198 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Madhya-lila, Ch. 16
from where it should not. He thinks that everyone is competent to accept Krsna
consciousness if the chance is provided. A neophyte and intermediate devotee
should always be anxious to hear the mahd-bhagavata and serve him in every
respect. The neophyte and intermediate devotees can gradually rise to the plat-
form of uttama-adhikari and become first-class devotees. Symptoms of a first-
class devotee are given in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.2.45):
sarva-bhitesu yah pasyed
bhagavad-bhavam atmanah
bhatani bhagavaty atmany
esa bhagavatottamah
When teaching Sanatana Gosvami, the Lord further said:

sastra-yuktye sunipuna, drdha-sraddha yanra

‘uttama-adhikari’ se taraye samsdara
“If one is expert in Vedic literature and has full faith in the Supreme Lord, then he
is an uttama-adhik4ri, a first-class Vaisnava, a topmost Vaisnava who can deliver
the whole world and turn everyone to Krsna consciousness.”
(Cc. Madhya 22.65) With great love and affection, the maha-bhdgavata observes
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, devotional service and the devotee. He ob-
serves nothing beyond Krsna, Krsna consciousness and Krsna’s devotees. The
maha-bhagavata knows that everyone is engaged in the Lord’s service in different
ways. He therefore descends to the middle platform to elevate everyone to the
Krsna conscious position.

TEXT 75
apa she BTR hy ‘Caara’-cyeE| |
‘Caeea’, Camasa’, ela Cawaen’ tae I
krama kari’ kahe prabhu ‘vaisnava’-laksana
‘vaisnava’, ‘vaisnavatara’, dra ‘vaisnavatama’
SYNONYMS
krama_kari’—dividing according to grades; kahe prabhu—Sti Caitanya

Mahaprabhu spoke; vaisnava-laksana—the symptoms of Vaisnavas; vaisnava—
the ordinary Vaisnava (the positive platform); vaisnava-tara—the better Vaisnava
(the comparative platform); dra—and; vaisnava-tama—the best Vaisnava (the
superlative platform).
