Text 38] Ideal Family Life 187

standing. Therefore the Supersoul is the chief within the body.
The Supersoul is manifested to the individual soul according to
the individual’s comparative development of knowledge, austerity,
penance and so on.

PURPORT

In Bhagavad-gita (15.15) it is said, mattah smrtir jadnam apohanam
ca: the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His localized aspect gives in-
telligence to the individual soul as far as he is able to grasp it. Therefore
we find the individual soul in different high and low positions. A living
entity with the body of a bird or beast cannot take instructions from the
Supreme Soul as adequately as an advanced human being. Thus there are
gradations of bodily forms. In human society, the perfect brahmana is
supposed to be the most advanced in spiritual consciousness, and further
advanced than the brahmana is the Vaisnava. Therefore the best persons
are the Vaisnavas and Visnu. When charity is to be given, one should
take instruction from Bhagavad-gita (17.20):

datavyam iti yad danam
diyate *nupakdarine
dese kale ca patre ca

tad danam sdattvikam smrtam

“That gift which is given out of duty, at the proper time and place, to a
worthy person, and without expectation of return, is considered to be
charity in the mode of goodness.” One should give charity to the
brahmanas and Vaisnavas, for thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead
will be worshiped. In this connection, Srila Madhvacarya comments:

brahmadi-sthavarantesu
na viseso hareh kvacit

vyakti-matra-visesena
tdratamyam vadanti ca

Beginning from Brahma down to the ant, everyone is conducted by the
Supersoul (isvarah sarva-bhitanam hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati). But be-
cause of a particular person’s advancement in spiritual consciousness, he
