Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 7 - Chapter 1 - Verse 12

Sanskrit:

तस्मादहं विगतविक्लव ईश्वरस्यसर्वात्मना महि गृणामि यथा मनीषम् ।नीचोऽजया गुणविसर्गमनुप्रविष्ट:पूयेत येन हि पुमाननुवर्णितेन ॥ १२ ॥

ITRANS:

tasmād ahaṁ vigata-viklava īśvarasyasarvātmanā mahi gṛṇāmi yathā manīṣamnīco ’jayā guṇa-visargam anupraviṣṭaḥpūyeta yena hi pumān anuvarṇitena

Translation:

Therefore, although I was born in a demoniac family, I may without a doubt offer prayers to the Lord with full endeavor, as far as my intelligence allows. Anyone who has been forced by ignorance to enter the material world may be purified of material life if he offers prayers to the Lord and hears the Lord’s glories.

Purport:

It is clearly understood that a devotee does not need to be born in a very high family, to be rich, to be aristocratic or to be very beautiful. None of these qualifications will engage one in devotional service. With devotion one should feel, “God is great, and I am very small. Therefore my duty is to offer my prayers to the Lord.” Only on this basis can one understand and render service to the Lord. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (18.55): “One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.” Thus Prahlāda Mahārāja decided to offer his best prayers to the Lord, without consideration of his material position.