So here it is said, yaḥ śraddhayā. And what is that śraddhā?
- tac chraddadhānā munayo
- jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā
- paśyanty ātmānaṁ ātmani
- bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā
- (SB 1.2.12)
Bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. You can realize. God realization is possible by a person who is faithful, tac chraddadhānāḥ. And what is that faith? That faith is explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta: śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya (CC Madhya 22.62). One who has been firmly convinced . . . what is that conviction? Kṛṣṇa says:
- sarva-dharmān parityajya
- mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
- ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
- mokṣayiṣyāmi . . .
- (BG 18.66)
One who has got firm faith in declaration that, "If I become devotee of Kṛṣṇa, if I fully surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then all perfection is there," this is called faith. This is called faith. Not flickering faith, "Let me adopt this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and when there is opportunity, let me go to some rascal who has appeared as Bhagavān." That kind of faith will not help. That will not help. Śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya. That is śraddhā, firm faith. It cannot be changed at any cost, at any circumstances. That is called firm faith. If that firm faith is not obtained, then we are still on the imperfection platform. But when there is firm faith, śraddhā, śraddhayā . . .
Now, if anyone accepts that Pāṇḍava . . . these Pāṇḍavas, five brothers, son of Mahārāja Paṇḍu, they are very, very dear to Kṛṣṇa. And they are as good or sometimes better than Kṛṣṇa. Because Lord Śiva, authority . . . there are twelve authorities. Lord Śiva is one of the authorities. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ (SB 6.3.20). Śambhu. Śambhu is authority. He says that tasmāt parataraṁ devi tadīyānāṁ samarcanam: "Better worship . . . Kṛṣṇa worship, Viṣṇu worship is good, but still better worship is to worship the kṛṣṇa-bhaktas." Because he is very dear to Kṛṣṇa. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya (Śrī Gurv-aṣṭaka 7). Why spiritual master is very dear to Kṛṣṇa? Because his only anxiety is how Kṛṣṇa will be known all over the world. That's all. He has no ambition, pounds, shilling, pence. He only wants to know, only wants to see that everyone is devotee of Kṛṣṇa and they are happy.