So Kṛṣṇa says: "Those who are very, very lowborn, even they can come and take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and become elevated for liberation. And what to speak of pious persons who have taken birth in the brāhmaṇa family." Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyāḥ. To take birth in brāhmaṇa family requires puṇya. To take birth in rich family requires puṇya. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe (BG 6.41). Śucīnām means very, mean, elevated, first-class, exalted brāhmaṇa, śuci. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe. So these are, those who have taken birth in high-grade brāhmaṇa family or rich family, they are not ordinary men. The best thing: one who has taken birth in brāhmaṇa family. But who cares for it? They misuse this chance. Kṛṣṇa says, kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyāḥ. "You have taken birth in brāhmaṇa family. Why don't you take shelter of Me?" So because the . . . why? The sādhu. Brāhmaṇa means sādhu. Brāh . . . Vaiṣṇava means sādhu. Sannyāsī means sādhu. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ . . . ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ (SB 3.25.21). This is a sādhu. So sādhu, they are very titikṣavaḥ, ārjavam. Similarly, brāhmaṇa qualification is also . . . satyaṁ śaucaṁ samo damas titikṣā. Titikṣā, tolerant; ārjava, simplicity; jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). So similarly, sādhu. There must be a class of men in the society first-class sādhu. Then the society will improve. If everyone is debauch and śūdra, then how the society will be peaceful? There is . . . therefore, to organize the society, Kṛṣṇa recommends, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). There must be ideal brāhmaṇa. There must be ideal kṣatriya, ideal vaiśya. And balance, all śūdras. But nobody's caring that.
So sādhu means devotee, Kṛṣṇa's devotee. That is called sādhu. Here it is stated, sa eva sādhuṣu kṛtaḥ. The same association, sādhu-saṅga. (CC Madhya 22.83). So who is sādhu? Sādhu means devotee. It is defined by Kṛṣṇa Himself: sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ. He's sādhu. Who? Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). He's sādhu. Anyone who is, without any reservation, has begun serving Kṛṣṇa and engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness—that is the definition of sādhu. Titikṣava. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has instructed how to become sādhu:
- tṛṇād api sunīcena
- taror api sahiṣṇunā
- amāninā mānadena
- kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
- (CC Adi 17.31)
Sādhu's business is to become very tolerant. Because everyone becomes enemy. If you become a devotee, everyone will become enemy, because they're asuras. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Even the father. Hiraṇyakaśipu is the father of Prahlāda Mahārāja. The boy, five-years-old boy, what is his fault? He's chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And his father became enemy. Up to which, what strength? Now, he was prepared to kill. He was insisting the boy that, "Why you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? Why you are speaking of a separate God? I am God." That is the asuri. Those rascals who claim to become God Himself, they are demons, Hiraṇyakaśipu. So Prahlāda Mahārāja will not accept. Prahlāda Mahārāja, even the father insisting that, "I am God. Why you are talking of any other God? I am God," and Prahlāda Mahārāja will not accept that. He will accept the father as asura.