Srila Prabhupada, Montreal, August 19, 1968 — What is the highest type of religion? Everyone will say that “My system of religion is better than yours.” That is quite natural. A Hindu will say, “Oh, I am better than the Christian.” Christian will say, “I am better than the Hindu.”
But Bhagavata says that that is not the test of religion. Bhagavat says, sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoknaje [SB 1.2.6]. That type of religion is the best by which one develops love of Godhead. That’s all.
The test is how much you have developed love of Godhead. Bhava-grahi janardana. In Vedic literature it is said that God, Krishna, simply accepts your bhava or your situation, how much you have developed your attraction for God, or Krishna.
That is taken into account. He does not take account that “Oh, you are very rich. You are very beautiful. You are very opulent,” or “You are very poor. You are not beautiful.” These considerations are not there. The only consideration is how much you love God. Then your life is successful.
So Prahlada Maharaja, therefore, taking courage, that the material qualifications are not assets to approach God, but it is only devotional service, service attitude. “Krishna, or God, I love You. I can sacrifice You… I can sacrifice everything for You.” Just like Lord Jesus Christ. He sacrificed even his life. The gopis, they also sacrificed everything for Krishna. This is wanted.
The degree of sacrifice, the degree of attachment is taken into consideration by God, not any material opulence. So Prahlada Maharaja is encouraged. Tasmad aham vigata-viklava isvarasya sarvatmana mahi grnami yatha maninam: “Therefore I shall try to offer my prayers according to my capacity.” It is not that because one does not know Sanskrit or a particular type of language and he cannot pray very nicely with poetic simile, metaphors… These things are not required.
Simply you have to open your feelings of love of Godhead. Then He’s pleased. It does not depend on the particular type of language or poetic ideas. No. There is one verse in the beginning of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, that, tad-vag-visargo janatagha-viplavo yasmin prati-slokam abaddhavaty api namany anantasya yaso ‘nkitani yat srnvanti gayanti grnanti sadhavah [SB 1.5.11] It is said that a verse written in broken language…
Suppose a person, a great devotee, is writing some prayers for God, but he has no idea of the rhetorical or prosodic method, the system of poetry. He has no such idea, but he is simply expressing his feeling. But if that feeling is correct, even the language is broken… There are many examples. Just like a child, he prays mother, parents, simply by crying.
It has no language, but the mother understands what is the feeling of the child. It is the feeling that is taken into consideration, not the language. So Prahlada Maharaja very much encouraged, that tasmad aham vigata-viklava.
So without any doubt, isvarasya, of the Lord, sarvatmana, wholeheartedly, without any reservation, if I say, “My dear God, my dear Krishna, from today I surrender unto You. Please protect me,” this very language, this very feeling will give you all protection. It is so nice. He does not require to be very learned man. In the spiritual platform there is no such consideration. Full Lecture
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