Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He went to Vārāṇasī, He was simply dancing and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So people began to criticize. Not people, this sannyāsī-sampradāya. So His devotees, they became little sorry that, "Our Lord is being criticized." Therefore He accepted their invitation, and there was Vedānta talk with Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became victorious, and they became all disciples. These are statement in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
So it is not that those who are bhaktas, they . . . that is also complete, chanting and dancing Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. There is direct process. But if somebody wants to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy through Vedānta philosophy, through Upaniṣads, so they are prepared. They are prepared. Therefore we are publishing so many books. We are discussing Vedānta philosophy, Upaniṣad, all the Vedic literature. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the essence of all Vedic literature. It is stated, nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam idam (SB 1.1.3). Nigama. Nigama means Vedic literature. Kalpa-taru. Kalpa-taru means desire tree. Desire tree . . . we have got experience: from the mango tree we get mango, and from coconut tree we get coconut. But desire tree means whatever you want, you can get. Even you can get purīs and halavā from the tree. That is called desire tree. So the Vedic literature is called nigama-kalpa-taru. Nigama, Vedic literature, desire tree, kalpa-taru, taru, kalpa-taru. In the Vedic literature every knowledge is there. Veda means knowledge, perfect knowledge, either material or spiritual. The Vedas are there for the benefit of the human society. Because the living entity has come here in this material world to enjoy, so direction is there, "All right, you have come here to enjoy. So enjoy materially under direction, then gradually you become spiritual, and then take liberation." That is the purpose. Karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa. Jñāna-kāṇḍa is the path of liberation, then upāsanā-kāṇḍa.
So it is not that devotees are sentimental. It is not that. Bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā (SB 1.2.12). Bhakti devotional service, after complete Vedic literature understanding . . . but bhakti is so nice thing that if one takes to bhakti directly, he understands Vedic version automatically.
- vāsudeve bhagavati
- bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ
- janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ
- jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam
- (SB 1.2.7)
This is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Even one is illiterate, if he sincerely takes to bhakti-yoga, so the Vedic philosophical conclusion automatically awakens.
- yasya deve parā bhaktir
- yathā deve tathā gurau
- tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ
- prakāśante mahātmanaḥ
- (ŚU 6.23)
These are the statement, and actually . . . just like these boys. These boys, they were not educated in Vedic literature. Never. But how they have taken to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness? This is the magic of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not dependant on studying of Vedas, but if you take seriously to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the Vedic knowledge is automatically awakened.
- yasya deve parā bhaktir
- yathā deve tathā gurau
- tasyaite hy kathitā arthāḥ
- prakāśante mahātmanaḥ
- (ŚU 6.23)
This is the secret. If one has unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa and unflinching faith to his devotion . . . to his spiritual master, then automatically the Vedic knowledge becomes awakened. This is a fact, you can see. They never knew what is Vedic life, Vedic knowledge, but how they have become so nice, perfect devotee? That unflinching faith. That is required. Viśvāse milaya vastu tarke bahu-rūpa. And that viśvāsa, that is explained, viśvāsa, faith, in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, viśvāsa-śabde, viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya, kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta (CC Madhya 22.62). Śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya. This is statement of Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī. He said śraddhā. Because to become a devotee, the begin is śraddhā, faith.
Just like you all ladies and gentlemen, you are coming. It is the śraddhā, "Let us hear something, what they are speaking about Kṛṣṇa." This is the beginning. So this śraddhā, as it grows and becomes firmly fixed up, that is devotion. Śraddhā means, devotion means, gradually making the śraddhā more and more fixed up. Ādau śraddhā. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 23.14-15). First of all śraddhā, faith. Then association with the devotees. Atha bhajana-kriyā tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ, athāsaktis tato bhāvaḥ (CC Madhya 23.14-15). Bhāva. So we have to come to the stage of bhāva, budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ. Kṛṣṇa says:
- ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
- mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
- iti matvā bhajante māṁ
- budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ
- (BG 10.8)
So this bhāva, the ecstatic stage of devotional service, one has to reach. That is the perfection, or that the priority stage of love of Godhead.
So these things are recommended. Kṛṣṇa is personally explaining. Why should we not take advantage of these things? Why we are neglecting? It is suicidal. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is personally instructing how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, how to become perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and then, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma (BG 4.9), then you can go back to home, back to Godhead. Why we should not take advantage of this opportunity? This is not very good. We should take advantage. We have got this human form of body. We have got intelligence. And the statement and explanation is being given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally. Why we should not take advantage? This is suicidal policy.