Answer
When we say chittam, we are referring to the subtle body, which has three aspects—mind, intelligence, and ego. The mind is the emotional aspect, intelligence is the discriminating faculty, and ego is the sense of identity or persona. So when we casually say “mind,” many times we are actually including this ego—the role we are playing.
False prestige arises from identifying with a false persona. There can be a real identity and a false identity. When I identify myself as a servant of Krishna in all situations, that is my real aham (true identity). But when I identify with “I am this body,” and extend that to “I am from this family, this community, this nation,” then everything begins from that bodily identification. The whole illusion is built on this false “I”—this is called false ego.
So in life, we are constantly operating between two modes: aham and mama—“I” and “mine.” Either we function with false ego (I am this body) and false possession (this is mine), or we function with purified identity—I am a servant of Krishna, and everything related to me is meant for His service. When aham and mama are connected to Krishna, they become pure. When they are disconnected, they become the basis of illusion.
Once we accept “I am this body,” then bodily interests arise—both gross and subtle. From that comes sense gratification and also social gratification. There are two types of enjoyment: one is direct bodily sense enjoyment, and the other is social recognition—wanting appreciation, status, validation from others. This second one is what we call false prestige. It is the desire to be seen as important among others, to be recognized, even spiritually—“I am a great devotee,” “I am a successful preacher,” and so on.
Even a spiritual practitioner may control gross senses but still seek subtle recognition among devotees. That is also sense gratification—social gratification. The mind craves both.
But a sincere devotee thinks differently: “Let the world think whatever it wants—success or failure is not my concern.” That is Krishna’s concern, that is the concern of the spiritual master. My only concern is whether I am sincerely following.
The disease is this idea: “I am the center.” In spiritual life, this is the biggest obstacle. The center is Krishna. His pleasure is the goal. Everything exists for Him. But when we misidentify ourselves as the body, we naturally start placing that bodily identity at the center—and then everything revolves around it.
A devotee gradually gives up this social ego—both in the material world and even within spiritual circles. He begins to think, “Why am I struggling for recognition? My real dignity is to be a servant of Krishna.” The real relationship is internal—between me, my spiritual master, and Krishna.
We are not seeking external validation. We are seeking approval from the spiritual master and Krishna. As A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explained, if you are doing what he has instructed, then you can understand that he is pleased. There is no need for external certificates.
So real satisfaction comes from following sincerely, and dissatisfaction should come when we neglect those instructions. In that way, we correct the mind—not by chasing recognition, but by aligning ourselves again and again with genuine service and humility.
