Spiritual Master and Disciple—Part 02

Giriraj Swami:

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, Chapter Fifteen.

TEXT 102

After this, Rāmānanda Vasu and Satyarāja Khān both submitted questions at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

TEXT 103

Satyarāja Khān said, “My dear Lord, being a householder and a materialistic man, I do not know the process of advancing in spiritual life. I therefore submit myself unto Your lotus feet and request You to give me orders.”

TEXT 104

prabhu kahena, — ‘kṛṣṇa-sevā’, ‘vaiṣṇava-sevana’
‘nirantara kara kṛṣṇa-nāma-saṅkīrtana’

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “Without cessation continue chanting the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Whenever possible, serve Him and His devotees, the Vaiṣṇavas.”

TEXT 105

Upon hearing this, Satyarāja said, “How can I recognize a Vaiṣṇava? Please let me know what a Vaiṣṇava is. What are his common symptoms?”

TEXT 106

prabhu kahe, — “yāṅra mukhe śuni eka-bāra
kṛṣṇa-nāma, sei pūjya, — śreṣṭha sabākāra”

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “Whoever chants the holy name of Kṛṣṇa just once is worshipable and is the topmost human being.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura says that a person who simply chants the holy name of Kṛṣṇa once becomes perfect and should be regarded as a Vaiṣṇava. This is confirmed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Upadeśāmṛta (5): kṛṣṇeti yasya giri taṁ manasādriyeta. With such faith in the holy name one may begin a life of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But an ordinary person cannot chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa with such faith. One should accept the holy name of Kṛṣṇa to be identical with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Transcendence Himself. As the Padma Purāṇa states, “The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is identical with Kṛṣṇa and is like a cintāmaṇi gem, a touchstone. That name is Kṛṣṇa personified in sound and is therefore perfectly transcendental and eternally liberated from material contamination.” Thus one should understand that the name “Kṛṣṇa” and Kṛṣṇa Himself are identical. Having such faith, one must continue to chant the holy name.

When one is situated on the neophyte platform, one cannot understand the devotional ingredients of a pure, unalloyed devotee. However, when the novice engages in devotional service — especially in Deity worship — and follows the order of a bona fide spiritual master, he is a pure devotee. Anyone can take advantage of hearing about Kṛṣṇa consciousness from such a devotee and thus gradually become purified. In other words, any devotee who believes that the holy name of the Lord is identical with the Lord is a pure devotee, even though he may be in the neophyte stage. By his association, others may also become Vaiṣṇava.

One is known as a materialistic devotee if he simply worships the Deity of Hari with faith but does not show proper respect to the devotees and to others. This is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.2.47):

arcāyām eva haraye pūjāṁ yaḥ śraddhayehate
na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ

COMMENT

Anyone who engages with faith in the worship of the Deity of Hare but does not show proper respect to the devotees and to others is known as a materialistic devotee. However, by associating with a neophyte devotee who believes that the holy name of the Lord is identical with the Lord, one can become a devotee also.

PURPORT (continued)

When Lord Caitanya was teaching Sanātana Gosvāmī, He said:

śraddhāvān jana haya bhakti-adhikārī
‘uttama’, ‘madhyama’, ‘kaniṣṭha’ — śraddhā-anusārī

yāhāra komala-śraddhā, se ‘kaniṣṭha’ jana
krame krame teṅho bhakta ha-ibe ‘uttama’

rati-prema-tāratamye bhakta-taratama

“A person who has attained firm faith is a real candidate for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. According to the faith, there are first-class, second-class and neophyte devotees. One who has preliminary faith is called a kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, or a neophyte. The neophyte, however, can become an advanced devotee if he strictly follows the regulative principles set down by the spiritual master. Therefore it is on the basis of faith and attachment to Kṛṣṇa that one can judge who is a madhyama-adhikārī or an uttama-adhikārī.” (Cc. Madhya 22.64, 69, 71)

It is thus concluded that even a neophyte devotee is superior to the karmīs and jñānīs because he has full faith in chanting the holy name of the Lord. A karmī or a jñānī, regardless of his greatness, has no faith in Lord Viṣṇu, His holy name or His devotional service. One may be advanced religiously, but if he is not trained in devotional service, he has very little credit on the transcendental platform. Even a neophyte devotee engaged in Deity worship in accordance with the regulations set forth by the spiritual master is in a position superior to that of the fruitive worker and speculative philosopher.

COMMENT

So, this is the first of the three verses containing Lord Chaitanya’s instructions to the residents of Kulina-grama. The process of advancement from prakriti bhakta or materialistic devotee to kaniṣṭhādhikārī, madhyamādhikārī, and uttama-adhikārī is a gradual appreciation of faith in the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, and in the process of devotional service in general. It is not that one is a neophyte and then suddenly, he becomes a madhyamādhikārī or uttama-adhikārī, but there is a development of faith, and that faith is based on knowledge. It is not sentiment, and therefore, the higher stages of devotees are distinguished from the lower stages in terms of their knowledge also, because their faith is based on knowledge, not on sentiment.

So, what is the knowledge that one needs to be a pure devotee? The knowledge is that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that we are spirit souls, part and parcel of Krishna, and we are the eternal servants of Krishna. Our duty in life is to serve Him. Our goal in life is to love Him. And this knowledge is the basis of our faith. We also have knowledge that the material world is a place of misery, that we cannot live forever in the material world, and therefore, we should not place our faith in material happiness or material arrangements or materialistic persons. So, as our faith in Krishna and Krishna consciousness increases, our faith in the material world and materialistic arrangements and materialistic persons decreases.

So, the kaniṣṭhādhikārī, he, at least, has some faith in Krishna, and therefore, he worships the Deity of Krishna because he can see that Krishna is in the temple. But as the devotee’s faith increases, his appreciation of Krishna increases, and he can perceive that Krishna is not only in the Deity, in the temple, but He is also present in the hearts of the living entities, especially in the hearts of the devotees, and he can distinguish between the Lord and the devotees and the innocent persons and the envious persons. But still, if one has faith that the holy name of the Lord is identical with the Lord, he is to be considered a pure devotee, even though he is a neophyte. But that is distinguished from the prakriti bhakta, who has some faith but does not show proper respect to the devotees and to others.

So, directly or indirectly, we’ve been dealing with the question of how someone engaged in devotional service falls down. So, if someone is a prakriti bhakta, he doesn’t know how to deal properly with other devotees or other persons, and therefore, he is liable to commit offenses, which become the cause of falling down.

Now, the basic principle for a devotee, that was also explained by Lord Chaitanya, asat-saṅga-tyāga, — ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra ‘strī-saṅgī’ — eka asādhu, ‘kṛṣṇābhakta’ āra. The basic principle for a devotee is to avoid the association of non-devotees, because non-devotee will not appreciate the position of the devotee, and therefore, he may criticize a devotee, which becomes offensive.

So, if we associate with non-devotees, we may also become involved in offenses and be affected in our spiritual lives. Therefore, avoiding the association of non-devotees is as essential on the one side as serving the devotees on the other side. Both processes, serving the devotees and avoiding the association of non-devotees, involve being able to recognize who a devotee is. Therefore, especially in this area of prakriti bhakta, which is sort of a marginal position between devotee and non-devotee, one has to be very careful because a prakriti bhakta is actually on the material platform, not on the transcendental platform as a Vaishnava actually is. He cannot distinguish the spiritual features of a devotee because he is on the material platform. Then, he is more attracted on the basis of material qualifications, or he may be repulsed by material disqualifications, according to his calculation.

So, if someone is beautiful or youthful, a good singer, a good speaker, a good manager, a good businessman, well-educated, coming from a good family, or an Indian or Hindi speaker or Gujarati speaker, someone who’s on the material platform may be attracted to these material qualifications of a person and therefore, accept someone’s association not actually on the basis of his spiritual advancement, but on the basis of certain materially attractive features. Or he may reject a person or criticize a person or minimize the value of a person on the basis of material repulsion.

So, because the prakriti bhakta is on the material platform and tends to be attracted and repulsed by material qualifications, he may criticize someone who’s actually fully engaged in Krishna consciousness, and thus commit offenses. Therefore, his position is shaky, and if we associate in that way, then our position also becomes shaky. Ultimately, the material platform means animal platform, and animal platform means absorption in eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. So, as Hitopadeśa says, we should not engage like the cats and dogs and hogs, but we should perform austerity in order to realize God.

So, in one lecture in Vrindavan, Srila Prabhupada discussed this verse in relation to the devotees, especially in relation to fighting among devotees, because fighting is one of the characteristics of the animals—eating, sleeping, defending, and fighting. Because we are afraid that someone may attack us, we are afraid that someone may take something away from us, or we are afraid that someone may force us to do something we don’t want to do, we fight or we defend. That is the animal platform. Srila Prabhupada was saying tapo divyaṁ, that we have to perform austerity, not simply fight like cats and dogs. The austerity is

TEXT 31

tṛṇād api su-nīcena
taror iva sahiṣṇunā
amāninā māna-dena
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

COMMENT

That is our austerity, to be humble like the grass, and to be tolerant like the tree. The tree is tolerant in two ways. If the tree is drying up and not getting water, the tree does not protest. If the tree is subjected to attacks from the scorching heat, the torrents of rain, or the freezing cold, the tree also does not protest but tolerates. The tree continues to provide its shade to the weary and its fruits to the hungry. Amāninā, one does not desire any respect for oneself, but is māna-dena, ready to give all respect to others. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ, in such a state of mind, one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly, which is Lord Chaitanya’s instruction here, to chant the holy name of the Lord constantly. So, that is austerity. That is austerity—to serve the devotee. That is also austerity.

Srila Prabhupada was saying in the lecture that we address each other as Prabhu or master, indicating that we are the servants of the other devotees. So, to be the servant of the other devotees may be taken as an austerity in the beginning, because we don’t appreciate other devotees or the opportunity of serving them because we are more or less on the lower platform of devotional service. So, it is austerity, but by that austerity, we rise above the animal platform. Srila Prabhupada said in the same lecture that if you fight like cats and dogs, you will take birth as cats and dogs.

So, when I first heard the lecture, I thought, How is that possible? A devotee takes birth as a cat or a dog? But actually, if we understand how one makes advancement in devotional service or how one falls down from devotional service, we will understand that when one has actually come to the platform of fully surrendering to Krishna and engaging in devotional service and is actually on the platform of a pure devotee, even though neophyte or even though more advanced than neophyte, one can fall down. We have seen it practically.

But what is the reason? Devotional service is transcendental, ahaituky apratihatā, it is not the result of any material cause, nor can it be stopped as a result of any material condition. As Srila Prabhupada said, nothing can stop this movement. Nothing outside of the movement can stop the movement, because the movement is based on bhakti, and bhakti cannot be checked by any material force or any material condition. Srila Prabhupada said the only thing that can stop the movement or destroy the movement is if the devotees fight among themselves. Fighting among the devotees means aparādha. It means vaiṣṇava-aparādha.

So, even if one is on the platform of devotional service and is thus considered liberated or transcendentally situated, he can fall down by committing offenses, although he will not fall down due to any external changes or situation if he is a pure devotee. So, if one falls down, he becomes an animal again-purna musika, and it is possible, as Srila Prabhupada says. In fact, there is one verse in the Bhāgavatam that states that only an animal would give up the association of devotees and give up the chanting of the holy name. So, falling down means basically becoming an animal.

Therefore, being able to recognize a devotee and deal properly with the devotee is very essential for further advancement. That’s why the madhyam bhakta practically does not fall down, because he can distinguish between a devotee and an innocent person and a non-devotee, and he deals with each properly. And because he deals with each properly, he doesn’t commit offenses. Because he doesn’t commit offenses, he makes progress. He doesn’t fall down.

So, we’ll read the next.

TEXT 69

As in the previous year, one of the inhabitants of Kulīna-grāma submitted a petition to the Lord, saying, “My Lord, kindly tell me what my duty is and how I should execute it.”

TEXT 70

prabhu kahe, — “vaiṣṇava-sevā, nāma-saṅkīrtana
dui kara, śīghra pābe śrī-kṛṣṇa-caraṇa”

TRANSLATION

The Lord replied, “You should engage yourself in the service of the servants of Kṛṣṇa and always chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. If you do these two things, you will very soon attain shelter at Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet.”

TEXT 71

The inhabitant of Kulīna-grāma said, “Please let me know who is actually a Vaiṣṇava and what his symptoms are.” Understanding his mind, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu smiled and gave the following reply.

TEXT 72

“kṛṣṇa-nāma nirantara yāṅhāra vadane
sei vaiṣṇava-śreṣṭha, bhaja tāṅhāra caraṇe

TRANSLATION

“A person who is always chanting the holy name of the Lord is to be considered a first-class Vaiṣṇava, and your duty is to serve his lotus feet.”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura says that any Vaiṣṇava who is constantly chanting the holy name of the Lord should be considered to have attained the second platform of Vaiṣṇavism. Such a devotee is superior to a neophyte Vaiṣṇava who has just learned to chant the holy name of the Lord. A neophyte devotee simply tries to chant the holy name, whereas the advanced devotee is accustomed to chanting and takes pleasure in it. Such an advanced devotee is called a madhyama-bhāgavata, which indicates that he has attained the intermediate stage between the neophyte and the perfect devotee.

COMMENT

The ability to chant the holy name of the Lord determines one’s advancement in Krishna consciousness. So, generally, just as there are three stages of a devotee, there are also three stages of chanting. The first stage is offensive chanting. Offensive chanting means prakriti bhakta, more or less. Then, there is a stage of clearing offenses, and finally, there is the stage of pure chanting.

One’s advancement in Krishna consciousness develops as one’s chanting progresses. Now, the process of chanting itself purifies us from material contamination. Therefore, if one continues chanting, he will gradually become purified and advance to madhyamādhikārī, and ultimately, uttama-adhikārī. That is provided that one does not become involved in nāma-aparādha.

Now, generally, devotees are subject to material contamination even after they come to Krishna consciousness. So, when they try to chant the holy names, they are also subject to two types of ignorance and anarthas from the past. But by chanting, one becomes cleansed of the ignorance and the anarthas. Rupa Gosvami says that due to avidya or ignorance, one is not able to relish the pure taste of the holy name. But by constantly chanting and hearing, the ignorance is destroyed at the root, and then one can relish the chanting of the names.

So, chanting itself purifies us of ignorance. Ignorance means thinking, I’m this body, everything in relation to this body is mine, and those who are sympathetic to my bodily needs or wants are my friends. Those who are not cooperating or who are antagonistic to my wants are my enemies. So, this is ignorance.

But if we have knowledge, “I’m not this body, I’m part and parcel of Krishna, I’m His eternal servant, my goal is to go back home, back to Godhead,” and even if we lapse into the type of ignorance that I just described as a result of past conditioning, it will not cause us to fall down. But rather, the purifying effect of chanting the holy name again and again will purify us and take us further and further in Krishna consciousness. Similarly, there are so many anarthas within the heart which have to be cleansed, but by chanting, chanting, chanting, chanting, chanting, gradually, the anarthas become eradicated, and we make further and further advancement.

So, this stage is called anartha-nivṛtti, when the anarthas within the heart are vanquished. So, at this stage, one doesn’t get the full effect of chanting the holy name, but one gets some effect. Haridasa Thakura, when he was discussing with Lord Chaitanya, explained that by nāmābhāsa, one becomes free from sinful reactions and liberated. It is compared to the time of the rising of the sun. Although the sun has not risen fully, one gets the benefit of freedom from sinful reactions and from material bondage.

So, at the stage of nāmābhāsa, which means one is still subject to past conditioning, but one is not trying to commit sinful activities or trying to commit offenses, but one is just chanting the holy name, then one becomes free from sinful reactions and one becomes liberated. But the full manifestation of the power of the holy name comes when one chants without offense. At that stage, one actually develops love of God, which is the real result of chanting.

Later on, when Haridasa Thakura came to the residence of Raghunatha Gosvami, when he was living with his father and uncle, there was some discussion about the chanting of the holy name. In the discussion, someone said by chanting, one becomes freed from all sinful reactions. Someone else said by chanting, one becomes liberated from material existence. But Haridasa Thakura said that these are not the real results of chanting. These are the results of nāmābhāsa. But the real result of chanting is that one develops love of God.

So, we will continue reading this purport.

PURPORT (continued)

Such an advanced devotee is called a madhyama-bhāgavata, which indicates that he has attained the intermediate stage between the neophyte and the perfect devotee. Generally a devotee in the intermediate stage becomes a preacher. A neophyte devotee or an ordinary person should worship the madhyama-bhāgavata, who is a via medium.

In his Upadeśāmṛta (5) Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says, praṇatibhiś ca bhajantam īśam. This means that madhyama-adhikārī devotees should exchange obeisances between themselves.

The word nirantara, meaning “without cessation, continuously, constantly,” is very important in this verse. The word antara means “interval.” If one has desires other than a desire to perform devotional service — in other words, if one sometimes engages in devotional service and sometimes strives for sense gratification — his service will be interrupted. A pure devotee, therefore, should have no desire other than to serve Kṛṣṇa. He should be above fruitive activity and speculative knowledge. In his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.1.11), Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says:

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu- śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā

This is the platform of pure devotional service. One should not be motivated by fruitive activity or mental speculation but should simply serve Kṛṣṇa favorably. That is first-class devotion.

COMMENT

So, it’s very clear from this definition of a wise Vaishnava, that he is always chanting the holy name of the Lord. And Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura commented that this verse refers to the intermediate Vaishnava. So, it’s very clear that the intermediate Vaishnava is to be considered a pure devotee because his devotional service never stops, his chanting never stops, which means that he is not engaging in any other activity such as fruitive activity or speculative knowledge.

PURPORT (continued)

Another meaning of antara is “this body.” The body is an impediment to self-realization because it is always engaged in sense gratification. Similarly, antara means “money.” If money is not used in Kṛṣṇa’s service, it is also an impediment. Antara also means janatā, “people in general.” The association of ordinary persons may destroy the principles of devotional service. Similarly, antara may mean “greed” — greed to acquire more money or enjoy more sense gratification. Finally, the word antara may also mean “atheistic ideas,” by which one considers the temple Deity to be made of stone, wood or gold. All of these are impediments. The Deity in the temple is not material — He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. Similarly, considering the spiritual master an ordinary human being (guruṣu nara-matiḥ) is also an impediment. Nor should one consider a Vaiṣṇava a member of a particular caste or nation. Nor should a Vaiṣṇava be considered material. Caraṇāmṛta should not be considered ordinary drinking water, and the holy name of the Lord should not be considered an ordinary sound vibration. Nor should one look on Lord Kṛṣṇa as an ordinary human being, for He is the origin of all viṣṇu-tattvas; nor should one regard the Supreme Lord as a demigod. Intermingling the spiritual with the material causes one to look on transcendence as material and the mundane as spiritual. This is all due to a poor fund of knowledge. One should not consider Lord Viṣṇu and things related to Him as being different. All this is offensive.

COMMENT

So, the word nirantara, which is describing the Vaishnava, in this case, madhyamādhikārī, means without cessation. Antara means interval because he chants without cessation, and antara also means this body, which means he is not disturbed in his devotional service by the conditions of the body. Similarly, antara means money, which means he is not disturbed by the acquisition of money. He uses it in Krishna’s service.

There is one interesting example of a devotee whose father was very rich and was very upset when the child joined. So, the father did everything possible to get the devotee to leave Krishna consciousness, but the devotee remained. Then, later on, the father died and left a big inheritance to the child. So, the child, being awarded the big inheritance, left Krishna consciousness. In other words, what the father could not achieve during his life with his money, he achieved after death. So, antara also means money.

So, nirantara means the devotee is without money, without the sense of false proprietorship over money, but he uses money only in Krishna consciousness, and then he can continue in Krishna consciousness. Similarly, antara means people in general. So, we have to be nirantara, we have to be free from the association of ordinary people, because that will also cause us to fall down. It’s another subject, maybe we’ll come back to it.

And finally, antara means atheistic ideas. So, there is a whole list of atheistic ideas that we’ve just read. Thinking that the Deity is made of stone, thinking that the spiritual master is an ordinary man, thinking that the Vaishnava belongs to a particular caste or nation, thinking that caraṇāmṛta is ordinary drinking water, thinking that the sound of the holy name is material sound vibration, thinking of Krishna as an ordinary human being or as a demigod. So, all of these are antara. So, we have to be nirantara, we have to be completely free from these types of atheistic ideas.

PURPORT (continued)

In the Bhakti-sandarbha (265), Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī writes: nāmaikaṁ yasya vāci smaraṇa-patha-gatam ity-ādau deha-draviṇādi-nimittaka-‘pāṣaṇḍa’-śabdena ca daśa aparādhā lakṣyante, pāṣaṇḍa-mayatvāt teṣām.

The Māyāvādīs look on Viṣṇu and Vaiṣṇavas imperfectly due to their poor fund of knowledge, and this is condemned. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.2.46), the intermediate Vaiṣṇava is described as follows:

īśvare tad-adhīneṣu bāliśeṣu dviṣatsu ca
prema-maitrī-kṛpopekṣā yaḥ karoti sa madhyamaḥ

“The intermediate Vaiṣṇava has to love God, make friends with the devotees, instruct the innocent and reject jealous people.” These are the four functions of the Vaiṣṇava in the intermediate stage. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 22.64) Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī is taught:

śraddhāvān jana haya bhakti-adhikārī
‘uttama’, ‘madhyama’, ‘kaniṣṭha’ — śraddhā-anusārī 

“One who is faithful is a proper candidate for devotional service. In terms of one’s degree of faith in devotional service, one is a first-class, second-class or neophyte Vaiṣṇava.”

śāstra-yukti nāhi jāne dṛḍha, śraddhāvān
‘madhyama-adhikārī’ sei mahā-bhāgyavān 

“One who has attained the intermediate stage is not very advanced in śāstric knowledge, but he has firm faith in the Lord. Such a person is very fortunate to be situated on the intermediate platform.” (Cc. Madhya 22.67)

rati-prema-tāratamye bhakta-taratama

“Attraction and love for God are the ultimate goal of devotional service. The degrees of such attraction and love distinguish the different stages of devotion — neophyte, intermediate and perfectional.” (Cc. Madhya 22.71) An intermediate devotee is greatly attracted to chanting the holy name, and by chanting he is elevated to the platform of love.

COMMENT

So, coming back to the question of how devotees fall down, and specifically devotees who may be acting as spiritual masters, when they come to the injunction that a spiritual master should not accept too many disciples or he should not accept unqualified disciples, we come to the point that a materialistic person or an unqualified disciple who is on the material platform is actually in the category of persons that we should not associate with intimately.

Elsewhere in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Srila Prabhupada says that sometimes materialistic person will come to a reputed spiritual master to ask for initiation, and if the spiritual master initiates that materialistic person, then the spiritual master can fall down by associating with the materialistic person.

Srila Prabhupada says that a genuine devotee will never accept a materialistic person as a disciple. But even if one is a genuine devotee or a genuine spiritual master, but if he accepts materialistic persons for initiation as disciples, his position as a genuine devotee will be damaged. So, association is very important, and associating with materialistic persons on the material platform or even neophyte devotees who are on the material platform is dangerous.

TEXT 73

The following year, the inhabitants of Kulīna-grāma again asked the Lord the same question. Hearing this question, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu again taught them about the different types of Vaiṣṇavas.

TEXT 74

yāṅhāra darśane mukhe āise kṛṣṇa-nāma
tāṅhāre jāniha tumi ‘vaiṣṇava-pradhāna’

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “A first-class Vaiṣṇava is he whose very presence makes others chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa.”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura says that if an observer immediately remembers the holy name of Kṛṣṇa upon seeing a Vaiṣṇava, that Vaiṣṇava should be considered a mahā-bhāgavata, a first-class devotee. Such a Vaiṣṇava is always aware of his Kṛṣṇa conscious duty, and he is enlightened in self-realization. He is always in love with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, and this love is without adulteration. Because of this love, he is always awake to transcendental realization. Because he knows that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the basis of knowledge and action, he sees everything as being connected with Kṛṣṇa. Such a person is able to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa perfectly. Such a mahā-bhāgavata Vaiṣṇava has the transcendental eyes to see who is sleeping under the spell of māyā, and he engages himself in awakening sleeping conditioned beings by spreading the knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He opens eyes that are closed by forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. Thus the living entity is liberated from the dullness of material energy and is engaged fully in the service of the Lord. The madhyama-adhikārī Vaiṣṇava can awaken others to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and engage them in duties whereby they can advance. It is therefore said in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā, chapter six, verse 279):

lohāke yāvat sparśi’ hema nāhi kare
tāvat sparśa-maṇi keha cinite nā pare

“One cannot understand the value of touchstone until it turns iron into gold.” One should judge by action, not by promises. A mahā-bhāgavata can turn a living entity from abominable material life to the Lord’s service. This is the test of a mahā-bhāgavata. Although preaching is not meant for a mahā-bhāgavata, a mahā-bhāgavata can descend to the platform of madhyama-bhāgavata just to convert others to Vaiṣṇavism. Actually a mahā-bhāgavata is fit to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but he does not distinguish where Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be spread from where it should not. He thinks that everyone is competent to accept Kṛṣṇa consciousness if the chance is provided. A neophyte and an intermediate devotee should always be eager to hear the mahā-bhāgavata and serve him in every respect. The neophyte and intermediate devotees can gradually rise to the platform of uttama-adhikārī and become first-class devotees. Symptoms of a first-class devotee are given in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.2.45):

sarva-bhūteṣu yaḥ paśyed bhagavad-bhāvam ātmanaḥ
bhūtāni bhagavaty ātmany eṣa bhāgavatottamaḥ

When teaching Sanātana Gosvāmī, the Lord further said:

śāstra-yuktye sunipuṇa, dṛḍha-śraddhā yāṅra
‘uttama-adhikārī’ se tāraye saṁsāra 

“One who is expert in the Vedic literature and has full faith in the Supreme Lord is an uttama-adhikārī, a first-class Vaiṣṇava, a topmost Vaiṣṇava who can deliver the whole world and turn everyone to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.” (Cc. Madhya 22.65) With great love and affection, the mahā-bhāgavata observes the Supreme Personality of Godhead, devotional service and the devotee. He observes nothing beyond Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness and Kṛṣṇa’s devotees. The mahā-bhāgavata knows that everyone is engaged in the Lord’s service in different ways. He therefore descends to the middle platform to elevate everyone to the Kṛṣṇa conscious position.

TEXT 76

krama kari’ kahe prabhu ‘vaiṣṇava’-lakṣaṇa
‘vaiṣṇava’, ‘vaiṣṇavatara’, āra ‘vaiṣṇavatama’

TRANSLATION

In this way, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught the distinctions between different types of Vaiṣṇavas — the Vaiṣṇava, Vaiṣṇavatara and Vaiṣṇavatama. He thus successively explained all the symptoms of a Vaiṣṇava to the inhabitants of Kulīna-grāma.

COMMENT

Vaiṣṇava means an ordinary Vaishnava, the positive platform. Vaiṣṇavatara means the better Vaishnava, the comparative platform. And vaiṣṇavatama means the best Vaishnava, the superlative platform. And vaiṣṇavatama means the best version of the superlative platform. So, I originally intended to read these verses with the idea of having different devotees speak, and if time permits, I will still do that. Otherwise, we could possibly allow some other time for that because this is a subject that has to be discussed. I don’t claim to have complete knowledge on the subject; I’m just trying to present some of what I’ve understood from Srila Prabhupada’s books. But there may be others who also have very valid points to make. But before opening up the discussion, I thought that I would summarize my thesis or conclusion in a very practical way in relation to the ISKCON movement.

The basic idea is that we have everything in ISKCON right now to lead a sincere soul from the beginning stages of devotional service to the final goal of love of God and going back home, back to Godhead.

The point was raised two days ago, that The Nectar of Instruction says that one should accept as a spiritual master an uttama-adhikārī. One can accept as a spiritual master someone on the intermediate platform or someone on the beginning platform, but one should know that he cannot progress very well to the ultimate goal under his insufficient guidance. This is the basic point that was brought up that has led us further and further into the discussion of the subject.

Now, I began by contrasting the idea of either kaniṣṭhā with the idea of a pure devotee. And it’s very clear from the verses and purports that we just read that you can have a kaniṣṭhādhikārī pure devotee, you can have a madhyamādhikārī pure devotee, and you can have an uttama-adhikārī pure devotee. And that one can awaken one’s Krishna consciousness in the association of any one of these types of pure devotees, although specifically it was mentioned that one who is a madhyamādhikārī can awaken Krishna consciousness in others and engage them in duties that will elevate them.

Again, it will actually read the different symptoms of kaniṣṭhādhikārī, madhyamādhikārī, and uttama-adhikārī. Sometimes we find overlapping, sometimes the same thing describes the kaniṣṭhā, the madhyam, and sometimes it describes the madhyam and the uttamā because it’s a gradual progression. Probably we ourselves, if we are honest in assessing ourselves, when we hear the descriptions of the different stages of devotee, we will probably recognize symptoms of devotees on lower stages than we may generally be accustomed to thinking of ourselves as being on, because either we are in illusion about what platform we are on or we are not completely just on one platform or another.

So, coming back to the basic point that we need a spiritual master who’s a pure devotee, then the question arises, well, so many spiritual masters fall down or have fallen down. So, my contention is, which is open to discussion, that the reason they fell down was not because they were not uttama-adhikārī, but the reason they fell down was because they deviated from the principles of pure devotional service. In other words, they weren’t against Srila Prabhupada’s instructions because if one adheres to the principles of pure devotional service, or in other words, strictly follows Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, it’s understood that one will progress from whatever; kaniṣṭhādhikārī to madhyamādhikārī to uttama-adhikārī. So, the real problem was the deviation from the injunctions of the scripture or Srila Prabhupada, not the fact that they were not uttama-adhikārī.

Of course, it is extremely rare for an uttama-adhikārī to fall down. It is basically understood that uttama-adhikārī does not fall down. But it’s mentioned that even an uttama-adhikārī, if he hears from Mayavadis, can fall down. Anyway, there are some very special circumstances by which even an uttama-adhikārī can fall down.

It is also rare for a madhyamādhikārī to fall down because he is nirantara, he is constantly engaged in chanting the holy name of the Lord. He does not engage in any other activity besides Krishna consciousness, and he can distinguish between devotees and neophytes and non-devotees and he can deal properly with each one. And therefore, he avoids the offenses that can lead one to falling down, and his faith is very strong. Even if he is not able to defeat an opposing argument, his faith is still so strong that he is not dissuaded from his conviction in Krishna consciousness. So, it’s very rare even for madhyamādhikārī to fall down.

The kaniṣṭhādhikārī who has faith that the holy name of the Lord is identical with the Lord Himself, he also shouldn’t fall down if he sticks to the process. The real cause of fall down is deviating from the principles of the disciplic succession. So, we discussed one deviation, which is the injunction that one should not accept too many disciples or unqualified disciples. One should not accept disciples for the sake of prestige or opulence.