Text 18] The Process of Creation 203
home, back to Godhead, as we have several times discussed in these
pages.

According to the cult of devotion, generally known as the Vaisnava
cult, there is no bar for anyone to advance in the matter of God realiza-
tion. A Vaisnava is powerful enough to turn into a Vaisnava even the
Kirata, etc., as above mentioned. In the Bhagavad-gita also it is said by the
Lord (Bg. 9.32) that there is no bar to becoming a devotee of the Lord
(even for those who are low-born, or women, sitdras or vaisyas), and by
becoming a devotee everyone is eligible to return home, back to Godhead.
The only qualification is that one take shelter of a pure devotee of the
Lord who has thorough knowledge in the transcendental science of Krsna
(Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam). Anyone from any part of the
world who becomes well conversant in the science of Krsna becomes a
pure devotee and a spiritual master for the general mass of people and may
reclaim them by purification of heart. A person, though he be even the
most sinful man, can at once be purified by systematic contact with a pure
Vaisnava. A Vaisnava, therefore, can accept a bona fide disciple from any
part of the world without any consideration of caste and creed and
promote him by regulative principles to the status of a pure Vaisnava
who is transcendental to brahminical culture. The system of caste, or
varndsrama-dharma, is no longer regular even amongst the so-called fol-
lowers of the system. Nor is it now possible to reestablish the institutional
function in the present context of social, political and economic revolu-
tion. Without any reference to the particular custom of a country, one can
be accepted to the Vaisnava cult spiritually, and there is no hindrance in
the transcendental process. So by the order of Lord Sr Caitanya Maha-
prabhu, the cult of Srimad-Bhagavatam or the Bhagavad-gita can be
preached all over the world, reclaiming all persons willing to accept the
transcendental cult. Such cultural propaganda by the devotees will cer-
tainly be accepted by all persons who are reasonable and inquisitive,
without any particular bias for the custom of the country. The Vaisnava
never accepts another Vaisnava on the basis of birthright, just as he never
thinks of the Deity of the Lord in a temple as idol worship. And to remove
all doubts in this connection, Srila Sukadeva Gosvami has invoked the
blessings of the Lord, who is all-powerful (prabhavisnave namah). As the
all-powerful Lord accepts the humble service of His devotee in devotional
activities of the arcana, His form as the worshipable Deity in the temple,
similarly the body of a pure Vaisnava changes transcendentally at once by
giving himself up to the service of the Lord and training by a qualified
Vaisnava. The injunction of Vaisnava regulation in this connection runs
