316 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya-lila, Ch. 19
PURPORT

This is a confirmation of the statement krsna-sakti vind nahe tara pravartana.
Unless one is specifically empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he
cannot spread the Krsna consciousness movement. An empowered devotee sees
and feels himself to be the lowest of men, for he knows that whatever he does is
due to the inspiration given by the Lord in the heart. This is also confirmed in
Bhagavad-gita:

tesdm satata-yuktanam
bhajatam priti-parvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam
yena mam upayanti te
“To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, | give the
understanding by which they can come to Me.” (Bg. 10.10)

To be empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one has to qualify
himself. This means that one must engage twenty-four hours daily in the loving
devotional service of the Lord. The material position of a devotee doesn’t matter
because devotional service is not dependent on material considerations. In his
earlier life, Srila Rapa Gosvami was a government officer and a grhastha. He was
not even a brahmacdri or sannydsi. He associated with mlecchas and yavanas, but
because he was always eager to serve, he was a qualified recipient for the Lord’s
mercy. A sincere devotee can therefore be empowered by the Lord regardless of
his situation. In the preceding verse from Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Srila Ripa
Gosvami has described how he was personally empowered by the Lord. He
further states in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.187):

iha yasya harer dasye
karmand manasd gira
nikhilasv apy avasthasu
jivan-muktah sa ucyate
“A person acting in the service of Krsna with his body, mind and words is a liber-
ated person even in the material world, although he may be engaged in many so-
called material activities.”

To keep oneself free from material contamination and attain the Lord's favor,
one must be sincerely anxious to render service to the Lord. This is the only
qualification necessary. As soon as one is favored by the mercy of the spiritual
master and the Lord, one is immediately given all the power necessary to write
books and propagate the Krsna consciousness movement without being ham-
pered by material considerations.
