Skin Expert to Soul Expert
Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.56
Bombay, August 14, 1975
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Prabhupada:
ayam hi sruta-sampannah
sila-vrtta-gunalayah
dhrta-vrato mrdur dantah
satya-van mantra-vic chucih
gurv-agny-atithi-vrddhanam
susrusur anahankrtah
sarva-bhuta-suhrt sadhur
mita-vag anasuyakah
[SB 6.1.56-57]
These are qualifications of the most exalted person. In the society the brahmana is the topmost division of human society, not by caste or by birth but by qualification. These things are spoken about Ajamila. These are ajamila-upakhyana, the history of Ajamila. Ajamila, although he was a very well trained brahmana boy at the beginning of his life, but later on, on account of bad association he became the most sinful man in the world. But at the end of his life he chanted the holy name of Narayana, not meaning Narayana the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but his youngest son's name was Narayana. He called the holy name of Narayana, calling his son. He did not know that he is chanting the holy name of Narayana, and still, he got salvation. That is the purport of this history, that the holy name of God, Narayana, Krsna, Rama... There are many names of the Lord. Namnam akari bahudha. He has got thousands of names, and you can chant any one of them, either Krsna or Rama, Govinda, Narayana, like that. So you get the result.
So here the example is that Ajamila, although he had forgotten Narayana, but on account of his chanting the holy name of Narayana, although he meant his son, it was effective. We have to understand like this. Somehow or other, if you chant the holy name of the Lord, knowingly or unknowingly, it will have its effect. Just like you touch fire knowingly or unknowingly, it will burn; similarly, if you chant Hare Krsna maha-mantra knowingly or unknowingly, it will be effective on your life. Therefore we see it practically that in the Western countries, although they did not know who is Narayana or Krsna... It is dictionary, the English dictionary, there is statement, "Krsna is the name of Hindu god." So, but nobody is consulting dictionary for chanting Hare Krsna. But the sastra says that somehow or other, if you chant the holy name of God, then you gradually become purified. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam sreyah-kairava-candrika-
So the Ajamila later on became a great sinful person. Therefore he was to be taken to Yamaraja. But because he chanted at the end of his life "Narayana," he became purified from all sinful activities. So the order-carriers of Narayana came to deliver him, save him from the hands of the Yamaduta. So the Yamaduta is describing the history of Ajamila in the past, how he was in the beginning. Because he was the son of a brahmana, his father trained up the brahmana boy like a brahmana. So as such, he got this training. What is that? Ayam hi sruta-sampannah: "This boy got training to become expert in Vedic knowledge." Sruta-sampannam. Sruta means Vedic knowledge, and sampannah means finished. Within twelve years a brahmana's son is supposed to finished all the studies of Vedas, vyakarana, grammar. That was education. From five years he is trained up. He goes to... Nowadays also, the children are sent to school at five years age, but the mode of education, different. Formerly, within twenty years a student, a brahmacari, was trained up with all these qualifications, as it is described. What is that? The first is sruta-sampannah, "expertly aware of Vedic knowledge." Ayam hi sruta-sampannah, sila, sila-vrtta-gunalayah. Sila means suddhacara, cleansing. Because brahmana's qualification is samo damo satam. What is that? Samo damo... Tapo satyam. Cleanliness. So this is also trained up, how to become clean, to rise early in the morning, take bath, wash mouth, feet. Guna-sampannah. Then take to mangala-aratika. In this he was also trained up. Ayam hi sruta-sampannah sila-vrtta-gunalayah. Guna means sad-guna, this samo damo titiksa arjava, jnanam vijnanam astikyam. These are gunalayah, reservoir of all good qualities. Dhrta-vrata. These things not occasionally but regularly, dhrta-vrata. "I must rise early in the morning" -- that is called dhrta-vrata, vow. "I must do it." Dhrta-vrato mrduh, mild, gentleness. This is human life, not to live like cats and dogs. That is not human life. Real human life, the picture is here. One must be trained up to all these qualifications. Just like nowadays we send our boys to school, college, for being trained up as a technician, formerly the boys were sent for education... These are the effects of education.
Education means to become human being. Canakya Pandita, he also, although he was a politician, but brahmana, he also says who is educated, pandita. The brahmana is known as pandita. So what is the sign of pandita? He has summarized,
matr-vat para-daresu
para-dravyesu lostra-vat
atma-vat sarva-bhutesu
yah pasyati sa panditah
Pandita means matr-vat para-daresu: "to accept all women as mother," para-daresu. Dara means wife, and para means others'. Except his own wife, he should treat all women outside, taking them as mother. Therefore, still in Hindu society, every woman is addressed by an unknown man, "mother." It doesn't matter if a person is unknown. He can speak with another woman, addressing him first..., addressing her first, "mother," "mataji." Then nobody will be offended. This is the etiquette. That is taught by Canakya Pandita. Matr-vat para-daresu. Woman should be addressed as "mother." And para-dravyesu lostra-vat: and others' property should be accepted as some pebbles on the street -- nobody cares for it. If some pebbles, some stones, are thrown on the street, nobody cares for it. Garbage. So nobody should touch others' property. Nowadays the education is how to make friendship with others' wife and how to take away others' money by tricks. This is not education. The education is here: Matr-vat para-daresu para-dravyesu lostra-vat, atma-vat sarva-bhutesu. Sarva-bhutesu: in all living entities... There are 8,400,000 different forms of living entities. The grass is also a living entity, and Brahma is also a living entity. So a pandita accepts everyone as living entity, and he deals with them-atma-vat: "What I feel, pains and pleasure, I must deal with others by the same sentiment." Therefore modern days' nationality means human being. But actually the animals, they are also national. National means one is born in the same country according to their definition. The "national" word is never found in the Vedic literature. This is modern invention. So here atma-vat sarva-bhutesu. It doesn't matter whether one is national or outsider national. Sarva-bhutesu. Here is also... It is said, sarva-bhuta-suhrt. Suhrt, friend, well-wisher, sarva-bhuta. Why I shall think only well for my relatives or my family members? That is krpana, miser. A broad-minded brahmana should be engaged for doing good to all, everyone.
Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission is prthivite ache yata nagaradi-grama. Caitanya Mahaprabhu never instructed that "You should limit your preaching within your society or within your country." He is asking, prthivite ache yata nagaradi-grama: "As many villages and towns are there on the surface..." (aside:) That's all right. Don't be disturbed. Sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama. This is the mission. This is Vedic knowledge. Sarva-bhuta-suhrt. You should become... (pause)
Devotee: (indistinct)
Prabhupada: Why you are speaking? They can come inside. So we should be engaged, sarva-bhuta-hite ratah. Everyone should be taken as friend. Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam [Bg. 5.29]. This is the qualification of an advanced Krsna conscious person. So this qualification...
ayam hi sruta-sampannah
sila-vrtta-gunalayah
dhrta-vrato mrdur dantah...
Dantah means self-control. Santa, danta. Santa means how to become self-controlled, not to become disturbed by the senses. These are training for a first-class human being. But there is no class human... Nowadays it is said "classless." First class and last class, all one. This is the modern philosophy. But that is not very scientific proposal. The scientific proposal is that there is first class man and there is tenth class man, but everyone can be utilized for the ultimate goal of life. That is classless. And that means everyone can become Krsna conscious. It doesn't matter whether by his qualification he is first class or last class. Krsna consciousness is transcendental. First class, last class is considered in the material world. But so long one is not on the platform of Krsna consciousness, for him this training is required to become a first-class man. And for a Krsna conscious person, if he simply becomes Krsna conscious, then automatically he becomes a first-class man. This is the secret of success. Kevalaya bhaktya vasudeva-parayanah, dhunvanty agham niharam iva bhaskarah. It is said, dhunvanti Every sinful reaction becomes washed away if one becomes vasudeva-parayanah, kevalaya bhaktya. All these qualities can be attained by a devotee automatically. Yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvair gunair tatra samasate surah [SB 5.18.12]. Sarvair gunaih, all good qualities As it said, gunalayah, the reservoir of all good qualities. This can be attained, this stage can be attained, only by training in Krsna consciousness.
So about Ajamila, the Yamadutas, they said, "We know that this man Ajamila was fully qualified before." Dhrta-vrato mrdur dantah satya-van: truthful, never speaks untruth. Satya sama dama, satya. Or satya-van means param satyam dhimahi. Param satyam is Krsna, Vasudeva. Who is only speaking about Krsna, the Supreme Truth, he is called satya-van. He does not speak anything... Kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. Adi 17.31]. He is simply glorifying. If one's life is dedicated to preach about Krsna, then he is also satya-van. He does not speak anything else. So our, these Krsna conscious members, they are simply trained up to go and speak about Krsna. Therefore they are satya-van. They do not speak anything else. They do not waste their time by speaking anything which has no relation with Krsna. That is satya-van. Satya-van mantravit. Mantravit means Vit means one who knows, and mantra means Vedic hymns. Mantravit. So therefore Hare Krsna maha-mantra... Hare Krsna, this chanting, is called maha-mantra. So if anyone chants Hare Krsna, then he is not only mantravit but he is maha-mantravit because the Hare Krsna chanting is called maha-mantra. Mantravit. Mantravit and suci. Suci means brahmana, and muci means non-brahmana.
There are two words still current in the Hindu society: suci and muci. Muci means cobbler, dealing with skin. "I am this skin," "I am white skin," "I am black skin," "I am American skin," "I am Indian skin" -- this understanding means muci. And muci is skin expert. "This is cow skin. This is goat skin. It is lamb skin." This is... He is called muci, skin expert. Modern technology has given the title "tannery expert." So this "tannery expert," if you become tannery expert, then you are muci. So there is a Bengali proverb, muci haya suci haya, yadi krsna bhaje. Every one of us, we are all tannery expert and we have created so many "isms" on the basis of becoming a tannery expert. Therefore they are called muci. So muci haya suci haya. And suci means brahmana, pure. He has no such sense of becoming a tannery expert. He is brahmana, brahma-vit. One who knows Brahman, he is called brahmana. He is suci. He is not more tannery expert. So therefore, it is said, if from the muci platform if you want to become suci, really brahmana, purified, then you have to take to Krsna conscious. Muci haya suci haya, yadi krsna bhaje. If one becomes Krsna conscious, then from the platform of becoming a muci, one becomes suci. Therefore we have no caste distinction because our process is to elevate the muci to the platform of suci, this Krsna consciousness movement. Actually that is the fact. We are unnecessarily becoming tannery expert. That is not the aim of life. The aim of life is to become suci, to become brahmana, or the person who is aware of Brahman. Brahma janati iti brahmanah. This is the philosophy. But nobody is interested to become a brahmana. Everyone is interested to remain a muci and tannery expert. That is not the aim of life. So this is training. Muci haya suci haya. One can be trained up to become a suci from the platform of muci. And even though one is born of a suci family, if by practice he is not Krsna conscious, then he automatically becomes a muci. Suci haya muci haya, yadi krsna tyaje. If one gives up Krsna consciousness, even though he is born in a brahmana family or even though he has practiced brahmanism, still, on account of his not accepting Krsna consciousness, he is accepted as muci. Suci haya muci haya, yadi krsna tyaje. And muci haya suci haya, yadi krsna bhaje: if one is Krsna conscious, then he is suci. This is.
So this Ajamila became suci, brahmana. Then guru, agni. Guru, the spiritual master; agni, the fire; and atithi. Atithi means uninvited guest, hospitality. If somebody comes at your home without your invitation, he is called atithi. Tithi means particular time and date. But a person arrives at your home without any invitation on particular time and date, he is called atithi. Atithi-satkara. This is also one of the items of Vedic culture. Atithi-satkara. So the sannyasis especially, they are begging from door to door. So they have no fixed up program in which door he will go on which date. No. Anywhere they approach. Therefore atithi means generally the brahmacari and the sannyasa. Brahmacari is also begging alms from door to door, and a sannyasi also allowed, but door to door does not mean that he would collect more than is necessity. But he does not cook. A sannyasi goes to a pure householder's life, er, home, because generally in a brahmana's house or ksatriya or vaisya... But not to a sudra. This is restriction. Why? Because the three upper classes, brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, especially the brahmana -- they are considered the topmost -- they have got Visnu worship at home. Still in all brahmana's family, ancestral salagrama-sila is worshiped in a brahmana family. So also in ksatriya family also. So these sannyasis go to a brahmana family because it is known fact the brahmanas are engaged in worshiping Visnu.
Brahmana means Vaisnava. Brahmana means pandita. Therefore two words are used along with the word brahmana: brahmana-vaisnava, brahmana-pandita. Sruta-sampannah. The first qualification is sruta-sampannah. He must be learned scholar in Vedic... Vedic knowledge means sruti. So that is the first qualification. Ayam hi sruta-sampannah. So therefore brahmana is pandita. Without becoming a pandita, how one can become brahmana? Sruta-sampannah. Sruta-sampannah, then guru, agni, very respectful to spiritual master, agni, the fire... Because a brahmana has to make fire sacrifice every day. Guru, agni, and atithi. Atithi is a sannyasis. They are coming to a brahmana's house for one capati. They don't want more. They are called madhu-kari. Madhu-kari means madhu... Madhu is collected by drops, not in lump. The, what is called, bees? Honey bees? What is called? No, honey, and bees, what is called? Madhumaksi? Bumblebees. Yes. So they collect a drop -- from this flower, drop; that flower, drop; that flower, drop. In this way they make a big honeycomb. So a brahmanas and ksatriya, er, sannyasis, although they are meant for collecting, they do not collect heavy at a place. Little. Because they are collecting not for his sense gratification. He is collecting for satisfying Krsna. So everyone is given chance, that "You give little. You give little. You give little," and whole thing is engaged in Krsna's service. And just like here we have got the container of flour and container of rice. So although we are feeding two hundred men daily, still, it can be collected by musti. Everyone, grhastha, can come and place one musti attar. That is not difficult for him. He has got children, family. He is consuming five kilos of attar daily. Out of that, little, if it is put into the temple, he does not feel any burden. Therefore the collection... Sannyasi, brahmacari collects little, little, little from everywhere. That is called madhukari, exactly following the footsteps of madhukara, bumblebees.
So they are very... Householder, this is meant for the householder especially. This is ideal householder, that guru, agni, atithi, vrddhanam. Old man also should be taken care of. Nowadays the philosophy is coming: "mercy-killing." "Old men should be killed to show him mercy." Because he is burden in the society, the communistic theory "Old man does not do anything and simply eats; therefore to show him mercy he should be killed." "Mercy-killing." Just see the philosophy: "Killing is mercy." But this is going on. "Mercy-killing." Is that? "Mercy-killing"? What is that?
Brahmananda: They kill someone for that person's benefit.
Prabhupada: Benefit. So the man killer, will he take that benefit? If somebody comes that "I shall kill you for your benefit," that he will be afraid of. But he is philosophizing, "mercy-killing." This is going on. So one should be respectful also to the old men. According to Vedic knowledge, brahmana, old men, child, woman, and cow -- they have no fault. They are free. They are not within this jurisdiction of law. So therefore cow-killing, brahmana-killing, woman-killing, and elderly-person-killing, they are accepted as the great sinful activities. So gurv-agny-atithi-vrddhanam susrusur anahankrtah. Anahankrtah, not with any pride or puffedness, anahankrtah, very humbly. Sarva-bhuta-suhrtam. This is the most exalted qualification, to become well-wisher of all living entities, not that we open hospitals for the human being and we send the cows to the slaughterhouse or poor animals should be slaughtered. That is not suhrt sarva-bhutanam. That is partiality and it has no meaning. If you become envious to other living entities and if you become friend of particular living entity, that is not good qualification. Suhrdah sarva-bhutanam. Sarva-bhutah-suhrt sadhu. He is sadhu. Sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah. These are the qualification of a sadhu. Suhrdah sarva-bhutanam. Sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah. Everything is described in the Vedic literature, all description.
So this Ajamila's past qualification is described in this, that he was well qualified brahmana, well trained, because these qualification became manifested in his life. Then his degradation began.
ekadasau vanam yatah
pitr-sandesa-krd dvijah
adaya tata avrttah
phala-puspa-samit-kusan
[SB 6.1.58]
dadarsa kaminam kancic
chudram saha-bhujisyaya
[SB 6.1.59]
That, this, we may describe later on and how degradation begins even to exalted person, as described, Ajamila. So the degradation began -- dadarsa, he saw on the way... Kaminam kancic chudram. Chudram, these male-female behavior... Nowadays, not so much in India, but in the Western countries it is very usual thing -- a young man is embracing another young woman or kissing. So there is no fault. But according to Vedic civilization, this is fault because it will give chance to others. Nowadays in picture they are also shown to enthuse others to become lusty, and that is the beginning of his falldown. But there is no restriction. The young men, they are seeing daily in the cinema, on the road, in their school, college. But this Ajamila, although he was so exalted a brahmana, simply by seeing one sudra... Sudra means who has no training, fools, rascals. So he was embracing another woman, and that became attractive to this Ajamila, and then he wanted to do the same thing and he became degraded. This will be described later on.
Hare Krsna. (end)
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Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.56-57 -- Bombay, August 14,
1975
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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