Text 31]
Prayers by the Demigods
171
cross, and because You are very merciful to Your other devotees, You accept this method to help them.
PURPORT
This statement reveals how the merciful  ācāryas  and the merciful Supreme Personality of Godhead together help the serious devotee who wants to return home, back to Godhead. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in His teachings to Rūpa Gosvāmī, said:
brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja  (Cc. Madhya 19.151)
One can achieve the seed of  bhakti-latā , devotional service, by the mercy of  guru  and Kṛṣṇa. The duty of the  guru  is to find the means, according to the time, the circumstances and the candidate, by which one can be induced to render devotional service, which Kṛṣṇa accepts from a candidate who wants to be successful in going back home, back to Godhead. After wandering throughout the universe, a fortunate person within this material world seeks shelter of such a  guru , or  ācārya , who trains the devotee in the suitable ways to render service according to the circumstances so that the Supreme Personality of Godhead will accept the service. This makes it easier for the candidate to reach the ultimate destination. The  ācārya 's duty, therefore, is to find the means by which devotees may render service according to references from  śāstra . Rūpa Gosvāmī, for example, in order to help subsequent devotees, published such devotional books as  Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu . Thus it is the duty of the  ācārya  to publish books that will help future candidates take up the method of service and become eligible to return home, back to Godhead, by the mercy of the Lord. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, this same path is being prescribed and followed. Thus the devotees have been advised to refrain from four sinful activities—illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling—and to chant sixteen rounds a day. These are bona fide instructions. Because in the Western countries constant chanting is not possible, one should not artificially imitate Haridāsa Thākura, but should follow this method. Kṛṣṇa will accept a devotee who strictly