Padma-locana means very beautiful, lotus-eyed. But one mother has got a child who is born blind. Out of her love she has given the name Padma-locana, "lotus-eyed." You see? So that she can give because she loves the child. Even he is blind, that's her whim. Similarly, this "mahātmā," this title you can give to any person you like, but it has a meaning, "mahātmā."
Just like in our country we have seen the Mahatma Gandhi was given the title mahātmā. You can give your, any title. Nobody objects. Just like in Bengali we say kānā-locana nyāya
padma-locana(?).
Padma-locana means very beautiful,
lotus-eyed. But one mother has got a child who is born
blind. Out of her love she has given the name
Padma-locana, "
lotus-eyed." You see? So that she can give because she loves the child. Even he is
blind, that's her whim. "My boy, my child is
padma-locana." Similarly, this "mahātmā," this title you can give to any person you like, but it has a meaning, "mahātmā."
So that meaning, "mahātmā," is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (
BG 9.13). Mahātmā means who is not under the material energy, but he is under the spiritual energy. And what is the symptom that one is under the spiritual energy? That he has no other business except executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's all. That is the symptom.
- mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha
- daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ
- bhajanty ananya-manaso
- jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam
- (BG 9.13)
He has no other business except Kṛṣṇa. That is mahātmā. That is explained in the Bhagavad... So we, the people gave a title, this Gandhi, a politician. His business was how to get independence politically. He was given the title mahātmā.