638 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 3, Ch. 16

tat—therefore; vah—you sages; prasadayami—| am seeking your forgive-
ness; adya—just now; brahma—the brahmanas; daivam—most beloved
personalities; param—highest; hi—because; me—My; tat—that offense; hi~
because; iti—thus; alma-krtam—done by Me; manye—| consider; yat—
which; sva-pumbhih—by My own attendants; asatkrtah—having been dis-

respected.
TRANSLATION

To Me, the brahmana is the highest and most beloved personality. The
disrespect shown by My attendants has actually been displayed by Me
because the doormen are My servitors. I take this to be an offense by
Myself; therefore I seek your forgiveness for the incident that has arisen.

PURPORT

The Lord is always in favor of the brahmanas and the cows, and there-
fore it is said, go-brahmana-hitaya ca. Lord Krsna or Visnu, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, is also the worshipable Deity of the brahmanas.
In the Vedic literature, in the Rg-mantra hymns of the Kg Veda, it is
stated that those who are actually brahmanas always look to the lotus feet
of Visnu: om tad visnoh paramam padam sada pasyanti surayah. Those
who are qualified brah manas worship only the Visnu form of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, which means Krsna, Rama and all Visnu expan-
sions. A so-called brahmana, who is born in the family of brahmanas but
performs activities aimed against the Vaisnavas, cannot be accepted as
a brahmana because brahmana means Vaisnava, and Vaisyava means
brahmana. One who has become a devotee of the Lord is also a brahmana.
The formula is brahma janatiti brahmanah. A brahmana is one who has
understood Brahman, and a Vaisnava is one who has understood the
Personality of Godhead. Brahman realization is the beginning of realization
of the Personality of Godhead. One who understands the Personality of
Godhead also knows the impersonal feature of the Supreme, which is
Brahman. Therefore one who becomes a Vaisnava is already a brahmana.
It should be noted that the glories of the brahmana described in this
chapter by the Lord Himself refer to His devotee brahmana, or the
Vaisnava. It should never be misunderstood that the so-called brahmanas
who are born in brahmana familics but have no brahminical qualifications
are referred to in this connection.

TEXT 5
Tarn a wea ata aed Hala
aisargaraecattd afea aA: 14 UI
