TEXT 48
prayatah kirtayet pratah
samavaye dvi-janmanam
sayam ca punya-slokasya
dhruvasya caritam mahat
SYNONYMS
prayatahwith great care; kirtayetone should chant; pratahin the morning; samavayein the association; dvi-janmanamof the twice-born; sayamin the evening; caalso; punya-slokasyaof sacred renown; dhruvasyaof Dhruva; caritamcharacter; mahatgreat.
TRANSLATION
The great sage Maitreya recommended: One should chant of the character and activities of Dhruva Maharaja both in the morning and in the evening, with great attention and care, in a society of brahmanas or other twice-born persons.
PURPORT
It is said that only in the association of devotees can one understand the importance of the character and pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His devotees. In this verse it is especially recommended that Dhruva Maharajas character be discussed in a society of the twice-born, which refers to the qualified brahmanas, ksatriyas and vaisyas. One should especially seek the society of brahmanas who are elevated to the position of Vaisnavas. Thus discussion of Srimad-Bhagavatam, which describes the character and pastimes of devotees and the Lord, is very quickly effective. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness has been organized for this purpose. In every center of this Societynot only in the morning, evening or noon, but practically twenty-four hours a daythere is continuous devotional service going on. Anyone who comes in contact with the Society automatically becomes a devotee. We have actual experience that many karmis and others come to the Society and find a very pleasing and peaceful atmosphere in the temples of ISKCON. In this verse the word dvi janmanam means of the twice-born. Anyone can join the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and be initiated to become twice-born. As recommended by Sanatana Gosvami, by the process of initiation and authorized training, any man can become twice-born. The first birth is made possible by the parents, and the second birth is made possible by the spiritual father and Vedic knowledge. Unless one is twice-born one cannot understand the transcendental characteristics of the Lord and His devotees. Study of the Vedas is therefore forbidden for sudras. Simply by academic qualifications a sudra cannot understand the transcendental science. At the present moment, throughout the entire world the educational system is geared to produce sudras. A big technologist is no more than a big sudra. Kalau sudra-sambhavah: in the age of Kali, everyone is a sudra. Because the whole population of the world consists only of sudras, there is a decline of spiritual knowledge, and people are unhappy. The Krsna consciousness movement has been started especially to create qualified brahmanas to broadcast spiritual knowledge all over the world, for thus people may become very happy.
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