THE TRUE ACHARYA

SRI CAITANYA CARITAMRITA MADHYA LILA, 25,9.

kona prakare paron yadi ekatra karite

iha dekhi' sannyasi-gana habe inhara bhakte

SYNONYMS

kona prakare -- by some means; paron -- I am able; yadi -- if; ekatra karite -- to assemble; iha dekhi' -- by seeing this (Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's personal characteristics); sannyasi-gana -- the Mayavadi sannyasis of Varanasi; habe -- will become; inhara bhakte -- His devotees.

TRANSLATION

"If by some means I can assemble all the sannyasis together, they will certainly become His devotees after seeing His personal characteristics.

PURPORT

If one saw the personal characteristics and activities of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, one would certainly be convinced that He was the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One can ascertain this by following in the footsteps of the sastric injunctions. This sincere study and appreciation of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is also applicable to His authorized devotees, and it is clearly stated in the Caitanya-caritamrta (Antya-lila 7.11):

kali-kalera dharma -- krsna-nama-sankirtana

krsna-sakti vina nahe tara pravartana

In this Age of Kali, real religious propaganda should induce people to chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. This is possible for someone who is especially empowered by Krsna. No one can do this without being especially favored by Krsna. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura comments in this regard in his Anubhasya, wherein he quotes a verse from the Narayana-samhita:

dvapariyair janair visnuh pancaratrais tu kevalaih

kalau tu nama-matrena pujyate bhagavan harih

"In Dvapara-yuga, devotees of Lord Visnu and Krsna rendered devotional service according to the principles of Pancaratra. In this Age of Kali, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is worshiped simply by the chanting of His holy names." Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura then comments, "Without being empowered by the direct potency of Lord Krsna to fulfill His desire and without being specifically favored by the Lord, no human being can become the spiritual master of the whole world. He certainly cannot succeed by mental concoction, which is not meant for devotees or religious people. Only an empowered personality can distribute the holy name of the Lord and enjoin all fallen souls to worship Krsna. By distributing the holy name of the Lord, he cleanses the hearts of the most fallen people; therefore he extinguishes the blazing fire of the material world. Not only that, he broadcasts the shining brightness of Krsna's effulgence throughout the world. Such an acarya, or spiritual master, should be considered nondifferent from Krsna -- that is, he should be considered the incarnation of Lord Krsna's potency. Such a personality is krsnalingita-vigraha -- that is, he is always embraced by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Such a person is above the considerations of the varnasrama institution. He is the guru, or spiritual master, for the entire world, a devotee on the topmost platform, the maha-bhagavata stage, and a paramahamsa-thakura, a spiritual form only fit to be addressed as paramahamsa or thakura."

Nonetheless, there are many people who are just like owls and never open their eyes to see the sunshine. These owlish personalities, who are inferior even to the Mayavadi sannyasis, cannot see the brilliance of Krsna's favor upon the maha-bhagavata devotee. They are prepared to criticize the person engaged in distributing the holy name all over the world and following in the footsteps of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who wanted Krsna consciousness preached in every town and city.