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"Caste and Class"

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Nabadwip Dham, March 2015

 

[His Divine Grace is reading from Sri Sri Prema-vivarta, Chapter 10]

 

Class and qualification for devotion (kula o bhajana yogyata)

sraddha ha-ile nara-matra namera adhikari
jati-kulera tarka tarkira na chale bhari-bhuri [1]

Every human being—if they have faith—is qualified to chant the Name. The arguments and brashness of speculators about caste and class do not count for anything.

brahmanera sat-kula na haya bhajanera yogya
sraddhavan nicha-jati nahe bhajane ayogya [2]

Birth in a family of brahmans does not make one fit for devotion, and a lowborn person who has faith is not unfit for devotion.

 

Non-devotees are proud of their class (kulabhimani abhakta)

samsarera dasa-karme jati-kulera adhipatya
krsna-jane jati-kulera na achhe mahatmya [3]

Caste and class are important in worldly religious ceremonies, but are of no importance to devotees of Krishna.

jati-kulera abhimane ahankari jana
bhaktike vidvesa kari' yaya naraka-bhavana [4]

Egotists who are proud of their caste and class oppose devotion and go to hell.

na mane vaisnava-bhakta, na mane dharmadharma
ahankare kare sada akarma-vikarma [5]

They neither respect Vaisnava devotees nor do they have any regard for religion or irreligion. Out of pride, they always remain idle or commit sins.

 

A devotee cobbler is superior to a non-devotee brahman
(abhakta vipra ha-ite bhakti muchi srestha)

muchi hana krsna bhaje krsna-krpa paya
suchi hana bhakti-hina krsna-krpa nahi taya [6]

Remaining a cobbler, a soul who serves Krishna gets Krishna's mercy, and a soul who is virtuous but devoid of devotion does not get Krishna's mercy.

dvadasa gunete vipra alankrta hana
krsna-bhakti vina yaya narake chaliya [7]

A brahman ornamented with the twelve qualities but devoid of devotion to Krishna goes to hell.

krsna-bhakti yatha, tatha sarva-guna-gana
apana ichchhaya dehe vaise anuksana [8]

All qualities are present wherever devotion to Krishna is present; by their own desire, they always reside in the body of a devotee.

mrta-dehe alankara haya ghrnaspada
abhaktera japa tapa bahya se sampada [9]

Ornaments on a dead body are revolting; a non-devotee's chanting and austerity are comparable to such external 'wealth'.

 

Attachment and aversion to the mundane must be given up
(visaye raga-dvesa varjaniya)

bhaja bhai eka-mane sachira nandana
jati-kulera abhimana habe visarjana [10]

If you worship Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, you will get relief from that kind of pride:

Brother, single-mindedly serve the son of Sachi. Then you will give up your pride in your caste and class.

abhimana chhadile bhai chhadibe visaya
visaya chhadile suddha habe tomara asaya [11]

Brother, when you give up your pride, you will give up the world, and when you give up the world, your heart will become pure.

visaya ha-ite anuraga lao uthaiya
krsna-padambuje rage deha lagaiya [12]

Withdraw your affection from the world and dedicate it to the lotus feet of Krishna.

hao tumi sat-kulina tahe kiba ksati
kulera abhimana chhadi' hao dina-mati [13]

You may be high-class; what is the harm in that? Just give up your pride in your class and be humble.

 

The Lord's mercy upon the prideless, humble souls
(abhimana-hina dinera prati bhagavaner daya)

dinere adhika daya kare bhagavan
abhimana dainya nahi rahe eka-sthana [14]

The Lord bestows greater mercy upon the humble, and pride and humility do not co-exist.

abhimana narakera patha, taha yatne tyaja
dainye radha-govindera pada-padme maja [15]

Pride is the path to hell. Carefully avoid it, and humbly immerse yourself in the lotus feet of Radha and Govinda.

When you do a lot of service, pride comes. It has to be given up. This is Mahaprabhu's advice, I am telling it to everybody and they say, "Maharaj is telling." This is advice of Mahaprabhu. I tell everybody: if somebody does much service, and much pride comes, they become very fat and heavy, and their boat sinks.

Giving up pride is dependent on Nityananda's mercy
(abhimana-tyaga nityanandera daya sapeksa)

Always depend on Nityananda Prabhu's mercy.

aha! prabhu nityananda kabe karibe daya
abhimana chhadana more dibe pada-chhaya [16]

Ah! When will Nityananda Prabhu be merciful to me? When will He force me to leave my pride and give me the shade of His feet?

 

 

 

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Sri Sri Gurvastakam
'I offer my obeisance unto the lotus feet of Sri Guru, the ocean of goodness who assumes the form of a cloud of mercy to deliver the souls burning in the blazing fire of material existence.'

 

Gurudev! krpa-bindu diya
'When will this soul attain such mercy and become fulfilled? I am devoid of ability and intelligence, and greatly distressed. Please accept me.'
গুরুদেব! কৃপাবিন্দু দিয়া

Chant 16 rounds or more every day. Chant without offence, and Krishna will
reveal in your heart, you will be successful in your spiritual life.

"HUMILITY, TOLERANCE, GIVING HONOUR TO OTHERS | HUMILITY, TOLERANCE, GIVING HONOUR TO OTHERS"