One can argue, "No, we can hear hari-kathā from any person, he may be Vaiṣṇava or not Vaiṣṇava. What is the matter?" But Sanātana Goswāmī, "No." So why it is "no"? Because it is like sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payaḥ yathā. Milk is very good, nice food, everyone knows, but if the milk is touched by the lips of a snake, it is not to be touched. It is not to be touched. It has become poison. Very good example. Similarly, if we do not hear from the right person any Vedic literature, especially Bhagavad-gītā, because that is the beginning, the sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payaḥ yathā. He may be very big scholar, but because he is avaiṣṇava, not devotee, it has become poison. In our country we have got so many editions—not only in country, in all, outside the country also, in your country. There are so many hodge-podge interpretation of Bhagavad-gītā, and they are being read and being used for the last two hundred years ago, but there was no effective result. It could not act. But as soon as this Bhagavad-gītā As It Is we have presented, and you are reading, so many thousands of thousands, they are becoming devotee.
So therefore, this process Prahlāda Mahārāja is demonstrating by his personal behavior because he is mahājana. He is mahājana. Out of the twelve mahājanas . . . The śāstra says, mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186): one has to follow the mahājana, authorized person. Mahājana means authorized person. Ordinary jana, common man; and mahājana means authorized person. We cannot take lessons, instruction, from unauthorized person. This authorization must come through the disciplic succession. If the spiritual master, authorized spiritual master, says, "You do this," that we have to do. That we are singing daily:
- guru-mukha-padma-vākya cittete koriyā-aikya
- āra nā koriho mane āśā
This is the process. This is the process. And if I think that I am more intelligent than my guru . . . First of all guru must be bona fide, not a bogus guru. The guru, as specified by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that is not very difficult, who is guru. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,
- yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa
- āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa
- (CC Madhya 7.128)
He is guru. One who is strictly following the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and after following Him, he is just delivering the instruction as Kṛṣṇa has said, then you become guru. It is not difficult. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has ordered everyone. Therefore our process is to follow Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and then try to understand Kṛṣṇa's instruction.
Just like here in our temple: first of all there is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Through His mercy we are trying to understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. You cannot understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa directly. That is not possible. That will be like that sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payaḥ yathā (Hari-bhakti-vilāsa), milk touched by the lips of a snake. There are so many Bhāgavata reciters in India, they jump over to the rasa-līlā without understanding Kṛṣṇa through Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung . . . You know?
- rūpa-raghunātha-pade hoibe ākuti
- kabe hāma bujhabo se jugala-pīriti
Don't try to understand jugala-pīriti, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa's love, abruptly. It is foolishness. You will misunderstand. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, he said, rūpa-raghunātha-pade hoibe ākuti. Rūpa, beginning from Rūpa Gosvāmī up to Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, six Gosvāmīs, Śrī-Rūpa, Sanātana, Bhaṭṭa-Raghunātha, Śrī-Jīva, Gopāla-bhatta, Dāsa-Raghunātha, six Gosvāmīs. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, rūpa-raghunātha, beginning from Rūpa to Raghunātha dāsa. Rūpa-raghunātha-pade hoibe ākuti kabe hāma bujhabo: don't try to understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa love without going through the instruction of Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, Dāsa Gosvāmī, like. That is the instruction.