By Rsi Kumar Dasa

Sometime back I saw a post which made a blanket statement that women are “less intelligent” and also misquoted Srila Prabhupada as having said so – without understanding the context, the audience and position in which he said so.  What many people – especially devotees miss is that (and it is rather disappointing when it comes from devotees) that actually size of the brain or gender don’t matter when we are trained and engaged in Krishna Conscious activities.

For those who like to use Srila Prabhupada quotes to bash up others, here is a quote from him – and I am giving just a small drop of nectar from his books which are authoritative.

In Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 4 Chp 7 Text 5 purport, Srila Prabhupada says, “It appears from the exchange of Dakṣa’s head that the modern scientific theory that the brain substance is the cause of all intelligent work is not valid. The brain substance of Dakṣa and that of a goat are different, but Dakṣa still acted like himself, even though his head was replaced by that of a goat. The conclusion is that it is the particular consciousness of an individual soul which acts. The brain substance is only an instrument which has nothing to do with real intelligence. The real intelligence, mind and consciousness are part of the particular individual soul. It will be found in the verses ahead that after Dakṣa’s head was replaced by the goat’s head, he was as intelligent as he had previously been”

Further Srila Prabhupada states the same in the Pastimes of elephant, Gajendra. Gajendra was the great devotee king Indradyumna, who was cursed by Agastya muni to become a dumb elephant, for a negligenceon his part of not offering his respects to the great sage.  Srila Prabhupada states that even though he was in an elephant’s body he remembered his previous birth by grace of Krishna – and not because of any brain substance inside the elephant head.

Even in the pastime of King Bharata who became a deer due to his excessive attachment to the animal remembered his previous state by the dint of his devotional service and not his brain substance

Many women devotees have proven without any doubt they are equally hard workers and intelligent and can sincerely represent Lord Caitanya and Srila Prabhupada in their individual capacities.

So dear man, better get Krishna conscious – seriously – and remember there are three more fingers of your own hand pointing back at you.

(Image Source: dreamsline.com)