By Visakha Priya dasi
Some time ago on Dandavats—maybe a year or more ago—there was a debate on Srila Prabhupada’s statement that a woman’s brain is smaller than man’s brain, the implication being that a woman is less intelligent than a man. Some devotees argued that Srila Prabhupada’s statements are absolute and should be endorsed no matter what modern science says. Others retorted that Srila Prabhupada was merely quoting his Scottish Churches College professor, whose analysis appears to be erroneous by modern standards of research.
While going through the Fourth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, I came across the story of Daksha’s head transplant. It is recorded in Chapter Seven and Srila Prabhupada’s purports to verses 5 and 9 appear to confirm that Srila Prabhupada was merely quoting his professor rather than making an absolute statement. I am submitting them hereunder. (The italics are my only contribution.)
Brigu Muni, a great supporter of Daksha, was awarded the beard of the goat’s head which was substituted for the head of Daksha. It appears from the exchange of Daksha’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 Daksha and that of a goat are different, but Daksha 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 Daksha’s head was replaced by the goat’s head, he was as intelligent as he had previously been. He prayed very nicely to satisfy Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu, which is not possible for a goat to do. Therefore it is definitely concluded that the brain substance is not the center of intelligence; it is the consciousness of a particular soul that works intelligently. The whole movement of Krishna consciousness is to purify the consciousness. It doesn’t matter what kind of brain one has because if he simply transfers his consciousness from matter to Krishna, his life becomes successful. It is confirmed by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gita that anyone who takes up Krishna consciousness achieves the highest perfection of life, regardless of whatever abominable condition of life he may have fallen into. Specifically, anyone in Krishna consciousness goes back to Godhead, back to home, on leaving his present material body. (SB 4.7.5 purport)
The example given here is that Daksha got up as if he were awakened from deep sleep. In Sanskrit this is called supta ivottasthau. The meaning is that after a man awakens from sleep, he immediately remembers all the duties which he must execute. Daksha was killed, and his head was taken away and burned to ashes. His body was lying dead, but by the grace of Lord Shiva, as soon as the head of a goat was joined to the body, Daksha came back to consciousness again. This indicates that consciousness is also individual. Daksha actually took another body when he took on the head of a goat, but because consciousness is individual, his consciousness remained the same although his bodily condition changed. Thus bodily construction has nothing to do with the development of consciousness. Consciousness is carried with the transmigration of the soul. There are many instances of this in Vedic history, such as the case of Maharaja Bharata. After quitting his body as a king, Maharaja Bharata was transferred to the body of a deer, but he retained the same consciousness. He knew that although formerly he was King Bharata, he had been transferred to the body of a deer because of his absorption in thinking of a deer at the time of his death. In spite of his having the body of a deer, however, his consciousness was as good as it was in the body of King Bharata. The arrangement by the Lord is so nice that if a person’s consciousness is turned into Krishna consciousness, there is no doubt that in his next life he will be a great devotee of Krishna, even if he is offered a different type of body. (SB 4.7.9 purport)