Sri Caitanya-caritamrta: Madhya-lila
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Chapter 24

Madhya24.175

TEXT 175

’muni’-sabde--paksi, bhrnga; ’nirgranthe’--murkha-jana

krsna-krpaya sadhu-krpaya donhara bhajana

SYNONYMS

muni-sabde—by the word muni; paksi—bird; bhrnga—bumblebee; nirgranthe—in the word nirgrantha; murkha-jana—foolish people; krsna-krpaya—by the mercy of Lord Krsna; sadhu-krpaya—by the mercy of a devotee; donhara bhajana—engages in devotional service of both (Krsna and his spiritual master or the sadhu).

TRANSLATION

"The word muni also means ’bird,’ and ’bumblebee.’ The word nirgrantha refers to foolish people. By the mercy of Krsna, such creatures contact a sadhu [spiritual master] and thus engage in devotional service.

Madhya24.176

TEXT 176

prayo batamba munayo vihaga vane ’smin

krsneksitam tad-uditam kala-venu-gitam

aruhya ye druma-bhujan rucira-prabalan

srnvanti milita-drso vigatanya-vacah

SYNONYMS

prayah—almost; bata—certainly; amba—O mother; munayah—great sages; vihagah—the birds; vane—in the forest; asmin—this; krsna-iksitam—seeing the lotus feet of Krsna; tat-uditam—created by Him; kala-venu-gitam—sweet vibrations made by playing the flute; aruhya—rising; ye—all of them; druma-bhujan—to the branches of the trees; rucira-prabalan—having beautiful creepers and twigs; srnvanti—hear; milita-drsah—closing their eyes; vigata-anya-vacah—stopping all other sounds.

TRANSLATION

" ’My dear mother, in this forest, all the birds, after rising on the beautiful branches of the trees, are closing their eyes and, not being attracted by any other sound, are simply listening to the vibration of Krsna’s flute. Such birds and bees must be on the same level as great saints.’

PURPORT

This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.21.14). This statement was made by the gopis, who were lamenting in separation from Krsna and studying how the inhabitants of Vrndavana were enjoying life like saintly persons.

Madhya24.177

TEXT 177

ete ’linas tava yaso ’khila-loka-tirtham

gayanta adi-purusanupatham bhajante

prayo ami muni-gana bhavadiya-mukhya

gudham vane ’pi na jahaty anaghatma-daivam

SYNONYMS

ete—all these; alinah—bees; tava—Your; yasah—reputation; akhila—all; loka-tirtham—auspicious for the planets; gayante—are singing; adi-purusa—O original person; anupatham—along the path; bhajante—they are engaged in transcendental loving service; prayah—almost; ami—these; muni-ganah—great saintly persons; bhavadiya—in relation with You; mukhyah—very advanced devotees; gudham—unknown; vane—in the forest; api—although; na—not; jahati—give up; anagha—O personality of transcendental goodness; atma-daivam—their worshipable Deity.

TRANSLATION

" ’O good fortune personified! O original Personality of Godhead, all these bees are chanting about Your transcendental fame, which will purify the entire universe. Indeed, they are following Your path in the forest and are worshiping You. Actually they are all saintly persons, but now they have taken the form of bees. Although You are playing like a human being, they could not forget that You are their worshipable Deity.’

PURPORT

This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.15.6). Krsna and Balarama were just on the verge of boyhood and were entering the forest of Vrndavana when Krsna began to offer prayers to please Balarama.

Madhya24.178

TEXT 178

sarasi sarasa-hamsa-vihangas

caru-gita-hrta-cetasa etya

harim upasata te yata-citta

hanta milita-drso dhrta-maunah

SYNONYMS

sarasi—in the water; sarasa—cranes; hamsa—swans; vihangah—birds; caru-gita—by the melodious song of Krsna’s flute; hrta-cetasah—devoid of material consciousness; etya—coming near; harim—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; upasata—worshiped; te—all of them; yata-cittah—with full attention; hanta—alas; milita-drsah—closing their eyes; dhrta-maunah—completely silent.

TRANSLATION

" ’All the cranes and swans in the water are being enchanted by the melodious song of Krsna’s flute. They have approached and are worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead with full attention. Alas, they are closing their eyes and are becoming completely silent.’

PURPORT

This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.35.11). In the day, Krsna went to the forest of Vrndavana, and at that time, the gopis, being morose due to separation from Him, were lamenting in this way.

Madhya24.179

TEXT 179

kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa

abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah

ye ’nye ca papa yad-upasrayasrayah

sudhyanti tasmai prabhavisnave namah

SYNONYMS

kirata—the aborigines named Kiratas; huna—the Hunas; andhra—Andhras; pulinda—Pulindas; pulkasah—Pulkasas; abhira—Abhiras; sumbhah—Sumbhas; yavanah—persons who do not follow the Vedic injunctions and who eat cow’s flesh; khasa-adayah—Khasas and others; ye—those who; anye—similar others; ca—also; papah—sinful persons; yat—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; upasraya—of the devotees; asrayah—taking shelter; sudhyanti—become purified; tasmai—unto Him, Lord Visnu, because of whom they become purified; prabhavisnave—to Lord Visnu, the most powerful; namah—respectful obeisances.

TRANSLATION

" ’Kirata, Huna, Andhra, Pulinda, Pulkasa, Abhira, Sumbha, Yavana and the Khasa races and even others who are addicted to sinful acts can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord due to His being the supreme power. I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.’

PURPORT

This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.4.18). This verse was spoken by Sukadeva Gosvami when Pariksit Maharaja asked him for a description of the creation. While offering obeisances to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sukadeva Gosvami described the unlimited potencies of Lord Visnu, who can purify the lowborn creatures mentioned herein.

Madhya24.180

TEXT 180

kimva’dhrti’-sabde nija-purnatadi-jnana kaya

duhkhabhave uttama-praptye maha-purna haya

SYNONYMS

kimva—or; dhrtidhrti; sabde—by this word; nija—own; purnata-adi—perfection and so on; jnana—knowledge; kaya—says; duhkha-abhave—in the absence of all material miseries; uttama—the best; praptye—by obtaining; maha-purna haya—becomes perfectly perfect.

TRANSLATION

"The word dhrti is also used when one is fully perfect in knowledge. When due to having obtained the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he has no material miseries, he attains maha-purna, the highest level of perfection.

Madhya24.181

TEXT 181

dhrtih syat purnata jnana-

duhkhabhavottamaptibhih

apraptatita-nastartha-

nabhisamsocanadikrt

SYNONYMS

dhrtih—endurance; syat—may become; purnata—fullness; jnana—knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; duhkha-abhava—the absence of misery; uttama-aptibhih—by attainment of the highest platform of perfection; aprapta—not obtained; atita—gone; nasta—destroyed; artha—object, goal; anabhisam-socana—absence of lamentation; adi—and so on; krt—doing.

TRANSLATION

" ’Dhrti is the fullness felt by the absence of misery and brought about by receiving knowledge of the Supreme Lord and by obtaining pure love for Him. The lamentation that accrues from not obtaining a goal or by loss of something already attained does not affect this completeness.’

PURPORT

This verse is found in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (2.4.144).

Madhya24.182

TEXT 182

krsna-bhakta--duhkha-hina, vanchantara-hina

krsna-prema-seva-purnananda-pravina

SYNONYMS

krsna-bhakta—a devotee of Lord Krsna; duhkha-hina—not under miserable material conditions; vancha-antara-hina—he has no other desire than to serve Krsna; krsna-prema—love of Krsna; seva—service; purna-ananda—full in transcendental bliss; pravina—and very expert or experienced in all subject matters.

TRANSLATION

"A devotee of Krsna is never in a miserable condition, nor does he have any desire other than to serve Krsna. He is experienced and advanced. He feels the transcendental bliss of love of Krsna and always engages in His service fully protected.

Madhya24.183

TEXT 183

mat-sevaya pratitam te

salokyadi-catustayam

necchanti sevaya purnah

kuto ’nyat kala-viplutam

SYNONYMS

mat—of Me; sevaya—by service; pratitam—obtained; te—they; salokya-adi—liberation, beginning with salokya; catustayam—the four kinds of; na icchanti—do not desire; sevaya—by service; purnah—complete; kutah—where; anyat—other things; kala-viplutam—which are lost in time.

TRANSLATION

" ’My devotees, having fulfilled their desires by serving Me, do not accept the four kinds of salvation that are easily earned by such service. Why then should they accept any pleasures that are lost in the course of time?’

PURPORT

This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (9.4.67).

Madhya24.184

TEXT 184

hrsikese hrsikani

yasya sthairya-gatani hi

sa eva dhairyam apnoti

samsare jiva-cancale

SYNONYMS

hrsikese—to the master of the senses; hrsikani—all the senses; yasya—whose; sthairya-gatani—fixed; hi—certainly; sah—that person; eva—of course; dhairyam apnoti—attains the position of dhairya, endurance; samsare—in the material world; jiva-cancale—where everyone is disturbed.

TRANSLATION

"In this material world, all living entities are disturbed due to their flickering position. A devotee, however, is fixed in the service of the lotus feet of the Lord, the master of the senses. Such a person is to be considered situated in endurance and patience.

Madhya24.185

TEXT 185

’ca’--avadharane, iha ’api’--samuccaye

dhrtimanta hana bhaje paksi-murkha-caye

SYNONYMS

ca—the word ca; avadharane—in emphasis; iha—here; api—the word api; samuccaye—in the sense of an aggregate; dhrtimanta—fully saturated; hana—becoming; bhaje—worship; paksi-murkha-caye—dull creatures like the birds, the most foolish.

TRANSLATION

"The word ca is for emphasis, and the word api is used as an aggregate. It is to be understood that even dull creatures [birds and illiterates] can also be situated in endurance and engage in Krsna’s devotional service.

Madhya24.186

TEXT 186

’atma’-sabde ’buddhi’ kahe buddhi-visesa

samanya-buddhi-yukta yata jiva avasesa

SYNONYMS

atma-sabde—by the word atma; buddhi—intelligence; kahe—it is said; buddhi-visesa—a particular type of intelligence; samanya-buddhi-yukta—endowed with common intelligence; yata—all; jiva—living entities; avasesa—the rest.

TRANSLATION

"The word atma is also used for a particular type of intelligence. Since all living entities generally have some intelligence, more or less, they are included.

Madhya24.187

TEXT 187

buddhye rame atmarama--dui ta’ prakara

’pandita’ muni-gana, nirgrantha ’murkha’ ara

SYNONYMS

buddhye—in intelligence; rame—who enjoys; atmarama—is atmarama; dui ta ’ prakara—two varieties; pandita—learned; muni-gana—philosophers; nirgrantha—without education; murkha—foolish; ara—also.

TRANSLATION

"Everyone has some kind of intelligence, and one who utilizes his intelligence is called atmarama. There are two types of atmarama. One is a learned scholar and a philosopher, and the other is an uneducated, illiterate and foolish person.

Madhya24.188

TEXT 188

krsna-krpaya sadhu-sange rati-buddhi paya

saba chadi’ suddha-bhakti kare krsna-paya

SYNONYMS

krsna-krpaya—by the mercy of Krsna; sadhu-sange—in the association of devotees; rati-buddhi—devotional attraction and intelligence; paya—one obtains; saba chadi’-giving up everything; suddha-bhakti—pure devotional service; kare—performs; krsna-paya—at the lotus feet of Krsna.

TRANSLATION

"By the mercy of Krsna and by the association of devotees, one increases his attraction to and intelligence for pure devotional service; therefore one gives up everything and engages himself at the lotus feet of Krsna and His pure devotees.

Madhya24.189

TEXT 189

aham sarvasya prabhavo

mattah sarvam pravartate

iti matva bhajante mam

budha bhava-samanvitah

SYNONYMS

aham—I, Lord Krsna; sarvasya—of everyone; prabhavah—the original source; mattah—from Me; sarvam—everything; pravartate—emanates; iti—thus; matva—understanding; bhajante—they engage in devotional service; mam—to Me; budhah—those who are learned; bhava-samanvitah—with love and devotion.

TRANSLATION

" ’I [Krsna] am the original source of everything. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My service with love and devotion.’

PURPORT

This is a quotation from Bhagavad-gita (10.8).

Madhya24.190

TEXT 190

te vai vidanty atitaranti ca deva-mayam

stri-sudra-huna-sabara api papa-jivah

yady adbhuta-krama-parayana-sila-siksas

tiryag-jana api kimu sruta-dharana ye

SYNONYMS

te—all of them; vai—certainly; vidanti—understand; atitaranti—cross over; ca—also; deva-mayam—the influence of the external illusory energy; stri—women; sudra—fourth-class men; huna—uncivilized hill tribes; sabarah—and hunters; api—even; papa-jivah—sinful creatures; yadi—if; adbhuta-krama—of the performer of wonderful activities; parayana—of the devotees; sila-siksah—characteristics and education; tiryak-janah—birds and beasts; api—even; kimu—what to speak of; sruta-dharanah ye—persons advanced in the education of Vedic knowledge.

TRANSLATION

" ’Women, fourth-class men, uncivilized hill tribes, hunters and many others born of low families, as well as birds and beasts, can engage in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead-who acts very wonderfully-and follow the path of the devotees and take lessons from them. Although the ocean of nescience is vast, they can still cross over it. What, then, is the difficulty for those who are advanced in Vedic knowledge?’

PURPORT

This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.7.46). Lord Brahma said this when speaking to his disciple Narada about the wonderful characteristics of Lord Visnu. Simply by chanting the glories of Lord Visnu, one can cross the ocean of nescience, even though one may be lowborn.

Madhya24.191

TEXT 191

vicara kariya yabe bhaje krsna-paya

sei buddhi dena tanre, yate krsna paya

SYNONYMS

vicara—consideration; kariya—doing; yabe—when; bhaje—one worships; krsna-paya—at the lotus feet of Krsna; sei buddhi—that intelligence; dena—gives; tanre—to him; yate—by which; krsna paya—one gets the shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna.

TRANSLATION

"Considering all these points, when one engages in the service of Krsna’s lotus feet, Krsna gives one the intelligence by which he can gradually progress toward perfection in service to the Lord.

Madhya24.192

TEXT 192

tesam satata-yuktanam

bhajatam priti-purvakam

dadami buddhi-yogam tam

yena mam upayanti te

SYNONYMS

tesam—to them; satata-yuktanam—always engaged; bhajatam—in devotional service; priti-purvakam—in loving ecstasy; dadami—I give; buddhi-yogam—real intelligence; tam—that; yena—by which; mam—unto Me; upayanti—come; te—they.

TRANSLATION

" ’To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.’

PURPORT

This is a quotation from Bhagavad-gita (10.10).

Madhya24.193

TEXT 193

sat-sanga, krsna-seva, bhagavata, nama

vraje vasa,--ei panca sadhana pradhana

SYNONYMS

sat-sanga—association with devotees; krsna-seva—engagement in the service of Krsna; bhagavata—devotees and the book known as Srimad-Bhagavatam; nama—the chanting of the holy name; vraje vasa—residence in Vrndavana or Mathura; ei—these; panca—five; sadhana pradhana—the chief processes of devotion.

TRANSLATION

"To be elevated to the platform of devotional service, the following five items should be observed: association with devotees, engagement in the service of Lord Krsna, the reading of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the chanting of the holy names and residence at Vrndavana or Mathura.

Madhya24.194

TEXT 194

ei-panca-madhye eka ’svalpa’ yadi haya

subuddhi janera haya krsna-premodaya

SYNONYMS

ei—these; panca-madhye—out of the five; eka—of only one; svalpa—a small quantity; yadi—if; haya—there is; su-buddhi—intelligent; janera—of the person; haya—there is; krsna-prema-udaya—awakening of dormant love for Krsna.

TRANSLATION

"One’s dormant love for Krsna gradually awakens if one is a little advanced in one of these five items and is intelligent.

Madhya24.195

TEXT 195

duruhadbhuta-virye ’smin

sraddha dure ’stu pancake

yatra svalpo ’pi sambandhah

saddhiyam bhava-janmane

SYNONYMS

duruha—difficult to be reconciled; adbhuta—wonderful; virye—in the power; asmin—in this; sraddha—faith; dure—far away; astu—let it be; pancake—in the above-mentioned five principles; yatra—in which; svalpah—a little; api—even; sambandhah—connection; sat-dhiyam—of those who are intelligent and offenseless; bhava-janmane—to awaken one’s dormant love for Krsna.

TRANSLATION

" ’The power of these five principles is very wonderful and difficult to reconcile. Even without faith in them, a person who is offenseless can experience dormant love of Krsna simply by being a little connected with them.’

PURPORT

This verse is also found in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.238).

Madhya24.196

TEXT 196

udara mahati yanra sarvottama buddhi

nana kame bhaje, tabu paya bhakti-siddhi

SYNONYMS

udara—liberal; mahati—great; yanra—whose; sarva-uttama—first-class; buddhi—intelligence; nana—various; kame—with desires; bhaje—engages in devotional service; tabu—still; paya—gets; bhakti-siddhi—perfection in devotional service.

TRANSLATION

"If a person is actually liberal and intelligent, he can advance and become perfect in devotional service even if he has material desires and serves the Lord with some motive.

Madhya24.197

TEXT 197

akamah sarva-kamo va

moksa-kama udara-dhih

tivrena bhakti-yogena

yajeta purusam param

SYNONYMS

akamah—without material desires; sarva-kamah—full of all material desires; va—or; moksa-kamah—desiring liberation; udara-dhih—sincere and advanced in devotional service; tivrena—firm; bhakti-yogena—by the practice of bhakti-yoga; yajeta—should worship; purusam param—the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

TRANSLATION

" ’Whether one desires everything or nothing, or whether he desires to merge into the existence of the Lord, he is intelligent only if he worships Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by rendering transcendental loving service.’

PURPORT

This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.3.10).

Madhya24.198

TEXT 198

bhakti-prabhava,--sei kama chadana

krsna-pade bhakti karaya gune akarsiya

SYNONYMS

bhakti-prabhava—the influence of devotional service; sei—that; kama—material desire; chadana—causing to give up; krsna-pade—unto the lotus feet of Krsna; bhakti karaya—engages in devotional service; gune—by transcendental qualities; akarsiya—attracting.

TRANSLATION

"Devotional service is so strong that when one engages in it, he gradually gives up all material desires and becomes fully attracted to the lotus feet of Krsna. All this is brought about by attraction for the transcendental qualities of the Lord.

Madhya24.199

TEXT 199

satyam disaty arthitam arthito nrnam

naivarthado yat punar arthita yatah

svayam vidhatte bhajatam anicchatam

iccha-pidhanam nija-pada-pallavam

SYNONYMS

satyam—it is true; disati—He awards; arthitam—that which is desired; arthitah—being requested; nrnam—by human beings; na—not; eva—certainly; artha-dah—giving desired things; yat—which; punah—again; arthita—request; yatah—from which; svayam—Himself; vidhatte—He gives; bhajatam—of those engaged in devotional service; anicchatam—even though not desiring; iccha-pidhanam—covering all other desires; nija-pada-pallavam—the shelter of His own lotus feet.

TRANSLATION

" ’Whenever Krsna is requested to fulfill one’s desire, He undoubtedly does so, but He does not award anything which, after being enjoyed, will cause someone to petition Him again and again to fulfill further desires. When one has other desires but engages in the Lord’s service, Krsna forcibly gives one shelter at His lotus feet, where one will forget all other desires.’

PURPORT

This verse is from Srimad-Bhagavatam (5.19.27).

Madhya24.200

TEXT 200

’atma’-sabde ’svabhava’ kahe, tate yei rame

atmarama jiva yata sthavara-jangame

SYNONYMS

atma-sabde—by the word atma; svabhava—nature; kahe—is sometimes said; tate—in that; yei rame—one who takes pleasure; atmarama—called atmarama; jiva—the living entities; yata—all of them; sthavara-jangame—the moving and nonmoving.

TRANSLATION

"Another meaning of the word atma is ’one’s characteristic nature.’ Whoever enjoys his particular type of nature is called atmarama. Therefore, all living entities-be they moving or nonmoving-are also called atmarama.

Madhya24.201

TEXT 201

jivera svabhava--krsna-’dasa’-abhimana

dehe atma-jnane acchadita sei ’jnana’

SYNONYMS

jivera svabhava—the original characteristic of all living entities; krsna-dasa—servant of Krsna; abhimana—the conception; dehe—in the material body; atma-jnane—by the conception of the self; acchadita—covered; sei jnana—that original consciousness.

TRANSLATION

"The original nature of every living entity is to consider himself the eternal servant of Krsna. However, under the influence of maya, he thinks himself to be the body, and thus his original consciousness is covered.

Madhya24.202

TEXT 202

ca-sabde ’eva’, ’api’-sabda samuccaye

’atmarama eva’ hana sri-krsna bhajaye

SYNONYMS

ca-sabde—by the word ca; eva—the word eva; api-sabda—the word api; samuccaye—in the sense of aggregation; atmaramah eva—all the atmaramas (all kinds of living entities); hana—being; sri-krsna bhajaye—become engaged in the service of Lord Krsna.

TRANSLATION

"In that case, by the word ca, the word eva is meant. The word api can be taken in the sense of aggregation. Thus the verse would read atmarama eva; that is, ’even all kinds of living beings worship Krsna.’

PURPORT

It is here mentioned that every living entity is atmarama. Temporarily covered by the influence of maya, the living entity serves his senses, which are represented as kama-krodha-lobha-moha-mada-matsarya. In the material condition, all living entities are engaged in sense gratification, but when they associate with devotees who follow the regulative principles, they become purified and awakened to their original consciousness. They then attempt to satisfy the senses of Lord Krsna and engage in His devotional service.

Madhya24.203

TEXT 203

ei jiva--sanakadi saba muni-jana

’nirgrantha’--murkha, nica, sthavara-pasu-gana

SYNONYMS

ei jiva—these living entities; sanaka-adi saba muni-jana—all the great personalities, such as Sanaka and Sanatana; nirgrantha—down to the illiterate; murkha—foolish person; nica—lowborn; sthavara—the trees and plants; pasu-gana—the beasts and birds.

TRANSLATION

"Living entities include great personalities like the four Kumaras, low-class foolish people, trees, plants, birds and beasts.

Madhya24.204

TEXT 204

vyasa-suka-sanakadira prasiddha bhajana

’nirgrantha’ sthavaradira suna vivarana

SYNONYMS

vyasa—of Vyasadeva; suka—of Sukadeva Gosvami; sanaka-adira—of the four Kumaras; prasiddha bhajana—the devotional service is celebrated; nirgrantha—foolish, uneducated; sthavara-adira—of the immovable elements; suna vivarana—hear the description.

TRANSLATION

"The devotional service of Vyasa, Suka and the four Kumaras has already been well celebrated. Now let Me explain how immovable living entities like trees and plants engage in the Lord’s devotional service.

Madhya24.205

TEXT 205

krsna-krpadi-hetu haite sabara udaya

krsna-gunakrsta hana tanhare bhajaya

SYNONYMS

krsna-krpa-adi-hetu—the reason of Krsna’s mercy; haite—from; sabara udaya—anyone becomes a devotee; krsna-guna-akrsta hana—being attracted by the transcendental qualities of Krsna; tanhare—Him; bhajaya—worship.

TRANSLATION

"Everyone is eligible to receive Krsna’s mercy-including Vyasadeva, the four Kumaras, Sukadeva Gosvami, lowborn creatures, trees, plants and beasts. By Krsna’s mercy they are elevated and engaged in His service.

PURPORT

This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gita wherein the Lord says:

mam hi partha vyapasritya
ye ’pi syuh papa-yonayah
striyo vaisyas tatha sudras
te ’pi yanti param gatim

“O son of Prtha, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth-women, vaisyas [merchants], as well as sudras [workers]-can approach the supreme destination.” (9.32)

Everyone is eligible to become Krsna’s devotee. One simply has to be trained according to the approved process. It is the work of Krsna’s confidential devotees to turn everyone into a Krsna bhakta. If the confidential devotees do not take up the task of elevating everyone to Krsna consciousness, then who will do it? Those who claim to be devotees but do not engage in Krsna’s service to elevate all living creatures to Krsna consciousness are to be considered kanistha-adhikaris (people in the lowest stage of devotional service). When one rises to the second platform of devotional service, his business is to propagate Krsna consciousness all over the world. Those who are active in the Krsna consciousness movement should not remain in the neophyte stage but should rise to the platform of preachers, the second platform of devotional service. Devotional service is so enchanting that even the first-class devotees (uttama-adhikaris) also come down to the second platform to preach and render service to the Lord for the benefit of the whole world.

Madhya24.206

TEXT 206

dhanyeyam adya dharani trna-virudhas tvat-

pada-sprso druma-latah karajabhimrstah

nadyo ’drayah khaga-mrgah sadayavalokair

gopyo ’ntarena bhujayor api yat-sprha srih

SYNONYMS

dhanya—glorified; iyam—this; adya—today; dharani—the surface of the globe; trna-virudhah—the grass and herbs; tvat—Your; pada-sprsah—from the touch of the lotus feet; druma-latah—the creepers and trees; karaja-abhimrstah—touched by Your nails; nadyah—the rivers; adrayah—the hills; khaga-mrgah—the birds and forest animals; sadaya-avalokaih—because of Your merciful glances; gopyah—the gopis, the damsels of Vraja; antarena—by the region between; bhujayoh—Your two arms; api—also; yat—for which; sprha—desirous; srih—the goddess of fortune.

TRANSLATION

" ’This land Vrndavana [Vrajabhumi] is glorified today. Your lotus feet have touched the earth and grass. Your fingers have touched the trees and creepers, and Your merciful eyes have glanced upon rivers, hills, birds and beasts. The gopis have been embraced by Your arms, and even the goddess of fortune desires this. Now all of these are glorified.’

PURPORT

This verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.15.8) is spoken by Lord Krsna to Sri Balarama.

Next verse (Madhya24.207)