Text 29] Prahlada Pacifies the Lord with Prayers 229

tandera carana sevi bhakta-sane vasa
Janame janame haya, ei abhildsa

One should not be anxious to offer direct service to the Lord. Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu advised that one become a servant of the servant of the ser-
vant of the Lord (gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasdénudasah).
This is the process for approaching the Supreme Lord. The first service
should be rendered to the spiritual master so that by his mercy one can
approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead to render service. While
teaching Ripa Gosvami, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, guru-krsna-
prasdde paya bhakti-latd-bija: one can achieve the seed of devotional
service by the mercy of the guru, the spiritual master, and then by the
mercy of Krsna. This is the secret of success. First one should try to
please the spiritual master, and then one should attempt to please the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura also
says, yasya prasaddad bhagavat-prasddo. One should not attempt to
please the Supreme Personality of Godhead by concoction. One must first
be prepared to serve the spiritual master, and when one is qualified he is
automatically offered the platform of direct service to the Lord.
Therefore Prahlada Maharaja proposed that he engage in the service of
Narada Muni. He never proposed that he engage directly in the service of
the Lord. This is the right conclusion. Therefore he said, so "ham katham
nu visrje tava bhrtya-sevam: ‘How can I give up the service of my spiri-
tual master, who has favored me in such a way that I am now able to see
You face to face?” Prahlada Maharaja prayed to the Lord that he might
continue to engage in the service of his spiritual master, Narada Muni.

TEXT 29
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wey eon arerad fray |
GR AT
TATA ATTASAT BET RSI

mat-prdna-raksanam ananta pitur vadhas ca
manye sva-bhrtya-rsi-vakyam rtam vidhatum
