“Sri Gaura-Purnima, Mayapur, March 16, 1976”

Prabhupada, Sri Gaura-Purnima, Mayapur, March 16, 1976: Today is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s appearance day, so we must discuss this very thoroughly, that, that Rupa Gosvami understood it. Therefore we have to go through guru. Rupa Gosvami is our guru. Narottama dasa Thakura said,

rupa-raghunatha-pade, hoibe akuti, kabe hama bujhabo, sri-yugala-piriti

If we want to understand the transcendental position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then we have to go through guru, guru- parampara system. Otherwise it is not possible. Rupa-raghunatha pade hoibe akuti.

Unless we accept this process, unless we submit… This whole process is submission. Krishna wants this. Sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg. 18.66] So if you want to approach Krishna, you have to become very submissive. And to whom? “Krishna is not here. To whom I shall submit?”

No. To His devotee, to His representative. The business is submission. So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared this day for giving mercy to the fallen souls who are so foolish, they cannot take to Krishna consciousness. He is personally teaching how to take to Krishna consciousness. And that is this kirtana. You’ll find.

You have seen the picture in our Teachings of Lord Caitanya that in Prayag He was engaged in chanting, and Rupa Gosvami is offering his obeisances. That is the first meeting with Rupa Gosvami, and he composed this verse, namo maha-vadanyaya Krishna-prema-pradaya te… [Madhya 19.53].

Devotees: …krsnaya krsna-caitanya-namne gaura-tvise namah.

Prabhupada: Yes. So this is channah-avatara. He’s Krishna, He has come to give you krsna-prema, but He’s acting like a Krishna devotee. This is covered. He is not commanding now, “You do this.” Yes, He’s commanding, “Do this,” but in different way. Because people misunderstood, “Oh, who is this person commanding?” Even some so-called rascal scholar, he has said, “It’s too much to demand.” They have remarked like that. Yes, sophisticated persons, they are thinking like that.

But our process is to submit. Unless we submit, there is no hope of advancing in Krishna consciousness. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s teaching.

trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. adi 17.31]

If you want to chant Hare Krishna mantra, then you have to take this principle, trnad api sunicena. You have to become humbler than the grass. Grass, it is lying on the street. Everyone is trampling down. Never protests. In the lawn you are… Everyone is trampling the grass. There is no protest. Taror api sahisnuna. And tolerant than the tree. The tree is giving us so much help. It is giving us fruit, flower, leaves, and when there is scorching heat, shelter also. Sit down underneath. So beneficial, still, we cut. As soon as I like, I cut it down. But there is no protest. The tree does not say, “I have given you so much help, and you are cutting me?” No. Tolerant. Yes. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu has selected, taror api sahisnuna. And amanina manadena. For oneself one should not expect any respectful position, but he, the devotee, should offer all respect to anyone. Amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. adi 17.31] If we acquire this qualification, then we can chant Hare Krishna maha- mantra without any disturbance. This is the qualification.

Full lecture: http://causelessmercy.com/t/t/760316SB.MAY.htm