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.
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?
'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.'