His mission is, somehow or other, try to people . . . try to engage people in Kṛṣṇa consciousness—they may think of Kṛṣṇa, some way or other. Then regulate them after that. Actually, our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has attained little success on this principle. When we began this movement we never asked people that, "You have to do this; you have to do that." No. "Please come and hear Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra." This was our policy. "Never mind what you are. You may be Christian. You may be Jews. You may be Muhammadan or Hindu, Muslim. Whatever you may be, it doesn't matter. Please come and join with us, the Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting."
Actually, that has become successful. In the Tompkinson Square, I was sitting underneath a tree and chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra alone. And these young men, they used to assemble and dance also in the tune, for three hours—from two to five. In this way, we got our followers, associates. And gradually it developed into organization.
So in the beginning we did not impose so many rules and regulation. There is no rules and regulation. First thing required: ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Unless one's heart is cleansed, he cannot accept rules and regulation. That is not possible. Cora nasane dharme khaiḥ. If, if a man is thief, and if you give him moral instruction that, "Stealing is very sinful; do not do it," he would not care for it. A butcher, if you advise him that, "Animal killing is very bad. It is sinful," he'll not accept it. That is not possible. His heart should be cleansed. Prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam.
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the, the process of prāyaścitta, atonement, is discussed, and Śukadeva Gosvāmī has recommended that this process of prāyaścitta, ritualistic ceremony . . . after committing some sinful activities to counteract it, there are, in every śāstra there is some counteracting formulas. The people generally follow that. In Christian religion also, there is confession, atonement. A sinful man goes to the church and confesses.
Similarly, in every religion there is such atonement process, but Parīkṣit Mahārāja refused to accept this atonement process. He protested that a man commits sinful activities and executes some atonement process—again he commits the same thing. Then what is the use of this atonement?
So Śukadeva Gosvāmī understood it because he was a serious student. And Śukadeva Gosvāmī was also a serious teacher. So he then said, "No. Atonement process cannot rectify one. Only prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam. One must be thoughtful. One must be in knowledge. Then he can give up sinful activities." So he recommended the process of knowledge. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa tyāgena yamena niyamena (SB 6.1.13). These are the processes.
So in this age, especially Kali-yuga, even we cannot perform this tapasya, brahmacarya, tyāga, yama, śama, dama . . . it is not possible. It is possible; not for everyone. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given a short-cut formula, this:
- harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam
- kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
- (CC Adi 17.21)