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Nowadays, mahatma means

Conversations and Morning Walks

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Nowadays mahātmā means one who does not know anything about Kṛṣṇa, speaks all nonsense. He is mahātmā. "Because we stamp somebody, mahātmā, therefore he is mahātmā."
Room Conversation -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Faith in God. Then hear what God says. That is... I am speaking that "What Kṛṣṇa says, you do it." That is viśvāsa. And if you do otherwise, where is viśvāsa? Hm? Viśvāsa means... I say, "Mr. such and such, do this." If you have faith in me, you will do this. That is viśvāsa. And if you do otherwise, where is your viśvāsa? You have no faith in me. Now people have degraded so much that they think, "This is viśvāsa. Anything I accept as God is God." This viśvāsa is going on. "Any nonsen... (break) ...pravartate, iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ (BG 10.8). Is it not? So if you take this, that Kṛṣṇa is the beginning of everything—iti matvā—by understanding this, if anyone engages himself in kṛṣṇa-bhakti, bhajante mām, that is bhakti. Budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ. He has come immediately to the bhāva stage. Means he's budhāḥ. He is actual... He has actually understood the thing. So that is viśvāsa. In Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said viśvāsa... Śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya, kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya (Cc. Madhya 22.62). Kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. This is viśvāsa. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). I am thinking, "I have got so many other things. Simply why shall I surrender?" That is not viśvāsa. Viśvāsa means "Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ (BG 18.66). I'll accept." Kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta. That is viśvāsa. Sudṛḍha niścaya. Śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya, kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. That is viśvāsa. That viśvāsa wanted, not that I manufacture something. It is useless. Moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo mogha-jñānā vicetasaḥ (BG 9.12). That is hopeless. What Kṛṣṇa says, if you believe firmly, then it is viśvāsa. Dṛḍha-vrata. And execute, determination. Then you get the result. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. Such mahātmā is very rare. And nowadays mahātmā means one who does not know anything about Kṛṣṇa, speaks all nonsense. He is mahātmā. "Because we stamp somebody, mahātmā, therefore he is mahātmā." Find out this verse, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim (BG 9.13).

Satsvarūpa:

mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha
daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ
bhajanty ananya-manaso
jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam
(BG 9.13)

"O son of Pṛthā, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible."

Prabhupāda: This is mahātmā. Is there any purport?

Satsvarūpa: Yes. "In this verse the description of mahātmā is clearly given. The first sign of the mahātmā is that he is already situated in the divine nature. He is not under the control of material nature. And how is this effected? That is explained in the Seventh Chapter. One who surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, at once becomes freed from the control of material nature. That is the qualification."

Prabhupāda: Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti.

Page Title:Nowadays, mahatma means
Compiler:Visnu Murti
Created:01 of Nov, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1