Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Ādi 8.73
Seek the permission of guru and Kṛṣṇa
“Having received the order of the Vaiṣṇavas but being anxious within my heart, I went to the temple of Madana-mohana in Vṛndāvana to ask His permission also.”
What the purport teaches
- After receiving the Vaiṣṇavas’ order, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī went to Madana-mohana’s temple to seek His permission. He regarded the devotees as his spiritual masters, and Madana-mohana is Kṛṣṇa Himself.
- A Vaiṣṇava follows the order of guru and Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is within everyone’s heart, and the spiritual master is His direct external representative.
- Before writing about Kṛṣṇa, one must become a pure devotee by following the strict regulative principles and chanting sixteen rounds daily. One must then receive the spiritual master’s permission, confirmed by Kṛṣṇa within the heart.
Try this today
Before your devotional study today, offer a brief prayer for the mercy and guidance of guru and Kṛṣṇa.
Ask yourself
How does seeking the permission of guru and Kṛṣṇa differ from relying only on your own confidence?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport; the practice and question are plain words for trying the verse today.