Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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TSpeaking on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.41, on June 7, 1976, in Los Angeles, Srila Prabhupada explained the following verse from the Padma Purana:

arcye visnau sila-dhir gurusu nara-matir vaisnave jati-buddhir
visnor va vaisnavanam kali-mala-mathane pada-tirthe ’mbu-buddhih
sri-visnor namni mantre sakala-kalusa-he sabda-samanya-buddhir
visnau sarvesvarese tad-itara-sama-dhir yasya va naraki sah

“One who thinks the Deity in the temple to be made of wood or stone, who thinks of the spiritual master in the disciplic succession as an ordinary man, who thinks the Vaisnava in the Acyuta-gotra to belong to a certain caste or creed, or who thinks of caranamrta or Ganges water as ordinary water is taken to be a resident of hell.”

These were his comments:

Arcye visnau sila-dhir gurusu nara-matir vaisnave jati-buddhih naraki. Forbidden—never think of the vigrahah, the form of the Lord, as stone or wood; gurusu nara-matir, or the spiritual master as ordinary human being; vaisnave jati-buddhih, or the Vaishnava, who has become a devotee, as belonging to some caste or nation. No. He doesn’t belong to anything. Never think that he’s American Vaishnava, he’s Indian Vaishnava, he’s brahman Vaishnava, he’s kshatriya. No. This is jati-buddhih, classification. A Vaishnava does not belong to any jati. He belongs to Krishna, krsna dasa. Jivera svarupa haya nitya krsna dasa. [“The living entity’s constitutional position is to be an eternal servant of Krishna.”] (Cc Madhya 20.108)

Therefore practically you can see the members of Krishna consciousness: some of them are Indians, some of them are Europeans, some of them are Englishmen, some of them are black, some of them are white, some of them are brahmans, some of them are Hindus—but they do not think anymore that “I belong to this category.” No. Otherwise they could not work together. Every one of them is completely aware that “We are all Krishna’s servants.”

Similarly, the guru is not an ordinary human being. Gurusu nara-matir. Guru is not ordinary human being. Ordinary human being cannot preach Krishna consciousness. That is not possible. Krsna-sakti vina nahe krsna nama pracara. [“The fundamental religious system in the Age of Kali is the chanting of the holy name of Krsna. Unless empowered by Krsna, one cannot propagate the sankirtana movement.”] (Cc Antya 7.11) So anyone who is preaching, he cannot be considered an ordinary human being. Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has explained, Why not ordinary being? Even though his son is calling him “father,” or his relatives are taking him as ordinary, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that still he is not an ordinary human being. Why? Because he is preaching Krishna consciousness. So, vaisnave jati-buddhih, gurusu nara-matir.