Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 24.277
Help Others Become Vaiṣṇavas
“When Parvata Muni saw the ecstatic loving symptoms of the hunter, he told Nārada, ‘Certainly you are a touchstone.’
What the purport teaches
- A touchstone turns iron into gold. Parvata Muni called Nārada Muni a touchstone because his influence transformed the hunter into an elevated and perfect Vaiṣṇava.
- Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said that a Vaiṣṇava’s position can be tested by how many Vaiṣṇavas he has made. A Vaiṣṇava should help transform others through preaching, even those who are fallen.
- Remaining secluded for personal benefit does not make one a touchstone devotee. A madhyama-adhikārī Vaiṣṇava can make others Vaiṣṇavas by preaching, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised His followers to increase their numbers.
Try this today
Share one teaching from this verse with someone willing to hear about devotional life.
Ask yourself
Do I seek only my own devotional benefit, or also opportunities to help others?
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.