We must follow the ēāstras, the mahājana. Mahājano yena gatał sa panthāł (CC Madhya 17.186). We are not perfect. Therefore we have to follow the footprints of the perfect. And that is given in the ēāstra, whom you have to follow.
- svayambhūr nāradał ēambhuł
- kumārał kapilo manuł
- prahlādo janako bhīńmo
- balir vaiyāsakir vayam
- (SB 6.3.20)
Twelve mahājanas. We follow Lord Brahmā. Just like we belong to the Brahma-sampradāya, Madhvācārya-sampradāya. Gauņīya..., Mādhva-Gauņīya-sampradāya. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's spiritual master was Īēvara Purī. Īēvara Purī's spiritual master was Mādhavendra Purī. And Mādhavendra Purī belonged to the Madhvācārya-sampradāya. Therefore we present ourself belonging to the Madhva-Gauņīya-sampradāya. Similarly... From Brahmā, there is one sampradāya. Similarly, there is another sampradāya from Lord Ēiva, Rudra-sampradāya. And there is another sampradāya, Kumāra-sampradāya. Kumārał kapilo manuł. That is Nimbārka-sampradāya. Similarly, there is another sampradāya from Lakńmī, Ērī-sampradāya, Rāmānuja-sampradāya.
So we have to understand the philosophy through the sampradāya.