Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.4 Pradyumna: (reads synonyms) “Translation: Narada Muni continued: O King, although the exalted devotee Prahlada Maharaja was only a little boy, he accepted Lord Brahma’s words. He gradually proceeded toward Lord Nrsimhadeva and 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 is maha-bhagavata, not ordinary devotee. Arbhakah. Arbhakah means innocent child, five-years-old small boy. But maha-bhagavata. Not that because he is boy… Ahaituky apratihata. A small child can become maha-bhagavata, and a very learned scholar may become a demon. Bhakti is so exalted that these are contradictory. Arbhakah, arbha means foolish or childish, but at the same time maha-bhagavata. It is possible. Maha-bhagavata means… We must distinguish between different types of devotees. Kanistha adhikari, madhyama-adhikari and maha-bhagavata, uttama adhikari. Uttama-adhikari. So this Prahlada Maharaja is maha-bhagavata, maha-bhagavata, not because he is now five years old. No. He was maha-bhagavata from the womb of his mother. When his mother was attacked by the demigods arresting and was being dragged by the devatas, Narada Muni was passing there: “What you are doing?” And “She is the wife of Hiranyakasipu, and she has got a child in the womb. So we want to kill that child also.” Narada Muni immediately asked them, “No, no, no, no. He’s not ordinary child. He’s maha-bhagavata. So don’t touch.” So they agreed. Narada Muni… This is devata. Although did some mistake, as soon as Narada Muni ordered them that “Don’t try to harm. He is maha-bhagavata,” immediately gave up. So Narada Muni said, “My dear daughter, you come with me until your husband comes back.” Hiranyakasipu went to perform very severe austerities to defeat the demigods. This is demon’s austerities. Hiranyakasipu was engaged in very severe type of austerity. What is the purpose? Some material purpose. But that type of austerity, tapasya, is useless. Srama eva hi kevalam. The materialists, they take austerities. Unless they do that, they cannot improve either in the business field or in economic field or in political field. They have to work very, very hard. Just like in our country the great leader Mahatma Gandhi, he had to work very, very hard. Twenty years in Durban he spoiled his time, and thirty years in India. I shall say spoiled his time. What for? For some political purpose. What is his political purpose? “Now we are a group called by the name Indian. We must drive away the Englishmen and take the supreme authority.” This is the purpose. So this is anyabhilasita. What is this purpose? Today you are Indian; tomorrow you may be something else. Tatha dehantara-praptih. You have to change your body. So what is the next body? Are you going to be again Indian? No guarantee. Even if you have got very much affection for India, all right, according to your karma you’ll get body. Even if you get the Indian body of a tree, then you will stand up for five thousand years. What is the benefit? Krsna says tatha dehantara-praptih. He does not say that a human being is going to be again a human being. There is no guarantee. Some rascals they say that once getting this human body, he does not degrade. No. That is not the fact. The fact is that out of 8,400,000’s of different species of life, according to your karma you’ll get a body. That’s all. No guarantee that you have And even if you get Indian body, who cares for you? So without Krsna consciousness, whatever austerities, penances we perform, it is simply useless waste of time. We should know. Simply waste of time. Because you have to change your body. Everything will be changed. You have come naked; you have to go naked. You cannot gain. Mrtyuh sarva-haras caham. Sarva-haras ca. Whatever you have acquired, everything will be taken away. Mrtyu… Just like Hiranyakasipu. Hiranyakasipu, whatever he had acquired, Prahlada Maharaja said, “In a second, You took away. So why, my Lord, You are offering me this material benediction? What is the value of it? I have seen my father, simply by his eyebrows’ twinkling the demigods would be afraid. Such position You have finished in a second. So what is the use of this material position?” So therefore those who are pure devotee, they do not aspire anything material. That is not their… anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam anukulyena krsnanu-silanam bhaktir uttama [BRS 1.1.11] We should always remember that. Don’t bring any material desire in executing devotional service. Then it is not pure. Na sadhu manye yato atmano ’yam asann api klesada asa deha. As soon as you bring in material desires, then you have wasted your time, because you’ll have to get a body. Your desire will be fulfilled. Krsna is so kind. Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajami. If you want to fulfill some desire by bhakti, Krsna is very kind: “All right.” But you have to take another body. And if you are pure, simply, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti [Bg. 4.9] This is wanted, pure devotee. Therefore we advise everyone to become a pure devotee. Pure devotee… This is the example, maha-bhagavata. This five-years-old boy, he had no business except to satisfy, to become a pure devotee of Krsna. So this very qualification, pure devotee, makes one maha-bhagavata. But there are stages. The maha-bhagavata from the very birth, that is called nitya-siddha. They are eternally siddha, perfect. They come for some purpose. So Prahlada Maharaja came for this purpose, that the demons, even he’s his father, he would give him so many troubles because one is Krsna conscious. This is the instruction. Prahlada Maharaja wanted to show this by the order of Krsna. Hiranyakasipu also came—how to become enemy of Krsna— and Prahlada Maharaja came, show, to show how to become a devotee of… This is going on. So maha-bhagavata… Kanistha-adhikari, madhyama-adhikari, and maha-bhagavata or uttama-adhikari. Kanistha-adhikari is in the beginning they have to be taught how to worship the Deity very perfectly. According to the instruction of the sastra, according instruction of the guru, one must learn how to worship Deity. arcayam eva haraye yah pujam sraddhayehate na tad-bhaktesu canyesu sa bhaktah prakrtah smrtah But one must make advance. This is advancement of devotional service. By simply we remain stuck up in Deity worship, we do not feel for others—na canyesu na tad-bhakta—you do not know who is devotee, how to worship him, then we remain kanistha-adhikari. And madhyama-adhikari means he must know his position, others’ position, devotee’s position, God’s position, and that is madhyma-adhikari. Isvare tad-adhinesu balisesu dvisatsu ca. He’ll have four kinds of vision: Bhagavan, isvara; tad-adhinesu, he’s one who has taken shelter of Bhagavan—that means devotee—isvare tad-adhinesu balisu, innocent children, just like these children, balisa, arbhakah; and dvisatsu, envious. A madhyama-adhikari can see these four different persons, and he deals with them differently. What is that? Prema-maitri-krpopeksa. Isvara, to love God, Krsna, prema. And maitri. Maitri means to make friendship. One who is devotee, we should make friendship with him. We should not be envious. We should make friend. Maitri. And innocent, just like these children, krpa—to show them mercy, how they’ll become devotee, how they’ll learn chanting, dancing. Give them food. Give them education. This is called krpa. And last, upeksa. Upeksa means those who are envious, don’t take. Don’t associate with them. Upeksa. “No, let him…” But maha-bhagavata, he does not make any upeksa. He even loves those who are dvisatsu. Just like Prahlada Maharaja. Prahlada Maharaja, his father was very very envious. Still, Prahlada Maharaja refused to accept any benediction for his personal benefit, but he begged Lord Nrsimhadeva to excuse his father, that “My father has…” He did not ask anything personal… But still, he knew that “Throughout my life my father had played the part of enemy, offended in so… [break] So this is the opportunity. I shall beg Lord to excuse my father.” So Krsna knew it. His father was already excused. Because he became the father of Prahlada Maharaja he already became benedicted. It is not ordinary thing to have such a nice son. So as soon as Prahlada Maharaja requested Nrsimhadeva to “Kindly excuse my father,” so He immediately said, “Not only your father— his father, his father, his father, everyone is delivered.” So we should take lesson from Prahlada Maharaja that if a child becomes a devotee in the family, he is the best child, the best. He is giving the best service to the family. But the rascals, they are taking otherwise, that “My son has become devotee. Bring him back by deprogramming, by kidnapping.” People are so rascal. You see? They do not take it a great benefit that “My fortunate son has become a devotee. My whole family will be delivered.” But they have no knowledge. They have no brains. Therefore I say it is not brainwashing, it is braingiving. They have no brain. (laughter) So take it very seriously and do nicely. Thank you very much. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Mayapur, February 18, 1977