Now, Śrīdhāra Swami is commenting why they were smiling, these Viṣṇudūta, because the Yamadūtas were criticizing, "Why you are interfering?" The Yamadūtas did not know that whatever action is taken by the representative of Viṣṇu, they are not, I mean to say, unnecessarily interference; they are actual fact.
Therefore they are smiling, that "These Yamadūtas, without knowing our position, they are trying to criticize us." So they were smiling. Prahasya, prahasya. Just like if a child speaks something to a learned man, he smiles. So Viṣṇudūta were smiling, hearing the Yamadūtas.
Meghasya eva nirhrāda hānir yasya prayātaḥ: "They began to speak in grave," I mean to say: "voice, as if the thundering cloud."
- śrī-viṣṇudūta uvāca
- yūyaṁ vai dharma-rājasya
- yadi nirdeśa-kāriṇaḥ
- brūta dharmasya nas tattvaṁ
- yac ca adharmasya lakṣaṇam
- (SB 6.1.38)
"You are claiming to be representative of Dharmarāja, Yamarāja." Yamarāja is Dharmarāja. So Viṣṇudūta knows that they are representative. So he challenged . . . the Viṣṇudūtas challenged the Yamadūtas, that "You are accusing us that we are interfering with your business which is entrusted unto you by the Dharmarāja, the maintainer of dharma. Would you kindly explain what is dharma and what is adharma?" It is very intelligent answer. Yūyaṁ vai dharma-rājasya: "If you are actually representative."
Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that yei kṛṣṇa tattva-vettā sei guru haya (CC Madhya 8.128): "If anyone is representing as guru, he must know Kṛṣṇa." He must know. Kṛṣṇa cannot be known, but at least . . . just like Kṛṣṇa says, yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9), that . . . one must know Kṛṣṇa in fact, tattvataḥ, in truth. He can become guru. Otherwise, guru is not a . . . so cheap post that everyone can become guru. Similarly, here is the challenge that, "If you are representative of Dharmarāja, you must explain what is dharma and what is adharma." That should be the criterion of test. Not that everyone should be accepted as religious, everyone should be accepted as guru.
This ignorance of the population has created so many nonsense as representing as guru and dharma-jñā. No. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). The Vedic injunction says, tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam, śābde pare ca niṣnātam. One is advised . . . first of all, who will accept a guru?
Guru is not a plaything that, "I must have a guru, and I will never care to obey his order, but because it is a fashion to keep a guru, I shall keep a guru." That kind of guru is useless, and that kind of disciple is also useless. One must seek after a guru—when? When he is inquisitive to understand the transcendental knowledge. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam.
It is not a fashion. It should be very serious: one who is very much eager to understand transcendental knowledge, śreya uttamam. Jijñāsuḥ śreya. Śreyaḥ and preyaḥ. There are two kinds of paths. Preyaḥ means immediate satisfaction or sense gratification, and preyaḥ means spiritual happiness, er, śreyaḥ. Śreyaḥ means spiritual happiness. Just like children, they are interested with playing—that is preyaḥ—whereas the elderly person, they are interested to give education.
So people . . . what is the meaning of this preaching? Why we are taking interest in preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Because the people in general, they are interested in preyaḥ for their sense gratification, immediate sense gratification. But that is not good for them. Bhāgavata says, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti (SB 5.5.4): "Simply for sense gratification, they are committing so many sinful activities. It is like . . . just like madman."