navadvÄ«pe yei Å›akti nÄ kailÄ prakÄÅ›e
se Å›akti prakÄÅ›i' nistÄrila daká¹£iṇa-deÅ›e

 navadvÄ«pe - at NavadvÄ«pa; yei - that which; Å›akti - the potency;  - not; kailÄ - did; prakÄÅ›e - manifestation; se - that; Å›akti - potency; prakÄÅ›i' - manifesting; nistÄrila - delivered; daká¹£iṇa-deÅ›e - South India.


Text

Lord ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu did not manifest His spiritual potencies at NavadvÄ«pa, but He did manifest them in South India and liberated all the people there.

Purport

At that time there were many smÄrtas (nondevotee followers of Vedic rituals) at the holy place of NavadvÄ«pa, which was also the birthplace of Lord ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu. Followers of the smá¹›ti-Å›Ästra are called smÄrtas. Most of them are nondevotees, and their main business is following the brahminical principles strictly. However, they are not enlightened in devotional service. In NavadvÄ«pa all the learned scholars are followers of the smá¹›ti-Å›Ästra, and Lord Caitanya MahÄprabhu did not attempt to convert them. Therefore the author has remarked that the spiritual potency Lord ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu did not manifest at NavadvÄ«pa was by His grace manifested in South India. Thus everyone there became a Vaiṣṇava. By this it is to be understood that people are really interested in preaching in a favorable situation. If the candidates for conversion are too disturbing, a preacher may not attempt to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness amongst them. It is better to go where the situation is more favorable. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was first attempted in India, but the people of India, being absorbed in political thoughts, did not take to it. They were entranced by the political leaders. We preferred, therefore, to come to the West, following the order of our spiritual master, and by the grace of Lord Caitanya MahÄprabhu this movement is becoming successful.