This matter, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4)—earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence and false ego—they're all material. That is described. And apareyam. These are inferior material nature, and there is another, superior nature—that is also described—or energy. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho (BG 7.5). We living entities, we are prakṛti. We are not puruṣa. But we are trying to become puruṣa. Suppose a woman artificially wants to become man. That is very troublesome. Similarly, actually our position is prakṛti. Prakṛti means enjoyed, one who is enjoyed. And puruṣa means one who is enjoyer. So our position is to be enjoyed, but we are trying to become enjoyer. Our position is to be predominated, but we are trying to become predominator. That is called dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata.
But there are certain persons who are above this mistake, illusory energy. Who are those? The devotees. The devotees, who are called sādhu. Sādhu. There is a word, sādhu. Sādhu means honest, good-behaved. They are called sādhu. There is description of sādhu: sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ. What are they, sādhu?
- titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ
- suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām
- ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ
- sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ
- (SB 3.25.21)
This is the description of sādhu. Sādhu does not mean for livelihood change the color of the garment, or having big beard and become sādhu. No. Sādhu means devotee. Sādhu means first-class devotee. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ samyag vyavasito hi saḥ (BG 9.30). Who is that man? Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ. One who is fully engaged. Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. He has no other engagement. Not partial—some percentage for this purpose, some percentage for that purpose. No. Samyak, wholeheartedly, twenty-four hours engaged in the service of the Lord. He is sādhu. He is sādhu. Api cet su-durācāraḥ. Even if you find some fault in him . . . because sādhu is sādhu-bhūṣaṇaḥ. You cannot find fault in him. Cannot find fault. But even though if you find some fault, but if you find that he is strictly, he's engaged in the service of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa says he is sādhu. So here it is said, paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. What is the verse number? Yes. Verse number eight. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām (BG 4.8). As sādhu is always engaged, dedicated to the service of the Lord, he has no other business, that is sādhu.
So Kṛṣṇa also is always anxious to give them protection. Just like a child is adherent to the parents. He does not know anything else except his father, mother, similarly, the parents are also very much anxious to give protection to the child. This is reciprocal. If you depend on Kṛṣṇa fully and simply engage yourself in His service, then you are sādhu. And Kṛṣṇa is always very much anxious to give you protection. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). This is natural. You can say: "Why Kṛṣṇa is so partial to the sādhus?" No. He gives protection to everyone. Without His protection, nobody can live. That's a fact. But He gives special protection to the sādhu, to the devotees. That is natural. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ (BG 9.29). Kṛṣṇa says: "I am equal to everyone." Unless He is equal to everyone, how He can be the Supreme Lord? He is equal. Ye tu bhajanti māṁ pṛtyā teṣu te mayi, "But one who is engaged in love and affection in My service, I am especially attentive to him." That is not partiality. That is His special prerogative.