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SB 1-08-20 NY 1973-04-12 Queen Kunti's Humility
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ANNOUNCER: …is a class
on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
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1st Canto, 8th chapter,
text number 20,
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given by His Divine Grace
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda,
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recorded on April 12th,
1973, in New York.
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PRABHUPĀDA: So Kuntīdevī,
she is submissively…
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This is the symptom of Vaiṣṇava.
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The Lord, Kṛṣṇa, has come to
Kuntīdevī to take the dust of her feet.
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Because Kṛṣṇa considers
Kuntīdevī as her aunt,
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To show her respect, Kṛṣṇa used
to touch the feet of Kuntīdevī.
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But Kuntīdevī, although she
is in such exalted position,
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practically on the level of
Yaśodāmāyi, such a great devotee…
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So she is so submissive that “Kṛṣṇa,
You are meant for the paramahaṁsas,
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and what we can see
You? We are women.”
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So as it is said in
the Bhagavad-gītā,
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striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrāḥ
[Bg. 9.32]
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In another place in the
Bhāgavata it is said,
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strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnām
[SB 1.4.25]
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Śūdra, strī and dvijabandhu.
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Dvijabandhu means
those who are born
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in brāhmaṇa family or
kṣatriya family, high caste…
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According to Vedic system,
there are four divisions:
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cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma…
[Bg. 4.13] According to quality and work,
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the first-class man is the
brāhmaṇa, intelligent.
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The next, kṣatriya; the next,
vaiśyas; and next, śūdra.
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So according to this classification, women,
śūdra and dvijabandhu, dvijabandhu,
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they are taken in
the same category.
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Dvijabandhu means born in
brāhmaṇa family, kṣatriya family,
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but has no qualifications.
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The thing is to be
considered by qualification.
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It is very practical.
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Suppose one man is born the
son of a high court judge.
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So it does not mean that because
he’s a son of a high court judge,
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he is also high court
judge; this is going on.
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Because one happens to take
birth in a brāhmaṇa family,
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without any qualification, he
claims to become a brāhmaṇa.
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That is the falldown of
Vedic civilization in India.
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A rascal number one, he’s claiming that
he’s brāhmaṇa—without any qualification.
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His qualification is less than a śūdra; still
he’s claiming; and that is being accepted.
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So it is clearly stated: Guṇa-
karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [BG. 4.13]
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Without qualification…
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The brāhmaṇa means
the qualification.
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It is not this body.
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There are so many arguments,
but they won’t hear.
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They are very much
against, in my movement,
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because I am making brāhmaṇas
from Europe and America.
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They are against me.
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But don’t care, we
don’t care for them.
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Neither any reasonable man
will care for them; but there is a
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propaganda against me.
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Even amongst my Godbrothers, they
are making… Because they cannot do it,
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so find out some fault.
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You see.
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Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says:
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pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma
sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma
[CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126]
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In every town, city, village of the
world, His cult will be preached.
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What is His cult?
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Does it mean that the Europeans and
Americans will not become brāhmaṇa?
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Because Vaiṣṇava cult means past
brahmanism, past brahmanism.
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māṁ ca yo ’vyabhicāreṇa
bhakti-yogena sevate
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sa guṇān samatītyaitān
brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
[Bg. 14.26]
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He, bhakti-yoga, one who
takes to bhakti-yoga,
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he immediately comes to the
transcendental platform, brahma-bhūta.
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What to speak of brāhmaṇa?
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And this stereotyped, crippled
idea has killed Vedic civilization.
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Now we are again reviving.
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It is meant for everyone.
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Kṛṣṇa says,
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māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
ye ’pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
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striyo śūdrās tathā vaiśyās
te ’pi yānti parāṁ gatim
[Bg. 9.32]
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Kṛṣṇa says.
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Although ordinarily we
take striya, means women,
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śūdra and vaiśyas in the lower-class
grade, but when one becomes a devotee,
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the, he is or she is no
more in the lower grade.
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te ’pi yānti parāṁ gatim
[Bg. 9.32]
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The devotional service
is so nice that anyone…
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Ordinarily women is taken less
intelligent; śūdra is taken less intelligent;
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vaiśya is taken less intelligent.
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But if he takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness,
he is the most intelligent.
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kṛṣṇa yei bhaje sei baḍa catura
[Caitanya-caritāmṛta kāṛacā]
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This is the statement in
the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
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Anyone who has taken to Kṛṣṇa
consciousness, he is the most intelligent.
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And Caitanya Mahāprabhu says:
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guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
kona bhāgyavān jīva
[Cc. Madhya 19.151]
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ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
[Cc. Madhya 19.151]
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The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not
for the wretched, unfortunate class of men.
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No.
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It is meant for the
most fortunate man.
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Anyone who has taken
to Kṛṣṇa consciousness,
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he is to be considered as the most
fortunate man because he has got the line
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of action how his
life will be perfect.
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Therefore,
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anyone who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness
and discharging the duties nicely,
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he is the most fortunate
man, most perfect man.
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That is, Kuntīdevī is
humbly submitting.
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Although is womanly
body, she is a devotee.
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She is not like ordinary
woman, less intelligent.
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She is the most in… She has
recognized Kṛṣṇa, that Kṛṣṇa is
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the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.
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“Although He has come to me, materially,
as my nephew, to offer me respect,
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but He is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.”
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Therefore in the
previous verse she said,
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alakṣyaṁ sarva-bhūtānām
antar bahir avasthitam:
[SB 1.8.18]
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“You are not seen by ordinary men,
although You are inside and outside.”
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In another verse also,
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na lakṣyase mūḍha-dṛśā:
[SB 1.8.19]
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“Fools and rascals cannot see You.”
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That means Kuntī sees Him.
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Unless she sees Kṛṣṇa as He is, how she can
say, mūḍha-dṛśā na lakṣyase? [SB 1.8.19]
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And he says, prakṛteḥ param: “You are
transcendental to this material creation.”
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So here also she continues
her humbleness.
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This humbleness is very
good in devotional service.
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Therefore Caitanya, Śrī Kṛṣṇa
Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches us:
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tṛṇād api sunīcena
taror api sahiṣṇunā
[Śikṣāṣṭaka 3]
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One should be tolerant than the
trees and humbler than the grass
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to make progress in spiritual life.
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Because there will be
so many disturbances.
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Because māyā… We are living…
Just like if we are in the ocean.
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So you cannot expect very
peaceful situation in the ocean.
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It must be always tilt, what
is called, tiltering, tilting.
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Even, even a big ship, it is also not
very fixed up position; at any moment
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there may be tumultuous waves.
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So in this material world you
should always expect danger.
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You cannot expect very peaceful
life within this material world.
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padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām
[SB 10.14.58]
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Śāstra says in every
step there is danger.
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But if you become a
devotee, then you escape.
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Māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg. 7.14].
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Otherwise…
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So in the beginning, if you
take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness,
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there will be so many
disturbances by the māyā.
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Māyā will test you how
far you are fixed up.
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She will test you.
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She is also agent of Kṛṣṇa.
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She does not allow anyone who
is meant for disturbing Kṛṣṇa.
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Therefore she tests very rigidly
whether you are…, you have taken
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Kṛṣṇa consciousness to disturb
Kṛṣṇa, or you are actually serious.
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That is māyā’s business.
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So there will be in the
beginning test by the māyā,
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and you will feel so much disturbances in
making progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
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But if you remain steady…
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Steady means if you follow the rules and
regulations and chant sixteen rounds,
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then you will remain steady.
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And if you neglect, then māyā will capture
you, immediately; māyā is always ready.
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We are in the ocean.
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At any moment, we
will be disturbed.
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So therefore one who is not disturbed
at all, he is called paramahaṁsa.
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Therefore Kuntīdevī says: Tathā
paramahaṁsānām [SB 1.8.20]
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Parama means ultimate.
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Haṁsa means swan.
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So paramahaṁsa means
the perfect haṁsa.
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Haṁsa… It is said that if
you… Haṁsa means swan.
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If you give to swan
milk mixed with water,
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she will take the milk part and
leave aside the water part.
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Similarly, a person who knows
what is this material world…
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Material world is made of two natures—the
inferior nature and the superior nature.
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The superior nature means spiritual
life, and inferior nature is material life.
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So a person who gives up the
material part of this world
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and takes only the spiritual
part, he is called paramahaṁsa.
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Paramahaṁsa.
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Spiritual part means
one who knows
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that whatever is working in this material…
Just like this body—your body, my body.
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Anyone who knows
that this movement,
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the activities of this body is due to
the soul which is within this body…
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That is the real fact.
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This is only outward covering.
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Similarly, one who knows that Kṛṣṇa
is the center of these all activities,
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he’s paramahaṁsa.
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He knows the fact.
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So bhakti-yoga is for
the paramahaṁsa,
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one who knows that
Kṛṣṇa is the central fact.
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aham ādir hi devānām
[Bg 10.2]
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mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
[Bg. 10.8]
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So one who knows that Kṛṣṇa is the
cause of all causes, not only theoretically,
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but practically, convinced,
he is paramahaṁsa. [splice]
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So Kuntīdevī, by
humble submission,
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that “You are meant for the
paramahaṁsa, for the amalātmanām,
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for the munīnām and who are engaged
in bhakti-yoga; and what we are?
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We are simply woman.
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We are in the lower grade;
How we can understand You?”
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This is humbleness.
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Although she
understands everything,
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but still she’s taking the
position of an ordinary woman,
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that “How can I understand You?”
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Thank you very much.
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Subtitles by Gopī Kāntā Dāsa, Causelessmercy.com