‘16 The Nectar of Instruction
potency, they display their natural, constitutional activity —
namely, constant engagement in the devotional service of
the Lord. This is stated in Bhagavad-gita (9.13):
mahatmanas tu mam partha
daivirn prakrtim asritah
bhajanty ananya-manaso
Jiatva bhitadim avyayam
“O son of Prtha, those who are not deluded, the great souls,
are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully
engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhausti-
ble.”

The word mahdtma refers to those who are broad-
minded, not cripple-minded. Cripple-minded persons, al-
ways engaged in satisfying their senses, sometimes expand
their activities in order to do good for others through some
“ism” like nationalism, humanitarianism or altruism. They
may reject personal sense gratification for the sense gra-
tification of others, like the members of their family, com-
munity or society —either national or international. Actually
all this is extended sense gratification, from personal to com-
munal to social. This may all be very good from the material
point of view, but such activities have no spiritual value.
The basis of such activity is sense gratification, either per-
sonal or extended. Only when a person gratifies the senses of
the Supreme Lord can he be called a mahdtma, or broad-
minded person.

In the above-quoted verse from Bhagavad-gita, the words
daivim prakrtim refer to the control of the internal potency,
