Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya-lila Chapter 9 Verse 362

SYNONYMS

ei kali-kale -- in this Age of Kali; ara -- other; nahi kona -- there is not any; dharma -- religious principle; vaisnava -- devotee; vaisnava-sastra -- devotional literature; ei kahe marma -- this is the purport.

TRANSLATION

In this Age of Kali there are no genuine religious principles other than those established by Vaisnava devotees and the Vaisnava scriptures. This is the sum and substance of everything.

PURPORT

One must have firm faith in the process of devotional service and the scriptures that support it. If one hears the activities of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with this faith, he can be freed from his envious position. Srimad-Bhagavatam is meant for such nonenvious persons (nirmatsaranam satam). In this age a person should not envy Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's movement but should chant the holy names of Hari and Krsna, the maha-mantra. That is the sum and substance of the eternal religion, known as sanatana-dharma. In this verse the word vaisnava refers to a pure devotee and fully realized soul, and the word vaisnava-sastra refers to sruti, or the Vedas, which are called sabda-pramana, the evidence of transcendental sound. One who strictly follows the Vedic literature and chants the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead will actually be situated in the transcendental disciplic succession. Those who want to attain life's ultimate goal must follow this principle. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.19.17), it is said:

srutih pratyaksam aitihyam anumanam catustayam

pramanesv anavasthanad vikalpat sa virajyate

"Vedic literature, direct perception, history and hypothesis are the four kinds of evidential proofs. Everyone should stick to these principles for the realization of the Absolute Truth."

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness