Gurukṛpa: Tapasya... Tapasya brahmacārī...
Prabhupāda: Ah. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa tyāgena śamena damena... (SB 6.1.13). These are the process of pious activities. But who is going? It is very difficult. Therefore this nāma-saṅkīrtana, if we offenselessly perform nāma-saṅkīrtana, everything is done.
So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu presented Himself as a fool number one before His Guru Mahārāja. He advised that "It will be difficult for You to study Vedānta-sūtra or practice tapasya, brahmacarya, śama, dama, titikṣa, tyāgena, śamena, damena, niyamena, yamena..." It is possible for a human being, but in this Kali-yuga all these functions, to do is difficult. Therefore this process is recommended: vāsudeva-parāyaṇa, bhakti-yogena, nīhāraḥ. Nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ (SB 6.1.15). 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 Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was thus advised by His spiritual master to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and He got perfection. That was explained by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
So His spiritual master congratulated Him like this, that,
- bhāla haila, pāile tumi parama-puruṣārtha
- tomāra premete āmi hailāṅ kṛtārtha
- (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 Kṛṣṇa..., Caitanya Mahāprabhu expresses, He (indistinct) that "By..., when I chant and dance and cry in ecstasy, so My spiritual master thanks Me this way: bhāla haila, 'It is very, very good.' " Pāile tumi parama-puruṣārtha: " 'Now You have achieved the highest success in life.' " Tomāra premete: " 'Because You have advanced so much, āmi hailāṅ kṛtārtha, I am feeling so much obliged.' " This is the position.
Then he encourages, nāca, gāo, bhakta-saṅge kara saṅkīrtana (CC Adi 7.92): "Now go on. You have achieved so much success. Now again You go on." Nāca: "You dance." Gāo: "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 dāsa Ṭhākura also says that,
- tāñdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa
- janame janame mora ei abhilāṣa
Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura 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 Vṛndāvana. That is Kṛṣṇa's desire. "If He likes, He'll take me." Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura also: icchā yadi tora. Janmāobi yadi more icchā yadi tora, bhakta-gṛhete janma ha-u pa mora. The, a devotee only prays that... He does not request Kṛṣṇa that "Please take me back to Vaikuṇṭha or Goloka Vṛndāvana." 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 Vaiṣṇavī 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 Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. They are associating with Vaiṣṇava, chanting, dancing. Imitation or fact, it doesn't matter. So they are very, very fortunate children. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ-sañjāyate (BG 6.41). So they are not ordinary children. They are... These children, they're always hankering after associating with devotees, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, coming to us. So they are not ordinary children. The bhakti-saṅge vāsa. This is the very good opportunity, bhakta-saṅge vāsa.
So our Kṛṣṇa 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,
- tāñdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa
- janame janame mora ei abhilāṣa