The Lord is always in favor of the brāhmaṇas and the cows, and therefore it is said, go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. Lord Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is also the worshipable Deity of the brāhmaṇas. In the Vedic literature, in the ṛg-mantra hymns of the Ṛg Veda, it is stated that those who are actually brāhmaṇas always look to the lotus feet of Viṣṇu: oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. Those who are qualified brāhmaṇas worship only the Viṣṇu form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which means Kṛṣṇa, Rāma and all Viṣṇu expansions. A so-called brāhmaṇa who is born in the family of brāhmaṇas but performs activities aimed against the Vaiṣṇavas cannot be accepted as a brāhmaṇa, because brāhmaṇa means Vaiṣṇava and Vaiṣṇava means brāhmaṇa. One who has become a devotee of the Lord is also a brāhmaṇa. The formula is brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. A brāhmaṇa is one who has understood Brahman, and a Vaiṣṇava is one who has understood the Personality of Godhead. Brahman realization is the beginning of realization of the Personality of Godhead. One who understands the Personality of Godhead also knows the impersonal feature of the Supreme, which is Brahman. Therefore one who becomes a Vaiṣṇava is already a brāhmaṇa. It should be noted that the glories of the brāhmaṇa described in this chapter by the Lord Himself refer to His devotee-brāhmaṇa, or the Vaiṣṇava. It should never be misunderstood that the so-called brāhmaṇas who are born in brāhmaṇa families but have no brahminical qualifications are referred to in this connection.
(Srimad Bhagavatam----3:16:4----purport).
The Lord says in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that offering respect to His devotee is more valuable than offering respect to Him. Devotees do not identify with the body, so offering respect to a Vaiṣṇava means offering respect to Viṣṇu. It is stated also that as a matter of etiquette as soon as one sees a Vaiṣṇava one must immediately offer him respect, indicating the Supersoul sitting within. A Vaiṣṇava sees the body as a temple of Viṣṇu. Since Lord Śiva had already offered respect to the Supersoul in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, offering respect to Dakṣa, who identified with his body, was already performed. There was no need to offer respect to his body, for that is not directed by any Vedic injunction.
(Srimad Bhagavatam----4:3:22----purport).
A person advanced in spiritual knowledge does not engage anyone in material activity. And one who cannot deliver another person by instructing him in devotional service should not become a spiritual master, father, mother, demigod or husband. Instructing His one hundred sons, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva advised them to accept their eldest brother, Bharata, as their guide and lord, and thereby serve him. Of all living entities, the brāhmaṇas are the best, and above the brāhmaṇas the Vaiṣṇavas are situated in an even better position. Serving a Vaiṣṇava means serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes the characteristics of Bharata Mahārāja and the sacrificial performance executed by Lord Ṛṣabhadeva for the instruction of the general populace.
(Srimad Bhagavatam----5:5--summary).
One has to become Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava means one who is a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Kṛṣṇa instructed Arjuna, He said, bhakto 'si priyo 'si (B.G.4:3), "Because you are My bhakta, therefore I am talking to you." So guru means a Vaiṣṇava. He must be a representative of Kṛṣṇa.
(Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam----1:2:10).
Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye. And yatatām api siddhānām (B.G.7:3). It is not that coming to the platform of a qualified brāhmaṇa, one can understand Kṛṣṇa. That is also not. Still, you have to go farther. Brahma-bhūta. Brahmā jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. Brāhmaṇa can understand Brahman. He can understand that he is also part and parcel of Brahman. But that understanding is not sufficient. He has to go further, to become a Vaiṣṇava, to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, as person. Vaiṣṇava means to understand the Absolute Truth as person, not imperson. In the brāhmaṇa state, even they understand Brahman, that is impersonal view. But one has to go far above. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (S.B.1:2:11). One has to make progress from the Brahman platform to Paramātmā platform, then to the Personality of Godhead understanding. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, yatatām api siddhānām (B.G.7:3). Somebody is trying to come to the platform of brahma-bhūta (S.B.4:30:20) stage. That is called siddha state. But yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ (B.G.7:3). So they also cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa can be understood only by this process, bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ.
(Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam----1:2:20).
When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was requested by one devotee of Lord Caitanya that "My dear Lord, You have come. Kindly You take away all these conditioned souls. And if You think that they are horribly sinful, they cannot be delivered, then You transfer all the sins upon me. I shall suffer. You better take them away." This is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Vaiṣṇava philosophy means that para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. Actually, a Vaiṣṇava is unhappy by seeing others unhappy. Personally, he has no unhappiness. Because he's in contact with Kṛṣṇa, how he can be unhappy? Personally, he has no unhappiness. But he becomes unhappy by seeing the conditioned souls unhappy. Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. Therefore, the Vāsudeva Ghoṣa, he requested Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "You deliver all these unhappy conditioned souls. And if You think they are sinful, they cannot be delivered, then transfer all the sins of these people to me. I shall suffer, and You take them away." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very much pleased by his proposition and He smiled.
(Lecture on Bhagavad-Gita----2:20).
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to cut off family connection and enter into Kṛṣṇa's family, not void. We are not impersonalists or voidists. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they are impersonalists. They think, "Kṛṣṇa is person. Kṛṣṇa's activities are all personal. So this is also māyā." Because they are Nirviśeṣavādī, their ultimate goal is nirviśeṣa-brahman. So anything personal, they cannot accept it. And the Buddhist philosophy is to zero, śūnyavādi. Nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi. The whole world is now corrupted with these two kinds of philosophies: nirviśeṣa-śūnyavāda, impersonalism and voidism. But Vaiṣṇava philosophy is not voidism, not impersonalism. Vaiṣṇava philosophy means to know the Absolute Truth as person. Impersonal realization of the Absolute Truth is partial knowledge. It is not complete, because the Absolute Truth is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. Vigraha means form.
(Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam-----1:8:43).
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