334 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Madhya-lila, Ch. 19

the sravana-kirtana process without worshiping the Deity, but the execution of
sravana-kirtana is meant for highly developed devotees like Haridasa Thakura,
who engaged in the sravana-kirtana process without worshiping the Deity.
However, one should not falsely imitate Haridasa Thakura and abandon Deity
worship just to try to engage in sravana-kirtana. This is not possible for neophyte
devotees.

The word guru-prasdda indicates that the spiritual master is very merciful in
bestowing the boon of devotional service upon the disciple. That is the best
possible gift the spiritual master has to offer. Those with a background of pious life
are eligible to receive life’s supreme benefit, and to bestow this benefit, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead sends His representative to impart His mercy.
Endowed with the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the spiritual
master distributes the mercy to those who are elevated and pious. Thus the
spiritual master trains his disciples to render devotional service unto the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. This is called guru-krpa. It is krsma-prasada, Krsna’s mercy,
that He sends a bona fide spiritual master to the deserving disciple. By the mercy
of Krsna, one meets the bona fide spiritual master, and by the mercy of the
spiritual master, the disciple is fully trained in the devotional service of the Lord.

Bhakti-lata-bija means “the seed of devotional service.” Everything has an
original cause, or seed. For any idea, program, plan or device, there is first of all the
contemplation of the plan, and that is called bija, or the seed. The methods, rules
and regulations by which one is perfectly trained in devotional service constitute
the bhakti-lata-bija, or seed of devotional service. This bhakti-lata-bija is received
from the spiritual master by the grace of Krsna. Other seeds are called any-
abhilasa-bija, karma-bija and jfidna-bija. If one is not fortunate enough to receive
the bhakti-lata-bija from the spiritual master, he instead cultivates the seeds of
karma-bija, jfdna-bija, or political and social or philanthropic bija. However, bhak-
ti-lata-bija is different from these other bijas. Bhakti-lata-bija can be received only
through the mercy of the spiritual master. Therefore one has to satisfy the spiritual
master to get bhakti-lata-bija (yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah). Bhakti-lata-
bija is the origin of devotional service. Unless one satisfies the spiritual master, he
gets the bija, or root cause, of karma, jfiana and yoga without the benefit of devo-
tional service. However, one who is faithful to his spiritual master gets the bhakti-
lata-bija. This bhakti-lata-bija is received when one is initiated by the bona fide
spiritual master. After receiving the spiritual master’s mercy, one must repeat his
instructions, and this is called sravana-kirtana—hearing and chanting. One who
has not properly heard from the spiritual master or who does not follow the
regulative principles is not fit for chanting (kirtana). This is explained in Bhagavad-
gita (2.41): vyavasayatmika buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana. One who has not
listened carefully to the instructions of the spiritual master is unfit to chant or
preach the cult of devotional service. One has to water the bhakti-lata-bija after
receiving instructions from the spiritual master.
