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Humility means Pure Motive

 Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accpt my humble obeisnaces! All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev!

In the Seventh canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, after Hiranyakashipu was killed, the Lord continued to be very angry, and the demigods, headed by Lord Brahma, could not pacify Him. Even mother Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune, the constant companion of Naryana, could not dare come before Lord Nrsimhadeva. Then Lord Brahma asked Prahlada Maharaja to go forward and pacify the Lord's anger. Prahlada Maharaja, being confident of the affection of his master, Lord Nrsimhadeva, was not afraid at all. He very gravely appeared before the Lord's lotus feet and offered Him respectful obeisances. Lord Nrsimhadeva, being very much affectionate toward Prahlada Maharaja, put His hand on Prahlada's head, and because of being personally touched by the Lord, Prahlada Maharaja immediately achieved brahma-jnaana, spiritual knowledge. Thus he offered his prayers to the Lord in full spiritual knowledge and full devotional ecstasy. He speaks very wonderfully in SB 7.9.8

brahmaadayah sura-ganaa munayo 'tha siddhaah
sattvaikataana-gatayo vacasaam pravaahaih
naaraadhitum puru-gunair adhunaapi pipruh
kim toshtum arhati sa me harir ugra-jaateh

Prahlada Maharaja prayed: "How is it possible for me, who have been born in a family of asuras, to offer suitable prayers to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Even until now, all the demigods, headed by Lord Brahma, and all the saintly persons could not satisfy the Lord by streams of excellent words, although such persons are very qualified, being in the mode of goodness. Then what is to be said of me? I am not at all qualified."

Even though Prahlad maharaj had every reason to feel proud, since the Lord was pacified only by his prayers and not by those of even the demigods, Prahlada's feelings of humility are really amazing. But this feeling of disqualification did not stop him from performing the service. He wonderfully says in SB 7.9.12

tasmaad aham vigata-viklava ishvarasya
sarvaatmanaa mahi grnaami yathaa manisham
nico 'jayaa guna-visargam anupravishtah
puyeta yena hi pumaan anuvarnitena

"Therefore, although I was born in a demoniac family, I may without a doubt offer prayers to the Lord with full endeavor, as far as my intelligence allows. Anyone who has been forced by ignorance to enter the material world may be purified of material life if he offers prayers to the Lord and hears the Lord's glories."

The words 'vigata viklava' is wonderfully translated by Srila Prabhupada as 'having given up contemplation of being unfit'. Here the ground on which he was giving up this contemplation of being unfit was that he had the full conviction that this service of offering the prayers will purify him. Thus the motivation was only self purification. Generally we confuse humility with inferiority complex and we also feel that a humble person cannot act with courage and he is unambitious and passive. Thus by seeing the above two verses (SB 7.9.8 - wherein he expresses his disqualification to perform the service and SB 7.9.12 wherein we see him confidently take up the service with the only motivation of self purification), we understand the fundamental difference between humility and inferiority complex.

1. Humility is not thinking less of oneself. It is thinking of oneself less. This means that in inferiority complex, we keep saying, "I am low. I am fallen. I am unfit. I am this…I am that…" which means we are more 'I' conscious than 'Krishna conscious'. A humble person thinks more of Krishna than of himself.

2. Srila Prabhupada very wonderfully defines humility as, "Humility means that one should not be anxious to have the satisfaction of being honored by others". Thus a humble person does not need others glorify him to feel a sense of self worth. In inferiority complex, there is a feeling of insecurity and lack of self worth and we seek that from something external and this increases our anxiety and expectation that others should glorify us and honour us.

3. In a humble person there is no desire to hold on to the false ego and hence false ego is rejected, whereas in inferiority complex, the false ego is frustrated.

4. There is no stoppage of service by a humble person. It is not that we say, "I am fallen. I am fallen. I am unqualified for the service" and thus deny performing the service. The motivation for service in case of a humble person is only to glorify the Lord and purify oneself, whereas a person with inferiority complex either desists from performance of service or performs the service with the motive of parading and proving himself and not purifying oneself.

Since the motivation for service for a humble person is only personal purification and glorification of the Lord, the Lord allows uninterrupted service for a humble person as affirmed in SB purport 6.16.34, "When a devotee offers devotional service to the Lord without any motive (anyaabhilaashita shunyam [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.11], his service cannot be hampered by any material condition (apratihataa)."

Thank you very much.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev,
Vaijayanti mala devi dasi
Abu Dhabi.