690311 - Lecture SB 07.09.10 - Hawaii

Lectures by Date, 1969

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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690311SB-HAWAII - March 11, 1969 - 72:51 Minutes

Prabhupāda: (sings)

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya

jñānāñjana-śalākayā

cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena

tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ

sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya

prabhu-nityānanda

śrī-advaita gadādhara

śrīvāsAdi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho

dīna-bandho jagat-pate

gopeśa gopikā-kānta

rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te

tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi

rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari

vṛṣabhānu-sute devi

praṇamāmi hari-priye

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca

kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca

patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo

vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa

kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare

hare rāma hare rāma

rāma rāma hare hare

śrī-prahrāda uvāca

brahmādayaḥ sura-gaṇā munayo 'tha siddhāḥ

sattvaikatāna-gatayo vacasāṁ pravāhaiḥ

nārādhituṁ puru-guṇair adhunāpi pipruḥ

kiṁ toṣṭum arhati sa me harir ugra-jāteḥ

(SB 7.9.8)

manye dhanābhijana-rūpa-tapaḥ-śrutaujas-

tejaḥ-prabhāva-bala-pauruṣa-buddhi-yogāḥ

nārādhanāya hi bhavanti parasya puṁso

bhaktyā tutoṣa bhagavān gaja-yūtha-pāya

(SB 7.9.9)

viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha-

pādāravinda-vimukhāt śvapacaṁ variṣṭham

manye tad-arpita-mano-vacanehitārtha-

prāṇaṁ punāti sa kulaṁ na tu bhūrimānaḥ

(SB 7.9.10)

naivātmanaḥ prabhur ayaṁ nija-lābha-pūrṇo

mānaṁ janād aviduṣaḥ karuṇo vṛṇīte

yad yaj jano bhagavate vidadhīta mānaṁ

tac cātmane prati-mukhasya yathā mukha-śrīḥ

(SB 7.9.11)

tasmād ahaṁ vigata-viklava īśvarasya

sarvātmanā mahi gṛṇāmi yathā manīṣam

nīco 'jayā guṇa-visargam anupraviṣṭaḥ

pūyeta yena hi pumān anuvarṇitena

(SB 7.9.12)

sarve hy amī vidhi-karās tava sattva-dhāmno

brahmādayo vayam iveśa na codvijantaḥ

kṣemāya bhūtaya utātma-sukhāya cāsya

vikrīḍitaṁ bhagavato rucirāvatāraiḥ

(SB 7.9.13)

tad yaccha manyum asuraś ca hatas tvayādya

modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā

lokāś ca nirvṛtim itāḥ pratiyanti sarve

rūpaṁ nṛsiṁha vibhayāya janāḥ smaranti

(SB 7.9.14)

So Prahlāda Mahārāja offering prayers to Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. The verses are fifty. Fifty verses. The each and every line is so important that all Vaiṣṇavas, they have picked up these prayer as very important within the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam śāstra, scripture. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is saying that:

viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha-

pādāravinda-vimukhāt śvapacaṁ variṣṭham

(SB 7.9.10)

Śvapacaṁ. Śva means dog, and pacaṁ means cooking. So in the human society, the lowest class of men are considered the dog-eaters. In the Manu-saṁhitā there is a list of different kinds of men eating different kinds of flesh, and in the Āyurveda there is a list of dravya-guṇa.

Dravya-guṇa means medical effect of certain type of things. So that is a very big book, and all kinds of vegetables, all kinds of flesh, all kinds of fish and everything is detailed there, and there is description what is the effect of eating such-and-such things.

So it is not that the Vedic civilization does not know what is the effect of eating flesh. They have got very broad analytical knowledge, and in the recent years Mr. George Bernard Shaw, he also said that, "You are what you eat." So if you eat a certain type of food, then your constitution of the body, mentality, status—everything—becomes according to that food. That is a fact.

So there is a class of men who are called śvapaca. Śvapaca means dog-eaters. So the dog-eater is called caṇḍāla, pañcama. The human society is divided into four: first class, second class, third class, fourth class, and pañcama means fifth class. So these dog-eaters, they are considered as the fifth class.

Those who are flesh-eaters, they are fourth class, and those who are vegetarians, they are first class, second class, third class. And those who are animal-food eaters, they are fourth class—and less than that, those who have no distinction of eating any kind of flesh . . . there are certain classes of nation also. They say the Chinese people, they eat anything.

So a man is considered to be situated at a certain status of civilization according to the modes of material nature, and that is manifested by eating, by behaving. Ācāra, vicāra. Ācāra means behavior, and vicāra means judgment. By advancement of education one becomes fixed up to take things by judgment. That is called vicāra. And ācāra means cleanliness or behavior. So ācāra, vicāra. The first-, second- and third-class human being, they are situated in ācāra and vicāra.

And in modern civilization also, they say sometimes that a nation is calculated how far he is civilized by the conjunction of amount of soap. That means . . . the soap-using nation means that cleansed. So cleanliness is still considered as the civilized status of man. Unclean status . . . there are different kinds of cleanliness. Inside, vacaḥ bhyantaraṁ. Cleanliness, simply soap and water cleanliness, is not cleanliness. Inside cleanliness also required.

Inside cleanliness, daily clearing the bowels. In the yoga system this is very necessary. They have got a system if the bowel is not clear, then dhokhi—it is called dhokhi. The intestines should be cleared. So they have a process. Some of the yogīs, they are so expert that they can take out the intestine from the abdomen and clear it and put it again. Yes. This is . . . these are the perfection of yoga system.

So inside cleanliness is very important thing. If the bowel is not clear, if the stools are congested . . . the appendicitis disease, it means that those who are constipated, gradually inside their stool becomes dry, and it becomes a block to the intestine. So if it becomes too much blocked, if it is not possible to be cleared, then the modern medical science, they cut the abdomen and cut the part and clear it, and again stitch it. That is appendicitis, so far I know—I am not medical man. There are so many diseases that is due to this non clearance of the intestines. You see?

Therefore we have to eat in such proportion and such kind of food that inside intestines may remain always clear. In a Bengali proverb there is a saying that bhuri and muri. If your these two things are very clear, then there is no question of disease. Bhuri means this abdomen, and muri means this head. If you keep your head and the belly very clear, then you are free from all disease.

So the yoga process, by breathing exercise, by that dhokhi process, there are so many . . . by sitting posture, so many things—the whole thing is that keep the body very fit, brain clear, so that one can think of higher subject matter very nicely. And the more we eat nonsense things, which our nature cannot accept . . .

So there are different classes of men and different kinds of eating. So there is a class of men, dog-eaters. I do not know whether in your country there is any class of men who are dog-eaters, but India, Assam side, there is a class of men who are still dog-eaters. They make a very nice dog preparation. They give the dog to eat rice and molasses mixed together and try to get it eat more and more, so that by suffocation it dies eating, eating.

Then the whole dog is burned, you see, and then they relish that roasted dog. Roasted pig I have seen. There is a class, they roast the pig and they eat. So this class of men, they roast dog, and it is called dog cake—kukur-pita. Pita means cake, and dog means . . . kukur means dog.

So there are, in different parts of the world, 400,000. And of 4,000 . . . 8,000,000 million . . . 8,400,000, yes. So 8,000,0000 other than human being, and 400,000 human being. So amongst this 400,000 different species of human being, all classes of . . . they do not accept species; they say classes. All right. So here, śvapacaṁ variṣṭham:

manye tad-arpita-pādāravinda-vimukhāt

śvapacaṁ variṣṭham

(SB 7.9.10)

So here Prahlāda Mahārāja is giving preference to a person who is born in a family of dog-eaters.

Then to a brahmin, qualified brahmin, with twelve qualifications—education, qualification—but still if he is impersonalist, or voidist . . . generally when, at the modern age, when one becomes very much advanced in so-called education, he becomes impersonalist, voidist. So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, through Prahlāda Mahārāja's authority, is condemning.

He says that "Such kind of learned brahmin, even though he is qualified academically and other brahminical qualification, but if his only disqualification is that he is not a devotee, then he is lower . . . he is not even equal to the person who is born in a family of dog-eaters, but he is a devotee."

So two things have to be studied here: that to become a devotee does not require to take birth in high aristocratic family or brāhmaṇa family, because here it is said śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. That means the person who is considered to be the less than the fourth-class man, he also exalted if he is devotee. What is the reason? Because devotee means:

prāṇaṁ punāti sa kulaṁ manye

tad-arpita-mano-vacanehitārtha

(SB 7.9.10)

Because a devotee means one who has dedicated—I have already explained the other day—dedicated his body, mind and words for Kṛṣṇa. That is the test of devotee, whether he has engaged these three things to the service of the Lord. Then he is devotee. Body . . . because our all activities are based on these three principles. With mind we plan: thinking, feeling and willing. And willing is given practical shape by the bodily work, or words, by speaking.

So this is the test of a devotee. Prahlāda Mahārāja says he may be born in a family of the dog-eaters, but because he has engaged his body, mind and words for Kṛṣṇa, for service of Kṛṣṇa, then he is better, he is superior, he is in superior position than the so-called brahmin with all good qualifications but without any devotional spirit.

And why he is preferred? Prāṇaṁ punāti sa kulaṁ. This man, this śvapacaṁ, or the man born in the family of caṇḍāla, he is able to deliver his whole dynasty. Whole dynasty, sa kulaṁ. This very word is used here, prāṇaṁ punāti. He personally becomes purified. There is no doubt about it. Prāṇaṁ. His life is perfect, punāti. Punāti means purified, and sa kulaṁ, sa kulaṁ means along with his family members.

He is not only personally becoming purified, but his parents, his parents' father, his father, his brother, his . . . sa kulaṁ. Kulaṁ, kulaṁ means the whole family. Sa kulaṁ punāti. Aravinda-nābha pādāravinda-vimukhāt śvapacaṁ (SB 7.9.10). What kind of fifth-class man? He is not fifth-class man. He may be born in a fifth-class family, but he is not fifth class.

Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja, directly his father is a great demon, but he is not demon. It does not mean that a person born of low family is also low. This is not the verdict of Vedas. They . . . vedic culture was lost, or put into difficulty, simply for this reason, when the Vedic followers in India, they made these classification of brahmin, kṣatriya, as hereditary.

There is hereditary preference, certainly. If a man is born in a brahmin family, that is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that . . . but by the contamination of Kali-yuga, all higher-class families, they have been contaminated. For example, we find it all these in the Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction we shall see, that even if one is belonging to the higher-grade families . . . but that is not simply by birthright.

There are regulative principles. Just like our Society members, simply by being a member of the Society, being situated, is not all. He has to keep himself always alert in the principles. Then he is all right. Otherwise he is fallen down. Similarly, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and all Vedic scripture it is stated that the brahmin, kṣatriya, vaiśya, the higher class, how they can keep up their status. You must keep your status.

Just like in England the rule is that when a man is recognized as knight or lord by his activities, in order to continue the family as lord family, they have to deposit a certain amount of money so that they can continue to keep up the position of lord family. That amount should be deposited in the government treasury. So you cannot withdraw that, but you can enjoy the interest of it. It is a huge amount. Otherwise how he can keep up the status of lord family? And the eldest son of the family is awarded the title "lord," and he gets that interest and keeps up the status. Perhaps you know it.

So simply to take birth in a big family or a high family is not all. One has to qualify himself and keep up the status, the tradition, of the family. Then he is all right. Otherwise . . . similarly, the opposite side: a man may be born in a family of dog-eaters, but if he keeps himself as dog-eater, then he is dog-eater family.

But if he changes his status—no more dog-eater, but he is a devotee— he is not counted as belonging to that family, either this side or that side. A man born in a high family, if he is unable to keep up the status of the standard of living and tradition of that high family, then he does not belong.

Similarly, a man born in the lower family, if he does not keep to the status of that lower family—he takes to the standard of brahmin family, Vaiṣṇava family—then he is to be considered belonging to that status. Not that because he is born in that dog-eater's family he cannot become a brahmin. No. This is not the Vedic injunction.

A person born in the dog-eater's family can be raised to the standard of brahmin family, or a person born in the brahmin family can be lowered down to the status of dog-eater's family if he does not keep the status. So it is the qualification. That is Vedic.

So as soon as this standard method was changed into mechanical—a person born in brahmin family, he may be less than a dog-eater's family; he is worshiped as brahmin—this has ruined the Indian civilization. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in this age He did not recognize. He did not recognize. He actually followed the Vedic principle. He said that it doesn't matter, one is not responsible for his birth. How can one be responsible?

May be the father and mother are different, or some way or other he is born in that father and mother, but he has got a certain type of body—but that . . .

(break) . . . responsible for that. He is responsible in the . . . I mean, the finer sense, that due to some of his past misdeeds he has been born in that way. But that is not the prime responsibility.

The prime responsibility is that everyone is open to accept Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja—he is born of a demon father, but Kṛṣṇa consciousness is open for him; he has accepted. So he is not to be considered as one of the members of the demon family. So he is personally recognizing that such a person, even born in lower family, he can purify himself by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and he can purify his whole family.

This should be very particularly noted. This word is sa kulaṁ. Sa means with, and kulaṁ means family—sa kulaṁ punāti. So prāṇaṁ punāti sa kulaṁ na tu bhūrimānaḥ: "But that man who is simply proud that 'I am born in such-and-such family,' he is a rascal," because this false prestige is rascaldom.

This false prestige has killed the Vedic civilization. When I came to your country, I saw nice boys and girls, finely educated, belonging to respectable family, and they are taking to any kind of work—doesn't matter. So I was very much pleased.

But in India, a man born in brahmin family, and if he is—mostly they are poverty-stricken at the present moment—if he is asked that, "You can come, you take daily five rupees. You can wash the dishes," oh, he will never accept. He will starve to death, but he will not accept. You see? He will think, "Oh, I am born in a brahmin family. How can I wash your dishes?" This is false prestige. Why?

"You are not doing the activities of a brahmin. You are poverty-stricken; you are not educated. Why do you claim that you are brahmin?" But that false prestige is there, "Oh, I am brahmin!"

And society accepts also, "Oh . . ." They will hesitate. Even if he accepts that, "Yes, I shall wash your dishes," the family will not allow him. They will say: "Oh, you are coming from brahmin. How can you wash my . . .? We shall go to hell." Just see. These notions are there. Just see. So he is suffering, and he is suffering—by this false prestige, you see. Both of them suffering. But when I saw in your country that any boy, any girl, they are prepared to work anything, "Oh, that is very nice. All right. I have no money, so I can accept."

And the present . . . considering the present status, everything has topsy-turvy—therefore to bring everything on the equal level of high standard and perfectional standard is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If the people of the world accepts this philosophy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no more higher and lower level. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu (BG 18.54). Samaḥ. Samaḥ means equal—all living entities on the same level. And how it is possible? Brahma-bhūtaḥ (BG 18.54): when they are identified with Brahman, that means Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is Parabrahma.

So when one identifies his body, his mind, his activities—everything—with Kṛṣṇa, then there is no more such distinction of "higher" and "lower," either in work or in thinking or in action. No more. Because that is the purificatory process. Never mind what was your status of life, what was your family life. It doesn't matter. Prāṇaṁ punāti sa kulaṁ—he is immediately purified. Not only himself, but with his whole family, purified.

Prāṇaṁ punāti. Na tu bhūrimānaḥ: and that man who is under false prestige, impression that, "I am this," "I am that," "I am higher," he cannot deliver himself even, because what is the value of false prestige? False prestige has no value. If you are actually brahmin or if you are actually king, you can be proud of your position that, "I am king," "I am this" or "that." But actually if you are less than the śvapacaṁ, the dog-eaters, but why should you be proud of your false prestige?

Therefore by that false prestige he cannot even deliver himself, what to speak of his family. That is stated here. That man, śvapaca, born . . . because he has dedicated his life, his mind and words for Kṛṣṇa, he is able to deliver himself and his family; but this man who is puffed out with false prestige, he cannot deliver himself only, and what to speak of his family. This is clearly described by Prahlāda Mahārāja. Tasmin aravinda-nābhe-arpita mano-ardhāya yena tam idam karmah. Manye tad-arpita-mano-vacanehitārtha. Because he has dedicated his life for Kṛṣṇa, therefore he can do this. He can purify himself and purify his family.

(Śrīdhara Mahārāja commentary) . . . variṣṭha tu hetu śvapaca sarvam kulaṁ punāti. Śrīdhara Mahārāja, also . . . Śrīdhara Swami, he is a great learned scholar, original commentator of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He is accepted as the great authority even by Lord Caitanya. He is not an ordinary commentator. So he gives his opinion that variṣṭha tu hetu. Why he is adored so much? Variṣṭha . . . sa evam bhutam śvapacaṁ. Such kind of śvapaca, person born in the family of dog-eaters, sarvam kulaṁ punāti, he purifies his whole family.

So these are authoritative statement. Bhūrimānaḥ . . . (indistinct) . . . tu vipra atmanam yena punāti. And those who are placed in that false prestige, that "I am this brahmin. I am born in brahmin family. I am this and that," Śrīdhara Maha . . . Śrīdhara Swami says: "That false pride, prestige," (indistinct Sanskrit) sva tu vipra atmanam, "he may be a viprā, a qualified brahmin, but he cannot purify himself, what to speak of his family."

This is the remark by Śrīdhara Swami. Atmanam yena kutam kulam yatah bhakti hina sa ete gunah . . . (indistinct) . . . it is very nice comment. He said that without devotional service, without being Kṛṣṇa conscious, one is surely to become falsely puffed up. Why he says? "Because he has got his bodily concept of life."

Śrīdhara Mahārāja clearly says that bhakti hinasya ete gunah. Ete gunah, all these material qualification, highly educated, and śama, dama, titikṣa, practice how to control the mind, senses—everything is complete. So ete gunah, when one becomes such qualified, he becomes proud. That is the material status of life.

Pride is a material . . . pride means if one is too much proud of his acquisition, either educational or material wealth, that means he is in the material platform. This very test. A devotee is never proud. He is humble, humble and meek. Just Lord Jesus Christ also said: "The humble and meek will attain the kingdom of God." Is it not?

So Vaiṣṇava is humble and meek. He is not proud, because . . .

(break) . . . even if he has got great amount of wealth, good qualification, everything, he thinks that, "These things are Kṛṣṇa's. I am His servant. I have got the opportunity to serve Him with this qualification. If I am highly educated, if I have got good knowledge, if I am great philosopher, scientist—everything—if I do not engage all these qualifications to Kṛṣṇa's service, then I shall naturally become falsely proud, and that is the cause of my falldown. I will never be able to approach God, because I am not humble and meek."

But as soon as one engages these qualifications for Kṛṣṇa's service . . . the scientist, he can present so many scientific thesis to prove that there is God. That is his perfection of scientific knowledge. If a philosopher writes article to convince man that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead by philosophical thesis . . .

Because there are men who want to understand the Absolute Truth through philosophy, through science, so it is the duty of those who are scientifically advanced, philosophically advanced or materially advanced or wealthy, they should engage all this for Kṛṣṇa's service.

Because we have to engage ourself. Devotee means prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā (SB 10.22.35).

Life, wealth—prāṇa means life. Wealth . . . artha means wealth. Prāṇa artha dhiyā—intelligence, prāṇa artha dhiyā vācā, and words. If one has no money, no intelligence, he can use his words. He can go to the people, and he can say: "Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." He can do. So this preaching work, the service of Kṛṣṇa, is not, I mean to say, blocked by any disqualification if one is ready to serve.

So Śrīdhara Mahārāja says that this pride, ete gunah . . . (indistinct) . . . bhavanti. If one is simply materially qualified, that becomes the cause of his false prestige and pride, that's all, what to speak of purifying himself. And he . . . bhavanti na śuddhaye. Śuddhaye, śuddhaye means purification, the first purificatory process as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, amānitvam adambhitvam ahiṁsā (BG 13.8).

Amānitvam—humble and meek. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā (CC Adi 17.31)—humbler that the blade of grass, and tolerant than the tree.

So these are the qualification, spiritual qualification. So if one becomes falsely proud, then where is his spiritual qualification? Everything is lost, everything gone—immediately. So in spite of his all good qualifications, if he is simply proud, then everything becomes zero.

Of course, not in this country . . . in our country milk is considered to be very nice, nutritious food; but if there is a drop of wine mixed with milk, it is no more pure; it is finished. If it is touched by the lip of the serpent, it is finished—no more.

Similarly, one may have all these qualifications if he becomes brahmin or kṣatriya, or very high class, very aristocratic, all this. That is all right. But if it is simply false prestige, if it is meant simply for showing one's false prestige, then those qualification have no value. And when there is no value, he cannot purify himself, what to speak of purifying his whole family.

But this man who is born in the family of śvapacaṁ, dog-eaters, because he has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because he has become humble and meek, because he has engaged his body, mind and words for the service of Kṛṣṇa, he can purify himself, and he can deliver his whole family.

Thank you. (devotees offer obeisances) (break)

Devotee: . . . Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Vaiṣṇava literature as to how somebody who is born in a low family . . . (indistinct) . . . became a devotee?

Prabhupāda: Oh, there are many. Ṭhākura Haridāsa: he is born in Muhammadan family, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave him the place nāmācārya. He became the ācārya of preaching. The Caitanya Mahāprabhu's whole mission was entrusted to him. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He appeared for preaching the importance of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and practically He entrusted the business to Haridāsa Ṭhākura, who was by his birth a Muhammadan.

There are many others. Many others. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. He is born of a demon father. He is also ācārya. Amongst the twelve recognized ācārya of Bhāgavata are Sambhu . . . Nārada, Śambhu, Kumāra, Kapila, Manu, Prahlāda. There are twelve recognized ācāryas of the Bhāgavata school, and Prahlāda Mahārāja is one of them, this Prahlāda Mahārāja. Because he is born of a demon father, a demonic father . . . they are . . . they can do anything. They are even flesh-eaters. They are everything.

Demons means flesh-eaters. They are doing even, I mean to say drunkards, gamblers, women-hunters. These are the qualifications of the demons. Because demons means materialistic. That's all. And these four qualifications must be there in a materialistic man: women-hunter and drunkard and flesh-eater and gambler. Wherever you find these four principle, they are demons.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja himself was born of the demon family. He was . . . his all class friends are born of demon father. His country was demonic country, his family was demonic, and he became a great devotee. Of course, that is very long-time narration, but in our recent years, Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he was born of a brahmin . . . er, Muhammadan family, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted.

These Gosvāmīs, Sanātana Gosvāmī , Rūpa Gosvāmī, they were, of course, originally they were brahmin . . . but they fell down on account of this association. And formerly, they accepted service. brahmin could not accept any service, and they accepted service of Muhammadan government. So immediately they were, what is called, ostracized from the brahmin society. They are not accepted in the society. They changed their name, Sākara Mallika and Dabira Khāsa. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu picked them up and made them gosvāmīns. Gosvāmīns means they are great teachers, guru, gosvāmī means. There are many instances—not one, but many thousands.

And originally, even in the Vedic age, Upaniṣad age, there is one Satyakaṁ Jabala Upaniṣad. That story I have told, that the Satyakaṁ, he went to Gautama Muni for initiation. So formerly the spiritual master will not accept anybody as disciple if he is not born in a brahmin family. So he was asked, "Who is your father?" So he could not give his father's name. Then he asked him that "Go to your mother, who is your father. Just try to understand and let me know."

Then he went to his mother. Mother said: "My dear boy, I do not know who is your father. I had many friends. I do not know by whom you are born." And he came back and said Gautama Muni, "My mother said that he (she) had many friends. She cannot say who is my exactly father." "Oh, you are brahmin. Come on. I will initiate you. You are brahmin."

Qualification—he said the plain truth. Qualification. "Come on. I shall initiate." Nobody will say that, "Oh, I have no . . . my father (mother) had many friends, and I do know what is the . . ." Everyone will try to hide this. But he plainly said, immediately. And because he was so truthful, therefore his name is Satyakaṁ. Satyakaṁ means he does not lie.

That is the first qualification of a brahmin: satya, he should be truthful, even to the enemies. Nobody becomes truthful to the enemy; he does not disclose the secret. But a brahmin is supposed to be so much truthful that if the enemy asks that "What is your position?" he will say, "This is my position."

So they picked up by quality, what quality is. This is our process. Our Kṛṣṇa conscious . . . Caitanya Mahāprabhu's process is that if anyone is a little inclined to Kṛṣṇa, so we should give him all facilities to become . . . develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is pāñcarātrika-vidhi. According to Vedic vidhi, or in the Vedic way . . . just like we are initiating. Nobody can be initiated unless they . . . he is born of high family.

His father must have been brahmin, kṣatriya or vaiśya; then he can be initiated. But pāñcarātrika-vidhi, they say, they accept, nobody is brahmin—śūdra. Everyone is śūdra—kalau śūdra-sambhava. In this age, nobody is actually born of a brahmin family or kṣatriya family. That is accepted. Because nobody is keeping up their standard.

They are simply following some false prestige. So therefore the pāñcarātrika-vidhi, they do not recognize anybody as qualified brahmin. Everyone śūdra, beginning from the lowest stage. Get him conversant in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and then initiated, and gradually elevate him by this process.

So our this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement is based on this process, that we accept everyone as lowborn. Even if he is . . . my Guru Mahārāja, even if he is born of a brahmin family, he would not recognize that he is a brāhmaṇa. He would treat him as others. And even if he had his sacred thread from his family, Guru Mahārāja will say, "Throw it away. Take new thread." Yes.

The Bon Mahārāja, he was coming from a brahmin family; he had to throw away his old sacred thread, and he was further initiated. He did not recognize anyone as brahmin or high class. No. Everyone is śūdra. "Come on. New beginning. New life again." And that is the whole basic principle of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

We take everyone as coming from śvapacaṁ, but he should be given the chance to become Haridāsa Ṭhākura. That is our whole process. Why do you enquire one or two instances? (laughs) This is . . . whole process is like that.

Yes. (pause) So? Yes?

Devotee: I wasn't sure of this, but I believe that one of the qualifications of the brāhmaṇa is that he had firm religious faith. Is that a qualification of a brāhmaṇa, that he has firm religious faith?

Prabhupāda: No. There are at least nine qualifications. He must be truthful; he must be controlling the senses, mind; he must be tolerant; then satya śama dama—śauca (BG 18.42), he must be cleansed; and he must believe in the śāstra, in the scriptures; and he must be conversant with the śāstric knowledge.

These are the qualification of brahmins. The first qualification is that he must be truthful, just like this Satyakaṁ. He plainly, plainly said the real truth, and he was immediately accepted, "Yes, you have got the qualification of a brahmin. You can speak the truth."

Truth may be palatable or unpleasant—that does not matter. Everything is palatable to somebody, unpalatable to others—"One man's food, another man's poison." That does not matter. But the thing should be presented as it is. That is required. There is no hide-and-seek policy.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu especially was very much against untruthfulness. The Haridāsa . . . that Junior Haridāsa Ṭhākura was rejected because he showed a little symptom of untruthfulness. He was living in the company of Caitanya Mahāprabhu as in renounced order of life, but he had at his heart for sex life, so immediately he was rejected.

Of course, this was a great stricture. But He never rejected gṛhastha s. He knows that gṛhastha has sex life, so He never rejected. So if you want sex life, become a gṛhastha. Just have a wife and live peacefully. But if you want to have sex life and at the same time you want to keep yourself as brahmacārī, this is not truthful. This is condemned.

That is the, I mean to say, instance shown by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that Junior Haridāsa, he was keeping himself as renounced but thinking of sex. He was rejected. But there are many householder devotees, Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted them.

So truthfulness in spiritual life . . . truthful is very essential. That is the first qualification, brahminical qualification: satya, śama, dama, titikṣā, ārjavam, and āstikyaṁ, jñānaṁ, vijñānam brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42), it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

And there are many other qualifications; especially, specifically, a brāhmaṇa should have these nine qualifications. But another point is that if one is sincerely in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all the good qualifications will come, automatically. Therefore we give more stress on Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and if he is very sincere in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all good qualification will come. (pause)

So chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So that record also this? Hare Kṛṣṇa? (devotees offer obeisances) So we can chant with harmonium? Harmonium? You like? (laughs)

(aside) Stop it. Stop it. (break)

(kīrtana lead by Prabhupāda) (prema-dhvani) All glories to the assembled devotees. All glories to the assembled devotees. Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)