Bhakti is different subject matter. Aprakṛta. Adhokṣaja. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6).
So that is being taught, that . . . Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained His position to Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī that, "My Guru Mahārāja, studying My character, he found Me a great fool. Therefore he advised Me to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra." The idea is that by studying Vedānta-sūtra, by becoming a very great scholar, to achieve transcendental position of devotional service is very, very difficult nowadays. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's gift. But whatever you may be, if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra offenselessly, then everything is achieved, without any difficulty. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ihā haite sarva-siddhi haibe tomāra (Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 23.78). Sarva-siddhi. Siddhi means perfection. Siddhi means perfection.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised . . . that is His propaganda. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-māha-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ, sarvātmanaṁ paraṁ vijāyate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam (CC Antya 20.12). That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's . . . so His Guru Mahārāja advised Him . . . he presented Himself like that to Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. Presenting Himself as fool means that the general mass of people, they are not fit for becoming very great Sanskrit scholar or very good philosopher or student of Vedānta philo . . . that is not possible in this age, in Kali-yuga. Mass of people, they are almost śūdra. Śūdra-sambhava. Scholarship, to study Sanskrit, to study Vedas,Purāṇas, they are meant for the brāhmins. Not even for the kṣatriyas, or what to speak of vaiśya. Vaiśya, śūdra and woman, they have been classified in the Bhagavad-gītā as less intelligent. Striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdras te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim (BG 9.32). But Kṛṣṇa is so merciful, if you take the shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, whatever you may be . . . you may be scholar or not scholar. You may be rich or poor; women, śūdra, vaiśya or pāpa-yoni. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. In Bhāgavata also, Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbha yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ ye 'nye ca pāpā (SB 2.4.18). Pāpā means born in low-grade family. They are called pāpā. Śuddhyanti: they become purified. This is the verdict of the śāstra, that bhagavad-bhakti does not depend on any kind of material qualification. Simply you have to become very sincere and serious. That is the only price.
Rūpa Gosvāmī also recommended like that. Tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mūlyam. Rūpa Gosvāmī advised, kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ krīyatāṁ yadi kuto 'pi labhyate (Padyāvalī 14). He advises that, "Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if it is available, you purchase. You purchase anywhere it is available." That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's advice, that one should be eager to purchase this Kṛṣṇa consciousness at any price. Generally, we think price means some . . . in terms of money, monetary transaction, say, hundred pounds or two hundred pounds or millions pounds, billion pounds, like that. The price is different. Here Rūpa Gosvāmī says that, "You price . . . you purchase at any price." But what is that price? Tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mūlyam. Laulyam, eagerness. That is price. That is the only qualification. You must be very, very eager to see the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa in this very life. You must be very eager to talk with Kṛṣṇa in this very life. But not to become sahajiyā. By service. Kṛṣṇa talks with the devotee, but not with nondevotee. He says in the Bhagavad-gītā, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). Only persons who are always engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. He has no other business. Satata. Satata means twenty-four hours. He has no other business. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatām. And the bhajatām. Bhajatām means in service. You must find out always some opportunity how to give . . . render service to Kṛṣṇa. That is the qualification. It doesn't matter what you are. You may be this or that. It doesn't matter. But this eagerness for service can be acquired by anyone, simply by sincerity. That is the price.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu . . . Rūpa Gosvāmī says, tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mūlyam (CC Madhya 8.70). So, "That I . . . I have got too much eagerness." But no. Immediately Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī warns, na janma-koṭibhiḥ sukṛtibhir labhyate. This eagerness to achieve Kṛṣṇa's mercy, to approach the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa in this life, determination, "I shall do anything. I shall sacrifice anything," this kind of determination is not very easily obtained. Na janma-koṭibhiḥ sukṛtibhiḥ. Sukṛti means pious activities. Without being pious, nobody can approach Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not so cheap. You may show yourself that you have become a great sannyāsī or Vaiṣṇava or whatever it may be, but so long you'll be engaged in sinful activities, there is no question of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That sinful activities means illicit sex and intoxication, gambling and meat-eating. These are the pillars of sinful activities. So one must be purified. Janma-koṭibhiḥ. These . . . to purify oneself from the resultant action of sinful activities, it takes many, many births. Janma-koṭibhiḥ sukṛti. By counteracting the sinful activities, to engage oneself only in pious activities. So pious activities means brahmacarya, śamo damo titikṣa, the brahminical qualifications. But it is very difficult nowadays to practice. Tyāgena śamena damena vā, er . . .
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.