Although he is Lord Brahmā, he's also not free. He's perplexed: "Wherefrom I came? What is the source of my birth in darkness?" He could see only the lotus flower on which he was sitting, nothing else. Exactly our position . . . Just like so many scientists, they think that this world is everything, and other planets and worlds, there is no life. Only because he is there, there is life. This is the modern presentation.
But that is not the fact. There are many, many millions and trillions of planets. Everywhere there is life. Even in the sun planet there is life. We see it is fiery. If there is no life, then where is the opportunity of Kṛṣṇa's speaking, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1): "I spoke first of all this science to Vivasvān"? Vivasvān manave prāha . . . (break) "First of all I spoke this science to the sun god, the chief person in the sun planet." So we cannot accept the so-called scientists' version that there is no life in the sun planet. Everywhere there is: sun planet, moon planet, every . . . In the moon planet al . . . (break) . . . arhad yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). So many millions of years is equal to twelve hours . . . (break) Lord Brahmā had to undergo austerity for hundreds of years of his calculation. So not our hundreds of years. Our hundreds of years may be Brahmā's a few hours only. Law of relativity.
So Brahmā, even though he is directly born of Viṣṇu, he's not ordinary living be . . . He's also a living entity like us, but very, very pious. Just like here somebody is very rich, very influential, very beautiful, very learned. These are the results of pious activities, janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). If you are pious, then you get good opportunity of taking your birth in good family, aristocratic family, brāhmaṇa family, like that, become beautiful, become educated.
So Brahmā is also a similar living entity, but he's very, very pious. Very, very pious. And Brahmā . . . Brahmā's post is so exalted that when there is no living entity available, then Lord Viṣṇu Himself becomes Brahmā, the post is so important. My point is that although he's so pious, greatly exalted, still, he had to purify himself.
Here it is said, kālena tīvra-tapasā pariśuddha-bhāvaḥ. Pariśuddha-bhāvaḥ. To become purified of the material contamination is not so easy. So you should always remember that the purificatory process which has been prescribed to you, how rigidly you have to follow. If you are neglectful, then you are losing the chance, because you . . . Try to understand. This material world is so contaminous that even Lord Brahmā had to purify himself by austerities for many hundreds of years. I'm just trying to bring this point, how Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so kind that for purification of Brahmā's body he had to take so many years under severe austerity, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu, because we are so much fallen, not to compare with Brahmā—very, very fallen—still, He gives us a little formula:
- harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam
- kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
- (CC Adi 17.21)
This much tapasya. So if somebody says that "Lord Caitanya gave us, certainly, but what is the proof that we are being purified?" No, there is proof. "Where?" It is stated in the śāstra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He's the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Whatever He says, that is law. Still He does not act in that way. He gives reference to the śāstras. This is mentioned in the śāstra.
In the Bhāgavata also it is mentioned, kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). Caitanya Mahāprabhu never says . . . Even Kṛṣṇa does not say unauthoritatively. He gives reference to the śāstras. Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, although He's the Supreme Personality of Godhead, brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaṁ (BG 13.5). Brahma-sūtra, Vedānta-sūtra—He's giving reference.
So don't talk anything which is not authorized in the statement of śāstra. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, has given us, not whimsically, although He can give any law; He is the Supreme Lord. Dharmaṁ tu sakṣad bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Whatever the Lord says, that is the principle of religion. So we do not know whether Caitanya Mahāprabhu is God or not, but śāstra says He is, so whatever He says, that is dharma.