Paṇḍita means those who are learned. Learned means brāhmaṇa, not śūdra. Śūdras, they are not learned. Mlecchas, yavanas, śūdras, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra (SB 2.4.18), so many. Learned means brāhmaṇa. Learned means that one who knows that Brahman. Brahman, the spirit soul, is part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman. So one who has come to that knowledge, that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul; ahaṁ brahmāsmi," that is knowledge. Knowledge begins from there. If one does not reach to that point, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, then he is animal. The animal thinking like that, "I am rickshaw," "I am motorcar," "I am cat," "I am dog," "I am this," "I am that." That is animal thinking. But a person... Learned thinking is that "I am not this body; I am part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman, ahaṁ brahmāsmi." And when you are farther advanced from Brahman knowledge... The knowledge begins from there. When you make further advancement, then you can understand that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." This is perfect knowledge. First of all knowledge begins that "I am not this body."
Mleccha (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Just like these European, American boys, they are not born of a brāhmaṇa family. According to Vedic understanding, they are born in the family of mleccha or yavana, or caṇḍāla, like that. There are different terms. But Bhāgavata says, never mind what he is, or Bhagavad-gītā says never mind what he is. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find the statement by Kṛṣṇa, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32), anyone, it doesn't matter what he is, even he's born in sinful family, it doesn't matter if he takes shelter of Me. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatiḥ, they all are promoted to the supreme planet, back to home, back to Godhead.
Kṣatriya's business is, in the battlefield, either to become victorious or lay down life. That is kṣatriya. He is not coming back from the battlefield without being victorious, no. That is kṣatriya's business. Not like.... kṣatriya, therefore, they are in charge of the government. Nowadays the kṣatriyas, they do not go to the government. Practically there is no kṣatriya. That is stated in the śāstras. Asaṁskṛtāḥ kriyā-hīnā mlecchā rājanya-rūpiṇaḥ. Mleccha. They have no that kṣatriya qualification, mleccha, unclean. Mleccha means unclean, without any Vedic culture. They are called mleccha. Anyone. It does not mean that any particular class of men is called mleccha. Anyone who is unclean and does not abide by the injunction of the Vedas, they are called mleccha, yavana. That is the shastric term. So Kṛṣṇa says for the upkeep of the society, there must be this cultural division of the society, namely varṇa and āśrama. But at the present moment people do not know what is the aim of life. They do not know.
So one does not understand what is Kṛṣṇa, then what to speak of loving Kṛṣṇa? If you don't understand somebody, how you will love him? But through the method given by Lord Caitanya, if we accept, it becomes so easy that even mlecchas and yavanas, who never heard of Kṛṣṇa, they are dancing in ecstasy for kṛṣṇa-prema. So if we actually want that siddhi, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3), that perfection of life, we must take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It teaches how to surrender unto Kṛṣṇa. If we surrender to dog, forgetting Kṛṣṇa, we are under the clutches of māyā.
Now, it is stated in that chapter that in the Kali-yuga the mlecchā rājanya-rūpiṇo bhakṣayiṣyanti prajās te. The government will be all mlecchas, not the kṣatriyas. Mlecchas. Mlecchā rājanya-rūpiṇaḥ. They'll take the post of government post, government service. And their business will be bhakṣayiṣyanti prajās te, they'll devour all the prajās. And in this way the prajās will be so much, I mean to say, distressed that gacchanti giri-kānanam. Gacchanti giri-kānanam. They will be so much, I mean to say, harassed that they will give up their home and hearth and go to the forest. That time is coming.
All unwanted things: no smoking, no intoxication, no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling. We make this condition before making a student. It is not that "You, you will remain a śūdra, mleccha, and I make you a disciple. I'll never touch you, I'll never touch your food (foot?), and I become your guru." It is not this guru business. It is not guru business. Guru must transfer his qualities to the student. How it is there that a man makes one's person as disciple and he remains a śūdra? What is this nonsense? Can śūdra be initiated? No. No śūdra can be initiated. Dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇam, tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām. This is Sanātana Gosvāmī's injunction.
Initiation means making him dvijatvam. Tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām. How an initiated person can remain a śūdra? This is going on. Therefore they are thinking that "These American, they are mlecchas and yavana. How they can become sannyāsī?" This is nonsense. How a sannyāsī can become a yavana? He must be elevated from the yavana position.
This is Caitanya cult. So one who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, does he remain a yavana, a śūdra? What is this nonsense? But this against propaganda going on against this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that "Swami Bhaktivedanta is giving sannyāsa to the yavanas, to the mlecchas." What is this rascaldom? Can yavana be sannyāsa? Can yavana become a devotee? No. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhir, arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhir. The most obnoxious thing, most obnoxious. They all fools, I can challenge. In Hyderabad, so many caste brāhmaṇas came to challenge me. The caste brāhmaṇa. No. No caste brāhmaṇas. Caste brāhmaṇa... Brāhmaṇa means catur varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Śrīdhara Swami says, "Yes." (Sanskrit) It is exactly to the point of śāstra. Otherwise it is not possible to make them so perfect. So the propaganda against us is false.
Śaucam, cleanliness. That is very essential. This morning I was talking with Tamal Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī. Cleanliness is... As soon as you give up cleanliness, you become mleccha and yavana. Mleccha, yavana, these two names have come into Vedic śāstras, one who is unclean." Why there was always misunderstanding between the Hindus and the Muslims? I am talking of practical life. Because the Muslims were very unclean and the Hindus are supposed... now Hindus are less than Muslim, less than Muslim. And still, they are claiming... Śaucam. They are most unclean at the present moment, so deteriorated.
Anyone can be born of lowborn, śūdra-born, or lower than śūdra born, but by this process, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ ye 'nye ca pāpā (SB 2.4.18)—more than, still lower born—śudhyanti prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ. That is the wonderful, I mean to say, power of the Supreme Lord. So we are trying to bring everyone—Hindus, Muslims, or mlecchas, Yavanas, Kirāta, Āndhras—anyone come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no limitation. We don't say, "No. Because you are born in this family, you can not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Everyone can. Just like in Africa, they are also taking. They are becoming Vaiṣṇava.
Suppose you are born in a brāhmaṇa family. It does not mean that you cannot become an asura. And even if in Europe and America if you are born or in the mleccha and yavana family, it does not mean that you cannot become a brāhmaṇa. No. Kṛṣṇa says openly, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Pāpa-yoni, low-born. Pāpa-yoni. There are... They are mentioned in the śāstras, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ (SB 2.4.18). They are considered as caṇḍāla, less than the śūdras. Kirāta means Africans, the black. In our country also there are santals, very black. They live in the forest. Every country aborigines. They are called kirāta. So Huns... There are Huns on the northern side of Germany. Āndhra, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ. Many. But Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that they can be purified, śudhyanti prabhaviṣṇave, if they become Vaiṣṇava. Prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ. If one becomes Vaiṣṇava, then he is transcendental to this material designation.
Anyone who wants to become a brāhmaṇa, he can become brāhmaṇa. Of course, the, what is called, conservative class of men, they come to fight with us that "How you are making brāhmaṇas from the European and American people? They are mlecchas and yavana." No. That is not shastric injunction. Shastric injunction is there. It is spoken by Nārada Muni, not ordinary person, but the great authority Nārada. He was instructing about this varṇāśrama-dharma to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, and he said, he summarized, "My dear king,"
- yasya yal lakṣaṇaṁ proktaṁ
- puṁso varṇābhivyañjakam
- yad anyatrāpi dṛśyeta
- tat tenaiva vinirdiśet
- (SB 7.11.35)
This is instruction. So here is the lakṣaṇam, symptom, who is brāhmaṇa: śamaḥ. Śamaḥ means controlling the sense, controlling the mind. In every circumstances mind is steady; that is called śamaḥ. And damaḥ means senses, controlling the senses.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Asaṁskṛtāḥ kriyā-hīnā mlecchā rājanya-rūpiṇaḥ. That is stated in the Śrīmad... Asaṁskṛta. The present government men, they did not go any saṁskāra. Formerly, the kings, they... The higher castes, never mind he is king or not, but higher caste... Therefore they claimed higher. Not claimed. Actually they were. The brāhmaṇas and the kṣatriyas especially, and also the vaiśyas, they went the saṁskāra, reformatory. Just like saṁskāra means educational process, to elevate one. Just like we send to school, college, for elevating a child to the higher standard of life, knowledge, similarly, these saṁskāras also like that. One must undergo the saṁskāras, the reformatory method, and act in life.
"Generally, a man is born as ordinary being, and by the purificatory process, he is born for the second time." That is called dvija. Even a man is born, so he is not accepted as human being. Because unless the purificatory process is there, he cannot be accepted as human being. Therefore unless in any society the varṇāśrama-dharma is not there, they are not human beings. They are called animals or mlecchas, yavanas. Civilized society means he must know, he must (have) undergone all the regulative principles. But at the present moment, in the Bhāgavata it is said, asaṁskṛta: "without any reformatory method." All these posts, government posts, are occupied by persons asaṁskṛtāḥ kriyā-hīnā mlecchā rājanya-rūpiṇaḥ. So what will be their business? They do not know what is the responsibility of government. They do not know.
In the Kali-yuga almost every person is a śūdra. Therefore there is so much chaos. The government is managed by the śūdras or less than śūdras, mleccha. Mleccha-rājendra-rūpiṇaḥ. Mlecchas have taken the post of government. It is meant for the kṣatriyas, means qualified kṣatriya, very brave, very powerful, very charitable, not going away when there is fight. That is kṣatriya's position. Brāhmaṇa means satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. So people should be trained up as brāhmaṇa, as kṣatriya, as vaiśya. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). The vaiśya's duty is to produce food grains, agriculture, and give protection to the cows, and if you have got surplus foodstuff, you can make trade where there is shortage.
Don't think that "These Europeans, Americans, they are mlecchas and yavanas. They cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is only meant for the brāhmaṇas or kṣatriyas." They are brāhmaṇa. Caṇḍālo 'pi dvija-śreṣṭho hari-bhakti-parāyaṇaḥ. Anyone who becomes a devotee, he is better than a brāhmaṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). It doesn't matter wherever he is born. Pāpa-yonayaḥ. Striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim.
Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya, discharging one's own occupational duties. Svanuṣṭhi-tasya dharmasya. According to Vedic system, there are four kinds of social orders, and each one of them have particular duties. Just like the brāhmaṇas, they have got their particular duties; kṣatriyas, they have got their particular duties; vaiśyas, they have also, and the śūdras. And those who do not follow the Vedic principle, they are called pañcamal, or sometimes, if they do not follow the rules and regulation, then they are called mlecchas and yavanas.
Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Not that "Keep the śūdras or the mlecchas in the downtrodden position, and let me advance." No. Everyone should cooperate. Why the śūdras or mlecchas and yavanas should remain as such? Actually, India's falldown is meant by that process. Nobody cared. So many Muslims, they converted, but the higher caste, they did not care. "Oh, they have become Muslims. Reject them." Why reject? Kṛṣṇa says,
- māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
- ye pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
- striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
- te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim
- (BG 9.32)
Why these Muslims were neglected? Why they were not turned into Vaiṣṇavas, just like we are doing? This is the fault of the leaders. Therefore India is now divided, Pakistan and Hindustan.
By training, one becomes vaiśya, one becomes kṣatriya, one becomes brāhmaṇa. Where is that training? All śūdras. And how can you expect good government, śūdra government? All the śūdras are taking vote by hook and crook. And they are occupying government post. Therefore their only business is..., Kali, in this age especially, mlecchā rājanya-rūpiṇaḥ, eating and drinking, eating flesh, drinking wine. Mlecchas, yavanas, they are accepting government post. What good government you can expect? Forget, forget good government for millions of years, unless you establish this varṇāśrama-dharma. There is no question of good government. There must be first-class kṣatriya who can take charge of the government. Just like Parīkṣit Mahārāja.
Kṛṣṇa says. Sarva-yoniṣu. It doesn't matter in what form the living entity is there, but Kṛṣṇa claims that He is the father, He is the father. So either brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya or vaiśya or śūdra or mleccha, yavana, or white, black, European, American—anyone—he should know that the original cause is Kṛṣṇa. This is perfection of life.
Suppose yesterday I was a caṇḍāla. Now by this time there is dehāntara, and if I am purified by initiation... So this argument... Dehāntara, is already there. Scientifically, in modern understanding, and on the authority of Kṛṣṇa's statement, dehāntara is going on. Not that somebody was European or... We take Europeans as mlecchas or yavanas. Yes, he was yesterday mleccha and yavanas, but he has changed his body, and after changing if he's initiated, then dehāntara. Śudhyanti, he's purified. Śudhyanti.
Don't think that these Europeans or Americans, they are mlecchas and yavanas. That is aparādha. Offense. Because they are sādhu. They do not know... They have accepted Kṛṣṇa without any hodgepodge understanding, that "This is also good, this is also good, this is also good." They are strictly following the instruction of their spiritual master. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Even a small child in our association, Śyāmasundara's daughter, she would go to somebody, she was only five years old. She would ask, "Do you know Kṛṣṇa?" So somebody said, "No, I do not know." "Oh, Supreme Personality of Godhead." She would preach like that. So they are convinced, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. This conviction is the foremost quality. Then other things will follow.
Those who are born in the family of mlecchas, yavanas, or the śvapacas, they are called pāpa-yoni. But Kṛṣṇa says, "Even they, the born in the pāpa-yoni..." Yathā bījaṁ yathā, yathā bījaṁ yathā yoni. The father is the bījam. He gives the semina, and mother is the source of birth. So combination of father, mother... So pāpa-yoni. Therefore yoni. Yoni means source of birth. So Kṛṣṇa says pāpa-yonayaḥ, plural number, yonayaḥ. Yoni, this word, śabda, so the plural number, yonayaḥ... There are many different types... That is also mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. What are that? Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ ye 'nye ca pāpāḥ (SB 2.4.18). These are mentioned, pāpa-yoni. And less than them, if there are still pāpa-yoni, śudhyanti yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ, if such persons take shelter of a pure devotee, he's śudhyanti. This is the shastric injunction.
Kalki avatāra will simply come to cut the throat only. That will be the preaching. That will be preaching. Mleccha-nivaha-nidhane kalayasi karavālam, karālam. Karālam means death personified. Mleccha-nidhane. Mleccha means meat-eaters. Those who are meat-eaters, fish-eaters, they are mlecchas. Mleccha-yavana, they are called, according to Vedic... So people are becoming meat-eaters nowadays. I have... There is no secrecy. Formerly, at least in India, the meat-eaters used to eat meat very secretly. We had seen in our childhood. If somebody will meat-eat, it was not allowed within the house. They, formerly, rich men, they used to keep Muslim servants as the caretaker of the horse or the carriage driver. So in the (horse)(?) stable(?) they would secretly cook some meat, and the so-called Babu, Zamindar, will eat. It was not allowed.
So meat-eaters means mleccha. So now that is increasing, meat-eaters. So when wholesale population will be meat-eaters, mleccha, they'll not understand anything about spiritual matter—"Why it is forbidden?" because the meat-eaters, they cannot understand anything about spiritual matter. It is very difficult. Vinā paśughnāt.
So in Śaṅkara-sampradāya, strictly, unless one is born in brāhmaṇa family, he's not offered sannyāsa. He's not given sannyāsa. So far we are concerned, we also offer sannyāsa to the brāhmaṇa, not to the śūdras. But according to quality we create brāhmaṇa, not that we are offering sannyāsa to the śūdras, No. The principle is: sannyāsa can be offered only to the brāhmaṇas. So one may not mistake that we are offering to the..., offering sannyāsa to the mlecchas, yavanas, as they complain. Some of my Godbrothers, they criticize like that, that I am offering sannyāsa to the mlecchas, yavanas. This is wrong idea. This is nārakī-buddhi. Actually, a Vaiṣṇava is above this varṇāśrama-dharma.
Śūdra means one who has no education, no culture. That is called śūdra. So that is the remnants. First of all, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśyas, and others, those who have no sufficient brain, they are counted as śūdra. Still, śūdras have also prescribed duties. If there are others, those who are less than śūdras, or even the śūdra qualities are wanting, they are doing anything and everything without any control, they are called mleccha-yavana. Mleccha-yavana. This is the pañcama, fifth-grade. First grade, brāhmaṇa; second grade, kṣatriya; third grade, vaiśyas; fourth grade, śūdras; and all others, rejected, fifth grade, they are called caṇḍālas, caṇḍāla.
The yavanas' names are there also. Yavana-mleccha means generally they are meat-eaters, especially cow meat, cow flesh eaters. They are called yavana-mlecchas. So the higher caste, they cannot become meat-eaters. Meat-eating is there. That is for the lower class, not for the higher class. If anyone gives up meat-eating or the bad habits of lower class, illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, gambling, and if he's trained how to become a qualified brāhmaṇa, then he can be accepted. That is sanctioned in the Bhagavad-gītā. These rascals, they say that these mlecchas and yavanas cannot become brāhmaṇa. Because we are making brāhmaṇas from the mlecchas' and yavanas' section, they are protesting. Some of them are protesting that "Swami Bhaktivedanta is ruining Hindu religion." The rascals, they do not know that I am acting strictly according to śāstra.
One thing is pāpa-yoni. So there is no restriction that pāpa-yoni shall remain always pāpa-yoni. Why? They should be given enlightenment. That is brāhmaṇa-ism. Brāhmaṇa means liberal, and just the opposite word of brāhmaṇa is kṛpaṇa, miser. A brāhmaṇa should give chance to everyone, even to the pāpa-yoni, how to become brāhmaṇa. That is real brāhmaṇa. And the rascal who thinks that "I shall remain simply brāhmaṇa; others shall remain mlecchas and yavanas," he is not brāhmaṇa; he is śūdra, because his mind is so crippled. He does not want to see others to become brāhmaṇa. He is miser, kṛpaṇa. Kṛpaṇaḥ phala-hetavaḥ.
You are not born in the brāhmaṇa family. It may not be very hard word, but actually it is mleccha-yavanas. Mleccha-yavanas means the cow flesh eaters, meat-eaters. They are called mleccha-yavanas. Especially mleccha means cow-eaters. So you are coming from the mleccha-yavanas' family, but you are being accepted as brāhmaṇa. Why? For the symptoms. You are being trained up to acquire the symptoms, śamo damas titikṣā. If you think that "Now I have got the sacred thread, I have become victorious," no. You must always examine yourself, "Whether I am possessing all the symptoms?" Otherwise, you are no good.
Yavana, the mlecchas, yavanas, means those who are Muhammadans and others. So they are also included. Nṛ-loke. Because it is nṛ-loka. Every human being. Superficially, externally, there may be, this nation is better than that nation. That is fact. The Aryans and non-Aryans. There are divisions: civilized, noncivilized; educated, noneducated; cultured, noncultured; black, white; this and that. There are... Externally these divisions... But that distinction is of the body.
Keśava dhṛta-kalki-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. Kalau, dhūmaketum iva kim api karālam, mleccha-nivaha-nidhane kalayasi karavālam. Mleccha, the mleccha, this word, yavana, these... There are words in Vedic language, mleccha, yavana. Yavana means meat-eaters. Yavana. It does not mean only Europeans are yavana, and Americans, not, Indians are not yavana. No. Anyone who eats meat, he's a yavana. Yavana means meat-eater. And mleccha means unclean. One who does not follow Vedic principles, he's called mleccha. Just like... As the Muhammadans say, kafir. One who does not follow Muslim religion, they are called kafir. That is religious point of view. And the Christians say "heathens." One who does not follow Christian religion, they are called heathens. Is it not? Similarly, anyone who does not follow Vedic principle, he's called mleccha. So time will come when nobody will follow Vedic principles of life. Therefore, mleccha.
So mleccha-nivaha, when all the people will become mlecchas, nobody following the Vedic principles, mleccha-nivaha-nidhane, at that time there is no more preaching, simply killing. Nivaha-nidhane kalayasi karavālam. In this age a very fearful, not feature, but action is very fearful. Mleccha-nivaha-nidhane kalayasi karavālaṁ dhūmaketum iva. Just like now they are apprehending the appearance of a comet. So Kṛṣṇa will appear just like a comet. Dhūmaketum iva, dhūmaketum iva, dhūmaketum iva. Kalayasi karavālam. So that is the end of Kali-yuga, that people will be so mlecchācāra, unclean habits, they, dull... Now they have already become, already become. They have no brain.
Because your this body in this material world, especially in this age, cannot live more than hundred years or (all?) within. And people are dying nowadays sixty, seventy. Oh, eighty years old? Very old. But time will come in this age... That is stated in the Śrīmad-SB.. If one lives from twenty to thirty years, he will be considered as a very grand old man. Yes. That time is coming very soon. Of course, it will take time. Because as the Kali-yuga is increasing, people are becoming more and more pramatta, more and more animal-like. So their duration of life naturally will reduce. They are not human being. They will be mlecchas and yavanas.
So Kṛṣṇa will come at the end,
- mleccha-nivaha-nidhane kalayasi karavālaṁ
- dhūmaketum iva kim api karālam
- keśava dhṛta-kalki-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare
At that time Kṛṣṇa will not preach, because who will understand? All mlecchas and... Just like nowadays even also. Such a nice quarter, nobody is interested. Nobody is interested. If you ask them, "Please come here. We are discussing Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Just try to understand the self-realization, "Oh, these nonsense, what is this? We are... I shall die and everything is finished. That's all." This is the modern civilization.
So this is the position of Kali-yuga. Mlecchā rājanya-rūpiṇo bhakṣayiṣyanti prajās te. That is predicted in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that in Kali-yuga the mlecchas, means the rejected from human society, such persons, rogues and fools and rascals, they will take the post of king. Rājanya-rūpiṇaḥ. They are unworthy to be kicked, but they will take the post of government.
Because generally, those who are rich, they don't care for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "Oh, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is meant for the poor fellow." Or if somebody is born in a brāhmaṇa family, he is also puffed up. He is thinking, "Oh, these are mlecchas, yavanas, Americans. Oh, I am brāhmaṇa. I am born in a very high family." That is a cause of falldown, yes, proud, pride, unnecessary pride. A Vaiṣṇava is very humble. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā amāninā mānadena. We have already discussed. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām (SB 3.25.21).
He is personally engaged, and he engages disciples. Not that you make a disciple and you keep him aside, "You cannot touch." This is going on. How? Then how he has become your disciple? If you have accepted him as disciple, how you can keep him aloof? No. "You are śūdra. You are mleccha." Therefore vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. You cannot make Vaiṣṇava... As soon as he becomes Vaiṣṇava, no more jāti. He is transcendental.
Pāpa-yoni means one who is born in pāpa-yoni, in low-grade family. They say caṇḍāla yavana mleccha in the, there... But Kṛṣṇa is giving liberty to everyone. Ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Ye 'nye ca pāpa, Śukadeva Gosvāmī said. Then who will do it? You are a big sādhu, very learned sādhu, and if you sit down, "No, no. I shall not go out of India. As soon as I cross the sea, immediately I'll become fallen." Then who will do this business? Kṛṣṇa wants that te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim, ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Then who will deliver these pāpa-yoni? If "I am a big sannyāsī and big devotee, I do not go out side Vṛndāvana, I do not go outside India. I am jagat-guru..." "Have you seen jagat?" "No. I'm self-made jagat-guru." This is going on. Cheating.
So not all of a sudden we can get that highest stage of life of Vṛndāvana attachment, but still, wherever we stay, if we practice this bhakti-yoga, as we are preaching... It is becoming successful. People are taking. Those who were so-called mlecchas and yavanas, they are also taking to Vāsudeva. Their love for Kṛṣṇa is increasing. That is natural. It is said in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, nitya siddha kṛṣṇa bhakti. Nitya siddha. Just like I am, or you are, we are eternal. Nityo śāśvato 'yam na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). We are not destroyed by the destruction of the body. We remain, continue to remain.
Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he's called Brahma-Haridāsa. Sometimes he is called Yavana-Haridāsa. Yavana means Muslim or those who are not in the Vedic principles, yavana, mleccha. Just like we have seen some temples. Our foreign devotees are not allowed because they have got the rules that mlecchas and yavanas, because they are very unclean, they should not be allowed. But that should not be applicable to the devotees of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, because they have learned how to remain clean, how to follow the... At least, they are expected. They promised at the time of initiation, "Yes, I shall not do this. I shall not do this." So if he's actually following the rules and regulations, he is no more unclean—simply by chanting.
That is not finish, that "Now I am initiated. I have got sacred thread. I can do all nonsense thing." No. You must act as a brāhmaṇa. Then you are brāhmaṇa. You always remember that. They are criticizing in India that I am giving a brāhmaṇa's position to these mlecchas and yavanas. You should be very careful so that we may not be subjected to criticism. If there are so many foreign brāhmaṇas in India and I am making brāhmaṇa in the Western countries, if they are still fallen, then what is this attempt? My attempt is futile. So kindly be responsible, those who are second initiated. If you fall down, then the whole movement becomes false. That is happening.
Anywhere you find the quality of goodness, that is brahmanism. So these American, European boys, when they have developed their quality of goodness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are brāhmaṇas. If they are considered as mlecchas and yavanas, that is nārakīya-buddhi, hellish consideration. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. If anyone considers a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee of the Lord, in the categorical estimation of birth, then that is hellish consideration. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. Arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matiḥ. Just like here we are worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity. You have all come here early in the morning, and... So does it mean that you are all fools? You have come to see a brass idol is being worshiped here? So anyone who considers the Deity as arcye śilā-dhīḥ, made of stone, made of brass, made of wood, that is nārakī-buddhiḥ. Arcye śilā-dhīḥ. Śilā. Śilā means stone. So those who are unaware of the Vedic knowledge, they consider that this is idol worship. It is not idol worship. It is directly worshiping the Supreme Lord.
A real brāhmaṇa will never agree to embrace the opposite sex in public way. No. That is not brāhmaṇa's business. He has been trained up how to become controller of the mind, controller of the senses. That is the first business of a brāhmaṇa. Śama, dama, satyam. He is truthful, śaucam, clean, thrice taking bath. So you should always... You are given the chance of becoming brāhmaṇa. You should not become again śūdras or mlecchas or caṇḍālas. Be careful. This is brāhmaṇa business. If we again come back to caṇḍālas or śūd... Caṇḍāla means less than the śūdras. Even śūdras, they eat meat under control. But caṇḍālas, they eat meat without any control.
Sometimes, because everyone has come here to lord it over the material nature, so there must be an ultimate situation when it becomes intolerable, and therefore Kṛṣṇa has to annihilate, finish. That is kalki-avatāra.
- mleccha-nivaha-nidhane kalayasi karavālaṁ
- dhūmaketum iva kim api karālam
- keśava dhṛta-kalki-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare
Mleccha. When people become mlecchas... Mleccha means not following the Vedic principles. Those who are following the Vedic principles, they are classified guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13), in four divisions. And beyond these four divisions, who are less than śūdras, they are called mlecchas and yavanas and caṇḍālas. Their behavior is so abominable that they cannot be accepted as civilized man. Civilized man, not by so-called material advancement. Civilized man is this four division of society—brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras. That is civilized society. Where there is no such division, everyone is a śūdra, that is not a civilized form of society.
Now, just like people protest because we are giving the position of a brāhmaṇa to the mlecchas, yavana. Yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ. Khasādayaḥ means Mongolians, the Chinese, Japanese and the Philippines. So they are khasādaya. The Manipuris, Assamese, they are considered as khasādaya. So there is no distinction. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given open declaration: kṛṣṇa-bhajanete nāhi jāti kulādi vicāra. Anyone who is desirous of becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, it is open. Anyone can come. By proper training by the expert spiritual master everyone can be raised to the brahminical platform and then Vaiṣṇava platform. śudhyanti.
So, sattvaika. They are sattvaika. They are all. All the inhabitants of the upper planetary system, they are in sattvika-guṇa, brahminical qualification. They are not mlecchas and yavanas. Brāhmaṇas. Sattvaikatāna-gatayo. They are not ordinary. Just like here the sattvika means pure brāhmaṇa. Śamo damaḥ satyaṁ śaucaṁ titikṣa ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). So most of them are brāhmaṇas or even kṣatriyas.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered that anyone who has taken birth as human being in Bhārata-varṣa, he should engage his life for paropakāra. And he said also, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma: "All over the town, all over the world, as many towns and villages are there, My name will be established there." So we are trying to do that. So His name should be established does not mean that they should remain as yavanas or mlecchas, and simply they should simply know Lord Caitanya. No. Actually the fact is that everyone should be elevated to the position of Vaiṣṇava, purified Vaiṣṇava, as it is recommended in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, Bhagavad-gītā. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). They, they should be made into brāhmaṇas by qualifying them as brāhmaṇa.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Just like in Christian religion, those who do not follow the Bible, they are called heathens. Similarly, in Muslim, those who do not follow the Koran, they are called kafirs. Similarly, those who do not follow the Vedic principles, they are called nāstika or mlecchas. Nāstika means those who do not believe in the Vedic principles, they are called nāstika, atheist. And those whose behavior is not very clean, they are called mlecchas. So in comparison to Hindu mode of living and others in the world, there is very great difference, social sanctity and personal sanctity. So therefore, formerly the mlecchas means the Muhammadans, because they are meat-eaters, they do not take bath daily and there are so many things. So even those persons who were delivered by Lord Caitanya, but the author says that He could not deliver the Māyāvādīs, the impersonalist sannyāsīs. That means it was easier for Him to deliver the mlecchas, but it was difficult for Him to deliver the Māyāvādīs. In other words, the author is trying to place the position of the Māyāvādī sannyāsī less than the mlecchas. Less than the mlecchas.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very much authorized, scientific, and accepted by the all people all over the world. So why not accept it, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which was spread from this country? Why you are forgetting Kṛṣṇa consciousness? What is your reason? Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā (BG 9.33). Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). "The pāpa-yoni, whom we consider as pāpa-yoni, mleccha, yavana, caṇḍālas," Kṛṣṇa says, "if the mlecchas, yavanas, and caṇḍālas accept," māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya, te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim, "they also become elevated to the highest perfectional stage of life." Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā (BG 9.33). If the mlecchas, yavanas, and caṇḍālas are accepting, and they are making progress to the highest perfectional stage of life, why not the brāhmaṇas and the kṣatriyas of India? Why they should lag behind? So join this movement and be happy. That is our request.
Festival Lectures
Initiation Lectures
So brāhmaṇa society was so strict that if anyone becomes a servant of, of a mleccha, he at once falls down. There are many such social, I mean to say, injustice. And by that, following such thing, the, practically the Vedic civilization is now demolished practically. There is simply fragmental things are there. But Lord Caitanya's principle is very nice, and Gosvāmīs, they recommended, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma. His mission should be preached not only in India but pṛthivīte, means all over the world. Yata, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi—all cities and all villages, all countries, sarvatra, everywhere, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should be propagated.
Student: The first mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, that's for, you say, that's to clean the mind of the material contam...
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the basic, that is the first principle. Lord Caitanya says, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam: (CC Antya 20.12) "By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one becomes cleansed of the dirty things, material contamination."
Student: And this mantra. What's the purpose?
Prabhupāda: This mantra is secondary. Of course, one who has purified himself by Hare Kṛṣṇa, this mantra is not very important. But, according to the tradition of Vaiṣṇava smṛti, it is offered better, better, to make the position still confirmed and better. But even this mantra is not given, simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, everything is done. This is extraordinary so that... In the other, other feature of this sacred ceremony, is that one may not commit offense at the feet of a Vaiṣṇava by thinking him, "Oh, he's a mleccha, he's a yavana, or he's lower class, he's higher class," like that. Therefore this is offered. No, he's brāhmaṇa. He's brāhmaṇa. Otherwise, still in India, a person born in a brāhmaṇa family, the most wretched condition and most abominable habits, and he claims to be a brāhmaṇa. And a person who is highly elevated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's not accepted. So in order to save one from the injustice, this ceremony is required that it is bona fide. He's a bona fide brāhmaṇa.
There is great necessity of Vaiṣṇava at the present moment because everyone has become śūdras. Kalau śūdra sambhava. And because it is, everywhere the śūdras are there, how there can be peace? They do not know. They have no brain how to make the society peaceful and prosperous. They are śūdras. They have no intelligence. There is necessity of creating brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇava. This movement is meant for that purpose. So be careful. Don't be turned again to śūdra and mlecchas. Go on making progress to become pure Vaiṣṇava. Then your life is successful and you'll give the best service to the human society.
General Lectures
Caitanya Mahāprabhu is speaking from the devotional platform. He did not say when He was actually acting as a brāhmaṇa in Navadvīpa. But when He realized... He is realized always, but as ācārya, He says that when one becomes Vaiṣṇava, gopī-bhartuḥ... What is the... Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). He says, "I am not a brāhmaṇa." Then the next question is, What You are? He says, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ: "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa." So when one is realized in that way, that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," he does not require to be a brāhmaṇa or śūdra. He transcends. He is postgraduate. So, so long he does not realize that, he has to follow the varṇāśrama-dharma. Otherwise he is not civilized. They are mleccha, yavanas. The most abominable, śvapacam, most abominable.
They do not know actually what is the nature of God. So gradually it will be forgotten. But still, because still people have got some sense, therefore this preaching work is going on. At the end they will be all nonsense, just like animals. Therefore there will be another incarnation, Kalki, at the end of Kali-yuga. He'll simply kill the whole population.
- mleccha-nivaha-nidhane kalayasi karavālaṁ
- dhūmaketum iva kim api karālam
- keśava dhṛta-kalki-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare
Mleccha. Mleccha means misbehaved. As we say—mleccha, yavana. One who does not follow the Vedic principles, they are called mleccha. And those who are meat-eaters, they are called yavana, mleccha, yavana. This is the meaning of mleccha, yavana. It is not a particular class of men. Anyone who eats meat, he's a yavana, and anyone who does not live to the standard of Vedic understanding, he is a mleccha. So everyone will become mleccha. So mleccha-nivaha-nidhane kalayasi karavālam. The Lord will become very much vicious. Asi karavālam. Just like dhūmaketuh, comet. Dhūmaketum iva kim api karālam nidhane. Mleccha-nidhane. That will be the only remedy—to kill all the mlecchas. The avatāra, Kalki avatāra will come. Keśava dhṛta buddha śarīra, ah, keśava dhṛta kalki śarīra. Buddha śarīra is also, keśava dhṛta buddha śarīra, to give protection to the poor animals. Lord Buddha appeared to stop animal-killing.
It doesn't require that you have to pass your Ph.D. examination; then you can think of Kṛṣṇa. No. Anyone, even a child, can think. Man-manā. And who can concentrate on Kṛṣṇa unless he is a devotee? So man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī: "You worship Me." Māṁ namaskuru. "By executing these four principles of life you will come back to Me"—mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ (BG 18.65)—"without any doubt." So it is not at all difficult. Had it been difficult... I am collecting my disciples throughout the whole world, and we condemn them according to our... "They are mlecchas, yavanas." Maybe they are mlecchas, yavanas, but Śukadeva Gosvāmī said that even mlecchas-yavanas, they can be purified.
This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's word, and Kṛṣṇa's personal words are, in the Bhagavad-gītā, māṁ hi pārtha 'vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). People are generally against the mlecchas, yavanas or the caṇḍālas because according to Vedic system, the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriya, they are supposed to be pious family, brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas. Less than that, even woman, they are not so pious. So in that sense there is discrimination. But Kṛṣṇa says that māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Anyone, it doesn't matter, even he belongs to the pāpa-yoni, low-grade family. And because women and vaiśyas are śūdras are also considered as less important, so Kṛṣṇa mentions, striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim: "Even women, śūdras, or the vaiśyas, everyone can be elevated to the higher transcendental platform, parāṁ gati." Parāṁ gati.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to impregnate or push this movement throughout the world through the mercy of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. And actually it is happening. By taking shelter of the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, these Europeans and Americans, although they are supposed to be born in mleccha, yavana family, they are taking Kṛṣṇa consciousness so seriously. Otherwise it is very difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa.
Philosophy Discussions
Revatīnandana: But the introverted person could be even in tamoguṇa or sattva-guṇa.
Prabhupāda: That is right.
Revatīnandana: So that is not (indistinct).
Prabhupāda: So similar, that there are the paramahaṁsa and there are mleccha-yavanas. The paramahaṁsa is not under any rules and regulations, and the mlecchas also, they are not under rules and regulations.
Revatīnandana: Like Śukadeva Gosvāmī, they thought he was a madman, and this would be tamoguṇa, but actually he was...
Prabhupāda: Transcendental.
Śyāmasundara: (indistinct) these people were descendents of warrior class, kṣatriya class, so they are naturally inclined to those things, meat-eating.
Prabhupāda: No, the warrior class are not like that, kṣatriya. Not that they are addicted. These are caṇḍālas. They are called caṇḍālas. Caṇḍālas, the dog eaters, the hog-eaters. In India they are sweeper class. Mlecchas (?). (indistinct). She comes from that family. Now (indistinct).
| Page Title: | Mleccha (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Serene |
| Created: | 27 of Nov, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=63, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 63 |