आत्मवत्सर्वभूतानामेकप्रियसुहृत्तमः ॥३१॥
दासवत्सन्नतार्याङ्घ्रिः पितृवद्दीनवत्सलः ।
भ्रातृवत्सदृशे स्निग्धो गुरुष्वीश्वरभावनः ।
विद्यार्थरूपजन्माढ्यो मानस्तम्भविवर्जितः ॥३२॥
brahmaṇyaḥ śīla-sampannaḥ
satya-sandho jitendriyaḥ
Ätmavat sarva-bhÅ«tÄnÄm
eka-priya-suhṛttamaḥ
dÄsavat sannatÄryÄá¹…ghriḥ
pitṛvad dīna-vatsalaḥ
bhrÄtá¹›vat sadṛśe snigdho
guruá¹£v Ä«Å›vara-bhÄvanaḥ
vidyÄrtha-rÅ«pa-janmÄá¸hyo
mÄna-stambha-vivarjitaḥ
brahmaṇyaḥ - cultured as a good brÄhmaṇa; śīla-sampannaḥ - possessing all good qualities; satya-sandhaḥ - determined to understand the Absolute Truth; jita-indriyaḥ - fully controlling the senses and mind; Ätma-vat - like the Supersoul; sarva-bhÅ«tÄnÄm - of all living entities; eka-priya - the one beloved; suhá¹›t-tamaḥ - the best friend; dÄsa-vat - like a menial servant; sannata - always obedient; Ärya-aá¹…ghriḥ - at the lotus feet of great persons; pitá¹›-vat - exactly like a father; dÄ«na-vatsalaḥ - kind to the poor; bhrÄtá¹›-vat - exactly like a brother; sadṛśe - to his equals; snigdhaḥ - very affectionate; guruá¹£u - unto the spiritual masters; Ä«Å›vara-bhÄvanaḥ - who considered exactly like the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vidyÄ - education; artha - riches; rÅ«pa - beauty; janma - aristocracy or nobility; Äá¸hyaḥ - endowed with; mÄna - pride; stambha - impudence; vivarjitaḥ - completely free from.
[The qualities of MahÄrÄja PrahlÄda, the son of HiraṇyakaÅ›ipu, are described herewith.] He was completely cultured as a qualified brÄhmaṇa, having very good character and being determined to understand the Absolute Truth. He had full control of his senses and mind. Like the Supersoul, he was kind to every living entity and was the best friend of everyone. To respectable persons he acted exactly like a menial servant, to the poor he was like a father, to his equals he was attached like a sympathetic brother, and he considered his teachers, spiritual masters and older Godbrothers to be as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He was completely free from unnatural pride that might have arisen from his good education, riches, beauty, aristocracy and so on.
These are some of the qualifications of a Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava is automatically a brÄhmaṇa because a Vaiṣṇava has all the good qualities of a brÄhmaṇa.
Å›amo damas tapaḥ Å›aucaá¹
ká¹£Äntir Ärjavam eva ca
jñÄnaá¹ vijñÄnam Ästikyaá¹
brahma-karma svabhÄva-jam
“Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness — these are the qualities by which the brÄhmaṇas work.†(Bg. 18.42) These qualities are manifest in the body of a Vaiṣṇava. Therefore a perfect Vaiṣṇava is also a perfect brÄhmaṇa, as indicated here by the words brahmaṇyaḥ śīla-sampannaḥ. A Vaiṣṇava is always determined to understand the Absolute Truth, and to understand the Absolute Truth one needs to have full control over his senses and mind. PrahlÄda MahÄrÄja possessed all these qualities. A Vaiṣṇava is always a well-wisher to everyone. The Six GosvÄmÄ«s, for example, are described in this way: dhÄ«rÄdhÄ«ra-jana-priyau. They were popular with both the gentle and the ruffians. A Vaiṣṇava must be equal to everyone, regardless of one’s position. Ätmavat: a Vaiṣṇava should be like ParamÄtmÄ. Ä«Å›varaḥ sarva-bhÅ«tÄnÄá¹ há¹›d-deÅ›e ’rjuna tiá¹£á¹hati. ParamÄtmÄ does not hate anyone; indeed, He is in the heart of a brÄhmaṇa, but he is also even in the heart of a pig. As the moon never refuses to distribute its pleasing rays even to the home of a caṇá¸Äla, a Vaiṣṇava never refuses to act for everyone’s welfare. Therefore a Vaiṣṇava is always obedient to the spiritual master (Ärya). The word Ärya refers to one who is advanced in knowledge. One who is deficient in knowledge cannot be called Ärya. At the present, however, the word Ärya is used to refer to those who are godless. This is the unfortunate situation of Kali-yuga.
The word guru refers to the spiritual master who initiates his disciple into advancement in the science of Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as stated by ÅšrÄ«la ViÅ›vanÄtha CakravartÄ« ṬhÄkura (Å›rÄ«-bhagavan-mantropadeÅ›ake gurÄv ity arthaḥ).
