
From Previous Acharyas
The Difference Between Ordinary People and Saintly People

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From Previous Acharyas

The Difference Between Ordinary People and Saintly People by His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Saintly people like Jada Bharata do not speak mundane words. Whatever they say is approved by great yogīs and those advanced in spiritual life. That is the difference between ordinary people and saintly people. The listener must also be qualified to understand the words of exalted, spiritually advanced people such as Jada Bharata.
Bhagavad-gītā was spoken to Arjuna, not to others. Lord Krishna especially selected Arjuna for instruction in spiritual knowledge because Arjuna was a great devotee and confidential friend. Similarly, great personalities also speak to the learned, not to śūdras, vaiśyas, women or unintelligent men. Generally it is very risky to give great philosophical instructions to ordinary people, but Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, for the benefit of the fallen souls of Kali-yuga, has given us a very nice means of elevating people the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra. The can be purified by chanting this Hare Krishna mantra. Then they can understand the exalted philosophical statements of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Our Krishna consciousness movement has therefore adopted the chanting of the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra for the general masses. When people gradually become purified, they are instructed in the lessons of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Materialistic people like strī, śūdra and dvija-bandhu cannot understand instructions for spiritual advancement, yet one can take to the shelter of a Vaishnava, for he knows the art of enlightening even śūdras in the highly elevated subject matter spoken in Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
— Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa) » Fifth Canto: The Creative Impetus » Chapter 10: The Discussion Between Jada Bharata and Maharaja Rahugana » Verse:19.
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