So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was a great scholar. There is no doubt of it. But in spite of His becoming a great scholar, He is presenting Himself as a great fool. He says, "My Guru Maharaja saw Me a great..." Even one is very great scholar, he has to abide by the decision of his spiritual master. Even one is very great scholar, and if his spiritual master says that "You are a great fool," he should accept it. This is called full surrender. For example, I'll give you a practical... My Guru Maharaja was very great scholar, and his Guru Maharaja, from literary point of view, he could not even sign his name, Gaura-kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja. And Bhaktivinoda Thakura asked Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura to accept Gaura-kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja as his, as his spiritual master, that "You go and take your initiation from Gaura-kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja." So he thought that "I am a great scholar, and I am son of a magistrate, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and great Vaisnava. He'll be very much pleased to accept me." Of course, he was very much pleased. But in the beginning he refused. He refused. Because... Of course, that is only show. He was not proud. Just to teach us. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati explained that "I was little proud. So I was thrice refused by Guru Maharaja," although he was the only disciple. So the scholarship is not a qualification of becoming devotee. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's teaching. Scholarship may help, but it is not necessary. Real necessary is that one should be humble and meek and follow the instruction of the spiritual master. This is real qualification.

So that is being taught, that... Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu explained His position to Prakasananda Sarasvati that "My Guru Maharaja, studying My character, he found Me a great fool. Therefore he advised Me to chant Hare Krsna maha-mantra." The idea is that by studying Vedanta-sutra, by becoming a very great scholar, to achieve transcendental position of devotional service is very, very difficult nowadays. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's gift. But whatever you may be, if you chant Hare Krsna maha-mantra offenselessly, then everything is achieved, without any difficulty. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, iha haite sarva-siddhi haibe tomara. Sarva-siddhi. Siddhi means perfection. Siddhi means perfection. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu advised... That is His propaganda. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam sarvatmanam param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's... So His Guru Maharaja advised Him... He presented Himself like that to Prakasananda Sarasvati. Presenting Himself as fool means that the general mass of people, they are not fit for becoming very great Sanskrit scholar or very good philosopher or student of Vedanta philo... That is not possible in this age, in Kali-yuga. Mass of people, they are almost sudra. Sudra-sambhava. Scholarship, to study Sanskrit, to study Vedas, Puranas, they are meant for the brahmanas. Not even for the ksatriyas, or what to speak of vaisya. Vaisya, sudra and woman, they have been classified in the Bhagavad-gita as less intelligent. Striyo vaisyas tatha sudras te 'pi yanti param gatim. But Krsna is so merciful. If you take the shelter of Krsna's lotus feet, whatever you may be... You may be scholar or not scholar. You may be rich or poor; women, sudra, vaisya, or papa-yoni. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. In Bhagavata also, Sukadeva Gosvami says, kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah ye 'nye ca papa [SB 2.4.18]. Papa means born in low-grade family. They are called papa. Suddhyanti: they become purified. This is the verdict of the sastras, that bhagavad-bhakti does not depend on any kind of material qualification. Simply you have to become very sincere and serious. That is the only price.

Rupa Gosvami also recommended like that. Tatra laulyam ekalam mulyam. Rupa Gosvami advised, krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih kriyatam yadi kuto 'pi labhyate. He advises that "Krsna consciousness, if it is available, you purchase. You purchase anywhere it is available." That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's advice, that one should be eager to purchase this Krsna consciousness at any price. Generally, we think price means some, in terms of money, monetary transaction, say, hundred pounds or two hundred pounds or millions pounds, billion pounds, like that. The price is different. Here Rupa Gosvami says that "You price..., you purchase at any price." But what is that price? Tatra laulyam ekalam mulyam. Laulyam, eagerness. That is price. That is the only qualification. You must be very, very eager to see the lotus feet of Krsna in this very life. You must be very eager to talk with Krsna in this very life. But not to become sahajiya. By service. Krsna talks with the devotee, but not with nondevotee. He says in the Bhagavad-gita, tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam [Bg. 10.10]. Only persons who are always engaged in Krsna's service. He has no other business. Satata. Satata means twenty-four hours. He has no other business. Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam. And the bhajatam. Bhajatam means in service. You must find out always some opportunity how to give, render service to Krsna. That is the qualification. It doesn't matter what you are. You may be this or that. It doesn't matter. But this eagerness for service can be acquired by anyone simply by sincerity. That is the price. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu... Rupa Gosvami says, tatra laulyam ekalam mulyam. "So that I, I have got too much eagerness." But no. Immediately Srila Rupa Gosvami warns, na janma-kotibhih sukrtibhir labhyate. This eagerness to achieve Krsna's mercy, to approach the lotus feet of Krsna in this life, determination, "I shall do anything. I shall sacrifice anything," this kind of determination is not very easily obtained. Na janma-kotibhih sukrtibhih. Sukrti means pious activities. Without being pious, nobody can approach Krsna. Krsna is not so cheap. You may show yourself that you have become a great sannyasi or Vaisnava or whatever it may be, but so long you'll be engaged in sinful activities, there is no question of Krsna consciousness. That sinful activities means illicit sex and intoxication, gambling, and meat-eating. These are the pillars of sinful activities. So one must be purified. Janma-kotibhih. These... To purify oneself from the resultant action of sinful activities, it takes many, many births. Janma-kotibhih sukrti. By counteracting the sinful activities, to engage oneself only in pious activities. So pious activities means brahmacarya... Samo damo titiksa. The brahminical qualifications. But it is very difficult nowadays to practice. Tyagena samena damena va.

So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu presented Himself as a fool number one before His Guru Maharaja. He advised that "It will be difficult for You to study Vedanta-sutra or practice tapasya, brahmacarya, sama, dama, titiksa, tyagena, samena, damena, niyamena, yamena... [Bg. 18.42]" It is possible for a human being, but in this Kali-yuga all these functions, to do is difficult. Therefore this process is recommended, vasudeva-parayana, bhakti-yogena. Niharah. Niharam iva bhaskarah. Just like the, there is mist, fog, and as soon as the sun rises there, all fog is immediately disseminated. Otherwise, it requires so much arrangement. Your railway train cannot move. The ships in the sea, they cannot move. It is very difficult position. Similarly, our sinful activities has covered our heart just like a fog. We cannot see anything. But by bhakti-yoga, it can be immediately dissipated. So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was thus advised by His spiritual master to chant Hare Krsna, and He got perfection. That was explained by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

So His spiritual master congratulated Him like this, that,

Then he encourages, naca, gao, bhakta-sange kara sankirtana: "Now go on. You have achieved so much success. Now again You go on." Naca: "You dance." Gao: "You sing and chant," bhakta-sange, "in the society of devotees." Not to make a profession, but bhakta-sange. This is the real platform of achieving success in spiritual life. Narottama dasa Thakura also says that

So our Krsna consciousness society is a bhakta-sanga, is a society of devotees. Never try to go away. Never try to go away. Discrepancies there may be. You should adjust. And this chanting and dancing amongst, within the society of devotees, has got great advantage, great value. Here it is confirmedand all the Vaisnavas have confirmed

Thank you very much.