184 Sri-Caitanya-carita mrta

PURPORT

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvatt Thakura remarks in this connection that if one
takes shelter of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda, follows Their in-
structions to become more tolerant than the tree and humbler than the grass, and in
this way chants the holy name of the Lord, very soon he achieves the platform of
transcendental loving service to the Lord, and tears appear in his eyes. There are
offenses to be considered in chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, but there are no
such considerations in chanting the names of Gaura-Nityananda. Therefore, if one
chants the Hare Krsna maha-mantra but his life is still full of sinful activities, it will
be very difficult for him to achieve the platform of loving service to the Lord. But if
in spite of being an offender one chants the holy names of Gaura-Nityananda, he is
very quickly freed from the interactions of his offenses. Therefore, one should first
approach Lord Caitanya and Nityananda, or worship Guru-Gauranga, and then come
to the stage of worshiping Radha-Krsna. In our Krsna consciousness movement, our
students are first advised to worship Guru-Gauranga, and then, when they are some-
what advanced, the Radha-Krsna Deity is installed, and they are engaged in the wor-
ship of the Lord.

One should first take shelter of Gaura-Nityananda in order to reach, ultimately,
Radha-Krsna. Srila Narottama dasa Thakura sings in this connection:

gauranga balite ha’be pulaka sarira
hari hari balite nayane ba’be nira

ara kabe nitaicandera karuna ha-ibe’
samsara-vasana mora kabe tuccha habe

visaya chadiya kabe suddha habe mana
kabe hama heraba sri-vrndavana

In the beginning one should very regularly chant Sri Gaurasundara’s holy name and
then chant the holy name of Lord Nityananda. Thus one’s heart will be cleansed of
impure desires for material enjoyment. Then one can approach Vrndavana-dhama to
worship Lord Krsna. Unless one is favored by Lord Caitanya and Nityananda, there
is no need to go to Vrndavana, for unless one’s mind is purified, he cannot see
Vrndavana, even if he goes there. Actually going to Vrndavana involves taking shelter
of the six Gosvamis by reading Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Vidagdha-madhava, Lalita-
madhava and the other books that they have given. In this way one can understand
the transcendental loving affairs between Radha and Krsna. Kabe hama bujhaba se
yugala-piriti, The conjugal love between Radha and Krsna is not an ordinary human
affair; it is fully transcendental. In order to understand Radha and Krsna, worship
Them and engage in Their loving service, one must be guided by Sri Caitanya Maha-
prabhu, Nityananda Prabhu and the six Gosvamis, Lord Caitanya’s direct disciples.
For an ordinary man, worship of Sri Caitanya and Nityananda Prabhu or the
Pafica-tattva is easier than worship of Radha and Krsna. Unless one is very fortunate,
he should not be induced to worship Radha-Krsna directly. A neophyte student who
is not sufficiently educated or enlightened should not indulge in the worship of Sri
Radha and Krsna or the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra. Even if he does so, he
