Sannyāsa is very respectable position. Still it is honored in India. Anyone where a sannyāsī goes, at least in the villages, they offer respectful obeisances and gives all kinds of comforts, still now. According to śāstra, it is said if a sannyāsī is not offered respect or duly honored, the punishment is the man should fast at least one day. This is Vedic system. But there are many sannyāsīs taking advantage of this, so we are not concerned. Neither Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a false sannyāsī. He was real sannyāsī. And he was also real gṛhastha, Rāmānanda Rāya. So he was feeling little hesitation. To encourage him, Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately said, "No, no. Why you are feeling hesitation? Why you are feeling inferior? You are guru." "Now, how I am guru?" "Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei guru haya (CC Madhya 8.128)." Because to become a knower of Kṛṣṇa is not ordinary position. Yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ (BG 7.3). One who has known Kṛṣṇa is not ordinary man. Yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). He is above all the siddhas even. "So why you are hesitating? You know kṛṣṇa-tattva; therefore I am asking from you." So this is the position.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means that training the people who come to us to make him far, far above than the siddhas, far, far above than the siddhas. And it is very easily one can become. One can hold this position of guru, who is... Guru means who is above the siddhas. Kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā. Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei guru haya (CC Madhya 8.128). One cannot become guru unless he knows kṛṣṇa-tattva. Not ordinary man. The yogis, the karmīs, the jñānīs, they cannot become guru. That is not sanctioned, because even one is jñānī, he has to learn Kṛṣṇa after many, many births; not in one life, but many, many life. If he persists to understand what is the Absolute Truth by his jñāna method, by his speculative method, then still he will have to change many, many births. Then one day he may be fortunate. If he comes in contact with a devotee, then it may be possible for him to understand Kṛṣṇa.
That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Who is prapadyate? Who surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. Unless one understands Kṛṣṇa perfectly, why one should surrender? Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Big, big scholars they, "It is too much," they say. "It is too much. Kṛṣṇa is demanding, mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. This is too much." This is not too much; this is the real position. If he is actually advanced in his knowledge... Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). That is not attainable in one life. If he persists in knowledge, understanding of the Absolute Truth, then, after many, many births, when he is actually in knowledge, then he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). That kind of mahātmā... You will find so many mahātmās simply by changing the dress. Not that kind of mahātmā. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. It is very difficult to find out such mahātmās, but there are. If one is fortunate, he can meet such mahātmā, and his life becomes successful. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has made the thing very easy, very, very easy. Therefore His name is Patita-pāvana. Patita-pāvana. Patita means fallen, and pāvana means purify. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's... Therefore we follow Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We first of all sing or chant,
- śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda
- śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
(I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.)