A humble servant devoted to God's service surpasses the most qualified person lacking spiritual surrender and love.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.10 — July 12, 1968, Montreal 680712SB-MONTREAL [30:23 Minutes] Prabhupāda: viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābhapādāravinda-vimukhāt śvapacaṁ variṣṭham manye tad-arpita-mano-vacanehitārthaprāṇaṁ punāti sa kulaṁ na tu bhūrimānaḥ [SB 7.9.10] [If a brāhmaṇa has all twelve of the brahminical qualifications [as they are stated in the book called Sanat-sujāta] but is not a devotee and is averse to the lotus feet of the Lord, he is certainly lower than a devotee who is a dog-eater but who has dedicated everything—mind, words, activities, wealth and life—to the Supreme Lord. Such a devotee is better than such a brāhmaṇa because the devotee can purify his whole family, whereas the so-called brāhmaṇa in a position of false prestige cannot purify even himself.] This verse we have been discussing in the last meeting. It is one of the many verses in the prayers of Prahlāda Mahārāja to Lord Nṛsiṁha. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that a person who has dedicated his life, tad-arpita-mano-vacana...
Arpita means dedicated. Mana means mind. Vacana means words. So we act in this body, we act with our mind, with our words and with our body. Mind, body and words.
This is the medium of exchanging our activities. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "One who has dedicated these three things, mind, body and words, to the service of the Lord, I think he is best." How best? Viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād: he's better or the best than anyone. In this material world the brāhmaṇa, the most intellectual person with twelve good qualification... Satya, sama, dama: he's truthful, he's controller of the senses, controller of the mind, he is simple, he is tolerant, he is full of knowledge, he is full of scientific knowledge, he knows everything of Vedas.
These are the qualities of a brāhmaṇa. But Prahlāda Mahārāja says that in spite of having all these qualities, if one is aravinda-nābha-pādāravinda-vimukhāt, if one is averse to the service of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then, even though he's a qualified brāhmaṇa, even though he's the most intellectual person, he is rejected. And better than him is he who, even born of a very low family, śvapacam... Śvapacam means the dog-eaters. The dog-eaters... There are different kinds of flesh eaters. So there are dog-eaters also.
That I have already explained, that dog-eaters are considered the lowest of the mankind. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that even if he's born in the family of the dog-eaters, but if he has dedicated his body, mind and words for the service of the Lord, he is better than such brāhmaṇa who has got all the good qualification but he has no attachment for God, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the comparison. Why you are giving so much importance to the man, even if he is born in a lower family? He says, manye tad-arpita-mano-vacana īhā. Īhā means endeavor.
Anyone who has engaged this endeavor for the service of the Lord... Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī has described about this person whose endeavor is always in the service of the Lord. How? Just like the members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness society. What is their endeavor?
Their only endeavor is how this Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be spread all over the world. Why they're endeavoring? Because Kṛṣṇa wants it. Kṛṣṇa wants it. God wants it.