62
The Nectar of Instruction
because his actual identity is that of one engaged in the loving service of the Lord. In other words, he is not to be considered an ordinary human being.
Even though a pure devotee may not be born in a  brāhmaṇa  or  gosvāmī  family, if he is engaged in the service of the Lord he should not be neglected. In actuality there cannot be a family of  gosvāmīs  based on material considerations, caste or heredity. The  gosvāmī  title is actually the monopoly of the pure devotees; thus we speak of the six Gosvāmīs, headed by Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī had practically become Mohammedaus and had therefore changed their names to Dabira Khāsa and Sākara Mallika, but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself made them  gosvāmīs . Therefore the  gosvāmī  title is not hereditary. The word  gosvāmī  refers to one who can control his senses, who is master of the senses. A devotee is not controlled by the senses, but is the controller of the senses. Consequently he should be called  svāmī  or  gosvāmī , even though he may not be born in a  gosvāmī  family.
According to this formula, the  gosvāmīs  who are descendants of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and Śrī Advaita Prabhu are certainly devotees, but devotees coming from other families should not be discriminated against; indeed, whether the devotees come from a family of previous  ācāryas  or from an ordinary family, they should be treated equally. One should not think, “Oh, here is an American  gosvāmī ,” and discriminate against him. Nor should one think, “Here is a  nityānanda-vaṁśa-gosvāmī .” There is an undercurrent of protest against our awarding the title  gosvāmī  to the