"There are two kinds of servants: the māyā's servant and Kṛṣṇa's servant. Nobody is master. That is illusion. Everyone is servant. Every living entity is a servant. As enunciated by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa: (CC Madhya 20.108-109). 'The real constitutional position of the living entity is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa.' When he does not render service to Kṛṣṇa, under false prestige... Just like somebody says, 'The Vaiṣṇava religion is slave mentality.' 'Vaiṣṇava religion is slave mentality. They want to be servant.' But the rascals do not think that 'What you have gained by master mentality?' You are simply servant of your senses. But they criticize that Vaiṣṇava is a slave men. Everyone is slave. Somebody is slave of the senses, and somebody is slave of Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is master. That is illusion. Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ. The slaves of the senses, they are following the dictation of the senses, and abominable activities they are doing.
Just like Ajāmila. He was a brāhmaṇa. He was a slave of Nārāyaṇa, a slave of Kṛṣṇa, brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava. Brāhmaṇa means... A brāhmaṇa, qualified brāhmaṇa, means he is a Vaiṣṇava. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ paśyanti sadā sūrayaḥ. Sura. Brāhmaṇas' another name is sura. So those who are suras, those who are demigods, they are Vaiṣṇava. They are always ready to render service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But by false prestige, when one tries to become master... Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare. A master is supposed to be the supreme enjoyer of the establishment. But actually nobody is the enjoyer. Kṛṣṇa is the only enjoyer. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He is the proprietor. So when we forget this relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that 'I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa,' then he becomes servant of the senses, or māyā. So by becoming servant of the senses he follows the dictation of the master senses and goes down to the darkest region of illusion and becomes subject to the punishment of Yamarāja. This is the substance.
So intelligent persons... That we find, the statements of a brāhmaṇa, that he says, 'My dear Lord, I was so long servant of my senses and I followed their dictation even though it was very, very abominable.' Sometimes our conscience bids, 'Don't do this,' but due to our lust and greediness we do something which is abominable. Kṛṣṇa is there within our heart. He also gives sometimes dictation, 'Don't do it'; still, we do. So kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ. If the master says something 'You do it,' if it is good, that's all right. But if it is bad, even though I have to do because I have accepted the servitude, oh, that is very abominable. That is śūdras. According to Vedic principle, the śūdras... Śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam. The śūdras are meant for obeying the orders of the master. So sometimes it happens; the master says, 'You do this, you do that,' which is not very good. The servant has to act. So the intelligent brāhmaṇa says, 'My dear Lord, I have served the senses in so many ways, even though abominable. But, I find, still they are not satisfied, and neither the senses are very kind to me. Because I have served so faithfully, still they are dictating and I am doing.' This is my position. So now I have got good sense, that if I am destined to serve, then why not Kṛṣṇa? Why shall I serve the senses? If my position is to serve... (break)... 'If my position is to serve, and by serving the senses I am going to the darkest regions of darkness, oh, why shall I serve the senses?'
So bhagavad-dūta. The bhagavad-dūta means they are in right constitutional position. So you all become bhagavad-dūta, bhagavad-dūta, messenger of God. That is perfection of life. Otherwise you shall be obliged to become the servant of the senses. Go-dāsa and gosvāmī. The bhagavad-dūtas are gosvāmī, and the servants of the senses are go-dāsa. Unfortunately the go-dāsas are claiming to be gosvāmīs. That is the cause of falldown of Indian Vedic civilization. One has to become gosvāmī. Gosvāmī means refuse to follow the dictation of the senses. Simply he has to follow the dictation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That dictation comes through the paramparā system. Kṛṣṇa dictated Arjuna, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). If you follow Arjuna, then you (are) in directly contact with Kṛṣṇa. There is no difficulty. The dictation comes through disciplic succession. Now Kṛṣṇa is teaching to His disciple, Arjuna. Arjuna accepted, śiṣyas te 'ham: (BG 2.7). 'Just now I become Your disciple.' Śiṣya means one who voluntarily accepts the ruling of a spiritual master. He is called śiṣya. Nobody wants to follow the dictation of others—that is another independent nature of living entity—but when one voluntarily agrees to serve the dictation of the spiritual master..., means to follow the dictation of Kṛṣṇa... Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt. Kṛṣṇa says, 'Ācārya is My self.' Nāvamanyeta karhicit: 'Never disobey.' Na martya-buddhyāsūyeta: 'And do not think him as ordinary person and become envious of his position.' Then there is fall down. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit, na martya-buddhyāsūyeta (SB 11.17.27).
So this dictation of Kṛṣṇa comes through the disciplic succession, and if we follow the instruction of ācārya, or spiritual master, then we are directly following the orders of Kṛṣṇa, and thus I become a bhagavad-dūta. No more I am the dūta or the follower of the dictation of my senses. And one who is bhagavad-dūta, he is called gosvāmī, just like Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī. Whose life is dedicated to follow the dictation of Kṛṣṇa, they are gosvāmī. Gosvāmī is not a caste title, just like it has become in India. Gosvāmī... Rūpa Gosvāmī was a minister. He was rejected by the brāhmaṇa society, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu made him gosvāmī. He is the original gosvāmī. Why? Because he gave up the dictation of Nawab Shah but he followed the dictation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore he became gosvāmī, prabhupāda. He became prabhupāda. Prabhupāda means the title or the respect which is given to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is called... Prabhu means master and pāda means maryādā, or the respect or the distinction. So bhagavad-dūta, those who are strictly following the dictation of Kṛṣṇa under strict disciplinary chain of disciplic succession, he is Kṛṣṇa's representative and he should be given all the respect. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. That is the verdict of all śāstras. And those who are actually Vaiṣṇava, they follow this instruction."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Calcutta, January 6, 1971)
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