Devotional service to Krishna transcends all material qualifications and family circumstances entirely.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.8–10 — March 10, 1969, Hawaii 690310SB-HAWAII [58:32 Minutes] SB-07.09.08–10_690310SB-HAWAII Prabhupāda: When previously we discussed about this Prahlāda Mahārāja's prayers… Perhaps you may all remember. Anyway, Prahlāda Mahārāja, when Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva was appeared..., appearing very much angry, so nobody could go forward before Him to pacify Him. Therefore Lord Brahmā requested Prahlāda Mahārāja that "You go forward and pacify the Lord." So because he was born of an āsura, demon, family, he thought that "When all these demigods could not pacify the Lord, what I can do? I am born of a father who is completely demon, in the modes of darkness." Demons are… There are three modes of material nature.
Those who are demigods, they are in the modes of goodness, and those who are demons, they are partly in the modes of passion and partly in the modes of ignorance. So Prahlāda Mahārāja said that ugra-jāteḥ [SB 7.9.8]: [Prahlāda Mahārāja prayed: How is it possible for me, who have been born in a family of asuras, to offer suitable prayers to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Even until now, all the demigods, headed by Lord Brahmā, and all the saintly persons could not satisfy the Lord by streams of excellent words, although such persons are very qualified, being in the mode of goodness. Then what is to be said of me? I am not at all qualified.] "I am born of a father who was too much passionate.
So my body is made up of the modes of passion. When the persons whose bodies are in the modes of goodness could not pacify the Lord, then what can I do? My body is made of passion." So in other words, it is to be understood so long one is in the modes of passion and ignorance, he cannot understand about the Absolute Truth. Therefore it is necessary to bring one on the platform of goodness. Therefore there are so many restriction just to bring one from the lowest platform to the upper platform—at least to the material world—goodness.
Of course, those who are Vaiṣṇavas, they are above all these platforms. Their platform is sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditaṁ [SB 4.3.23]. [I am always engaged in offering obeisances to Lord Vāsudeva in pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is always pure consciousness, in which the Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as Vāsudeva, is revealed without any covering.] Their platform is vasudeva. Vasudeva means the transcendental platform. So he was thinking like that, but actually his position was transcendental, because he was devotee of the Lord.
That is the significance here. Though even Lord Brahmā, who is considered to be the most exalted person in the modes of goodness, he could not pacify, and he requested Prahlāda Mahārāja, although he was a five-years-old boy and born of a demon family. So he was requested that "You can pacify." This is very significant. So Prahlāda Mahārāja could understand it that "Lord Brahmā is requesting me to pacify the Lord not because materially I am elevated than Lord Brahmā, but some way or other, because I have come to the spiritual platform in the devotional service, therefore Lord Brahmā is giving me preference." This is the point to be understood.
Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is being pushed in the Western countries, where the modes of passion and ignorance is very prominent. But this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement does not depend on these material modes of nature. It is above. It is without any impediment, without any stumbling block offered by the material causes.
Ahaituky apratihatā [SB 1.2.6]. [The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.] This movement cannot be checked by the material modes of nature. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā also. Lord says, Kṛṣṇa, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg. 9.32] [O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—women, vaiśyas [merchants], as well as śūdras [workers]—can approach the supreme destination.] Pāpa-yoni.