Prabhupāda: Rukmiṇī. He (she) took immediately the cāmara. He (she) said, "My husband is respecting." But he was dressed very poorly, lean and thin. Brāhmaṇa, because they refuse unnecessary necessities of life, sometimes they look very poor, poverty-stricken. They are not poverty-stricken; they are the richest. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtiṁ śritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manaso (BG 9.13). Those who are engaged in bhajana never think of their poverty. No. They are not poor. Otherwise, if Sudāmā Vipra, externally he looked very poor, lean and thin, not very nice cloth . . . Kṛṣṇa is: "My dear friend, sit down here." He brought water, washed the feet, just respectable person, guru, brāhmaṇa. This is etiquette. Kṛṣṇa is showing personally. He is the king. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He also respects a brāhmaṇa. When Nārada used to come to Kṛṣṇa, immediately He would get down from the seat and offer obeisances, and Nārada was smiling, "Just see Kṛṣṇa's līlā."
So this is the way, brāhmaṇa. That brāhmaṇa, the . . . India, the brāhmaṇas, their sons later on, later ages, taking advantage of the facility offered to the brāhmaṇas, so without qualification of brāhmaṇa, they wanted the facility for nothing, very cheap. Therefore the brahminical culture is failure now. They are . . . They should be real brāhmaṇas, śamo damo. But nobody is prepared to practice śamo damo titikṣa, but he wants the respect of a brāhmaṇa. This is the cause of India's culture being failure at the present moment. They . . . "First deserve, then desire." So without deserving, they desired. Therefore whole thing is . . . it became false. So that is not the purpose. Even somebody says that "Without culture one can remain a brāhmaṇa," but śāstra does not say that. Śāstra says culture is the first consideration.
- yasya hi yad lakṣaṇaṁ proktaṁ
- varṇābhivyañjakam
- yady anyatrāpi vinirdṛśyeta
- tat tenaiva vinirdiśet
- (SB 7.11.35)
So lakṣaṇam must be, lakṣaṇam, the symptom, what is brāhmaṇas' symptoms.
So my request to you, the Europeans and American boys, you have been initiated as brāhmaṇa but you must practice the lakṣaṇa. Otherwise, if you think, puffed up, that "Now I have got the sacred thread. My business is finished. I can do whatever I like," no. That is not. Lakṣaṇam. Lakṣaṇam means symptoms. That you must observe, lakṣaṇam. Yasya hi yad lakṣaṇaṁ proktam. Then nobody can check you. You will be very much dear of Kṛṣṇa. Namo brāhmaṇya-devāya go brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. If you keep yourself in the platform of a true brāhmaṇa as you are expected . . . It is not difficult. We have selected the four principles: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication and no gambling. That's all. If you keep to these practices, then you remain. And if you chant, then above brāhmaṇa, you become Vaiṣṇava. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Qualify yourself as a brāhmaṇa. Qualify yourself as a Vaiṣṇava. Then your position is guaranteed. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). Sure. Guaranteed.
Here also said, na brāhmaṇais tulaye bhūtam anyat (SB 5.5.23). Namo brāhmaṇya-devāya go brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. So when Kṛṣṇa takes care of you, He . . . attention is on you. Then who can . . .? Māyā has . . . There is no strength of māyā to touch you. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Māyā may be there. Police may be there. Police is there, so what business I have got with the police if I am honest? If I am properly observing the rules and regulation of the government, what business police has got to touch me? Māyā is there. Māyā must be there. Māyā . . . (aside:) Don't. Stop. Māyā is there, but it does not mean māyā can touch you if you are actually surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). So here it is (aside:) Sitting there. So Kṛṣṇa personally will take care. And to come to the brāhmaṇa stage, this is also . . . Everything is described. Everything is prescribed. If you have to follow again and again . . . We can come to the brāhmaṇa stage by a simple method, as we are practicing, that nityaṁ bhāgavata. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Bhāgavata-sevayā. The book Bhāgavata and the person bhāgavata. Person bhāgavata . . . The guru is the symbolic representation of person bhāgavata, whose life is bhāgavata; and book Bhāgavata. So you have to serve two bhāgavata, nityaṁ bhāgavata, not the bhāgavata-saptāha. This is another cheating. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. There is no such thing as bhāgavata-saptāha in authoritative literature. They have manufactured as a business. But Bhāgavata should be served nityam. Nityaṁ bhāgavata.