Tad viddhi praṇipātena. If you want to understand the spiritual science, then you have to approach to a person where you can completely surrender yourself. Because everyone is proud, "Oh, who can teach me? Why shall I go to a spiritual master? I know everything." That is the general mentality. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā gives us direction that you should go to a person where you can fully surrender.
So you have to find out a bona fide spiritual master where you can surrender your pride. Then tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). Praṇiptena means surrender. Paripraśnena. If you find out such, if you are fortunate enough to find out some person where you can surrender, then you can put questions before him.
That Sanātana Gosvāmī is putting that, "What is my position? I think that I am very learned man, I am born of very aristocratic family and so on, so on, but actually, I do not know what I am, what is my position." This is paripraśna, inquiry. Surrender, inquiry and sevayā. That answer should be received in service mood.
So these are three formulas. Simple questions will not help us. The question should be put to a person where you have got full surrender and you have got the service mentality. You cannot ask spiritual master or any person whom you think is greater than you in a challenging spirit. Then you will be deceived. In a submissive way, of course, you have got right to place questions, and with service mood.
So Sanātana Gosvāmī is the vivid example of this disciplic succession. Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). In the Vedas also the same injunction is there. Tad-vijṣānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12).
If you want to learn that transcendental science, then you must approach to a person who is heavier than you: guru. Guru means heavier. You don't go to a person who is lighter than you. Heavier. Heavier means heavier in knowledge. So the same thing is explained everywhere. And Sanātana Gosvāmī is ideal disciple and Lord Caitanya is the ideal teacher, and we should learn how to approach a teacher and what is the qualification of a teacher.
Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was talking with Kṛṣṇa in the beginning on friendly terms, just like a friend talks with his friend. But when he saw that his problem was so great that it could not be solved on friendly talks, it must be seriously understood, so he also surrendered himself, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7):
"My dear Kṛṣṇa, now from this point I accept You my spiritual master, and I surrender unto You. Please teach me." And then He began teaching. These are the process.
Then?
Lady devotee: " 'And therefore you know everything and you are free from all the miseries of material existence.' The Lord further replied that because Sanātana was in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, naturally, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, he was already conversant with everything. 'But because you are humble, a humble devotee, you are asking Me to confirm what is already realized by you.' "
Prabhupāda: This is another point. Even one thinks that he knows everything, still, he, before the spiritual master, he should be blank slate that, "I do not know anything." That is the qualification of the disciple. He should approach the spiritual master as if he does not know anything.
Go on.
Lady devotee: "These are the characteristics of a true devotee. In the Nārada-bhakti-sūtra it is said that one who is very serious about developing his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by the grace of the Lord has his desire for understanding Kṛṣṇa fulfilled very soon. The Lord said, 'You are a suitable person for protecting the devotional service of the Lord. Therefore it is My duty to instruct you in the science of God.' "
Prabhupāda: Here is another point, that one should not accept somebody as spiritual master all of a sudden. At the same time, the spiritual master also should not accept anybody as his disciple immediately. Now Sanātana Gosvāmī is proving himself that he's qualified disciple, and Lord Caitanya is accepting him that, "You are just the suitable person; therefore I shall accept you as My disciple and teach you the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness."
Yes.
Lady devotee: " 'And I will explain to you everything, step by step.' It is the duty of the disciple approaching the spiritual master to inquire about his constitutional position. In conformity to that spiritual process, Sanātana has already asked, 'What am I and why am I suffering from the threefold miseries?'
The threefold miseries are called ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika and ādhidaivika (SB 6.15.25).
Ādhyātmika means caused by the body and mind. Sometimes the living entity suffers bodily, and sometimes he is distressed mentality. Both are ādhyātmika miseries. We experience these miseries even in the womb of our mother. There are many forms of miseries that take advantage of our delicate body and give us pain.
Miseries inflicted by other living entities are called ādhibhautika. These are many living entities, such as bugs born of eggs, that cause us miseries while we are sleeping in bed. There are many living entities like cockroaches that sometimes give us pain. And there are other living entities born on different kinds of planets, and they also cause us miseries.