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Sometimes, any respectable gentleman, some political offense, he's put into jail. Just like Gandhi also went to jail, and so many others. But they were given the place, first-class prisoners. They got servant

Expressions researched:
"Sometimes, any respectable gentleman, some political offense, he's put into jail. Just like Gandhi also went to jail, and so many others. But they were given the place, first-class prisoners. They got servant"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

You cannot say that he's free. No, free is different from a first-class prisoner. Sometimes, any respectable gentleman, some political offense, he's put into jail. Just like Gandhi also went to jail, and so many others. But they were given the place, first-class prisoners. They got servant. They got separate bungalow and books, library, all facilities, but they cannot go out of the prison house. They are called first-class prisoners. So to become a brāhmaṇa means to becomes a first-class prisoner. That's all.

The Bhāgavata says, Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, that kirāta-hūnāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanā khasādayaḥ (SB 2.4.18). Yavana, mlecca yavana, they, they are called . . . they are also counted amongst the caṇḍālas. Ye 'nye ca pāpāḥ: even lower than that. Ye 'nye ca pāpāḥ śuddhyanti. They become purified. How? Prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ: when they are initiated to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. So if a . . . one may argue, "How it is possible to make a caṇḍāla a Vaiṣṇava?" No. That is possible. Prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ. Viṣṇu is so powerful, omnipotent, He can do that. So only by Viṣṇu mantra, by becoming a Vaiṣṇava, one can transcend all these restrictions, sociology. They can be saved.

That is confirmed by Kṛṣṇa: māṁ cāvyabhicāriṇī bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate sa guṇān brahmātītyaitan brahma-bhūyaya kalpate (BG 14.26). Immediately he transcends. He's in the Brahman platform. One who has taken very seriously this devotional service, he's no more on this material platform. So long we are in the material platform, these distinction, brāhmaṇa, ksatriya, vaiśya, varṇa-saṅkara, they are considered. But when one is transcendentally situated, simply in pure, unalloyed service of the Lord, he's no more in the material platform; he's in the spiritual platform. Brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. He's already in the Brahman platform. Brahman platform means sa guṇān samatītya etān.

This material platform means three modes of material nature: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Here, even one is brāhmaṇa—sattva-guṇa means the brahminical qualification— he's also contaminated. He's also contaminated. He's conditioned by the material nature. And what to speak of śūdra and varṇa-saṅkara? Everyone is conditioned by the material nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī (BG 7.14). Brāhmaṇa means to be situated a first-class prisoner. A first-class prisoner is also prisoner.

You cannot say that he's free. No, free is different from a first-class prisoner. Sometimes, any respectable gentleman, some political offense, he's put into jail. Just like Gandhi also went to jail, and so many others. But they were given the place, first-class prisoners. They got servant. They got separate bungalow and books, library, all facilities, but they cannot go out of the prison house. They are called first-class prisoners. So to become a brāhmaṇa means to becomes a first-class prisoner. That's all.

So our . . . our point of view is not to become a first-class prisoner. To get out of the prison. That is Vaiṣṇava vision. You'll find . . . last night I have given comments that Mādhavendra Purī, he was performing the Annakūṭa ceremony and installing the Deity. So everything was being brāhmaṇa . . . done by brāhmaṇa, qualified brāhmaṇa, but Mādhavendra Purī initiated them again to become Vaiṣṇava. Then he gave them in charge of the Deity worship. So the Vaiṣṇava functions cannot be done even by a brāhmaṇa. Even one is qualified brāhmaṇa, he is unfit to propagate Vaiṣṇava philosophy. That is stated in the śāstras.

Page Title:Sometimes, any respectable gentleman, some political offense, he's put into jail. Just like Gandhi also went to jail, and so many others. But they were given the place, first-class prisoners. They got servant
Compiler:SharmisthaK
Created:2022-10-22, 08:12:49
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1