Pradyumna: "For example, great demons like Rāvaṇa, Kaṁsa and Hiraṇyakaśipu were always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, but they were thinking of Him as their enemy. This sort of thinking cannot be accepted as bhakti, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness."
Prabhupāda: Yes. As Rāvaṇa and Kaṁsa was thinking of Kṛṣṇa as enemy, similarly, if we think of Kṛṣṇa that, "He'll wash my sinful activities," that means you are thinking like Rāvaṇa and Kaṁsa. Kṛṣṇa should be thought favorably. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). Na prātikūlyena. No. You cannot think of Kṛṣṇa and commit sinful life at the same time. That is prātikūla. Kṛṣṇa does not want that you shall remain sinful, because you cannot approach Kṛṣṇa without being free from sinful activities.
Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam (BG 7.28). Kṛṣṇa is pavitra, paramam. Apāpa-viddham. These are the description. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Pure. You cannot approach the Supreme Pure being sinful, and make Kṛṣṇa your order-supplier, that you go on committing sinful life and Kṛṣṇa will wash it. Kṛṣṇa washes it—once, twice, thrice. But if you consciously go on, continue the sinful life, then you'll have to be punished. So we should not think pervertedly, like Rāvaṇa and Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa was always absorbed in thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Also he got salvation. But not as associate, but he merged into the Brahman effulgence.
So these are the points. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). We should execute cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness very favorably, not unfavorably. Favorable means by which Kṛṣṇa becomes pleased, by which your spiritual master becomes pleased. Because when your spiritual master is pleased, Kṛṣṇa is pleased. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ.
So spiritual master is representative of Kṛṣṇa. Just like in office, you do not see the proprietor, but your immediate officer if you can please, then you get promotion, increment, so many things. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa sends His representative. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit (SB 11.17.27). So . . . so pleasing the ācārya means pleasing Kṛṣṇa. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, yasya prasādad bhagavat-prasādaḥ.
So ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167) means when you have accepted the bona fide spiritual master, you should work in such a way that your spiritual master is pleased with you. Then you . . . your path is very clear. Don't do anything which is against the will of the spiritual master. Because we cannot see Kṛṣṇa eye to eye at the present moment. The direction is coming through disciplic succession. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). So we should follow favorably to cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then our life is successful.