Prabhupada 0465 - Vaisnava Is Powerful, But Still He Is Very Meek And Humble



Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1977

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava qualification is,

tṛṇād api sunīcena
taror api sahiṣṇunā
amāninā mānadena
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
(CC Adi 17.31)

Vaiṣṇava is always humble—meek and humble. That is Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava is powerful, but still he is very meek and humble. So here is the sign. Prahlāda Mahārāja is so qualified that immediately Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva put His hand on the head: "My dear child, you have suffered so much. Now be pacified." This is Prahlāda Mahārāja's position—immediately accepted by the Lord. But he's thinking, "I am so lowborn in the family of passionate family," ugra-jāteḥ. He's not proud that "Now Nṛsiṁha-deva has touched my head. Ah. Who is like me? I am the greatest personality." This is not Vaiṣṇava. Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he presented himself, nīca jāti nīca karma nīca saṅgī: "I am born of very low grade family, and my duties are also very low grade, and my association are also very low grade." So Sanātana Gosvāmī was born in a very respectable brāhmaṇa family, but because he accepted the service of Muhammadan king, actually he lost his all brahminical culture. He did not lose, but superficially it appeared, because he was mixing with the Muhammadans, eating with them, sitting with them, talking with them. But he gave up. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha. He understood, "What I am doing? I am committing suicide." Jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that "I am taking poison knowingly." Unknowingly one may take poison, but if knowingly one takes poison, that is very regrettable. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura said,

hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu
manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā,
jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu

So we are trying to preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world, but still, if people do not take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, then he is drinking poison knowingly. This is the position. He is drinking poison. That's a fact. It is not that we are imagining something, theorizing. They are charging us, "Brainwash." Yes, it is brainwash. It is... All the dirty things, stools, are there in the brain, and we are trying to wash them. That is our...

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi
vidhunoti suhṛt satām
(SB 1.2.17)

The vidhunoti, this word, is there. Vidhunoti means washing. Washing. As you are hearing the message of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam or Bhagavad-gītā, the process is vidhunoti, washing. Actually, it is brainwashing—but for good. Washing is not bad. (laughter) That these rascals, they do not know. They are thinking, "Oh, you are making me purified? Oh, you are very dangerous." This is their... Mūrkhāyopadeśo hi prakopāya na śāntaye: "To a rascal, if you give good advice, he becomes angry." Mūrkhāyopadeśo hi prakopāya na śāntaye. How is it? Payaḥ-pānaṁ bhujaṅgānāṁ kevalaṁ viṣa-vardhanam.