Text 29]
Prahlāda Pacifies the Lord with Prayers
229
tāṅdera caraṇa sevi bhakta-sane vāsa janame janame haya, ei abhilāṣa
One should not be anxious to offer direct service to the Lord. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised that one become a servant of the servant of the servant of the Lord ( gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ ). This is the process for approaching the Supreme Lord. The first service should be rendered to the spiritual master so that by his mercy one can approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead to render service. While teaching Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,  guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja : one can achieve the seed of devotional service by the mercy of the  guru , the spiritual master, and then by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. This is the secret of success. First one should try to please the spiritual master, and then one should attempt to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Thākura also says,  yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo . One should not attempt to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead by concoction. One must first be prepared to serve the spiritual master, and when one is qualified he is automatically offered the platform of direct service to the Lord. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja proposed that he engage in the service of Nārada Muni. He never proposed that he engage directly in the service of the Lord. This is the right conclusion. Therefore he said, so  'ham katham nu visṛje tava bhṛtya-sevām:  "How can I give up the service of my spiritual master, who has favored me in such a way that I am now able to see You face to face?" Prahlāda Mahārāja prayed to the Lord that he might continue to engage in the service of his spiritual master, Nārada Muni.
TEXT 29
मत्प्राणरक्षणमनन्त पितुर्वधश्च मन्ये स्वभृत्यऋषिवाक्यमृतं विधातुम्। खड्गं प्रगृह्य यदवोचदसद्विधित्सु- स्त्वामीश्वरो मदपरोऽवतु कं हरामि ॥२९॥
mat-prāṇa-rakṣaṇam ananta pitur vadhaś ca manye sva-bhṛtya-ṛṣi-vākyam ṛtam vidhātum