Srimad Bhagavatam 10.86.55-59 | HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj | ISKCON Japan | 29 April 2026
jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-vihārī
gopījana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī
yaśodā-nandana vraja-jana-rañjana
yamunā-tīra-vana-cārī
Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
Jaya Prabhupāda Jaya Prabhupāda
Prabhupāda Jaya Prabhupāda
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
jaya śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
Reading from Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 10 Chapter 86 Verse 55.
ŚB 10.86.55
duṣprajñā aviditvaivam
avajānanty asūyavaḥ
guruṁ māṁ vipram ātmānam
arcādāv ijya-dṛṣṭayaḥ
Synonyms
duṣprajñāḥ — those of corrupted intelligence; aviditvā — failing to understand; evam — in this way; avajānanti — neglect; asūyavaḥ — and behave enviously toward; gurum — their spiritual master; mām — Me; vipram — the learned brāhmaṇa; ātmānam — their own self; arcā-ādaū — in the visibly manifest Deity of the Lord; ijya — as being worshipable; dṛṣṭayaḥ — whose vision.
Translation
Ignorant of this truth, foolish people neglect and enviously offend a learned brāhmaṇa, who, being nondifferent from Me, is their spiritual master and very self. They consider worshipable only such obvious manifestations of divinity as My Deity form.
Text 56
Translation
Because he has realized Me, a brāhmaṇa is firmly fixed in the knowledge that everything moving and nonmoving in the universe, and also the primary elements of its creation, are all manifest forms expanded from Me.
Text 57
Translation
Therefore you should worship these brāhmaṇa sages, O brāhmaṇa, with the same faith you have in Me. If you do so, you will worship Me directly, which you cannot do otherwise, even with offerings of vast riches.
Text 58
Translation
Śrī Śuka said: So instructed by his Lord, with single-minded devotion. Śrutadeva worshiped Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the topmost brāhmaṇas accompanying Him, and King Bahulāśva did the same. Thus both Śrutadeva and the King attained the ultimate transcendental destination.
Text 59
Translation
O King, thus the Personality of Godhead, who is devoted to His own devotees, stayed for some time with His two great devotees Śrutadeva and Bahulāśva, teaching them the behavior of perfect saints. Then the Lord returned to Dvārakā.
Purport
In his narration of this pastime in Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda concludes: “The instruction we receive from this incident is that King Bahulāśva and Śrutadeva the brāhmaṇa were accepted by the Lord on the same level because both were pure devotees. This is the real qualification for being recognized by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because it has become the fashion of this age to become falsely proud of having taken birth in the family of a kṣatriya or a brāhmaṇa, we see persons without any qualification claiming to be brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya or vaiśya. But as it is stated in the scriptures, kalau śūdra-sambhava: ‘In this Age of Kali, everyone is born a śūdra.’ This is because there is no performance of the purificatory process known as saṁskāras, which begin from the time of the mother’s pregnancy and continue up to the point of the individual’s death. No one can be classified as a member of a particular caste, especially of a higher caste — brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or vaiśya — simply by birthright. If one is not purified by the process of the seed-giving ceremony, or garbhādhāna-saṁskāra, he is immediately classified among the śūdras because only the śūdras do not undergo this purificatory process. Sex life without the purificatory process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is merely the seed-giving process of the śūdras or the animals. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the highest perfection, by which everyone can come to the platform of a Vaiṣṇava. This includes having all the qualifications of a brāhmaṇa. The Vaiṣṇavas are trained to become freed from the four kinds of sinful activities — illicit sex, indulgence in intoxicants, gambling and eating animal foodstuffs. No one can be on the brahminical platform without having these preliminary qualifications, and without becoming a qualified brāhmaṇa, one cannot become a pure devotee.”
Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Tenth Canto, Eighty-sixth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Arjuna Kidnaps Subhadrā, and Kṛṣṇa Blesses His Devotees.”
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj:
So if we read this last statement, no one can be on brahminical platform without having preliminary qualification. Without becoming a qualified brahmana, one cannot become a pure devotee. If we read this, then we will think, well, first we have to become brahmanas, then we can practice bhakti. But Prabhupada also says in the purport that the, being a brahmana is not just by birth. So he also have to undergo samskaras. So even if you are born as a brahmana but you don’t undergo the samskaras, you are not a brahmana. But then we have other people, vaishyas, kshatriyas and sudras, they may undergo samskaras, still they are not brahmanas. So then, we conclude that only a born brahmana who undergoes the samskaras can become a devotee. But this is completely contradictory to what else is said in the Bhagavatam [Laughs]. And of course, it is contradictory to the teachings of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He says everybody can become a devotee [Laughs]. So what does this statement mean? Without becoming a qualified brahmana, one cannot become a pure devotee. What does that mean? This means that only people who can become pure devotees are those who birth after birth raise themselves through the gunas, then they are born into the brahmana family, and they perfectly do the samskaras, then they are qualified to be devotees. But that doesn’t make sense [Laughs].
So Lord Caitanya says, anyone can become a guru, whether he is a sudra, or a brahmana, or a kshatriya, or a sannyasi, or whatever, grhastha, doesn’t really matter, as long as he knows Krishna. So, what does this phrase mean, becoming a qualified brahmana? What is that? So Haridasa Thakur, was he a qualified brahmana? But he is Namacharya. He was not born in a brahmana family, he didn’t undergo any samskaras [Laughs], so definitely he was not considered even in the varnashrama system, but he was Acharya. So therefore, this phrase, being a qualified brahmana, has to have a different meaning. If we look in Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati’s commentaries on Caitanya Caritamrta, he actually says that Haridasa Thakur was a brahmanata, he had the level of a brahmana, or superior to a brahmana. So, how did he become brahmanata, qualified as a brahmana because he was a Vaishnava. So, that’s actually what Prabhupada says previously in the same purport. Krishna consciousness is the highest perfection by which everyone can come to the platform of a Vaishnava. This includes having all qualifications of a brahmana. So, if you become a Vaishnava, automatically you have all the qualifications of a brahmana, plus more [Laughs]. So, when Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur uses the word brahmanata, he’s not referring to a person who by birth was born as a brahmana and underwent samskaras [Laughs]. And in fact, we can say, when he uses the word brahmana, he means a person who understands Brahman, Parabrahman. He understands as Krishna. In other words, anyone who knows Krishna, he is the brahmana [Laughs].
So, there’s a very famous verse in Bhagavatam which is also quoted in Nectar of Devotion. And there it says that the dog-eater, who was not even in the varnashrama system by birth or conduct, if he chants the holy name once, he is qualified to do the sacrifices that a brahmana can do. But, this doesn’t mean that the goal of a person is to become a brahmana. Rather, it means that anyone who chants the holy name surpasses a brahmana. So, whatever a brahmana can do, the Vaishnava who chants the holy name is qualified to do but, obviously, he’s got a superior qualification. So, we really achieve brahmanata, that position of being a real brahmana, by chanting the holy name. So, this was the understanding among the followers of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So, Haridasa Thakur came from a family not in the varnashrama system at all, but he chanted the holy name purely, he was superior to any brahmana. So, the power of bhakti and the holy name, is superior to any other process. So, if you do samskaras, you can become a brahmana, but that doesn’t make you into a Vaishnava.
So, as I said, the followers of Lord Caitanya accepted this principle that bhakti and the holy name, puts us in a higher position than any varna or ashrama. So, we also have another process called Vaishnava diksha. So, in Vaishnava diksha, again, we don’t consider your birth at all. So, if the guru decides that a mleccha or a dog-eater is a qualified Vaishnava, he will give him the Vaishnava mantra for deity worship. So, again, even by not just the holy name, but the Vaishnava mantras of diksha, a person surpasses being a brahmana.
So, these devotees, even if they came from mleccha family, if they got the mantra, they were qualified to worship the deity. Others who are following the smritis, the smarthas [Laughs], they will say, no, you should be a brahmana, born brahmana, to worship the deity. But, according to pancharatra, no, anyone who gets that mantra from guru, he’s qualified to worship the deity, whether he’s a brahmana or not. So, this was a controversy among people in India [Laughs], in Bengal, especially in Vrindavan, even after the time of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, the brahmanas say, no, you Gaudiya Vaishnavas are low class because you have people who are not brahmanas worshipping deities.
So, Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, and of course, as we see even in this purport, according to Lord Caitanya’s philosophy, they say, no, one who is a Vaishnava is superior to a brahmana, so therefore he can worship the deity or do any other activity. So, then what he did, after giving the Vaishnava mantra for worshipping the deity to his disciples, then he gave the Brahma Gayatri mantra also. Look, our Vaishnavas can do whatever a brahmana can do. So, he gave them Brahma Gayatri mantra and the thread [Laughs]. But, we should not make the mistake and think that because the devotee has become a brahmana, he can worship the deity, that’s a mistake. Rather, it’s the opposite [Laughs]. Because he is a Vaishnava, he can do whatever a brahmana can do, plus more [Laughs].
So, a devotee who has the Vaishnava mantra, but not the Brahma Gayatri, he can worship the deity. One who has got the Vaishnava mantra, but does not have the Brahma Gayatri, he can worship the deity. But, one who has the Brahma Gayatri and is a brahmana, but doesn’t have our Vaishnava mantra, he cannot worship the deity [Laughs]. So, the important factor is that we’re a Vaishnava and we’ve got the Vaishnava mantra [Laughs]. And whether we have the Brahma Gayatri mantra or not doesn’t really matter. And this is because of that, that, it didn’t matter that the Gaudiyas whether you are brahmana or not didn’t really matter and they got the mantra and they worshipped the deity, up until the point of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur [Laughss].
So, in other words, the Vaishnava mantra, diksha mantra, is more powerful for us than the Brahma Gayatri mantra. But then we have another astonishing fact. Harinama is even more powerful than the Vaishnava mantra [Laughs]. And thus, we have Haridasa Thakur, did not take Vaishnava initiation, no Vaishnava mantra, no Brahma Gayatri, chanted holy name and he’s higher than a brahmana [Laughs]. So, the final conclusion is that, by following the activities of Vaishnava, getting Vaishnava mantra, chanting Hare Krishna, we get to the highest platform of being a real brahmana by real realization of Krishna. So, the devotee practicing pure bhakti has all qualifications. So, therefore, he’s the most qualified brahmana [Laughs].
Okay. Hare Krishna.
Q & A :
1.) Hare Krishna, what is meant by Vaishnava mantra?
Vaishnava mantra is second initiation mantra.
Devotee: Is it also Gayatri mantra?
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj: Well, apart from the Brahma Gayatri mantra, which is technically not Vaishnavic, it’s Vedic, for vaishyas, kshatriyas and brahmanas. Apart from that, we’re talking about Guru mantra, Gauranga mantra, and Krishna mantra. So, in second initiation, we get two types of Vaishnava mantra. One is the mantra for worshipping the deity, like Krishna or Gauranga. The other is the Krishna Gayatri or the Gauranga Gayatri or the Guru Gayatri, which is technically a meter, 24-syllable meter, that is used for meditation on the deity. So, they are similar in construction to the Vedic Brahma Gayatri.
2.) Hare Krishna Maharaj. Maharaj now in ISKCON like the brahmana initiation looks like more senior and more important. And the pujaris, because they are connected to deities and festivals and abhishekam and all, it feels like new people are aspiring to become more pujaris than actually just chanting Hare Krishna maha mantra and depend on Hare Krishna maha mantra. So, how can Maharaj, we can educate the people in this direction?
So, of course, if we read carefully Bhagavatam and Caitanya Caritamrta, then we realize that the most important process is Harinama. Lord Caitanya traveled around and said chant the holy name, He didn’t say worship the deities [Laughs]. Of course, we do not reject deity worship. Archana is one of the processes of bhakti. And it’s one among the five most important angas of bhakti. However, it does require qualification in the sense that, you have to be judged by the guru that you are qualified to worship the deity etc, whereas Hare Krishna, we tell everybody to chant Hare Krishna, no matter what qualification. So, to take second initiation in one sense indicates that one has reached a certain level of progress in following rules. But a person who hasn’t got second initiation may also be following the same rules [Laughs]. Of course, the only difference is that the person who has second initiation is qualified to worship the deity. So, of course, worshipping the deity is a process of bhakti, so fine, you can practice Archana [Laughs]. But the goal of our bhakti is not to do Archana [Laughs]. The goal of our bhakti is attain Krishna, and the main process is Harinama. So to realize this, we need proper knowledge by closely studying the books.
Devotee: Maharaj, in ISKCON also it has become one of the sources of earning, pujari?
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj: Source of?
Devotee: To do the yajna and to do puja.
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj: So it has become source of?
Devotee: Earning.
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj: Earning. Oh [Laughs], it’s become a source of earning. Well, if we take second initiation in order to make money, that’s materialistic. Just as if we recite Bhagavatam to make money, again, that’s materialistic [Laughs]. So in other words, we shouldn’t materialize the process of bhakti.
Devotee: Maharaj it’s like we observe that pujaris are more into rules and regulation, cleanliness what is do’s and don’ts. But it’s not like more emphasis on brahminical qualifications like truthfulness, simplicity, honesty. So we don’t see that much training and education. So how can we educate in that direction also for the pujaris in ISKCON?
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj: What’s that?
Devotee: Brahmanas, they follow the rules and all but basic qualifications as per Bhagavad Gita, you should be truthful, you should be simple. Those qualities we don’t see in the brahmana, devotees also.
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj: Which [Laughs] in the pujaris and the other devotees also [Laughs]?
Devotee: Yeah.
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj: Of course, in the Nectar of Instruction there, Rupa Goswami says one of the unfavorable aspects is following too much rule [Laughs]. What this indicates, not that we don’t want rules, but that means that, we can follow the rule but without the proper goal of the rule. So the goal is to increase bhakti and attain prema. So we practice angas of bhakti as a rule and we may also follow other rules which are favorable to support that. So many of these favorable rules we may take from varnashrama system. For instance, brahminical conduct. So they are favorable as long as they help us increase the bhakti. But if we follow those rules for the rules sake then, and we get too attached to them, they may become unfavorable for our development of bhakti. So our Acharyas say, you can follow the rules of varnashrama along with doing bhakti, but one should not become too dependent on those varnashramic rules. If we think our bhakti depends on following those rules in varnashrama, then this becomes an impurity in bhakti.
Okay fine. Hare Krishna.
Devotees: Grantharaj Srimad Bhagavatam ki jai!!! HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj ki jai!!! Srila Prabhupada ki jai!!! Nitai Gaura Premanande Hari Haribol!!!