CC Madhya 17.51 (1975)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 51
- tathāpi tāṅra darśana-śravaṇa-prabhāve
- sakala deśera loka ha-ila 'vaiṣṇave'
SYNONYMS
tathāpi—still; tāṅra—His; darśana—of seeing; śravaṇa—of hearing; prabhāve—by the potency; sakala—all; deśera—of countries; loka—people; ha-ila—became; vaiṣṇave—pure devotees of the Lord.
TRANSLATION
tathāpi—still; tāṅra—His; darśana—of seeing; śravaṇa—of hearing; prabhāve—by the potency; sakala—all; deśera—of countries; loka—people; ha-ila—became; vaiṣṇave—pure devotees of the Lord.
PURPORT
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has described Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as mahā-vadānya-avatāra, the most munificent incarnation. Although Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not physically present now, simply by chanting His holy name (śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda) people throughout the world are becoming devotees. This is due to the ecstatic chanting of the holy name of the Lord. It is said that a pure devotee can see the Lord every moment, and because of this he is empowered by the Lord. This is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā: premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared five hundred years ago, but it cannot be said that now the potency of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is less powerful than it was in His presence. By hearing Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu through the paramparā system, one can be purified. Therefore in this verse it is said: tathāpi tāṅra darśana-śravaṇa-prabhāve. It is not that everyone is able to see Kṛṣṇa or Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu physically, but if one hears about Him through books like Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta and through the paramparā system of pure Vaiṣṇavas, there is no difficulty in becoming a pure Vaiṣṇava, free from mundane desires and personal motivations.