Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 15.111
Respect and Serve Those Who Chant
“Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then finally advised, “One who is chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is understood to be a Vaiṣṇava; therefore you should offer all respects to him.””
What the purport teaches
- Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructs that one who chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra should be understood to be a Vaiṣṇava. Such a person should receive all respects.
- Serving Vaiṣṇavas is most important for householders. Whether a Vaiṣṇava is properly initiated or not is not the deciding consideration.
- One who chants the holy name offenselessly is all-perfect. Even if apparently a beginner, such a person must be considered a pure, unalloyed Vaiṣṇava.
Try this today
Offer a respectful greeting or a small act of service to someone who chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
Ask yourself
Do I respect those who chant without judging them merely by their apparent level or initiation status?
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.