We are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. But sometimes the servant thinks, "Why shall I remain a servant? Let me become master." That is natural. A master is always in comfortable situation. Sometimes the servant becomes envious: "Oh, why this man should always remain in comfortable position and we shall serve? Why not we become also in comfortable position? Let me eat as he eats," or "Let me sleep . . ." These are so-called comforts. So they want to imitate. When the living being imitates the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then he falls down.
- kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vañcha kare
- pāśate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare
As soon as he forgets his position—he wants to imitate—that is beginning of māyā, falldown. You should be very careful.
Therefore the brahmacārī . . . we have to teach the brahmacārī. Brahmācāri guru-kule vasan dānto guror hitam (SB 7.12.1). This is brahmacārī: not for his personal benefit, but guror hitam. Then he is brahmacārī. Not that a brahmacārī has to become a very learned scholar in grammar and turīya . . . these are secondary things. First thing, he has to learn how to control the senses, dānta; how to control the mind. Śamo damaḥ. This is the beginning of brahminical life. If you cannot control your mind, if you cannot control your senses, there is no question of becoming brahmacārī. Brahmacārī, brahme cārati iti brahmacārī. And brāhmaṇa means brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. So these are the beginning, brahmacārī. Brahmacari means who is always in Brahman activities. That is brahmacārī. Or brāhmaṇa means one who knows the Supreme, Supreme Brahman, Paraṁbrahman. So if you understand Kṛṣṇa, then immediately you are liberated. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So if we understand Kṛṣṇa, then we are both brahmacārī or brāhmaṇa, brahma-jñāna, brahma-bhūtaḥ. These words are there in the śāstra: athāto brahma jijñāsā. Therefore the real life is to inquire about Brahman. Inquiring, inquiring, when the conditioned soul . . . now it is jīva-bhūtaḥ. So long we are conditioned by the material nature—prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27), bhuṅkte prakṛtijān guṇān (BG 13.22)—then we are jīva-bhūtaḥ. Otherwise, when we come to our real position, that is brahma-bhūtaḥ.
So that brahma-bhūtaḥ position can be attained. If we strictly follow the rules and regulation of brahmacārī or brāhmaṇa, then it is possible. Otherwise it will be simply formality. Practical life, brahma-bhūtaḥ. And how do I know that he has become brahma-bhūtaḥ? Prasannātmā (BG 18.54): no more moroseness, always jolly in any condition of life. Not that "For want of this, one is suffering." There is no want. That . . . that mentality, that attitude, should be increased. And when it is fully increased, then he's fully satisfied, ātmārāma. That is called ātmārāma. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. He said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi, "Oh, I am fully satisfied." Naivodvije para duratyayā-vaitaraṇyās tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahā amṛta-magna (SB 7.9.43). As Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "Now I am in the ocean of nectarean. I have no suffering." That is brahma-bhūtaḥ.