prabhu kahe, — Å›Ästre kahe Å›ravaṇa-kÄ«rtana
kṛṣṇa-prema-sevÄ-phalera 'parama-sÄdhana'

 prabhu kahe - Lord ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu said; Å›Ästre kahe - in the Å›Ästra it is said; Å›ravaṇa-kÄ«rtana - the process of chanting and hearing; kṛṣṇa-prema-sevÄ - of loving service to Lord Kṛṣṇa; phalera - of the result; parama-sÄdhana - best process of achievement.


Text

ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu said, “According to the verdict of the Å›Ästras, the process of hearing and chanting is the best means to attain loving service to Kṛṣṇa.

Purport

According to the TattvavÄdÄ«s, the best process for achieving the highest goal of life is to execute the duties of the four varṇas and ÄÅ›ramas. In the material world, unless one is situated in one of the varṇas (brÄhmaṇa, ká¹£atriya, vaiÅ›ya or śūdra) one cannot manage social affairs properly to attain the ultimate goal. One also has to follow the principles of the ÄÅ›ramas (brahmacarya, gá¹›hastha, vÄnaprastha and sannyÄsa), since these principles are considered essential for the attainment of the highest goal. In this way the TattvavÄdÄ«s establish that the execution of the principles of varṇa and ÄÅ›rama for the sake of Kṛṣṇa is the best way to attain the topmost goal. The TattvavÄdÄ«s thus established their principles in terms of human society. ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu, however, differed when He said that the best process is hearing and chanting about Lord Viṣṇu. According to the TattvavÄdÄ«s, the highest goal is returning home, back to Godhead, but in ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu’s opinion the highest goal is attaining love of Godhead, in either the material world or the spiritual world. In the material world this is practiced according to Å›Ästric injunction, and in the spiritual world the real achievement is already there.