Prabhupāda: So the purpose of marriage is explained here. Putrātve kriyet bhāryā putra pinḍa prayojanam. For the purpose of one or two nice children one should marry, not for sense gratification. This is the Vedic purport of marriage. So in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we allow marriage on this principle, not for sense gratification. All the chief devotees of Lord Caitanya . . . Or even Lord Caitanya Himself, He married twice. So marriage is not prohibited, but everything should be under regulative principle according to the law. Then either one is sannyāsī or a married man or a brahmacārī, it doesn't matter.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu stressed, ye kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya (CC Madhya 8.128). He never said that the sannyāsīs should be guru and not the gṛhasthas. He says, ye kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya. Anyone who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa, he can become guru. And that guru . . . Caitanya Mahāprabhu says everything very simplified:
- āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra'sarva deśa
- yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa
- (CC Madhya 7.128)
Sarva deśa, or ei deśa, wherever you are living, it doesn't matter. Just like our Atreya Ṛṣi, he's gṛhastha, he's living in Iran, Tehran, but it doesn't matter. If he speaks kṛṣṇa-kathā, then he's guru. It is very simple thing. We should not speak beyond what is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. Take Bhagavad-gītā and try to preach the principles, speak whatever is spoken in the Bhagavad-gītā. Then it doesn't matter whether you are a gṛhastha or sannyāsī or brahmacārī. You become guru.
So our mission, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the same mission as Caitanya Mahāprabhu: yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). This kṛṣṇa-upadeśa I have translated into "Kṛṣṇa conscious," how to make people Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is our mission. On this principle, either gṛhastha or vānaprastha or sannyāsī, everyone can take part. Ye kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was taking instruction from Rāmānanda Rāya. He was gṛhastha, not even brāhmaṇa. So he was hesitating, that "Caitanya Mahāprabhu is coming from a very exalted brāhmaṇa family, and sannyāsa," and Rāmānanda Rāya was gṛhastha, not even brāhmaṇa. How he could teach Him or give Him instruction? He was hesitating. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in order to favor him, He said, "It doesn't matter. Don't hesitate."
- kibā vipra, kibā śūdra, nyāsī kene naya
- yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya
- (CC Madhya 8.128)
By his practical life, He was asking. Generally, questions are asked to the superior person, and the superior person answers. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu, although He was superior in everything, He was asking Rāmaṇanda Rāya to answer. He made Haridāsa Ṭhākura—he was Muhammadan by birth—nāmācārya, the ācārya of spreading Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. These are the wonderful activities. Sanātana Gosvāmī, he practically become Muhammadan. Why practically? Absolutely. He was rejected by the brāhmaṇa society because he was minister, he was mixing with the Muhammadans and everything. He was eating with them. So the brāhmaṇa society rejected him. The name was also changed, Sākara Mallika. Nawab Hussain Shah's very confidential man. Nawab Hussain Shah was keeping Sanātana Gosvāmī as his representative in everything. The government was being managed by him. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted them, and they became the Gosvāmīs, Sanātana Gosvāmī.
So in this movement, no such consideration, who is who. Anyone who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is first class, that's all. So our principle should be how to make people Kṛṣṇa conscious, God conscious. Then our mission will be successful. Either as gṛhastha, as a vānaprastha, as sannyāsī, it doesn't matter. Philosophy, the truth, should be preached. Everyone will be happy. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.