Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.56–57

Prabhupāda:

ayaṁ hi śruta-sampannaḥ śīla-vṛtta-guṅālayaḥ dhṛta-vrato mṛdur dāntaḥ satya-vāṅ mantra-vic chuciḥ

gurv-agny-atithi-vṛddhānāṁ śuśrūṣur anahaṅkṛtaḥ sarva-bhūta-suhṛt sādhur mita-vāg anasūyakaḥ [SB 6.1.56–57]

[In the beginning this brāhmaṅa named Ajāmila studied all the Vedic literatures. He was a reservoir of good character, good conduct and good qualities. Firmly established in executing all the Vedic injunctions, he was very mild and gentle, and he kept his mind and senses under control. Furthermore, he was always truthful, he knew how to chant the Vedic mantras, and he was also very pure. Ajāmila was very respectful to his spiritual master, the fire-god, guests, and the elderly members of his household. Indeed, he was free from false prestige. He was upright, benevolent to all living entities, and well behaved. He would never speak nonsense or envy anyone.]

These are qualification of the most exalted person. In the society the brāhmaṅa is the topmost division of human society, not by caste or by birth but by qualification. These things are spoken about Ajāmila. These are ajāmila-upākhyāna, the history of Ajāmila. Ajāmila, although he was a very well trained brāhmaṅa boy at the beginning of his life, but later on, on account of bad association he became the most sinful man in the world. But at the end of his life he chanted the holy name of Nārāyaṅa, not meaning Nārāyaṅa the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but his youngest son's name was Nārāyaṅa. He called the holy name of Nārāyaṅa, calling his son. He did not know that he is chanting the holy name of Nārāyaṅa, and still, he got salvation. That is the purport of this history, that the holy name of God, Nārāyaṅa, Kṛṣṅa, Rāma... There are many names of the Lord. Nāmnām akāri bahudhā [Śikṣāṣṭaka 2]. He has got thousands of names, and you can chant any one of them, either Kṛṣṅa or Rāma, Govinda, Nārāyaṅa, like that. So you get the result.

So here the example is that Ajāmila, although he had forgotten Nārāyaṅa, but on account of his chanting the holy name of Nārāyaṅa, although he meant his son, it was effective. We have to understand like this. Somehow or other, if you chant the holy name of the Lord, knowingly or unknowingly, it will have its effect. Just like you touch fire knowingly or unknowingly, it will burn; similarly, if you chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mahā-mantra knowingly or unknowingly, it will be effective on your life. Therefore we see it practically that in the Western countries, although they did not know who is Nārāyaṅa or Kṛṣṅa... It is in the dictionary, English dictionary, there is statement, "Kṛṣṅa is the name of Hindu god." So..., but nobody is consulting dictionary for chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa. But the śāstra says that somehow or other, if you chant the holy name of God, then you gradually become purified. Ceto-darpaṅa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṅaṁ śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṅaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam [Cc Antya 20.12].

[Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṅa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṅa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.]

So this history of Ajamila's life is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to show the importance of chanting the holy name of God. That is the purpose.

So the Ajāmila later on became a great sinful person. Therefore he was to be taken to Yamarāja. But because he chanted at the end of his life "Nārāyaṅa," he became purified from all sinful activities. So the order carriers of Nārāyaṅa came to deliver him, save him from the hands of the Yamadūta. So the Yamadūta is describing the history of Ajāmila in the past, how he was in the beginning. Because he was the son of a brāhmaṅa, his father trained up the brāhmaṅa boy like a brāhmaṅa. So as such, he got this training. What is that? Ayaṁ hi śruta-sampannaḥ: "This boy got training to become expert in Vedic knowledge." Śruta-sampannam. Śruta means Vedic knowledge, and sampannaḥ means finished. Within twelve years a brāhmaṅa's son is supposed to finished all the studies of Vedas, vyakāraṅa, grammar. That was education. From five years he is trained up. He goes to... Nowadays also, the children are sent to school at five years' age, but the mode of education, different. Formerly, within twenty years a student, a brahmacārī, was trained up with all these qualifications, as it is described. What is that? The first is śruta-sampannaḥ, "expertly aware of Vedic knowledge." Ayaṁ hi śruta-sampannaḥ, śīla, śīla-vṛtta-guṅālayaḥ. Śīla means śuddhacara, cleansing. Because brāhmaṅa's qualification is śamo damo satam... What is that? Śamo damo... Tapo satyam. Cleanliness. So this is also trained up, how to become clean, to rise early in the morning, take bath, wash mouth, feet. Guṅa-sampannaḥ. Then take to maṅgala-āratika. In this he was also trained up. Ayaṁ hi śruta-sampannaḥ śīla-vṛtta-guṅālayaḥ. Guṅa means sad-guṅa, this śamo damo titikṣa ārjava, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam. These are guṅālayaḥ, reservoir of all good qualities. Dhṛta-vrata. These things not occasionally, but regularly: dhṛta-vrata. "I must rise early in the morning"—that is called dhṛta-vrata, vow. "I must do it." Dhṛta-vrato mṛduḥ, mild, gentleness. This is human life, not to live like cats and dogs. That is not human life. Real human life, the picture is here. One must be trained up to all these qualification. Just like nowadays we send our boys to school, college, for being trained up as a technician, formerly the boys were sent for education... These are the effects of education.

Education means to become human being. Cāṅakya Paṅḍita, he also, although he was a politician but brāhmaṅa, he also says who is educated, paṅḍita. The brāhmaṅa is known as paṅḍita. So what is the sign of paṅḍita? He has summarized:

mātṛ-vat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭra-vat ātma-vat sarva-bhūteṣu yaḥ paśyati sa paṅḍitaḥ

Paṅḍita means mātṛ-vat para-dāreṣu: "to accept all women as mother," para-dāreṣu. Dāra means wife, and para means others'. Except his own wife, he should treat all women outside, taking them as mother. Therefore, still in Hindu society, every woman is addressed by an unknown man, "mother." It doesn't matter if a person is unknown. He can speak with another woman, addressing him first..., addressing her first, "mother," mātājī. Then nobody will be offended. This is the etiquette. That is taught by Cāṅakya Paṅḍita. Mātṛ-vat para-dāreṣu. Woman should be addressed as "mother." And para-dravyeṣu loṣṭra-vat: and others' property should be accepted as some pebbles on the street—nobody cares for it. If some pebbles, some stones, are thrown on the street, nobody cares for it. Garbage. So nobody should touch others' property.

Nowadays the education is how to make friendship with others' wife and how to take away others' money by tricks. This is not education. The education is here: mātṛ-vat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭra-vat, ātma-vat sarva-bhūteṣu. Sarva-bhūteṣu: in all living entities... There are 8,400,000 different forms of living entities. The grass is also a living entity, and Brahmā is also a living entity. So a paṅḍita accepts everyone as living entity, and he deals with them, ātma-vat: "What I feel, pains and pleasure, I must deal with others by the same sentiment." Therefore modern days' nationality means human being. But actually the animals, they are also national. National means one is born in the same country, according to their definition. The "national" word is never found in the Vedic literature. This is modern invention. So here, ātma-vat sarva-bhūteṣu. It doesn't matter whether one is national or outside of national. Sarva-bhūteṣu. Here is also... It is said, sarva-bhūta-suhṛt. Suhṛt, friend, well-wisher, sarva-bhūta. Why I shall think only well for my relatives or my family members? That is kṛpaṅa, miser. A broad-minded brāhmaṅa should be engaged for doing good to all, everyone.

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma [CB Antya-khaṅḍa 4.126].

[In every town and village of the world, the chanting of My name will be heard.]

Caitanya Mahāprabhu never instructed that "You should limit your preaching within your society or within your country." He is asking, pṛthīvite āche yata nagarādi-grāma: "As many villages and towns are there on the surface..."

[aside:] That's all right. Don't be disturbed.

Sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma. This is the mission. This is Vedic knowledge. Sarva-bhūta-suhṛt. You should become...

[someone talking] [pause]

Devotee: [indistinct]

Prabhupāda: Why you are speaking? They can come inside. [devotees speak to guests in Hindi]

[aside:] We are dropping this.

So we should be engaged, sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ. Everyone should be taken as friend, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg 5.29].

[The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.]

This is the qualification of an advanced Kṛṣṅa conscious person. So this qualification...

ayaṁ hi śruta-sampannaḥ śīla-vṛtta-guṅālayaḥ dhṛta-vrato mṛdur dāntaḥ...

Dāntaḥ means self-control. Śānta, dānta. Śānta means how to become self-controlled, not to become disturbed by the senses. These are training for a first-class human being. But there is no class human... Nowadays it is said "classless." First class and last class, all one. This is the modern philosophy. But that is not very scientific proposal. The scientific proposal is that there is first-class man and there is tenth-class man, but everyone can be utilized for the ultimate goal of life. That is classless. And that means everyone can become Kṛṣṅa conscious. It doesn't matter whether by his qualification he is first class or last class.

Kṛṣṅa consciousness is transcendental. First class, last class is considered in the material world. But so long one is not on the platform of Kṛṣṅa consciousness, for him this training is required to become a first-class man. And for a Kṛṣṅa conscious person, if he simply becomes Kṛṣṅa conscious, then automatically he becomes a first-class man. This is the secret of success. Kevalayā bhaktyā vāsudeva-parāyanāḥ, dhunvanty aghaṁ nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ [SB 6.1.15]. It is said, dhunvanti... Every sinful reaction becomes washed away if one becomes vāsudeva-parāyanāḥ, kevalayā bhaktyā. All these qualities can be attained by a devotee automatically. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṅair tatra samāsate surāḥ [SB 5.18.12].

[All the demigods and their exalted qualities, such as religion, knowledge and renunciation, become manifest in the body of one who has developed unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. On the other hand, a person devoid of devotional service and engaged in material activities has no good qualities. Even if he is adept at the practice of mystic yoga or the honest endeavor of maintaining his family and relatives, he must be driven by his own mental speculations and must engage in the service of the Lord's external energy. How can there be any good qualities in such a man?]

Sarvair guṅaiḥ, all good qualities As it said, guṅālayaḥ, the reservoir of all good qualities. This can be attained, this stage can be attained, only by training in Kṛṣṅa consciousness.

So about Ajāmila, the Yamadūtas, they said, "We know that this man Ajāmila was fully qualified before." Dhṛta-vrato mṛdur dāntaḥ satya-vāṅ: truthful, never speaks untruth. Satya śama dama, satya. Or satya-vāṅ means paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi [SB 1.1.1]. Paraṁ satyam is Kṛṣṅa, Vāsudeva. Who is only speaking about Kṛṣṅa, the Supreme Truth, he is called satya-vāṅ. He does not speak anything... Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc Ādi 17.31].

[One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.]

He is simply glorifying. If one's life is dedicated to preach about Kṛṣṅa, then he is also satya-vāṅ. He does not speak anything else. So our these Kṛṣṅa conscious members, they are simply trained up to go and speak about Kṛṣṅa. Therefore they are satya-vāṅ. They do not speak anything else. They do not waste their time by speaking anything which has no relation with Kṛṣṅa. That is satya-vāṅ. Satya-vāṅ mantravit. Mantravit means... Vit means one who knows, and mantra means Vedic hymns. Mantravit. So therefore Hare Kṛṣṅa mahā-mantra... Hare Kṛṣṅa, this chanting, is called mahā-mantra. So if anyone chants Hare Kṛṣṅa, then he is not only mantravit but he is mahā-mantravit, because the Hare Kṛṣṅa chanting is called mahā-mantra. Mantravit.

Mantravit and śuci. Śuci means brāhmaṅa, and muci means non-brāhmaṅa. There are two words still current in the Hindu society: śuci and muci. Muci means cobbler, dealing with skin. "I am this skin." "I am white skin," "I am black skin," "I am American skin," "I am Indian skin"—this understanding means muci. And muci is skin expert. "This is cow skin. This is goat skin. It is lamb skin. This is..." He is called muci, skin expert. Modern technology has given the title "tannery expert." So this tannery expert, if you become tannery expert, then you are muci. So there is a Bengali proverb, muci haya śuci haya, yadi kṛṣṅa bhaje. Every one of us, we are all tannery expert, and we are created so many "isms" on the basis of becoming a tannery expert. Therefore they are called muci. So muci haya śuci haya. And śuci means brāhmaṅa, pure. He has no such sense of becoming a tannery expert. He is brāhmaṅa, brahma-vit. One who knows Brahman, he is called brāhmaṅa. He is śuci. He is no more tannery expert. So therefore it is said, if from the muci platform if you want to become śuci, really brāhmaṅa, purified, then you have to take to Kṛṣṅa conscious. Muci haya śuci haya, yadi kṛṣṅa bhaje. If one becomes Kṛṣṅa conscious, then from the platform of becoming a muci, one becomes śuci.

Therefore we have no caste distinction, because our process is to elevate the muci to the platform of śuci, this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. Actually that is the fact. We are unnecessarily becoming tannery expert. That is not the aim of life. The aim of life is to become śuci, to become brāhmaṅa, or the person who is aware of Brahman. Brahma jānātī iti brāhmaṅaḥ. This is the philosophy. But nobody is interested to become a brāhmaṅa. Everyone is interested to remain a muci and tannery expert. That is not the aim of life. So this is training. Muci haya śuci haya. One can be trained up to become a śuci from the platform of muci. And even though one is born of a śuci family, if by practice he is not Kṛṣṅa conscious, then he automatically becomes a muci. Śuci haya muci haya, yadi kṛṣṅa tyāje. If one gives up Kṛṣṅa consciousness, even though he is born in a brāhmaṅa family or even though he has practiced brāhmanism, still, on account of his not accepting Kṛṣṅa consciousness, he is accepted as muci. Śuci haya muci haya, yadi kṛṣṅa tyāje. And muci haya śuci haya, yadi kṛṣṅa bhaje: if one is Kṛṣṅa conscious, then he is śuci. This is...

So this Ajāmila became śuci, brāhmaṅa. Then guru, agni. Guru, the spiritual master; agni, the fire; and atithi. Atithi means uninvited guest, hospitality. If somebody comes at your home without your invitation, he is called atithi. Tithi means particular time and date. But a person arrives at your home without any invitation on particular time and date, he is called atithi. Atithi-satkāra. This is also one of the items of Vedic culture. Atithi-satkāra. So the sannyāsīs especially, they are begging from door to door. So they have no fixed-up program in which door he will go on which date. No. Anywhere they approach. Therefore atithi means generally the brahmacārī and the sannyāsa. Brahmacārī is also begging alms from door to door, and a sannyāsī also allowed. But door to door does not mean that he would collect more than is necessity. But he does not cook. A sannyāsī goes to a pure householder's life, er, home, because generally in a brāhmaṅa's house or kṣatriya or vaiśya... But not to a śūdra. This is restriction. Why? Because the three upper classes, brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, especially the brāhmaṅa—they are considered the topmost—they have got Viṣṅu worship at home. Still in all brāhmaṅas' family, ancestral śālagrāma-śilā is worshiped in a brāhmaṅa family. So also in kṣatriya family also. So these sannyāsīs go to a brāhmaṅa family because it is known fact the brāhmaṅas are engaged in worshiping Viṣṅu.

Brāhmaṅa means Vaiṣṅava. Brāhmaṅa means paṅḍita. Therefore two words are used along with the word brāhmaṅa: brāhmaṅa-vaiṣṅava, brāhmaṅa-paṅḍita. Śruta-sampannaḥ. The first qualification is śruta-sampannaḥ. He must be learned scholar in Vedic... Vedic knowledge means śruti. So that is the first qualification. Ayaṁ hi śruta-sampannaḥ. So therefore brāhmaṅa is paṅḍita. Without becoming a paṅḍita, how one can become brāhmaṅa? No. Śruta-sampannaḥ. Śruta-sampannaḥ, then guru, agni: very respectful to spiritual master, agni, the fire. Because a brāhmaṅa has to make fire sacrifice every day. Guru, agni and atithi. Atithi is a sannyāsīs. They are coming to a brāhmaṅa's house for one capātī. They don't want more. They are called mādhu-karī. Mādhu-karī means mādhu... Mādhu is collected by drops, not in lump. The, what is called, bees? Honey bees? What is called? [devotees make suggestions] No, honey, and bees, what is called? Mādhumakṣi? Bumblebees. Yes. So they collect a drop—from this flower, drop; that flower, drop; that flower, drop. In this way they make a big honeycomb. So a brāhmaṅas and kṣatriya, er, sannyāsīs, although they are meant for collecting, they do not collect heavy at a place. Little. Because they are collecting not for his sense gratification. He is collecting for satisfying Kṛṣṅa. So everyone is given chance, that "You give little. You give little. You give little," and whole thing is engaged in Kṛṣṅa's service. And just like here we have got the container of flour and container of rice. So although we are feeding two hundred men daily, still, it can be collected by muṣṭi. Everyone, gṛhastha, can come and place one muṣṭi āṭṭā. That is not difficult for him. He has got children, family. He is consuming five kilos of āṭṭā daily. Out of that, little, if it is put into the temple, he does not feel any burden. Therefore the collection... Sannyāsī, brahmacārī collects little, little, little from everywhere. That is called mādhukāri, exactly following the footstep of mādhukāra, bumblebees.

So they are very... Householder... This is meant for the householder especially. This is ideal householder, that guru, agni, atithi, vṛddhānām. Old man also should be taken care of. Nowadays the philosophy is coming, "mercy killing." "Old men should be killed to show him mercy." Because he is burden in the society, the communistic theory, "Old man does not do anything and simply eats; therefore to show him mercy he should be killed." Mercy killing. Just see the philosophy: "Killing is mercy." But this is going on, mercy killing. Is that? "Mercy killing"? What is that?

Brahmānanda: They kill someone for that person's benefit.

Prabhupāda: Benefit. So the man killer, will he take that benefit? If somebody comes that "I shall kill you for your benefit," that he will be afraid of. But he is philosophizing, "mercy killing." This is going on. So one should be respectful also to the old men. According to Vedic knowledge, brāhmaṅa, old men, child, woman and cow, they have no fault. They are free. They are not within this jurisdiction of law. So therefore cow-killing, brāhmaṅa-killing, woman-killing and elderly person–killing, they are accepted as the great sinful activities. So gurv-agny-atithi-vṛddhānāṁ śūśrūṣur anahaṅkṛtaḥ. Anahaṅkṛtaḥ, not with any pride or puffedness; anahaṅkṛtaḥ, very humbly. Sarva-bhūta-suhṛtam. This is the most exalted qualification, to become well-wisher of all living entities. Not that we open hospitals for the human being and we send the cows to the slaughterhouse or poor animals should be slaughtered. That is not suhṛt sarva-bhūtānām. That is partiality, and it has no meaning. If you become envious to other living entities and if you become friend of particular living entity, that is not good qualification. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ. Sarva-bhūtaḥ-suhṛt sādhu. He is sādhu. Sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṅāḥ [SB 3.25.21].

[The symptoms of a sādhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime.]

These are the qualification of a sādhu. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānām. Sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṅāḥ. Everything is described in the Vedic literature, all, I mean to say, description.

So this Ajāmila's past qualification is described in this, that he was well-qualified brāhmaṅa, well trained, because these qualification became manifested in his life. Then his degradation began.

ekadāsau vanaṁ yātaḥ pitṛ-sandeśa-kṛd dvijaḥ ādāya tata āvṛttaḥ phala-puṣpa-samit-kuśān [SB 6.1.58]

dadarśa kāminaṁ kañcic chūdraṁ saha-bhujiṣyayā [SB 6.1.59]

That, this..., we may describe later on, and how degradation begins even to exalted person, as described, Ajāmila. So the degradation began—dadarśa, he saw on the way... Kāminaṁ kañcic chūdram. Chūdram, these male-female behavior... Nowadays, not so much in India, but in the Western countries it is very usual thing—a young man is embracing another young woman or kissing. So there is no fault. But according to Vedic civilization, this is fault because it will give chance to others. Nowadays in picture they are also shown, to enthuse others to become lusty, and that is the beginning of his falldown. But there is no restriction. The young men, they are seeing daily in the cinema, on the road, in their school, college. But this Ajāmila, although he was so exalted a brāhmaṅa, simply by seeing one śūdra... Śūdra means who has no training—fools, rascals. So he was embracing another woman, and that became attractive to this Ajāmila, and then he wanted to do the same thing and he became degraded. This will be described later on.

Hare Kṛṣṅa.

Devotees: All... [break] [end]