TEXT 258
prabhu kahe,--sastre kahe sravana-kirtana
krsna-prema-seva-phalera 'parama-sadhana'
SYNONYMS
prabhu kaheLord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said; sastre kahein the sastra it is said; sravana-kirtanathe process of chanting and hearing; krsna-prema-sevaof loving service to Lord Krsna; phaleraof the result; parama-sadhanabest process of achievement.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "According to the verdict of the sastras, the process of hearing and chanting is the best means to attain loving service to Krsna.
PURPORT
According to the Tattvavadis, the best process for achieving the highest goal of life is to execute the duties of the four varnas and asramas. In the material world, unless one is situated in one of the varnas (brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or sudra) one cannot manage social affairs properly to attain the ultimate goal. One also has to follow the principles of the asramas (brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa), for these principles are considered essential for the attainment of the highest goal. In this way the Tattvavadis establish that the execution of the principles of varna and asrama for the sake of Krsna is the best way to attain the topmost goal. The Tattvavadis thus established their principles in terms of human society. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, however, differed when He said that the best process is hearing and chanting about Lord Visnu. According to the Tattvavadis, the highest goal is returning home, back to Godhead, but in Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's opinion the highest goal is attaining love of Godhead, either in the material world or in the spiritual world. In the material world this is practiced according to sastric injunction, and in the spiritual world the real achievement is already there.

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