Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.4 Dayananda: (chants verse, etc.) “Translation: O king Yudhisthira, Prahlada Maharaja, the exalted devotee, although a little boy, accepted the words of Lord Brahma and gradually proceeded towards Lord Nrsimhadeva, and immediately fell down to offer his respectful obeisances with folded hands. Prabhupada: tatheti sanakai rajan maha-bhagavato ’rbhakah upetya bhuvi kayena nanama vidhrtanjalih So, Prahlada Maharaja, maha-bhagavata, uttama-adhikari. There are three stages of devotional platform. First stage is called kanistha-adhikari, second stage is called madhyama-adhikari, and third stage, or topmost stage, is called uttama-adhikari. So, he was only five years old, how he became uttama-adhikari, on the topmost stage? He had no training. Still, he is addressed here by Narada Muni—Narada Muni was his guru—and still, he is describing Prahlada Maharaja as maha-bhagavata. That means even one is maha-bhagavata, he has to accept a guru. Narada Muni, his guru, he knows that “Prahlada is my disciple, but he is maha-bhagavata.” Not only that, before his birth, when he was within the womb of his mother… His mother was attacked by the demigods, headed by Indra, and they were dragging her to their palace. Narada Muni met, said “What are you doing this? You are harassing one woman?” “No sir, we are not harassing, only we are taking her in our place to wait for the deliverance of the child. Then we shall kill him. Because he is born of atheist father, so he is another demon.” Narada Muni said, “No, no, no, you are mistaken. He is not demon, he is maha-bhagavata.” So in the beginning he was maha-bhagavata, since he was in within the womb of his mother. And later on he is maha-bhagavata. This is called nitya-siddha, eternally maha-bhagavata. Eternally maha-bhagavata never forgets Krsna, in any circumstance. That is the sign of maha-bhagavata, nitya-siddha. Prahlada Maharaja was put into so many trials when he was only a child, still he never forgot Krsna. That is the sign of maha-bhagavata. In any circumstances. It does not mean that because one is maha-bhagavata he should not be put into trials. He can be put into trials, because the material world is like that. The western country, they, Lord Jesus Christ, he was put into trials but he never forgot Krsna. This is sign of maha-bhagavata, nitya-siddha. gaurangera sangi-gane nitya-siddha kori ’mane se jay brajenda-nandana pas If one can understand nitya-siddha bhagavata, then he immediately becomes eligible to go back to home, to back to godhead. This is the privilege of associating with maha-bhagavata. So our system is, (child crying—aside:) try and maintain (?). Evam parampara, to associate with the maha-bhagavata by words or by physical exposition (?). So maha-bhagavata arbhakah. One may argue, arbhakah means foolish child, who has no knowledge, he is called arbhakah. How we can say maha-bhagavata? Arbhakah, he has no knowledge. No. It is possible. Ahaituky apratihata. Bhakti does not depend on age, or on advanced knowledge, or richness, or so many other things. Janmaisvarya-sruta-sri. To take birth in high family, aristocracy, and to become rich, to become beautiful, to become very learned scholar. These things are material assets, but spiritual life does not depend on these things. One can become spiritually very advanced even though he is poor, he is born in a low, low- grade family. Just like Haridasa Thakura. He was born in Muhammadan family, but maha-bhagavata. There are so many examples. Not that because he was born in a Muhammadan family therefore he cannot. This Marchoism (?) is like that, but actually it is not. Ahaituky apratihata. Bhakti is so purifying that any condition, any circumstances, one can become devotee. mam hi partha vyapasritya ye ’pi syuh papa-yonayah striyo vaisyas tatha sudras te ’pi yanti param gatim Krsna says. So everyone has got the potency to become maha-bhagavata, provided he tries. Sadhana-siddha and nitya-siddha. Prahlada Maharaja is nitya-siddha and there are sadhana-siddhas, just like we are. We are trying to approach the topmost goal of life by bhajana, by sadhana. So anyone has got the potency to come to the stage of maha-bhagavata provided he follows the mahajana. You can become maha-bhagavata if you follow mahajana. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. If you follow the mahajana’s path then everyone can become. Of course, it is not possible everyone to become maha-bhagavata, but there is possibility. Simply we have to become serious to follow the path of mahajana. Dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. Tarko apratisthah. Simply by argument, you cannot make advancement. Simply by neti neti, or there are many other processes, mystic yoga process to become very austere, remain silent, mauna-vrata sruta-tapa, tapasya, education, austerity. None of them are the cause, but becoming bhakta, only devotional service, if one is fixed up, drdha-vratah. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah bhajanty, drdha-vratah [Bg. 9.13]. So we should be very much firmly fixed up, following the rules and regulation. So Prahlada Maharaja he is nitya-siddha. Nitya-siddha means there are living entities, every living entity is part and parcel of Krsna, so one who does not fall down, he is called nitya-siddha. One who does not fall down. Just like in this material world there are millions and millions of living entities, but they have fallen down. But there are multi-millions and millions of living entities in the vaikuntha-loka, they never fall down. They are called nitya-siddha. They never come here. So we have no information. This is only one-fourth manifestation of God’s creation and the three-fourths creation of God is there. Not creation, it is everlasting. Just like in the prison house, if you go to the prison house, it does not mean that the whole state is there. It is only insignificant part of the state, and only the criminals they are put together. So this material world, material world means so many planets you see, so many stars and planets, the sun planet, moon planet and loka, sarva-loka-mahesvaram. This is one universe, and there are millions of universes. Altogether that is material world, and that is one part of creation. Ekamsena sthito jagat. The jagat means this material world. So the whole material, ananta koti. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti-kotisv asesa vasudhadi vibhuti-bhinnam [Bs. 5.40]. This ananta-koti-brahmanda is only one-fourth manifestation of God’s creation, and just imagine what is the other three-fourth, that is spiritual world. So the nitya-siddha maha-bhagavata, they come from the spiritual world on the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they, by example, they preach Krsna Consciousness. This is maha-bhagavata. By suffering, by example, everything, they look like ordinary men, but maha-bhagavata. How it is tested? Never forgets Krsna. This is maha-bhagavata nitya-siddha. And sadhana-siddha means those who are put into this material world, by the association of maha-bhagavata, if he tries, follows, then he can also become maha-bhagavata or nitya-siddha, because originally everyone is nitya-siddha. nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti ‘sadhya’ kabhu naya sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya Every living entity originally nitya-siddha, but somehow or other, just like Jaya-Vijaya, fell down in this material world, and he was delivered also, both of them were delivered. So although you have fallen in this material world, and suffering the pangs of material existence, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi, on account of accepting this material body, still, Krsna personally comes, yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata [Bg. 4.7]. This is glanih, discrepancies. We are living this material existence, this is not real life. Real life is to become maha-bhagavata. So you cannot become a maha-bhagavata all of a sudden, but from kanistha-adhikari, arcayam eva haraye yah pujam sraddhayehate na tad-bhaktesu canyesu sa bhaktah prakrtah smrtah Prakrtah stage, so prakrtah stage means just like we are worshiping The Deity, but not only we shall worship Deity but we make advancement. What is that advancement? To become gradually a preacher. That is madhyama-adhikari, second stage, preacher. Preacher means that, isvare tad-adhinesu balisesu dvisatsu ca prema-maitri-krpa upeksah yah karoti sa madhyamah When you become fully Krsna conscious by worshiping the Deity regularly, as we have got prescription to rise early in the morning, offer mangala-arati, then kirtana, then class, in this way practicing, practicing. When you become advanced Krsna conscious, then your natural tendency will be how to preach. So long you do not develop this tendency for preaching, simply remain in kanistha-adhikari, you do not know how to deliver others, na tad-bhaktesu canyesu, you do not know how to receive elevated, one elevated devotee, you do not know how to do good to others. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission is not to keep one in the kanistha-adhikari, especially those who are born in India. He says bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara janma sarthaka kari’ kara para-upakara [Cc. Adi 9.41] This is principle, para-upakara, because everyone is suffering. So in the lower stage, everyone should take part very diligently in the worship of the Deity, sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana-srngara-tan-mandira-marj anadau **. One should be engaged, everyone should be engaged, sri-vigraharadhanam, with Deity worship. What is that Deity worship? Sri, sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana-srngara **. To decorate the Deity very, very nicely, srngara. Tan-mandira-marjanadau, and to keep the temple, all through, very clean. This kanistha-adhikari should be fully engaged in these things, then he becomes gradually, I mean to say, elevated in the madhyama-adhikari. In the madhyama-adhikari he can see four things. What is that? Four things means, first of all the Supreme Lord, isvara, the controller, he can see. He can see means he understands, he appreciates, he can conceive, “Yes, the Supreme Lord is there”. There is no more theoretical. So isvara, and tad-adhinesu, and persons who have become devotee, he can understand, “Here is a devotee.” Isvare tad-adhinesu balisesu. Balisa means he knows imperson. They do not know what is God, what is to be done, they are called balisa. Just like children, arbhakah, balisa. And then dvisat, envious. Just like you have experienced so many rascals, as soon as they hear of God, immediately they become agitated. They are called dvisat, envious, demons. So four things, God, His devotees, and the innocent person, and the demonic atheist. He can see, madhyama-adhikari. And then he behaves with these four classes of men differently. What is that? Prema, for Krsna, the Supreme Lord, how to increase love. That is first business, prema. And those who are devotees, to make friendship with them maitri. Those who are higher than him, he should offer very respectful obeisances, those who are equal, treat them with nicely, and those who are lower then instruct them, balisesu. Those who are innocent, how to raise him in Krsna consciousness. This is preaching. And dvisatsu, upeksah, those who are atheist, don’t associate with them. Don’t associate with them. That is the madhyama-adhikari. And uttama-adhikari, that is very rarely attained, this stage. Uttama-adhikari, has only equal, one vision, samah sarvesu bhutesu mad-bhaktim labhate. The uttama-adhikari, he does not think that “He is envious,” or “he is this,” or “he is that,” he sees that everyone is engaged in Krsna consciousness. That is not to be imitated. That Prahlada Maharaja is like that. He did not know who is his enemy and who is friend. No, he did not know. He is uttama-adhikari, maha-bhagavata. So this maha-bhagavata, this word is very important in this verse, maha-bhagavato ’rbhakah. Immediately, as soon as Brahma requested, “My dear boy, please pacify.” No hesitation, immediately he fell down. Upetya bhuvi kayena. He is always at the lotus feet of Krsna, and, as a child, immediately as Brahma said, immediately he did. Kayena upetya nanama, as it is, he was not to be lesson, that you meant like this, fall down this, no, he knows, everything. Life after life he is doing that. Gaurangera sangi-gane, nitya-siddha kori mane. Whenever there is Krsna’s incarnation, just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as soon as He advented Himself, immediately there was Advaitacarya, Nityananda, and other, many, many devotees. They are guarangera sangi, they are not sadhana-bhakti, they are eternally associate. So similarly Prahlada Maharaja is also eternally associate. Whenever there is need, by the order of Krsna, he is present there to execute the order of Krsna. This is our position. Eternal servant. We should not become servant to make some material profit. He is not, he is not suddha-bhakta. Sa vai vanik, Prahlada Maharaja. So anyone who serves Krsna for some material benefit, sa vai vanik. Material benefit means, that sastra, Krsna says that, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. So many person comes in the temple for some material benefit. They surrender to the saintly person for some material benefit. “Give me asibha (?) benediction.” “What benediction?” “I have got ten thousand rupees, make it one lakh by your benediction.” So these kind of devotees have been described by Prahlada Maharaja as vanik, vaniya, mercantile. Therefore merchant people, they want to invest two rupees and make, want to make profit ten rupees. So offering Krsna little flower and fruit, they want to get some horses and elephant, you see, or very big estate. This is not devotion. Anyabhilasita-sunyam [BRS 1.1.11] Our position is eternal servant of Krsna, and Krsna’s position is eternal master. Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. He is the enjoyer. He is the proprietor. That is eternally, He is master, and we are eternally servant. If you keep this position, that is Krsna consciousness. So maha-bhagavata, they know always, they never forget this position, and those who are fallen souls, conditioned souls, they do not know it, so they have to be raised to that stage. That stage, how? So he is also nitya-siddha. Nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti. Krsna-bhakti, as soon as one becomes Krsna conscious fully, he becomes nitya-siddha again. So either you come by sadhana-bhakti or naturally, the, when you come to the ultimate stage, everyone is nitya-siddha. So nitya-siddha, those who come from Vaikuntha, they are never fallen, never forgets Krsna, that is nitya-siddha, and by the teachings of nitya-siddha maha-bhagavata, if one follows and then becomes by sadhana-siddha, by regulative principle, they also become nitya-siddha later on. And when one becomes nitya-siddha again, there is no difference between this living entity and that living entity, samah sarvesu bhutesu. So tatheti sanakai rajan maha-bhagavato ’rbhakah upetya bhuvi kayena nanama vidhrtanjalih If you simply learn from Prahlada Maharaja, simply offer your obeisances, as under the instruction of Brahma, if you follow the guru, Brahma is the guru, guru’s guru. Prahlada Maharaja’s guru was Narada and his guru was Brahma. So our sampradaya is Brahma, Brahma sampradaya. There are four sampradayas. We belong to this Brahma sampradaya. So sampradaya-vihina ye mantras te nisphala. We have to accept one sampradaya, parampara, and if we follow, just like Prahlada Maharaja, exactly under the order of Brahma and Narada, immediately fell down, so everyone can do it. Here is Krsna. So everyone, if he follows mahajana, Brahma is the first mahajana. Svayambhur naradah sambhuh [SB 6.3.20], Brahma, his another name is Svayambhu. These are mahajanas. Svayambhur naradah sambhuh [SB 6.3.20], Kapila, Manu, Prahlada, Prahlada is also mahajana. Prahlada, Janaka, Bhisma, bali vaiyasakih vayam. So Prahlada Maharaja is mahajana. He is maha-bhagavata. Don’t think that he is a little boy. That is his pastime to show us how a little boy can become maha-bhagavata, how a little boy can be the eternal associate of Krsna, and how he can preach. That is Prahlada Maharaja. Thank you very very much. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Mayapur, February 11, 1976