Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


Real mahatma

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 4

The mahātmās are not under the clutches of the illusory energy but are under the protection of the spiritual energy. Because of this, the real mahātmā is always engaged in the devotional service of the Lord.
SB 4.22.49, Purport: King Pṛthu's statements in previous verses regarding his vast knowledge and perfect devotional service are justified here, for he is considered best amongst all mahātmās. In Bhagavad-gītā (9.13) Śrī Kṛṣṇa speaks of mahātmās in this way:
mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha
daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ
bhajanty ananya-manaso
jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam

"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."

The mahātmās are not under the clutches of the illusory energy but are under the protection of the spiritual energy. Because of this, the real mahātmā is always engaged in the devotional service of the Lord. Pṛthu Mahārāja exhibited all the symptoms of a mahātmā; therefore he is mentioned in this verse as dhuryo mahatām, best of the mahātmās.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Renunciation Through Wisdom

Real mahātmās do not distract their minds with sense gratification and material desires, but with single-minded resolve they engage in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord.
Renunciation Through Wisdom 2.9: Atheists gradually develop a demoniac nature and live in the world like beggars chasing after name, fame, wealth, and so on. Constantly deluded by māyā, they live useless lives. On the other hand, those who are truly dedicated to serving the Supreme Lord are never attacked by such a demoniac mentality. These great souls do not carry the title "Mahātmā" as an appendage. Someone who follows the satanic path and always challenges the Supreme Lord may try to fool the people into thinking he is a mahātmā, but the characteristics of an actual mahātmā are found in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.13):
mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha
daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ
bhajanty ananya-manaso
jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam

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.

Real mahātmās do not distract their minds with sense gratification and material desires, but with single-minded resolve they engage in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord. Because they are under the protection of His divine energy, they understand that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the supreme cause of all causes. Such persons alone possess all saintly qualities. Lord Kṛṣṇa's devotees are exceptional personalities, for at all times they are embellished with extraordinary characteristics rarely attained even by the demigods. To usher in the age of peace in this world, the presence such mahātmās is imperative.
The so-called educated men think only a fool would be blind to his immediate physical needs and uselessly waste his time in devotional service so he could rise to the platform of a mahātmā. In fact, they think that a real mahātmā is he who strives to improve his material facilities from good to better.
Renunciation Through Wisdom 2.10: Members of the so-called educated class ask, "If one is busy all the time rendering devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, how is one to maintain himself and his family?" The so-called educated men think only a fool would be blind to his immediate physical needs and uselessly waste his time in devotional service so he could rise to the platform of a mahātmā. In fact, they think that a real mahātmā is he who strives to improve his material facilities from good to better. They say that it is because of the economists' poor planning that the world is facing a major crisis in food production. Both the economists and their critics should turn to the Bhagavad-gītā (9.22) and hear what Lord Kṛṣṇa has to say on this subject:
ananyāś cintayanto māṁ
ye janāḥ paryupāsate
teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ
yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham
But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have.

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Every Kṛṣṇa conscious person, is real mahātmā. How it is? "He is not under the influence of this external energy." There are two natures: Internal energy is spiritual energy, and external energy is material energy. So mahātmās, they are not under material energy.
Lecture on SB 1.5.28 -- Vrndavana, August 9, 1974: Great soul means not crippled souls, those who are anxious to meet the great, or the Supreme Brahman, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Those who are crippled souls, they are entangled with the limited circle of material enjoyment. But mahātmā... Mahātmā is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ [Bg. 9.13]. Mahātmās are not interested within this material world. They are not under the influence of the external energy. Of course, nowadays it is... Sometimes politicians are called "mahātmā." But that is not the purpose of mahātmā. Mahātmā is not interested with politics or sociology or... They are all material things. Or philanthropy. They are interested with the Supreme: Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. They're interested. Especially mahātmā is he who is interested with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Every kṛṣṇa-bhakta, Kṛṣṇa conscious person, is mahātmā, real mahātmā. How it is? Kṛṣṇa says, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ [Bg. 9.13]. That is mahātmā. Mahātmā does not mean that if you dress yourself with a certain colored cloth and have some big hairs and beards, then you become mahātmā, no. The mahātmā is he... Who? Daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ: "He is not under the influence of this external energy." Daivī-prakṛti means... There are two prakṛtis, two natures: internal and external. Internal energy is spiritual energy, and external energy is material energy. So mahātmās, they are not under material energy.
Not only self-realized, but by his character, by his behavior, by his understanding, he must be a mahātmā. He must be mahātmā, real mahātmā.
Lecture on SB 1.5.29 -- Vrndavana, August 10, 1974: The guru must be mahātmā and muni. Muni means thoughtful, philosopher. Not foolish rascal, manufacturing some philosophy. And mahātmabhiḥ. Not only self-realized, but by his character, by his behavior, by his understanding, he must be a mahātmā. What is that mahātmā? There are so many mahātmās, simply by changing the dress. No. Not that kind of mahātmā. Our Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung a song, eita eka kalir celā: "Here is a disciple of Kali." What is that? Nāke tilaka galai mālā. "He has got tilaka..." Nata nara nāke tilaka galai mālā. He sings that, sahaja bhajana kache namu saṅge laiyā pare dala. (?) Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura sings that "He's dressed like a bābājī. He has shaven his head, and has got tilaka and kaṇṭhi. But he has got at least half a dozen women, and that is his bhajana." So not that... That is not mahātmā. That is durātmā, a cheating... Of course, in this Kali-yuga... Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, eita eka kalir celā. Kalir celā means the disciple of Kali. Dressed like a sādhu, or Vaiṣṇava, but within, all rubbish things. That will not help us. He must be mahātmā, real mahātmā. We want guru like that. Then it will be a... We must be also qualified, and guru also qualified. Therefore it is said in the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa that one year should be taken to study one another, the guru and the disciple. The guru also will see whether the person is fit to become a disciple, and the disciple also will see "Whether this gentleman can become my guru."
You become Kṛṣṇa conscious. You have to become devotee of Vāsudeva. You have to take the shelter of Vāsudeva. Then your life will be successful. You have to become real mahātmā. What is real mahātmā? That is mahātmā.
Lecture on SB 3.26.26 -- Bombay, January 3, 1975: So this is the position, mūḍhatvam, at least in this age. Rajas tamas. Mūḍhatvam, some of them are busy in ghora activities, and some of them are mūḍhas. Generally, they are mūḍhas. The so-called active persons, they are also mūḍhas. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ duṣkṛtino narādhamāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. So unless you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, unless you become a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then our life is unsuccessful. It has begun since we have come to this material world. Under different influence, we have come to this condition of śānta, ghora, mūḍha. But we have to become above this condition—even above this śānta condition. This conception that "I have become now brahminically qualified. I have got knowledge. I can see things," jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam, that is not sufficient. You have to stop your birth and death. This process you have to stop. Then your life is successful. And that can be easily done if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Bhaja vāsudevam. You have to become devotee of Vāsudeva. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ [SB 1.2.7]. You have to take the shelter of bhakti-yoga, Vāsudeva. Then your life will be successful. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā [Bg. 7.19]. You have to become sudurlabhaḥ mahātmā, not cheap mahātmā. A cheap mahātmā will not help you. You have to become real mahātmā. What is real mahātmā? Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ [Bg. 9.13]. That is mahātmā.

Correspondence

1975 Correspondence

This verse is applicable here, if these boys were under material nature they would not take so much risk, they are mahatma, they are real mahatma, not that long beard and saffron cloth mahatma.
Letter to Uttamasloka -- Vrindaban 11 December, 1975: It is called Dhira vrata—determination. These boys and girls are mahatmas, mahatmanas tu mam partha, daivim prakrtim asritah, bhajantyananya manaso, jnatva bhutadim avyayam [Bg. 9.13] "O son of Pritha, 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." This verse is applicable here, if these boys were under material nature they would not take so much risk, they are mahatma, they are real mahatma, not that long beard and saffron cloth mahatma. They are unswerving in their determination, dhira vrata. All glories to the American devotees!
Page Title:Real mahatma
Compiler:Devendra, Serene
Created:06 of Dec, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=1, CC=0, OB=2, Lec=3, Con=0, Let=1
No. of Quotes:7