Text 33] Instructions by Maharaja Prthu 855
intelligence, sudras should simply engage as workers to serve the higher
statuses of social life. Everyone’s aim should be to satisfy the Supreme
Personality of Godhead by engaging his mind in thinking always of Krsna,
his words in always offering prayers to the Lord or preaching about the
glories of the Lord, and his body in executing the service required to
satisfy the Lord. As there are four divisions within our body—the head,
the arms, the belly and the legs—similarly, human society, taken as a
whole, is divided into four classes of men according to their material
qualities and occupational duties. Thus the brahminical or intelligent men
have to execute the duty of the head, the ksatriyas must fulfill the duty of
the arms, the vaisya class must fulfill the duty of the belly, and the sudras
must fulfill the duty of the legs. In executing the prescribed duties of life,
no one is higher or lower, for although there are such divisions as higher
and lower, since there is actually a common interest—to satisfy the Supreme
Personality of Godhead—there are no distinctions between them.

The question may be raised that since the Lord is supposed to be wor-
shiped by great demigods like Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and others, how
can an ordinary human being on this planet serve Him? This is clearly
explained by Prthu Maharaja by the use of the word yathadhikara, ‘‘accord-
ing to one’s ability.” If one sincerely executes his occupational duty, that
will be sufficient. One does not need to become like Lord Brahma, Lord
Siva, Indra, Lord Caitanya or Ramanujacarya, whose capabilities are cer-
tainly far above ours. Even a sudra, who is in the lowest stage of life
according to the material qualities, can achieve the same success. Anyone
can become successful in devotional service provided he displays no
duplicity. It is explained here that one must be very frank and open-
minded (amayinah). To be situated in a lower status of life is not a dis-
qualification for success in devotional service. The only qualification is
that whether one is a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or sudra, he must be
open, frank and free from reservations. Then, by performing his particular
occupational duty under the guidance of a proper spiritual master, he can
achieve the highest success in life. As confirmed by the Lord Himself,
striyo vaisyas tatha sudras te *pi yanti param gatim (Bg. 9.32). It does not
matter what one is, whether a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sidra or a de-
graded woman. If he engages himself seriously in devotional service, work-
ing with body, mind and intelligence, he is sure to be successful in going
back home, back to Godhead. The Lord’s lotus feet are described here as
kama-dughanghri-pankajam because they have all power to fulfill the de-
sires of everyone. A devotee is happy even in this life because—although in
