Vaiṣṇava is meant for delivering all the fallen souls. Just like a very good example: Lord Jesus Christ. According to the Christian idea, he took all the sins of all people and he sacrificed his life. Very good example. Similarly, Haridāsa Ṭhākura also. There... Nityānanda Prabhu. The Vaiṣṇava is always eager how to deliver all these fallen souls rotting in the hell of māyā. Therefore here it is recommended, syān mahat-sevayā. You have to take shelter of a mahat. Mahat means mahātmā or Vaiṣṇava. Mahātmā is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, who is mahātmā: Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That mahātmā, simply by dressing like me with a saffron cloth, does not become a mahātmā. The mahātmā is described in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
- jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
- vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
- sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ
- (BG 7.19)
There are many mahātmās, but one who has understood Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is the cause of all causes...
- īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
- sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
- anādir ādir govindaḥ
- sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
- (Bs. 5.1)
He's mahātmā. One who knows that Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the origin of everything... Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā,
- ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
- mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
- iti matvā bhajante māṁ
- budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ
- (BG 10.8)
Actually, one who knows things as they are, they understand, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), "Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is the root of everything." Here also it is stated that śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya vāsudeve, vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ (SB 1.2.16). To know, to become inquisitive about Kṛṣṇa, to know about him, this is required. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
In Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said,
- siddhānta baliyā citte nā kara alasa
- ihā ha-ite kṛṣṇe lāge sudṛḍha mānasa
- (CC Adi 2.117)
Siddhānta, to become a pure devotee, a staunch devotee of Kṛṣṇa, one has to learn about Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is, therefore, coming personally to teach us what He is. That is required. Vāsudeva-kathā-ruci (SB 1.2.16). Our life is meant for becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. Ruci. This ruci is very important thing. Ruci means... Just like we like to eat some favorable food. That is called ruci. Somebody is interested in eating some salty food, somebody's interested some sweet food, spicy food... Just like we have got taste for different types of food, similarly, when we shall increase our taste, propensity for Kṛṣṇa, that is the beginning of our perfection. Before that, we are in the material consciousness. When we increase the taste for Kṛṣṇa, for understanding Kṛṣṇa... This ruci comes when one is actually liberated. This ruci. Tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. First of all, śraddadhānasya. As it is stated here, śraddhā, faith. Kṛṣṇa is... Kṛṣṇa says that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7), "There is no more superior authority than Me." Mattaḥ parataraṁ na anyat. Na, "Nobody else. I am the Supreme." So when we have faith in this explanation of Kṛṣṇa...
As Arjuna said... Arjuna, after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he said, sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava (BG 10.14), "My dear Kṛṣṇa, whatever You are saying, I accept them in toto, word for word." This is required. Not that I give up this portion, I give up that portion, whatever is to my purpose... Just like sometimes the politicians, scholars, they also try to understand Bhagavad-gītā. Because Bhagavad-gītā is very authoritative book, they want to exploit. They do not understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. Otherwise they would have preached Kṛṣṇa. Because what is Bhagavad-gītā? Bhagavad-gītā is Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, the supreme. That is to be taught. That is to be understood. That is Bhagavad-gītā. Not that keeping Bhagavad-gītā in front, a scapegoat, I become great politician and great scholar and give my own opinion: "In my opinion, it is like this." This is nonsense. What you are? Your opinion? We don't care, we don't care for all these nonsense who gives his own opinion as if Kṛṣṇa left something to be opined by another rascal. This is their business. He becomes greater than Kṛṣṇa, to interpret Kṛṣṇa's words. This is rascaldom. We don't accept.