So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, tasmād evaṁ, because it is like that. Tasmād evaṁ bhagavan bhakti eva tucchyati (Śrīdhara Svāmī commentary). So simply by discharging devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness everything can be achieved; then what shall I do? Tasmād ahaṁ nīco ’pi.
"I know that I am disqualified in every respect. I am born of a demon father. I cannot give any good representation of my family, my father. And I am also a little boy, which I . . . I am not educated. I never studied Vedānta, how to please God, how to understand. Never studied philosophy. So I am disqualified by birth, by age, by education and everything." Nīco. "In everything I am lower."
That is the temperament of a Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava never thinks, "Oh, I am this, I am that." Prahlāda Mahārāja, just see how much qualified he is, but he is thinking himself nīca. Nīca means the most downtrodden, the most fallen. Just like Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, he is singing:
- patita-pāvana-hetu tava avatāra
- mo sama patita prabhu nā pāibe āra
- (Prārthanā 39)
"My dear Lord Caitanya, You have appeared to deliver the fallen souls, but please note that You will find no degraded fallen souls more than me. I am the last. If You are finding out the fallen souls, my number is the last. So therefore kindly accept me. And then from the opposite side, because You have come to claim the fallen souls, thus from the opposite side my number is first. Please accept me."
So this is the Vaiṣṇava mentality. Here Prahlāda Mahārāja says that, "I am nīca. I am fallen. I am the lowest. I have no good qualifications, no good parentage, nothing of this sort. Then how can I serve Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme? But the only hope is that, that whatever I do, that is good for me." So even if I do a little, that little is good for me.
There is no question of disappointment. He doesn’t require any service from me. But whatever little service I can render, that is for my good. So there is no question of loss. Tasmad evam bhagavan bhakti eva tucchyati, tasmād ahaṁ nīco ’pi vigata viklava. (Śrīdhara Svāmī commentary). "Therefore I should not hesitate."
Nobody should hesitate. Prahlāda Mahārāja is giving us this assurance, that to serve Kṛṣṇa, there is no question of hesitation. There is no question that I am lower, I am uneducated, I am born of this family or that family, or I am black or white or this or that. There is no question of disqualification. In whatever position you are, you can render service to Kṛṣṇa.
I . . . my Guru Mahārāja therefore always instructed that it is not necessary that you have to qualify yourself for serving Kṛṣṇa. Whatever qualification you have already got, that is sufficient to come to the platform of service. That’s all. You don’t require any extra qualifications. But what extra qualifications?
So if somebody thinks, "Let me qualify like this, then I shall be able to serve Kṛṣṇa better," no, that’s a wrong philosophy. Whatever qualification you have acquired already, you begin Kṛṣṇa service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, immediately, so that even a little bit done towards service you are gainer. Vigata-viklava gata sankha. Do not be doubtful, that "I am not qualified, so I cannot serve. My service will not be accepted."
No. Sa karmaṇā tama vācā. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said that whatever qualification and whatever asset you have got, just immediately engage to Kṛṣṇa’s service. And whatever you do, little, that is your asset. Vigata-viklava īśvarasya mahi: "So let me glorify."
We started this Back to Godhead so that our students may write in this paper whatever realization he has got. It doesn’t matter. I have sent therefore one article written by Vīrabhadra, you see, for publication here. One must express his feelings of service. Actually I have started this Back to Godhead for this purpose. Not that I want to discuss huge, complicated philosophical thesis. We don’t care for that.
One must express how he is feeling, or being employed, in the service of the Lord, without any doubt. And as soon as one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, he becomes poetic also. That is another qualification. A Vaiṣṇava, a devotee, develops twenty-six kinds of qualification, simply by service of Kṛṣṇa. Out of that, one qualification is that he becomes poetic. So, maima amsa sarva pratatnena (Śrīdhara Svāmī commentary).
So we simply . . . if we simply try to explain how Kṛṣṇa is great, how God is great, that is sufficient service. That is complete service: śravaṇaṁ kīrtana. If you simply go to the people, "Oh, you are denying God. Don’t do this. God is very great. God is supplying you food. God has created this world. God is feeding everyone," simply these two things we should speak to the people, by writing or speaking—you are rendering great service.
Without any education, without any qualification—you simply just . . . actually this is the fact. This is the fact. Everything is property of Kṛṣṇa, of God. Everything is supplied by Kṛṣṇa. You are living at the cost of Kṛṣṇa. Your body is given by Kṛṣṇa. In this way, we simply chant and preach like this, we are rendering service. Is it very difficult? Anyone can do. There is no need of qualification—either go to Japan or Honolulu or this or that. Everyone is man; everywhere you can say this. So just engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa’s service. That is good for you.
That’s all. Thank you. (devotees offer obeisances)
So is it very difficult to be a preacher? You are going to be preacher, going to Japan? Do you think it is difficult? It is difficult? Simply say like this—you see—that "God is great." Don’t be puffed up that you are great, you are all-powerful, you have got . . . give up these foolish ideas. "God is great. He has created this world. He is giving you food, He has given you body." Just simply try to convince them, these principles, and you become a preacher.