Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.9.10

viprād dvi-shad-guna-yutād aravinda-nābha-

pādāravinda-vimukhāt śvapacam varishtham

manye tad-arpita-mano-vacanehitārtha-

prānam punāti sa kulam na tu bhūrimānah

SYNONYMS

viprāt — than a brāhmana; dvi-shat-guna-yutāt — qualified with twelve brahminical qualities; aravinda-nābha — Lord Vishnu, who has a lotus growing from His navel; pāda-aravinda — to the lotus feet of the Lord; vimukhāt — not interested in devotional service; śva-pacam — one born in a low family, or a dog-eater; varishtham — more glorious; manye — I consider; tat-arpita — surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Lord; manah — his mind; vacana — words; īhita — every endeavor; artha — wealth; prānam — and life; punāti — purifies; sah — he (the devotee); kulam — his family; na — not; tu — but; bhūrimānah — one who falsely thinks himself to be in a prestigious position.

TRANSLATION

If a brāhmana has all twelve of the brahminical qualifications [as they are stated in the book called Sanat-sujāta] but is not a devotee and is averse to the lotus feet of the Lord, he is certainly lower than a devotee who is a dog-eater but who has dedicated everything — mind, words, activities, wealth and life — to the Supreme Lord. Such a devotee is better than such a brāhmana because the devotee can purify his whole family, whereas the so-called brāhmana in a position of false prestige cannot purify even himself.

PURPORT

Here is a statement by Prahlāda Mahārāja, one of the twelve authorities, regarding the distinction between a devotee and a brāhmana expert in karma-kānda, or Vedic ritualistic ceremonies. There are four varnas and four āśramas, which divide human society, but the central principle is to become a first-class pure devotee. It is said in the Hari-bhakti — sudhodaya:

bhagavad-bhakti-hīnasya

jātih śāstram japas tapah

aprānasyaiva dehasya

mandanam loka-rañjanam

"If one is born in a high family like that of a brāhmana, kshatriya or vaiśya but is not a devotee of the Lord, all his good qualifications as a brāhmana, kshatriya or vaiśya are null and void. Indeed, they are considered decorations of a dead body."

In this verse Prahlāda Mahārāja speaks of the vipras, the learned brāhmanas. The learned brāhmana is considered best among the divisions of brāhmana, kshatriya, vaiśya and śūdra, but a devotee born in a low candāla family is better than such brāhmanas, not to speak of the kshatriyas, vaiśyas and others. A devotee is better than anyone, for he is in the transcendental position on the Brahman platform.

mām ca yo vyabhicārena

bhakti-yogena sevate

sa gunān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

"One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman." (Bg. 14.26) The twelve qualities of a first-class brāhmana, as stated in the book called Sanat-sujāta, are as follows:

jñānam ca satyam ca damah śrutam ca

hy amātsaryam hrīs titikshānasūyā

yajñaś ca dānam ca dhritih śamaś ca

mahā-vratā dvādaśa brāhmanasya

The European and American devotees in the Krishna consciousness movement are sometimes accepted as brāhmanas, but the so-called caste brāhmanas are very much envious of them. In answer to such envy, Prahlāda Mahārāja says that one who has been born in a brāhmana family but is falsely proud of his prestigious position cannot even purify himself, not to speak of his family, whereas if a candāla, a lowborn person, is a devotee and has fully surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Lord, he can purify his entire family. We have had actual experience of how Americans and Europeans, because of their full Krishna consciousness, have purified their whole families, so much so that a mother of a devotee, at the time of her death, inquired about Krishna with her last breath. Therefore it is theoretically true and has been practically proven that a devotee can give the best service to his family, his community, his society and his nation. The foolish accuse a devotee of following the principle of escapism, but actually the fact is that a devotee is the right person to elevate his family. A devotee engages everything in the service of the Lord, and therefore he is always exalted.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness