There is an instance how a brāhmaṇa is recognized. Satyakam yavala(?). Upaniṣads. This satyakam went to Gautama Muni. "Sir, please make me your disciple." So according to Vedic principle, without becoming a brāhmaṇa he cannot be accepted as disciple. Without becoming brāhmaṇa. In our Society also, we do not accept a disciple unless he's brahminically qualified: no meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication. These are brahminical. Unless one is free from the sinful activities, how he can become a brāhmaṇa? Brāhmaṇa means śuci. And the others, they are called kṛpaṇa, or muci. Śuci means always cleansed. Internally... Bāhyābhyantara-śuciḥ. Inside and outside. Outside by taking bath, washing with soda, soap, or if soda, soap is not available, with earth or oil. That is external cleanliness. Similarly, internal cleanliness, one must rise early in the morning, evacuate, then after taking bath must chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, see the maṅgala-ārātrika. In this way one has to purify himself internally and externally. God consciousness is not so cheap thing. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. One who is completely free from all contamination of material modes, anta-gataṁ pāpam, sinful activities, they can te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā bhajante mām (BG 7.28), they can stick to the principle of devotional service. Otherwise, if he's not free from the contamination of sinful life, he may show, make a show of devotion, but that is not actual devotion. Bhaktyābhāsa. That is called bhaktyābhāsa.
Suci means
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 6
When one's consciousness is completely purified of the contamination of material existence, gross and subtle, without being agitated as in the working and dreaming states, and when the mind is not dissolved as in suṣupti, deep sleep, one comes to the platform of trance. Then one's material vision and the memories of the mind, which manifests names and forms, are vanquished. Only in such a trance is the Supreme Personality of Godhead revealed. Thus let us offer our respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is seen in that uncontaminated, transcendental state.
There are two stages of God realization. One is called sujñeyam, or very easily understood (generally by mental speculation), and the other is called durjñeyam, understood only with difficulty. Paramātmā realization and Brahman realization are considered sujñeyam, but realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is durjñeyam. As described here, one attains the ultimate realization of the Personality of Godhead when one gives up the activities of the mind—thinking, feeling and willing—or, in other words, when mental speculation stops. This transcendental realization is above suṣupti, deep sleep. In our gross conditional stage we perceive things through material experience and remembrance, and in the subtle stage we perceive the world in dreams. The process of vision also involves remembrance and also exists in a subtle form. Above gross experience and dreams is suṣupti, deep sleep, and when one comes to the completely spiritual platform, transcending deep sleep, he attains trance, viśuddha-sattva, or vasudeva-sattva, in which the Personality of Godhead is revealed.
Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ: (CC Madhya 17.136) as long as one is situated in duality, on the sensual platform, gross or subtle, realization of the original Personality of Godhead is impossible. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ: but when one engages his senses in the service of the Lord—specifically, when one engages the tongue in chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and tasting only Kṛṣṇa prasāda with a spirit of service—the Supreme Personality of Godhead is revealed. This is indicated in this verse by the word śuci-sadmane. Śuci means purified. By the spirit of rendering service with one's senses, one's entire existence becomes śuci-sadma, the platform of uncontaminated purity. Dakṣa therefore offers his respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is revealed on the platform of śuci-sadma. In this regard Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura quotes the following prayer by Lord Brahmā from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.6): tathāpi bhūman mahimāguṇasya te viboddhum arhaty amalāntar-ātmabhiḥ. "One whose heart has become completely purified, my Lord, can understand the transcendental qualities of Your Lordship and can understand the greatness of Your activities."
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
You'll find in Bhagavad-gītā that śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). Bhraṣṭa. Bhraṣṭa means one, yoga-bhraṣṭa, one who is prosecuting the yoga system... The yoga sys... Yoga system I have already explained. Yoga system means the transcendental process by which we realize ourself, we link up our life with self-realization. That is called yoga. Now, now, somebody begins this yoga of self-realization, but for unfortunately he cannot prosecute the task in a nice way, and sometimes he falls down, falls down from the path. Still, there is encouragement that "You are not loser. You are not loser. Because you will be given a chance next life, and that next life is not ordinary next life." That next life is śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe: "You'll have your birth next life either in a very rich family, or in the family of very highly advanced, educated father." Śucīnāṁ śrīmatām. Śucīnām means... I have explained to you the, the life of a brāhmaṇa, brahminical culture. Śuci means brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means one who knows spiritual life, how to conduct. And he has got other qualifications. Then he's called śuci. And the, the, the opposite word of śuci is called muci. So we need not explain what is muci, but śuci, śucīnāṁ means highly cultured brāhmaṇa. And śrīmatām. Śrī means wealth, śrī means wealth, opulence, beauty and all these things. That means very aristocratic family, very aristocratic family. So he's given chance to get his birth in two places. One who is, I mean to..., not successful. The successful, oh, what to speak of him! The successful goes back to Godhead directly. And even one is unsuccessful, half-finished, then he is given chance to take his birth in two kinds of family. One set is śrīmatām. Śrīmatām means very well-to-do, rich family. And other is very well polished, cultural brāhmaṇa family.
Śuci means brāhmaṇa, and muci means cobbler. Muci means cobbler. There is a Bengali verse, śuci haya muci haya yadi kṛṣṇa tyaje. The first line is muci haya śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje: "One who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even he is born in the family of cobbler, muci..." Everyone knows, Indians. So muci haya śuci haya, although he is born in the family of a muci, cobbler, he becomes śuci, a brāhmaṇa, by, yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje, if he is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, if he is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And muci haya śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje or śuci haya muci haya yadi kṛṣṇa tyaje: "If one is born of a brāhmaṇa family, but gives up Kṛṣṇa bhajana, devotional life, he becomes a muci." Karmaṇā. Because he's changed his karma.
So here it is said that śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo... Śucīnām means pious family. Pious family means brāhmaṇas. They are śuci. Śuci means always pure. Śuci means... A brāhmaṇa, means a cultured brāhmaṇa, they are always pure. Their habits, their behavior—everything is pure. That is called śucīnām. That is a greater facility. And śrīmatām, rich, rich family. So the yoga-bhraṣṭa, after living for many, many days in the higher planets where pious people have entered, then, when he again comes to this earth, he gets birth in a, either in a brāhmaṇa family, śucīnām, or in a great, rich, mercantile family. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatā... Śrīmatām is generally meant: a rich mercantile family. Just like you have got in your country Rockefeller family, Ford family. There are many. In India also there are Birla family, Bamar(?) family. Every country, there are rich families. So either in a purified family, just like brāhmaṇas, or in a rich family... So at least, those who sincerely begin spiritual life, so their next life is guaranteed as human life, human form of life, for many days.
Still in India, there are many respectable families. They are maintaining a small temple. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). Yoga-bhraṣṭa, this yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ, this bhakti-yoga, one who could not finish the cent percent bhakti-yoga in one life, at least he's guaranteed to have next life as a human being. Because Kṛṣṇa says, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate. Śucīnām. Śucīnām means first-class brāhmaṇa, Vaiṣṇava. They are called śuci. The śuci, the, just the opposite word is muci. Muci means most nasty habit, and śuci means most cleansed habit. So one poet said that śuci haya muci haya yadi kṛṣṇa tyaje and muci haya śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje: "If one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, even though he's born in the family of muci, he becomes śuci. And even though one is born in the family of śuci, brāhmaṇa, if he rejects Kṛṣṇa, he becomes muci." So muci haya śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje and śuci haya muci haya yadi kṛṣṇa tyaje.
By remembering, yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam, the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa, if you always think, that is śuci. And in Bengali there is a word, poetry, muci haya śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje. If one is Kṛṣṇa conscious, even if he is born in a cobbler's family, muci... In India there are two things, muci and śuci. Śuci means perfect brāhmaṇa, and muci means cobbler, the shoemaker. So muci haya śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje. If one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, even if he is born in the family of a muci, camāra, he can become a brāhmaṇa. And śuci haya muci haya yadi kṛṣṇa tyaje. And if he gives up Kṛṣṇa, even if he's born in a brāhmaṇa family, he becomes a muci.
These asuras, or the persons who are in ignorance, in material enjoyment, they do not know what is the goal of life. Everyone is in the bodily concept of life, and they are trying to improve the condition of bodily comforts. The more we are interested in the bodily comforts of life the more we are asuras. So these asuras, they are not very cleansed, na śaucam. Na śaucaṁ nāpi ca ācāraḥ: "They have no good behavior, neither they are very clean." Therefore, according to varṇāśrama-dharma, the brāhmaṇas are called śuci, means pure. But this śuci... The opposite word is muci. So there is a Bengali Vaiṣṇava poet.
Payaḥ-pānaṁ bhujaṅgānāṁ kevalaṁ viṣa-vardhanam. Na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāraḥ. And why they become addicted to sense gratification? Because they are not clean, śaucam. Śauca is the qualification of brāhmaṇa. We are getting sacred thread but we are neglecting how to become, how to remain śaucam, śuci. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). Śuci means first-class brāhmaṇa. So we are accepting sacred thread to become first-class brāhmaṇa, śuci, but we do not know, after eating, we have to wash our hand. We are taking the handkerchief and finished. So this kind of brāhmaṇa, what they will do? That is not even a civilized man. So you should be very, very careful how to follow the rules and regulation. That is nivṛtti-mārga. If we still remain in pravṛtti-mārga, then we will not be able to make any advance in spiritual life. And if we do not make advance in spiritual life, then again and again, śarīra. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Everyone is suffering on account of this body, and this human body is meant for ending this suffering. That should be the aim of life.
There are two kinds of cleanliness. Outside, externally, we take bath by soap or by soda, by oil. We cleanse external body and internally by cleansing the intestine, the heart, the mind, the consciousness. That is internally cleansing. And external. Both cleansed one must be. Bāhya abhyantara-śuciḥ. Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bāhya abhyantara-śuciḥ. Because they are not śuci... Śuci means brāhmaṇas, always cleansed, hygienic. That is śuci. And muci. Muci means cobbler. There is a class in India, cobbler. Their business is to take away the dead animals, especially cows. Other animals, they do not care. They are taken by the vultures and others. But when a cow is dead, that is very important. Cow is alive important and dead also important. It is so important. When the cow is dead the skin is valuable, the hoof is valuable, the horn is valuable, the bones are valuable. Everything is valuable. Just like elephant. Dead or alive, it is one lakh of rupees. The price is the same. That is the... Because elephant is very costly, everyone knows. You cannot... One lakh of rupees. Unless one is king or a big zamindar he cannot purchase elephant, neither he can keep. And if the elephant is dead, that is also one lakh of rupees because it contains the ivory bones, very, very costly. So there are animals; either dead or alive, the price is the same. Similarly, cow, dead or alive, the price is the same.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So Nārada Muni knows what is the status of Vyāsadeva. He knows that he has got clear vision. Amogha-dṛk. Śrīdhara Svāmī says, amogha. Amogha means... Mogha means sinful, and amogha means without any sin. Amogha. So long one lives sinful life, he cannot have clear vision. Diseased condition. How? "Physician, heal thyself." He cannot have clear vision. Therefore amogha-dṛk means he is liberated person. He can see. Amogha-dṛk. Dṛk means vision. Amogha-dṛk. And Śuci-śravāḥ. Śuci-śravāḥ. Śuci-śravāḥ means whose śravāḥ, means aural reception... śuci. Śuci means pure. Who has received knowledge by aural reception in pure heart, or from the pure source. Śuci-śravāḥ. Śuci means pure. Śravāḥ. Śravāḥ means hearing. Śuci... These are the qualification of the person who can actually do benefit to the human society. Not that everyone can do. That is the mistake of the... Everyone is giving some idea and some theory that "This way there will be peace, there will be nice thing in the world." But he does not know that he has to receive from the pure source by aural reception. One has to hear from the pure source what is actually benefit to the human society. These are the qualifications. Śuci-śravāḥ. Then next word is satya-rataḥ. Satya means truth, and rataḥ means engaged. "One who is engaged in the matter of the Absolute Truth," not relative truth. Absolute, satya-rataḥ. And dhṛta-vrataḥ. Dhṛta-vrataḥ. Vrata. Vrata means vow, and dhṛta means who has taken vow that "I shall do this." These are the qualifications.
Just see here. Atha upaspṛśya salilaṁ sandadhe tat samāhitaḥ. This is wanted. Samāhita, completely in trance. This is the process. So these things are required, how to become samāhita, samādhi-stha, in trance. If we take it as childish play, formality, then it will act, but it will take long time. But if you do it properly, you'll be quickly successful. In one life you'll be successful. You don't require to wait. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that although this process is guaranteed, but don't wait for another life. Finish this business in this life. It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā even though one falls immaturely, then yoga-bhraṣṭo..., śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). One who has not been successful, one is fallen from this bhakti-yoga, for him also there is guarantee nice. That guarantee, Kṛṣṇa says that śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate. Śucīnām. Then he's given the chance of taking birth in a very pious brāhmaṇa's family. Not ordinary: śucīnām. Śuci means brāhmaṇa, and śrīmatā, śrī means fortune, and mat means one possesses fortune—that means very rich man. Śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate.
Therefore it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). Yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ. Bhraṣṭa means he was executing devotional service, but some way or other, being allured by māyā or some other causes, even if he falls down, so that credit is there. Therefore he has to begin next life... He is given chance next life. What is that? Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe. He takes birth in two families. What is that? Śucīnām. Śucīnām means brāhmaṇa, śuci. Śuci means brāhmaṇa: always clean and pure. Therefore they are called śuci. And muci. Muci means cobbler, just the end. That is the lowest, and this is the highest, śuci and muci. There is a Bengali poetry: śuci haya muci haya yadi kṛṣṇa tyaje, muci haya śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje. If somebody takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even born in the family of cobbler, muci, he becomes śuci. He becomes more than a brāhmaṇa. And muci haya śuci haya. If one is born in the family of a brāhmaṇa, but he... (sounds of fireworks) ...but if he gives up Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he becomes a muci.
So about Ajāmila, the Yamadūtas, they said, "We know that this man Ajāmila was fully qualified before." Dhṛta-vrato mṛdur dāntaḥ satya-vāṅ: truthful, never speaks untruth. Satya śama dama, satya. Or satya-vāṅ means paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi. Paraṁ satyam is Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva. Who is only speaking about Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Truth, he is called satya-vāṅ. He does not speak anything... Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). He is simply glorifying. If one's life is dedicated to preach about Kṛṣṇa, then he is also satya-vāṅ. He does not speak anything else. So our, these Kṛṣṇa conscious members, they are simply trained up to go and speak about Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are satya-vāṅ. They do not speak anything else. They do not waste their time by speaking anything which has no relation with Kṛṣṇa. That is satya-vāṅ. Satya-vāṅ mantravit. Mantravit means Vit means one who knows, and mantra means Vedic hymns. Mantravit. So therefore Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra... Hare Kṛṣṇa, this chanting, is called mahā-mantra. So if anyone chants Hare Kṛṣṇa, then he is not only mantravit but he is mahā-mantravit because the Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting is called mahā-mantra. Mantravit. Mantravit and śuci. Śuci means brāhmaṇa, and muci means non-brāhmaṇa.
There are two words still current in the Hindu society: śuci and muci. Muci means cobbler, dealing with skin. "I am this skin," "I am white skin," "I am black skin," "I am American skin," "I am Indian skin"—this understanding means muci. And muci is skin expert. "This is cow skin. This is goat skin. It is lamb skin." This is... He is called muci, skin expert. Modern technology has given the title "tannery expert." So this "tannery expert," if you become tannery expert, then you are muci. So there is a Bengali proverb, muci haya śuci haya, yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje. Every one of us, we are all tannery expert and we have created so many "isms" on the basis of becoming a tannery expert. Therefore they are called muci. So muci haya śuci haya. And śuci means brāhmaṇa, pure. He has no such sense of becoming a tannery expert. He is brāhmaṇa, brahma-vit. One who knows Brahman, he is called brāhmaṇa. He is śuci. He is not more tannery expert. So therefore, it is said, if from the muci platform if you want to become śuci, really brāhmaṇa, purified, then you have to take to Kṛṣṇa conscious. Muci haya śuci haya, yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje. If one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, then from the platform of becoming a muci, one becomes śuci. Therefore we have no caste distinction because our process is to elevate the muci to the platform of śuci, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Kalau, kalau, in this age, you cannot find a man perfectly purified or this, anyway. That is not possible. Therefore you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and that will help you, the process of purification. Therefore this is the only system at the present moment that one can be purified simply by chanting. Completely. Complete purification means to be situated in pure spiritual life. That is complete purification. Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bāhyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ. Śuci means purified. The brāhmaṇa—not this caste brāhmaṇa, but actually, those who are brāhmaṇa, qualified brāhmaṇa—they are called śuci, purified, purified.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
And He says in the Bhagavad-gītā, yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sañjāyate. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sañjāyate (BG 6.41). Bhraṣṭaḥ means one who is fallen from this devotional service. So for them also, it is guaranteed a human life. Not only human life, but in very good family. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe. Śucīnām means by perfectly well behaved, cleansed family, brāhmaṇa family. Śucīnām. Śuci means very clean. So you are becoming all brāhmaṇas. You must remain always very clean. Śucīnām, that is called śuci. And muci means unclean, cobbler. Śuci and muci. So don't become muci. (laughter) Yes. Uncleanliness is muci, cobbler. They are dealing always with skin, and bad smell, and no bathing. So in our country, muci, the cobbler, is taken as the lowest of the mankind, narādhamāḥ, because their business is when the cow dies, so the mucis are prepared to take away the dead cow or bull. They eat the flesh, and they take out the skin and the bones for their business. Muci prepare shoes. He gets the skin for nothing, without any payment. He doesn't have to invest his capital, and he nicely cleanses it, tans, and then prepares shoes and sell in the market.
Initiation Lectures
Anyone, either he is pure or impure, it doesn't matter. Apavitraḥ pavitraḥ vā sarvāvasthām. In any condition of life, it doesn't matter. Pure or impure, there are two conditions. Someone is impure, someone is pure. So either way, namo apavitraḥ pavitro, sarvāvasthām, in any condition, yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam. Anyone who remembers puṇḍarīkākṣam, means Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa... Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa, that person, bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ, he immediately becomes clean inside and outside. Śuciḥ, śuciḥ means clean or śuciḥ means brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means clean. You have got all threads, so you should always prove that you are always clean. Bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ. Śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu. So this is remembering Viṣṇu. So simply by remembering Viṣṇu, if one becomes clean inside and outside, so by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, how much purified he is becoming in every moment or every second. It is so nice. There is no question if we always keep ourselves chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, so there is no chance of being contaminated by the influence of māyā. It is so nice.
Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam. Sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā. In any circumstances, if somebody remembers, smaret, remembers puṇḍarīkākṣam... Puṇḍarīka akṣam. Akṣam means eyes. One who is lotus-eyed, Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, Puṇḍarīkākṣam, anyone who remembers always or at anytime, Kṛṣṇa, yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam, sa, that person... Bahya. Bahya means externally, and abhyantaram means internally. Bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ. Śuci means brāhmaṇa, or śuci means completely cleansed. The brāhmaṇa means completely clean. The brahminical qualification is first of all cleanliness. Satya śaucaṁ śamo dama titikṣa ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). To become brāhmaṇa means satyam saucam. First thing is truthful, and next, śaucam, very cleansed, internally and externally. Externally we can cleanse ourself by soap and water. That is necessary. Daily we should take bath with soap and water and oil. Bahyābhyantaram. And abhyantaraṁ śuciḥ means evacuating and cleansing. In yoga system there is a system they practice. They can get out all the intestines and cleanse it clearly. Dhauti. What do they know about this yoga system? They can take out the whole intestine and cleanse it nicely and again set it. So these are actually practicing yoga system. But who is going to do that? Simply a gymnastic process. So śaucam, cleanliness, is very necessary for advancing in spiritual life.
Impure condition. Apavitra. And pavitra means pure condition. Apavitraḥ pavitro vā. One may be in impure condition and one may be in pure condition. Sarvāvasthām, in all conditions. Avastha means all conditions. Gato 'pi vā, situated, in any condition situated; yaḥ, anybody; smaret, remembers; puṇḍarīkākṣam. Puṇḍarīkākṣam means "the Lord whose eyes are like the lotus petal." Lotus eyes. Puṇḍarīkākṣam. Sa, that person becomes; sa bahyābhyantaram. Bahya means externally and abhyantara means internally. Bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ. Śuciḥ means purified. Another śuci means brāhmaṇa. A brāhmaṇa is called śuci. A brāhmaṇa means a purified person. Not that by birth one becomes pure. No. The purificatory process. There are purificatory processes. Just like in infectious condition, those who are vaccinated, given injection, he is supposed to be purified. He cannot be attacked or infected by the disease. Similarly, in spiritual life also one has to remain purified. The whole process, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is to purify the people in general from the contaminated condition of material existence. Purifying. It is purifying process. A living entity by nature is pure because he is part and parcel of the Supreme Pure, God. But due to his impure condition, he has forgotten his eternal relationship with God. So this initiation means that one is being accepted as student by the spiritual master to promote him gradually to the purified state, where he can realize himself and God. This is the whole process.
So the initiation process means to give the conditioned soul a chance. This chance can be available in this human form of life. The cats and dogs, they cannot take chance of entering into the spiritual kingdom, or they cannot... It is not possible they can take initiation for purifying the body. So everybody, every human being, should take advantage of this form of life, human form of life, and cultivate this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And it is very simple and easy also. For this age, Lord..., by the grace of Lord Caitanya, we have got very easy method: simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. This mantra also which we uttered just now, it is said, yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam: "Anyone who remembers puṇḍarīkākṣam, Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, immediately he becomes purified." Śuci. Śuci. Śuci means purified. Śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu. Three times. So the Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu is the same thing. Kṛṣṇa is the original person of all viṣṇu-tattva. So anyone who is keeping himself always in touch with the vibration of Kṛṣṇa consciousness—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—that is the only, I mean to say, guaranteed platform where you can keep yourself purified without any material contamination. And in this purified state, if we can leave this body ultimately, then there is no doubt we enter into the supreme abode of the Personality of Godhead. These things are very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, and you read carefully. This initiation does not mean... Of course, this chanting will save you, only chanting. But if you read some literatures also, and the philosophy also, then it will be more and more convincing that you are making progress.
So mantra means... Namaḥ. Nama means surrender, to become submissive. Namanta eva. Namanta eva. That is the qualification. Namaḥ. When we utter this word namaḥ, means "I surrender." Anyone, I say namaskāra, namaskāra means the surrendering process: "I accept the surrendering process." So when we surrender to Kṛṣṇa or His representative, then apavitraḥ. Apavitraḥ means contaminated and pavitraḥ means purified. So one may be in contaminated stage or purified stage. It doesn't matter. One who... Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam, one who remembers Kṛṣṇa, the lotus-eyed... Puṇḍarīkākṣam means lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa. So bahya. Bahya means externally, and abhyantara, internally. Bahyābhyantara-śuciḥ. Śuciḥ means purified. And another meaning of śuciḥ is brāhmaṇa. A brāhmaṇa means purified. So those who are going to be sacred-threaded today, they should remember that they are being accepted as śuciḥ, as brāhmaṇa. After chanting process for the six months or one year, it is supposed that he has already become purified. Now he should be recognized that he is purified. So this sacred thread means recognition.
In any condition of life, anyone who remembers Kṛṣṇa, Puṇḍarīkākṣam, so both wise-externally and internally—he becomes purified, śuci. Śuci means pure. And there is a verse written by one Vaiṣṇava in Bengali. Not ordinary. He's Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura. Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura is one of the ācāryas. He has written Caitanya-Bhāgavata. As there is Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, he has written Caitanya-Bhāgavata. Perhaps you have heard the name. So his opinion is, muci haya śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje. Muci and śuci, just opposite. Muci means the most nasty cobbler. He eats everything and does all nonsense. He is called muci. Muci means cobbler. In India, when a cow or bull dies, these muci class are called to take away the carcass. So they take it away and they take out the skin and tan it for... This is the original system of shoe-making. And make some shoes and sell in the market. But not by killing cows. When it dies. So this business is done by the muci class. And they take the flesh also. After taking out the skin, the flesh they take. Therefore they are considered very low class, muci. And śuci means brāhmaṇa. So Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura says, muci haya śuci haya. A cobbler, muci, can become a śuci, yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje, if he's Kṛṣṇa conscious. That's all. If he's Kṛṣṇa conscious, never mind he is a cobbler, he becomes immediately brāhmaṇa. Muci haya śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje. Śuci haya muci haya yadi kṛṣṇa tyaje. And even if he's born in a brāhmaṇa family, if he gives up Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's immediately cobbler. So don't lose this opportunity. Always remember Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa.
The purpose of this mantra, apavitraḥ pavitro vā... Apavitraḥ means contaminated, infected, and pavitra means purified. So the mantras says, "Either one is in contaminated stage or purified stage..." Apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthām. Sarva means all, avastha means circumstances. "In all circumstances, in whatever circumstances one may be, either in contaminated stage or purified stage," yaḥ smaret, "anyone who remembers Puṇḍarīkākṣam..." Puṇḍarīkākṣam means Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. Puṇḍarīka-akṣam, lotus-eyed. So Lord Viṣṇu's eyes are just like lotus petals, so He's called puṇḍarīkākṣam. So such person who remembers, chants the name of the lord, puṇḍarīkākṣam, sa bahya... Bahya means external, and internal, abhyantaram, śuciḥ. Śuciḥ means purified. Śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu. So simply by remembering the holy name of the Lord, Viṣṇu, one is purified in any stage of life. That is a fact. It is said, there is a Bengali verse which says, eka kṛṣṇa nāme yata pāpa hare, ai haya tati pāpa karibare nare (?). "By chanting once the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, the sinful man can vanquish so much volumes of sinful activities, reaction, that he's unable to perform." A sinful man is very expert to commit sinful activities, but the holy name of Kṛṣṇa is so strong that he will be unable to commit so much sins as can be extinguished simply by uttering once the name of Lord Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. This is a fact.
As it is indicated in this verse, one who remembers the Supreme Personality of Godhead always, he remains always purified, śuciḥ. Śuciḥ. Śuci means... Another meaning of śuci is brāhmaṇa, purified. A brāhmaṇa... According to nature's division, there are four classes of men: the brāhmaṇa, the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas, and the śūdra. Brāhmaṇa means the intellectual class of men who knows hygienic rules, keeps himself always purified and engaged in studying Vedic literatures for understanding this world, God, himself, the interrelation. They are called brāhmaṇa. And the kṣatriya means those who live their life under the instruction of the brāhmaṇa but they are engaged in administration of the state, they are called kṣatriyas. Then vaiśyas, still less intelligent class. The brāhmaṇa is the first intelligent class of men, the kṣatriyas, the next intelligent class of men, and the vaiśyas, or the mercantile class of men interested in money by trade, commerce, agriculture, industry, they are called vaiśyas. So next, the last class is called śūdra. Śūdra means workers. They haven't got much intelligence, neither they can work as administrator or traders but they work and get some salary. They are called śūdras. So śuci means the first-class intellectual class of men. So anyone who is always chanting the holy name of God and keeps himself purified, he is śuci. Śuci means the first-class purified intelligent class of men. So they are called brāhmaṇas in Sanskrit. So it is not that the brāhmaṇas are to be found in India only. Any intelligent class of men, anyone who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is brāhmaṇa. In this initiation ceremony there will be some persons who will be initiated for chanting the holy name, and some of them will be initiated for the second time. They were initiated before for chanting the holy name; now they will be initiated with a sacred thread. Sacred thread means recognition of complete brahminical culture.
General Lectures
Śuciḥ means cleansed. Therefore we prescribe so many things just to keep you cleansed—cleansed within, cleansed outside. Then there is no affection of māyā. Otherwise, you will be harassed by three kinds of miserable condition: adhyātmika, adhibhautika... I have seen many persons in India, within two or three days, by perspiration, within their coat, they germinate so many germs. Do not take bath, unclean. You see? So cleanliness is the protection from infection. And water is very disinfectant, natural disinfectant. This is the medical opinion, water. Therefore God has supplied unlimited quantity of water. You can spend it as much as you like.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Simply washing externally will not help us. Therefore our mantra of purity is bāhyābhyantara-śuciḥ.
- (oṁ) apavitraḥ pavitro vā
- sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā
- yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ
- sa bāhyābhyantara-śuciḥ
- Śuciḥ means purified.
Scheverman: Means?
Prabhupāda: Purified.
Scheverman: Purified, yes.
Prabhupāda: So purification, simply externally rubbing soap and cleansing the coat and shirt, that is not purification. Internally he must be pure. Peaceful. Then, purity?
Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Tolerance.
Prabhupāda: Tolerance. This is also one of the good qualifications for the first-class man. Then?
Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Honesty.
Prabhupāda: Honesty. So there are so many things. If we want to make the whole human society very peaceful and happy, then we have to divide the society into four classes. Not that everyone will be peaceful. That is not possible. But if we have an ideal class of men who is following austerity, peacefulness, purity, knowledge, people will learn: "Oh, here is the ideal class."
Correspondence
1972 Correspondence
Your idea to recruit many brahmacaris is nice. We need a class of men purely brahmanas. The whole world is full of sudras. The Krishna Consciousness movement is meant for re-establishing the system of four varnas and asramas, then there will be progress of civilization. We have got such a nice process that even from the base sudras we can create brahmanas of highest calibre. All the presidents of our centers should see that all the members are strictly observing the brahminical standards, such as rising early, cleansing at least twice daily, reading profusely, attending arati, like that. You begin immediately this process. That is the main work of GBC. Sometimes we see that even they do not wash hands after eating. Even after drinking water we should wash hands. That is suci. Suchi means purest. Everyone should join the mangal arati. Gradually, we should become more regulated and strict for following the rules and regulations. Otherwise we shall fall down.
| Page Title: | Suci means |
| Compiler: | Rishab, Serene |
| Created: | 16 of Jan, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=1, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=25, Con=2, Let=1 |
| No. of Quotes: | 29 |