this. We must have to believe, there is no alternative. So people are very unhappy at the present moment on account of their being papi and tapi. Some of them are sinful and some of them are distressed by circumstances. So this is the greatest opportunity for preaching Krsna consciousness, because the world is full of papi and tapi-papi tapi yata chila, hari-name uddharila. So this advantage should be taken and they should also take advantage. They should cooperate with us, how we can spread Krsna consciousness all over the world but they are lacking. They are thinking that, "Let these people chant Hare Krsna mantra in the street and everything will be done." For them it is a little conclusion. No.

If actually they want peace and prosperity they should spend their money for performing this yajna everywhere. [coughs] In Calcutta there are sometimes so many durga-pūja-panḍals; kamais tais tair hrta-jnanaḥ yajante 'nya-devataḥ [Bg 7.20].

But now, instead of durga-pūja-panḍals, they should open in every neighborhood. The panḍals for chanting Hare Krsna mantra. And let them perform the sahkirtana yajna and see what is the result. But that they will not do. They will spend thousands of rupees for Durga-pūja, Karttika-pūja, this pūja, that pūja, but they are not prepared for the sahkirtana yajna. So how there can be peace and prosperity? But we can guarantee that if they take this program of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the program of Caitanya Mahaprabhu's followers, real followers, bona-fide followers. There will be immediately peace and prosperity, there is no doubt about it. Krsna-baḍa dayamaya patita-pavana. So Krsna is very kind-dayamaya. He will solve all these problems and He will reclaim all these persons who are creating disturbances. They will be delivered also, as like, just like Jagai-Madhai was delivered. Patita-pavana.

Maha-raurava, visatam tamisram [SB 7.5.30]: these people are going to the darkest regions of hellish condition of life by committing such grievous mistakes and murders and suicides, it is going on. But they can be also protected from the path, this mistaken path, gliding down towards the hellish condition of life. It has already become hellish condition of life in Calcutta. Oh it will be. Therefore this sahkirtana yajna must be performed through the agency of bona-fide devotees which will immediately change, the whole atmosphere will change. That's a fact.

This is another instruction, we should not try to approach Krsna directly. If you want to approach Krsna directly then sometimes you may be mislead. Sometimes we shall understand [coughs] that Krsna was a boy and he was enjoying in the company of the gopis, young girls, enjoying life. And sometimes we shall understand Krsna was so, I mean to say, self-interested that He induced Arjuna to fight. There are so many. Or Krsna killed His maternal uncle, Kamsa. In this way you will find so many because you can not approach Krsna directly. Directly Krsna is misunderstood. Otherwise Krsna's open order: sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg 18.66].

But foolish people understood that, "Krsna is so proud that He is asking everyone to surrender unto Him. He is so proud." Because in this material world if somebody says that, "You surrender unto me," we do not relish such order very nicely. [coughs] So foolish people take Krsna as ordinary man, avajananti mam mūḍha manusim tanum asritam [Bg 9.11]. Because they are foolish persons they accept Krsna as ordinary man.

Guest: [indistinct]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Ha. That is the point. Right.] Sanatana kahe, we have to take instructions, following in the footprints of mahajana. So Sanatana Gosvami's proposal is that, "I do not know Krsna directly, but I want to know Krsna through You." Narottama dasa Thakura also says the same thing that:

The jugala piriti-Radha-Krsna prema, it is not to be understood all of a sudden, then it will be misunderstood and they will be sahajiya. One should understand through the agency of Lord Caitanya-rūpa-raghunatha. [coughs] We should learn Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu and other literatures left by the Gosvami's, then we can understand. Because the Gosvamis: Rūpa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami were directly taught, directly instructed by Lord Caitanya. So if anyone wants to know Krsna they should follow the instruction of Caitanya Mahaprabhu or in His disciplic succession from the Gosvamis down to this day. Otherwise Krsna will be misunderstood.

So Lord Caitanya inquires from Sanatana Gosvami how he was relieved from the confinement in the prison house. As I have already described that he was arrested, so everything was explained to Him.

Now Sri Sanatana Gosvami was met by Lord Caitanya at Benares and He was coming back from Prayaga. At Prayaga in the Dasasvamedha-ghata Lord Caitanya taught Rūpa Gosvami and asked him to go to Vrndavana. So He is giving the information: "That I have seen your two brothers." Three brothers left home: Sanatana Gosvami, Rūpa Gosvami and his younger brother Anupama and Srila Jiva Gosvami happens to be the son of Anupama. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu then-information:

"They have already gone to Vrndavana under My instruction."

Then Lord Caitanya introduced Sanatana Gosvami to Tapana Misra and Candrasekhara. [coughs]

He was, he had a big beard and mustaches, for several days or maybe for two months he could not shave so there was big, big beard and mustaches. So Sanatana. Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked first of all just call for a barber and let him become bhadra. That means Caitanya Mahaprabhu does not approve of these beards and mustaches. Therefore we keep our students clean-shaven.

Please just take away all this dress, make him. This is initiation. At the initiation one should be shaven-headed and clean hair.

Then he became, looked like a gentlemen after being completely shaven and after taking bath and tilaka and a new set of cloth was offered to him.

But Sanatana, he did not accept the new set of cloth, he asked some used cloth. Just see how they are build up.

That is Gosvami. So he did not accept a new set of cloth. He asked that, "You give me some used cloth." Suniya prabhura: when he did so, Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very glad, "Oh he has become so renounced that he doesn't like to take even new cloth. That's nice."

Vairagya pradhana [Cc Antya 6.220]: this Krsna consciousness movement is vairagya pradhana, it should not be very luxurious.

Of course we should not imitate Sanatana Gosvami artificially, keeping all desires within mind. Actually we should be disinterested with any kinds of material comfort but as far as possible we should not renounce everything all of a sudden, that is not possible. That is the conclusion of my Guru Maharaja.

People used to know that to become a Vaisnava he must have a loin cloth and but that sort of artificial vairagya is not recommended by my Guru Maharaja. He said that: "No, for service of Krsna we shall take all the opportunities, simply we shall engage for Krsna's service." Unless he would have introduced this system then nobody would go to take up the Vaisnavism. No. Then it was simply, it would remain in the hands of the so-called sahajiyas that's all. That is the special contribution of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami.

Thank you very much. [end]