Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu 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 Mahārāja 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 Mahārāja was very great scholar, and his Guru Mahārāja, from literary point of view, he could not even sign his name, Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja. And Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura asked Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura to accept Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja as his . . . as his spiritual master, that "You go and take your initiation from Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja." So he thought that "I am a great scholar, and I am son of a magistrate, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, and great Vaiṣṇava. 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. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī explained that, "I was little proud. So I was thrice refused by Guru Mahārāja," although he was the only disciple.
So the scholarship is not a qualification of becoming devotee. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu'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.
- tṛṇād api sunīcena
- taror api sahiṣṇunā
- amāninā mānadena
- kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
- (CC Adi 17.31)
Because bhakti does not depend on any material qualification. Bhakti is different subject matter. Aprakṛta. Adhokṣaja. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6).
So that is being taught, that . . . Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained His position to Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī that, "My Guru Mahārāja, studying My character, he found Me a great fool. Therefore he advised Me to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra." The idea is that by studying Vedānta-sūtra, by becoming a very great scholar, to achieve transcendental position of devotional service is very, very difficult nowadays. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's gift. But whatever you may be, if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra offenselessly, then everything is achieved, without any difficulty. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ihā haite sarva-siddhi haibe tomāra (Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 23.78). Sarva-siddhi. Siddhi means perfection.