Prabhupada: ...Mayavadi sannyasis why He was not engaged in reading Vedanta-sutra, and why He was indulging in chanting Hare Krṣṇa mantra, that in this age, Kali-yuga, Vedanta-sutra, to study Vedanta-sutra and to understand the purport of Vedanta-sutra, is very difficult. It requires a very good Sanskrit scholarship. Although it is not very difficult to understand if it is taken by the parampara system, but because people try to understand Vedanta-sutra by scholastic demeanor (?), therefore it becomes difficult. It was discussed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭacarya. He was a very learned scholar. Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭacarya... (aside, about fan:) Make little curved. (someone turns fan off)

Tamala Krṣṇa: You want...? Prabhupada wants the fan down more, on him.

Prabhupada: Yes, yes.

Tamala Krṣṇa: To keep the flies off. (fan noise resumes)

Prabhupada: Not so much. That's all.

Tamala Krṣṇa: Touching his body.

Prabhupada: So the Mayavadi sannyasis everywhere, they are very proud of their Sanskrit education. Sometimes people ask our students whether you have learned Sanskrit. But Krṣṇa consciousness understanding does not depend on Sanskrit scholarship. That is the teaching of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He said to the Mayavadi sannyasi Prakasananda Sarasvati that "My Guru Maharaja studied Me as a great fool." Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, presenting Himself. He was a learned scholar, undoubtedly, very learned scholar. In His youthful age He was known as Nimai Paṇḍita. This paṇḍita title, especially the brahmaṇas are given this paṇḍita title. But He was specifically known as Paṇḍita, Nimai Paṇḍita, very good scholar. And He defeated the Kesava Kashmiri, a great, renowned scholar of Kashmir. The Kashmir country is mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam also. It is a very old country. And there were many learned scholars. And one scholar came to Navadvipa to defeat the paṇḍitas, the learned scholars of Navadvipa, but he was defeated by a young boy, Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Nimai Paṇḍita was at that time only sixteen years old. But He defeated only in composition, Sanskrit composition. The Sanskrit composition, there is rules and regulations. So you know the story. He pointed out many defects in the verses composed by the Kesava Kashmiri. So he was defeated.

So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was a great scholar. There is no doubt of it. But in spite of His becoming a great scholar, He is presenting Himself as a great fool. He says, "My Guru Maharaja saw Me a great..." Even one is very great scholar, he has to abide by the decision of his spiritual master. Even one is very great scholar, and if his spiritual master says that "You are a great fool," he should accept it. This is called full surrender. For example, I'll give you a practical... My Guru Maharaja was very great scholar, and his Guru Maharaja, from literary point of view, he could not even sign his name, Gaura-kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja. And Bhaktivinoda Ṭhakura asked Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Ṭhakura to accept Gaura-kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja as his, as his spiritual master, that "You go and take your initiation from Gaura-kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja." So he thought that "I am a great scholar, and I am son of a magistrate, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhakura, and great Vaiṣṇava. He'll be very much pleased to accept me." Of course, he was very much pleased. But in the beginning he refused. He refused. Because... Of course, that is only show. He was not proud. Just to teach us. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati explained that "I was little proud. So I was thrice refused by Guru Maharaja," although he was the only disciple. So the scholarship is not a qualification of becoming devotee. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's teaching. Scholarship may help, but it is not necessary. Real necessary is that one should be humble and meek and follow the instruction of the spiritual master. This is real qualification.

trṇad api sunicena
taror api sahiṣṇuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyaḥ; sada hariḥ;
[Cc. Adi 17.31]

Because bhakti does not depend on any material qualification. Bhakti is different subject matter. Aprakrta. Adhokṣaja. Sa vai puṁsaṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6].

So that is being taught, that... Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu explained His position to Prakasananda Sarasvati that "My Guru Maharaja, studying My character, he found Me a great fool. Therefore he advised Me to chant Hare Krṣṇa maha-mantra." The idea is that by studying Vedanta-sutra, by becoming a very great scholar, to achieve transcendental position of devotional service is very, very difficult nowadays. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's gift. But whatever you may be, if you chant Hare Krṣṇa maha-mantra offenselessly, then everything is achieved, without any difficulty. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, iha haite sarva-siddhi haibe tomara. Sarva-siddhi. Siddhi means perfection. Siddhi means perfection. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu advised... That is His propaganda. Ceto-darpaṇa-marjanaṁ bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapaṇaṁ sarvatmanaṁ paraṁ vijayate sri-krṣṇa-saṅkirtanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's... So His Guru Maharaja advised Him... He presented Himself like that to Prakasananda Sarasvati. Presenting Himself as fool means that the general mass of people, they are not fit for becoming very great Sanskrit scholar or very good philosopher or student of Vedanta philo... That is not possible in this age, in Kali-yuga. Mass of people, they are almost sudra. Sudra-sambhava. Scholarship, to study Sanskrit, to study Vedas, Puraṇas, they are meant for the brahmaṇas. Not even for the kṣatriyas, or what to speak of vaisya. Vaisya, sudra and woman, they have been classified in the Bhagavad-gita as less intelligent. Striyo vaisyas tatha sudras te 'pi yanti paraṁ gatim. But Krṣṇa is so merciful. If you take the shelter of Krṣṇa's lotus feet, whatever you may be... You may be scholar or not scholar. You may be rich or poor; women, sudra, vaisya, or papa-yoni. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. In Bhagavata also, Sukadeva Gosvami says, kirata-huṇandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha yavanaḥ; khasadayaḥ; ye 'nye ca papa [SB 2.4.18]. Papa means born in low-grade family. They are called papa. Suddhyanti: they become purified. This is the verdict of the sastras, that bhagavad-bhakti does not depend on any kind of material qualification. Simply you have to become very sincere and serious. That is the only price.

Rupa Gosvami also recommended like that. Tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mulyam. Rupa Gosvami advised, krṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matiḥ; kriyataṁ yadi kuto 'pi labhyate. He advises that "Krṣṇa consciousness, if it is available, you purchase. You purchase anywhere it is available." That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's advice, that one should be eager to purchase this Krṣṇa consciousness at any price. Generally, we think price means some, in terms of money, monetary transaction, say, hundred pounds or two hundred pounds or millions pounds, billion pounds, like that. The price is different. Here Rupa Gosvami says that "You price..., you purchase at any price." But what is that price? Tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mulyam. Laulyam, eagerness. That is price. That is the only qualification. You must be very, very eager to see the lotus feet of Krṣṇa in this very life. You must be very eager to talk with Krṣṇa in this very life. But not to become sahajiya. By service. Krṣṇa talks with the devotee, but not with nondevotee. He says in the Bhagavad-gita, teṣaṁ satata-yuktanaṁ bhajataṁ priti-purvakam [Bg. 10.10]. Only persons who are always engaged in Krṣṇa's service. He has no other business. Satata. Satata means twenty-four hours. He has no other business. Teṣaṁ satata-yuktanaṁ bhajatam. And the bhajatam. Bhajatam means in service. You must find out always some opportunity how to give, render service to Krṣṇa. That is the qualification. It doesn't matter what you are. You may be this or that. It doesn't matter. But this eagerness for service can be acquired by anyone simply by sincerity. That is the price. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu... Rupa Gosvami says, tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mulyam. "So that I, I have got too much eagerness." But no. Immediately Srila Rupa Gosvami warns, na janma-koṭibhiḥ; sukrtibhir labhyate. This eagerness to achieve Krṣṇa's mercy, to approach the lotus feet of Krṣṇa in this life, determination, "I shall do anything. I shall sacrifice anything," this kind of determination is not very easily obtained. Na janma-koṭibhiḥ; sukrtibhiḥ;. Sukrti means pious activities. Without being pious, nobody can approach Krṣṇa. Krṣṇa is not so cheap. You may show yourself that you have become a great sannyasi or Vaiṣṇava or whatever it may be, but so long you'll be engaged in sinful activities, there is no question of Krṣṇa consciousness. That sinful activities means illicit sex and intoxication, gambling, and meat-eating. These are the pillars of sinful activities. So one must be purified. Janma-koṭibhiḥ;. These... To purify oneself from the resultant action of sinful activities, it takes many, many births. Janma-koṭibhiḥ; sukrti. By counteracting the sinful activities, to engage oneself only in pious activities. So pious activities means brahmacarya... Samo damo titikṣa. The brahminical qualifications. But it is very difficult nowadays to practice. Tyagena samena damena va.

Gurukrpa: Tapasya... Tapasya brahmacari...

Prabhupada: Ah! Tapasa brahmacaryeṇa tyagena samena damena... [SB 6.1.13]. These are the process of pious activities. But who is going? It is very difficult. Therefore this nama-saṅkirtana, if we offenselessly perform nama-saṅkirtana, everything is done.

So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu presented Himself as a fool number one before His Guru Maharaja. He advised that "It will be difficult for You to study Vedanta-sutra or practice tapasya, brahmacarya, sama, dama, titikṣa, tyagena, samena, damena, niyamena, yamena... [Bg. 18.42]" It is possible for a human being, but in this Kali-yuga all these functions, to do is difficult. Therefore this process is recommended, vasudeva-parayaṇa, bhakti-yogena. Niharaḥ;. Niharam iva bhaskaraḥ;. Just like the, there is mist, fog, and as soon as the sun rises there, all fog is immediately disseminated. Otherwise, it requires so much arrangement. Your railway train cannot move. The ships in the sea, they cannot move. It is very difficult position. Similarly, our sinful activities has covered our heart just like a fog. We cannot see anything. But by bhakti-yoga, it can be immediately dissipated. So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was thus advised by His spiritual master to chant Hare Krṣṇa, and He got perfection. That was explained by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

So His spiritual master congratulated Him like this, that,

bhala haila, paile tumi parama-puruṣartha
tomara premete ami hailaṅ krtartha
[Cc. Adi 7.91]

When a disciple becomes perfect in spiritual advancement, the spiritual master feels very, very happy, that "I am a nonsense, but this boy, he has followed my instruction and he has achieved the success. That is my success." This is the spiritual master's ambition. Just like a father. This is the relationship. Just like... Nobody wants to see anybody more advanced than himself. That is the nature. Matsarata. If anybody becomes advanced in any subject matter, then I become envious upon him. But the spiritual master or the father, he does not become envious. He feels himself very, very happy, that "This boy has advanced more than me." This is spiritual master's position. So Krṣṇa, Caitanya Mahaprabhu expresses, He expresses(?) that "By..., when I chant and dance and cry in ecstasy, so My spiritual master thanks Me this way: bhala haila, 'It is very, very good.' " Paile tumi parama-puruṣartha: " 'Now You have achieved the highest success in life.' " Tomara premete: " 'Because You have advanced so much, ami hailaṅ krtartha, I am feeling so much obliged.' " This is the position.

Then he encourages, naca, gao, bhakta-saṅge kara saṅkirtana: "Now go on. You have achieved so much success. Now again You go on." Naca: "You dance." Gao: "You sing and chant," bhakta-saṅge, "in the society of devotees." Not to make a profession, but bhakta-saṅge. This is the real platform of achieving success in spiritual life. Narottama dasa Ṭhakura also says that

tañdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vasa
janame janame mora ei abhilaṣa

Narottama dasa Ṭhakura says that "Birth after birth." Because a devotee, he does not aspire after going back to home, back to Godhead. No. Any place, it doesn't matter. He wants to simply glorify the Supreme Lord. That is his business. It is not the business of the bhakta that he is chanting and dancing and executing devotional service for going to Vaikuṇṭha or Goloka Vrndavana. That is Krṣṇa's desire. "If He likes, He'll take me." Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhakura also: iccha yadi tora. Janmaobi yadi more iccha yadi tora, bhakta-grhete janma ha-u pa mora. The, a devotee only prays that... He does not request Krṣṇa that "Please take me back to Vaikuṇṭha or Goloka Vrndavana." No. "If You think that I must take birth again, that's all right. But only, only my request is that give me birth in the house of a devotee. That's all. So that I may not forget You." This is the only prayer of the devotee. Because... Just like this child. She has taken birth having Vaiṣṇava father and mother. So she must have been a Vaiṣṇavi or a Vaiṣṇava in her previous life. Because this is an opportunity from the... All our children, those who are born of a Vaiṣṇava father, mother, they are very, very fortunate. From the very beginning of life, they are hearing Hare Krṣṇa maha-mantra. They are associating with Vaiṣṇava, chanting, dancing. Imitation or fact, it doesn't matter. So they are very, very fortunate children. Sucinaṁ srimataṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ;-sañjayate [Bg. 6.41]. So they are not ordinary children. They are... These children, they're always hankering after associating with devotees, chanting Hare Krṣṇa, coming to us. So they are not ordinary children. The bhakti-saṅge vasa. This is the very good opportunity, bhakta-saṅge vasa.

So our Krṣṇa consciousness society is a bhakta-saṅga, is a society of devotees. Never try to go away. Never try to go away. Discrepancies there may be. You should adjust. And this chanting and dancing amongst, within the society of devotees, has got great advantage, great value. Here it is confirmed—and all the Vaiṣṇavas have confirmed—

tañdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vasa
janame janame mora ei abhilaṣa

Janame janame mora means he doesn't want to go back. That is not his desire. "When Krṣṇa will desire, Krṣṇa will allow me. That is different thing. Otherwise, let me go on in this way, life in the society of devotees and chanting and dancing is my business." This is required. Not anything else. Anything else, anything desiring, that is anyabhilaṣa. Anyabhilaṣita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. A devotee should not desire anything except this, that "Let me live with the society of devotees and chant Hare Krṣṇa maha-mantra." This is our life.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya! (end)

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