In Kali-yuga, everything is being misused. But śāstra has given us direction who is brāhmaṇa, who is mahātmā. So here one type of mahātmā is given: mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ. They are equal. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. That is mahātmā. He has realized, Brahman realized, so he has no discrimination, either man to man or man to animal. Even a . . .
- vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
- brāhmaṇe gave hastini
- śuni caiva śvapāke ca
- paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
- (BG 5.18)
Paṇḍita does not mean one who has got degree. Paṇḍita means sama-cittāḥ. That is sama-cittāḥ. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has also said that,
- mātṛ-vat para-dāreṣu
- para-dravyeṣu loṣṭra-vat
- ātma-vat sarva-bhūteṣu
- yaḥ paśyati sa paṇḍitaḥ
He is paṇḍita. Otherwise a rascal. Mātṛ-vat para-dāreṣu. As soon as you see one woman except your married wife, you immediately address her "mother." This is paṇḍita. This is paṇḍita. Not that talking phish-phish with other's woman. He's a rascal. So mātṛ-vat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭra-vat: not to touch others' property. Garbage nobody touches. But people are so unfortunate. I have seen in Hong Kong, they are picking out some food from the garbage like dogs. I have seen. Somebody throws away some foodstuff, and that is collected. People are so unfortunate. So garbage nobody touches. But in Kali-yuga one has to pick out some papers, some, I mean to say, pieces of cloth to make some business in the garbage. Garbage is untouchable, but in the Kali-yuga the people are so unfortunate that they pick out from garbage also something valuable.