Cutting Off Ties of Affection 181

evidence of this is Jagai and Madhai.”’ At that time, of course, there were
two Jagdis and Madhais, but at the present moment, by the grace of
Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His process of teaching, so many Jagais and
Madhiis are being delivered. If Caitanya Mahaprabhu is pleased, He can
give krsna-prema, love of Krsna, to anyone, regardless of that person’s
qualification. If a person is giving charity, he can select anyone to take it.

Without the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, understanding Krsna
is very, very difficult. Manusyandm sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye
(Bg. 7.3): out of many millions of people, hardly-one tries to make his life
spiritually successful. People simply work like animals, not knowing how
to make a success of human life. One’s human life is successful when one
understands Krsna; otherwise one remains an animal. Anyone who is not
Krsna conscious, who does not know who Krsna is, is no better than an
animal. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave this concession to the fallen souls
of this age: ‘‘Simply chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra and you will be
delivered.’’ This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s special concession (kirtanad
eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet, Bhag. 12.3.51).

Now, Kunti was not an ordinary devotee. She had become one of the
relatives of Krsna, and therefore Krsna had come to offer her respects.
But still she said, ‘‘Krsna, I have become attached to two families, my
father’s family and my husband’s family. Kindly help me become
detached from these families.’’ Thus she illustrated that one must be-
come detached from society, friendship, and love, all of which will other-
wise entangle us.

As longasI think, ‘‘I belong to this family,’’ ‘‘I belong to this nation,”
‘TI belong to this religion,” ‘‘I belong to this color,’ and so on, there is
no possibility of becoming Krsna conscious. As long as one thinks that
one is American, Indian, or African, that one belongs to this family or
that family, or that one is the father, mother, husband, or wife of this or
that person, one is attached to material designations. I am spirit soul, and
all these attachments belong to the body, but I am not this body. This is
the essence of understanding. If I am not this body, then whose father or
whose mother am I? The supreme father and mother is Krsna. We are
simply playing the parts of father, mother, sister, or brother, as if on
stage. Maya, the material nature, is causing us to dance, telling us, ‘““You
are a member of this family and a member of this nation.’’ Thus we are
dancing like monkeys.

In the Bhagavad-gita (3.27) it is said:

prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
