SB 1.1.15 (1962)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 15
Yad pada samshrayah suta munayah prasamanayah
Sadyah punanti apaspristah Swardhunya apa anusevaya.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Yad—whose, pada—lotus feet, samshrayah—those who have taken shelter of, Suta—oh Suta Goswami, munayah—great sages, sadyah—at once, punanti—sanctify, apasprista—simply by association, swardhunya—of the sacred Ganges, apa—water, anusevaya—bringing into use.
TRANSLATION
Oh Suta Goswami, the great sages who have completely taken shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord, can at once sanctify others who may come into touch with them while the water of the Ganges can do so after a prolonged use only.
PURPORT
Pure devotees of the Lord are more potent than the water of the sacred river Ganges. One can derive spiritual benefit out of prolonged use of the Ganges water but one can be at once sanctified by the deliberate mercy of a pure devotee of the Lord. In the Bhagwat Geeta it is said that any person however low born may he be, as also the Sudras, women and the merchantile people all of them are welcome to take shelter of the Lotus feet of the Lord and by doing so they can be equally qualified for going back to Godhead. To take shelter of the Lotus feet of the Lord means to take shelter of the pure devotees. The pure devotees, who have no other business than to serve the Lord, are honoured with the words like 'Prabhupada' 'Vishnupada' that is to say such pure devotees are representatives of the Lotus feet of the Lord. Any one who, therefore, takes shelter of lotus feet of the pure devotee i.e. accepts pure devotee as the spiritual master, can at once be purified. Such devotees of the Lord are equally honoured like the Lord because they do the most confidential service of the Lord in delivering the fallen souls of the material world, whom the Lord wants to go back to home back to Godhead. Such pure devotees are better known as the Vice-Lord in the opinion of all revealed scriptures. Sincere disciples of a pure devotee, offer the spiritual master equal position with the Lord but such pure devotee always considers himself as an humble servant of the servant of the Lord. That is the way of pure devotional path.