teaches by example

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said, apani acari prabhu jivere sikhaya. It is very well known that whatever Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught in His life as acarya, He Himself practiced. When He was preaching as a devotee, although He was detected by several great personalities to be the incarnation of Krsna, He never agreed to be addressed as an incarnation. Even though one may be an incarnation of Krsna, or especially empowered by Him, he should not advertise that he is an incarnation. People will automatically accept the real truth in due course of time. Prthu Maharaja was the ideal Vaisnava king; therefore he taught others by his personal behavior how to receive and respect saintly persons like the Kumaras. When a saintly person comes to one's home, it is the Vedic custom first to wash his feet with water and then sprinkle this water over the heads of oneself and his family. Prthu Maharaja did this, for he was an exemplary teacher of the people in general. (More...)

"The spiritual master is honored as much as the Supreme Lord because he is the most confidential servitor of the Lord." Thus Prthu Maharaja can also be called Prabhupada, or, as described herein, prabhu. Another question may be raised in this connection. Since Prthu Maharaja was a power incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, saktyavesa-avatara, why did he have to execute the regulative principles in order to become a prabhu? Because he appeared on this earth as an ideal king and because it is the duty of the king to instruct the citizens in the execution of devotional service, he followed all the regulative principles of devotional service in order to teach others. Similarly, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, although Krsna Himself, taught us how to approach Krsna as a devotee. It is said, apani acari' bhakti sikhainu sabare. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu instructed others in the process of devotional service by setting the example Himself through His own personal actions. Similarly, Prthu Maharaja, although a saktyavesa-avatara incarnation, still behaved exactly as a devotee in order to achieve the position of prabhu. Furthermore, svarupasthah means complete liberation. As it is said, hitvanyatha rupam svarupena avasthitih: when a living entity abandons the activities of maya and attains the position from which he can execute devotional service, his state is called svarupasthah, or complete liberation. (More...)