- arcāyām eva haraye
- yaḥ pūjāṁ śraddhayehate
- na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu
- sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ
- (SB 11.2.47)
By executing this arca-vigraha, arcanam, gradually you advance. But if you simply remain in the arcana-viddhi or arcana process, and you cannot understand who is a bhakta and what to do with others . . . that is also a bhakta's duty, not that simply we shall remain engaged in arcana. We must know how to respect devotee, how to do some service to others also. That is madhyama-adhikārī. Simply if you become satisfied that, "Now I am initiated and I am offering arcana. I have become perfect," no, the perfection is still awaiting. You have to understand who is a devotee. You have to understand how to give service to the innocent. If you do not know that, then if you simply become packed up by arcā-vigraha-seva, arcana, then you will remain in the material platform.
Na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu sa bhaktaḥ prakṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ. Prakṛtaḥ means material. He is trying to go to the spiritual platform, but if he simply remains in the arcana and does not preach, this is na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu. Anyeṣu. Anyeṣu means those who are innocent. That is madhyama-adhikārī, middle stage.
- īśvare tad-adhīneṣu
- bāliśeṣu dviṣatsu ca
- prema-maitrī-kṛpopekṣa
- yaḥ karoti sa madhyamaḥ
- (SB 11.2.46)
Īśvara. Then, by arcā-vigraha worship, by śravana-kīrtana, by making your properly advanced, you will understand what is the position of Kṛṣṇa, īśvara. And īśvare tad-adhīneṣu. And adhīna. Adhīna means those who are working for Kṛṣṇa. They are called tad-adhīna. Adhīna means subordinate.
So every devotee is subordinate. Nobody is equal to Kṛṣṇa. If we do that, then it is mistake. Devotee . . . a devotee never says. Dāsa. Dāsa means servant. Servant is always the subordinate. Therefore Vaiṣṇava says "dāsa." He never says "master." Vaiṣṇava, dāsa, subordinate, tad-adhīna, under the . . . under Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can be superior to Kṛṣṇa or equal to Kṛṣṇa. That is mistake. These Māyāvāda philosophers, they think, "Now I have become equal to Kṛṣṇa. I am also Kṛṣṇa." That is rascaldom. Kṛṣṇa, God, is never equal to anyone. Asamaurdhva. Asama means "not equal," and urdha, "always the top." Asamaurdhva. That is described in the Bhagavad . . .
So we should remain tad-adhīna, always under Kṛṣṇa. That is our perfection. If we remain . . . just like in Western countries, they rebel. If a woman is advised to remain under the control of the husband, that is insult to them. They cannot tolerate it. But actually we see in India that a wife who remains under the guidance of the husband, she is happy. That's a practical fact. That is a practical fact. And therefore in the Manu-saṁhitā it is advised, na striyam svatantram arhati. Women should be always protected. That is . . . protection does not mean negligence. No. Protection means to give him (her) all facilities. That is protection. Just like father gives protection to the chil . . . that does not mean neglecting. Similarly, a woman should be protected. It is not that neglecting. They misunderstand. In the Western countries maybe there is misbehavior, but actually we have seen, still going on in India, the woman is . . . that is the ideal given by Lord Rāmacandra, how woman is given protection by the husband. Sītādevī was kidnapped. Rāmacandra is the Supreme Lord; He could have married many thousands of Sītā. But as the dutiful husband, to rescue one wife He killed the whole family of Rāvaṇa. This is protection. He killed the whole family of him. He became . . . this is. So woman requires protection, and the husband is responsible to give protection, the father is responsible to give protection, and the elderly children, they are responsible to give protection.
So we are prakṛti. Prakṛti puruṣa. So Kṛṣṇa is the puruṣa. He is the protector of all living entities. Yesterday, bhṛtyānugraha-kātaram (SB 3.28.17). Just like a father is always anxious to see his children are well protected, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is also always anxious to give protection to His subordinates. But if the subordinate denounce Kṛṣṇa, "I don't want Your protection," then suffer your karma. That you are doing. Those who are in the material world, they are suffering. Why? They have given up the protection of Kṛṣṇa. They are thinking that, "We can protect ourself. What is the use of Kṛṣṇa?" So this is called dharmasya glāniḥ. This is deviation from the natural way of life, when you give up the protection. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is: again go back to that protection, go back to home, back to Godhead.