Text 185] The Lord Travels to Vrndavana 101
“O son of Prtha, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protec-
tion of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because
they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaust-
ible.” (Bg. 9.13)

In the material world, the word mahatmd is understood in different ways by dif-
ferent religionists. Mundaners also come up with their different angles of vision.
For the conditioned soul busy in sense gratification, a mahajana is recognized ac-
cording to the proportion of sense gratification he offers. For instance, a business-
man may consider a certain banker to be a mahdjana, and karmis desiring material
enjoyment may consider philosophers like Jaimini to be mahdjanas. There are
many yogis who want to control the senses, and for them Patafijali Rsi is a maha-
jana. For the janis, the atheist Kapila, Vasistha, Durvasa, Dattatreya and other im-
personalist philosophers are mahdajanas. For the demons, Hiranydksa,
HiranyakaSipu, Ravana, Ravana’s son Meghandada, Jarasandha and others are ac-
cepted as mahdjanas. For materialistic anthropologists speculating on the evolu-
tion of the body, a person like Darwin is a mahdajana. The scientists who are
bewildered by Krsna’s external energy have no relationship with the Supreme Per-
sonality of Godhead, yet they are accepted by some as mahdjanas. Similarly, phi-
losophers, historians, literary men, public speakers and social and political leaders
are sometimes accepted as mahdjanas. Such mahdjanas are respected by certain
men who have been described in Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.3.19):

sva-vid-varahostra-kharaih
samstutah purusah pasuh
na yat-karna-pathopeto
jatu nama gadagrajah
“Men who are like dogs, hogs, camels and asses praise those men who never
listen to the transcendental pastimes of Lord Sri Krsna, the deliverer from evils.”

Thus on the material platform animalistic leaders are worshiped by animals.
Sometimes physicians, psychiatrists and social workers try to mitigate bodily pain,
distress and fear, but they have no knowledge of spiritual identity and are bereft
of a relationship with God. Yet they are considered mahdajanas by the illusioned.
Self-deceived persons sometimes accept leaders or spiritual masters from a
priestly order that has been officially appointed by the codes of material life. In
this way, they are deceived by official priests. Sometimes people accept as maha-
janas those who have been designated by Srila Vrndavana dasa Thakura as
dhanga-vipras (imposter brahmanas). Such imposters imitate the characteristics of
Srila Haridasa Thakura, and they envy Haridasa Thakura, who was certainly a
mahdjana. They make great artificial endeavors, advertising themselves as great
devotees of the Lord or as mystic hypnotists knowledgeable in witchcraft, hyp-
notism and miracles. Sometimes people accept demons like Pitana, Trnavarta,
