Faith in transcendental knowledge overcomes all limitations of birth, gender, and material conditioning.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Prabhupāda: Ah, ready? Devotee: [indistinct] Prabhupāda: Give some prasādam. [Hindi] prasād. ...bhaktyā paramayāsate antarvatnī sva-garbhasya kṣemāyecchā-prasūtaye [SB 7.7.14] [My mother, being pregnant, desired the safety of her embryo and desired to give birth after her husband's arrival. Thus she stayed at Nārada Muni's āśrama, where she rendered service unto Nārada Muni with great devotion.] antarvatnī garbhiṇī. icchayā bhartur āgamanānantaraṁ prasūtaye. evam api sva-garbhasya kṣemāya [Bhāvārtha-dīpikā, 7.7.14] Natural affection of mother to the child. So Prahlāda's mother, after being brought in the āśrama of Nārada.
She was, as a chaste lady, was serving the āśrama. Now she is queen, a still when even a queen comes in the āśrama she has to work just like menial. Either king or queen or ordinary man, anyone who comes to the āśrama or in a temple, he or she must render service just like menial servant. That is the system. So Prahlāda Mahārāja's mother was giving very good service even though she was a queen.
But ṛṣiṁ paryacarat tatra bhaktyā—with great devotion, paramayā—ultimate devotion, satī—and she was a chaste lady. Not ordinary woman. Antarvatnī sva-garbhasya—but the purpose was material. As woman the purpose was material, she was thinking of giving protection to the child. Therefore later on it will be stated by Prahlāda Mahārāja that all the instructions she received from Nārada Mahārāja, Nārada Muni she forgot.
If service to the Lord is offered with some material purpose then all the instruction that is received through authorized channels will be also lost. This is the instance. ṛṣiḥ kāruṇikas tasyāḥ prādād ubhayam īśvaraḥ dharmasya tattvaṁ jñānaṁ ca mām apy uddiśya nirmalam [SB 7.7.15] [Nārada Muni delivered his instructions both to me, who was within the womb, and to my mother, who was engaged in rendering him service. Because he is naturally extremely kind to the fallen souls, being in a transcendental position, he gave instructions on religion and transcendental knowledge. These instructions were free from all material contamination.] Nārada Muni the great sage was instructing both the mother and the son within the womb of the mother.
Dharmasya, what he was instructing? Dharmasya tattvaṁ—the basic principle of religious life, dharmasya tattvaṁ. Jñānaṁ ca—and knowledge. Without knowledge or jñānasya-tattva, without the basic principle of knowledge, without the basic principles of religious life.
Nobody can advance in spiritual life, self-realization. Mām apy uddiśya nirmalam. So whatever instruction Nārada Muni, the great sage, delivered, that was especially meant for Prahlāda Mahārāja. He says mām uddiśya, aiming at to me.
Nārada Muni knew it that, "Whatever instruction I am giving, although it is meant for both the mother and the child." But he knew it very well that, "The child will be benefited more than the mother." Because women are considered less intelligent. Śūdras, vaiśyas, they're considered less intelligent but still if one sticks to the principles, follows the rules and regulations, te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim [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.] There is no bar for women, śūdra or vaiśya, but because they are less intelligent sometimes they fail to receive the essence of the knowledge. That is explained in the next verse: tat tu kālasya dīrghatvāt strītvān mātus tirodadhe [SB 7.7.16] [Because of the long duration of time that has passed and because of her being a woman and therefore less intelligent, my mother has forgotten all those instructions; but the great sage Nārada blessed me, and therefore I could not forget them.] Because that instruction was given since a very long time ago. Prahlāda Mahārāja speaking to his class friends at the age of five years and he heard the instruction when he was in the womb of his mother. Of course five years is not very long time, a still because she was women, she forgot.