Excerpt of Speech at Fire Yajna
with South Indian Brahmanas
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Hyderabad, August 16, 1976

Prabhupada: …down to the Sutala planet. And by accepting the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead… The Lord questioned Sukracarya, “What was the discrepancy in the performance of yajna arranged by Bali Maharaja that you cursed him?” Of course, he did not ask that “you cursed him,” but it was understood. Sukracarya admitted that there was no fault. This is the verse. When the Supreme Personality of Godhead is worshiped, there is no discrepancy. In the Kali-yuga it is said in the sastras that yajna is now practically impossible; therefore it is recommended yajnair sankirtanair prayair yajanti hi. So we are very glad that here in southern portion of India, still there are so many respectable yajnic brahmanas, and we see practically how they have nicely performed the yajnas. Now this Krsna consciousness movement is trying to spread this brahminical culture.

namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca jagad-dhitaya krsnaya govindaya namo namah

Jagad-dhitaya krsnaya. Krsna wants welfare of the whole universe. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati [Bg. 4.7]. He comes personally. So we are trying to establish this brahminical culture, go-brahmana-hitaya ca. You’ll be very much pleased that in a country where go-hatya is so prominent, now we have established so many farms in Europe and America. We shall show the pictures how we are giving protection to the cows and how we are trying to revive this brahminical culture all over the world. And they are accepting. It is not that they are rejecting. You can see the presence of so many European and American devotees here. And they are very sincere. They are not superficial. They are very sincere. Their countrymen, the priests, the Christian priests, the Jewish priests, priests, they become surprised that “These young boys, they never cared for any religion or they never cared to come to the church or the synagogue. How they have become so much interested in understanding God as to become a devotee?”

So my request is that India, especially South India… South India is the place for all the acaryas. South India is the place of Ramanujacarya, Sankaracarya, Madhvacarya, Visnu Swami. And we Gaudiya, Madhva-Gaudiya sampradaya… Caitanya Mahaprabhu belongs to the Madhavendra Puri sampradaya. Madhavendra Puri belonged to the Madhva sampradaya; therefore our sampradaya is known as Brahma Madhva-Gaudiya sampradaya. So the purpose of this Krsna consciousness movement is to establish this brahminical culture. Namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca. It is lost, but we are trying to revive it. There is good sign. Not only good sign, there is prediction by the authorities, by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He has predicted that all over the world, prthivite ache yata nagaradi-grama: As many villages and towns are there on the surface of the globe, this Hare Krsna movement would be spread. So my request is that let us join together, not only in India but all over the world. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s order is, krsna bhajanati nahi jati-kuladi-vicara. In the matter of executing devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna, there is no such distinction wherefrom this man is coming, wherefrom this man is coming. Mam hi partha vyapasritya ye ’pi syuh papa-yonayah. Even they are coming from the papa-yoni, it doesn’t matter if one takes to Krsna consciousness—te ’pi yanti param gatim. This philosophy should be followed. I especially request the acaryas, the brahmanas of South India, to take up this cause very seriously. It is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Please do not make any distinction between European Vaisnava, American Vaisnava and Indian Vaisnava. That is my request. And let us combine together and spread this auspicious movement. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s desire.

bharata bhumite manusya-janma haila yara janma sarthaka kari kara para-upakara [Cc. Adi 9.41]

Anyone who has taken birth as a human being on the land of Bharata-varsa… He does not mean the cats and dogs; He means the human beings. Manusya. So in order to fulfill the mission of manusya-janma, we shall try to reestablish the varnasrama-dharma, Varnasramacaravata purusena parah puman, visnur aradhyate, and spread this movement all over the world. There is no charge. Let us cooperate and do the needful.

Thank you very much. (end)