20211021 A Devotee of Kṛṣṇa is Very Rare and Superior to Karmīs, Jñānīs and Yogīs

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 21st October 2021 in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, India

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Dear Devotees! Today is the compilation of Caitanya līlā book, the chapter today is entitled:

A Devotee of Kṛṣṇa is Very Rare and Superior to Karmīs, Jñānīs and Yogīs

Under the section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.136

śrī-rūpa-śikṣā; sūtrākāre bhaktirasa-lakṣaṇa-varṇana:—

prabhu kahe,—śuna, rūpa, bhakti-rasera lakṣaṇa
sūtra-rūpe kahi, vistāra nā yāya varṇana

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, My dear Rūpa, please listen to Me. It is not possible to describe devotional service completely; therefore I am just trying to give you a synopsis of the symptoms of devotional service.

Jayapatākā Swami: So Lord Caitanya was instructing Rūpa Gosvāmī on the symptoms of devotional service. He was empowering Rūpa Gosvāmī in the heart to understand all the aspects of devotional service.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.137

prabhura kṛpāya rūpera bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhura bindupāna:—

pārāpāra-śūnya gabhīra bhakti-rasa-sindhu
tomāya cākhāite tāra kahi eka ‘bindu’

Translation: The ocean of the transcendental mellows of devotional service is so big that no one can estimate its length and breadth. However, just to help you taste it, I am describing but one drop.

Jayapatākā Swami: By taking one drop we can understand something about the whole ocean. So, Lord Caitanya is telling Rūpa Gosvāmī about the one drop that is Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.138

prathame brahmāṇḍera baddha-jīva-varṇana; saṁkhyāya bahutva:—

eita brahmāṇḍa bhari’ ananta jīva-gaṇa
caurāśī-lakṣa yonite karaye bhramaṇa

Translation: In this universe there are limitless living entities in 8,400,000 species, and all are wandering within this universe.

Purport: This is a challenge to so-called scientists and philosophers who presume that there are living entities on this planet only. So-called scientists are going to the moon, and they say that there is no life there. This does not tally with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s version. He says that everywhere within the universe there are unlimited numbers of living entities in 8,400,000 different forms. In the Bhagavad-gītā (2.24) we find that the living entities are sarva-gata, which means that they can go anywhere. This indicates that there are living entities everywhere. They exist on land, in water, in air, in fire and in ether. Thus there are living entities in all types of material elements. Since the entire material universe is composed of five elements — earth, water, fire, air and ether — why should there be living entities on one planet and not others? Such a foolish version can never be accepted by Vedic students. From the Vedic literatures we understand that there are living entities on each and every planet, regardless of whether the planet is composed of earth, water, fire or air. These living entities may not have the same forms that are found on this planet earth, but they have different forms composed of different elements. Even on this earth we can see that the forms of land animals are different from the forms of aquatics. According to the circumstance, living conditions differ, but undoubtedly there are living entities everywhere. Why should we deny the existence of living entities on this or that planet? Those who have claimed to have gone to the moon have not gone there, or else with their imperfect vision they cannot actually perceive the particular type of living entities there.

The living entities are described as ananta, or unlimited; nonetheless, they are said to belong to 8,400,000 species.

As stated in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa:

jala-jā nava-lakṣāṇi
sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati
kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ
pakṣiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam
triṁśal-lakṣāṇi paśavaḥ
catur-lakṣāṇi mānuṣāḥ

There are 900,000 species living in the water. There are also 2,000,000 nonmoving living entities (sthāvara), such as trees and plants. There are also 1,100,000 species of insects and reptiles, and there are 1,000,000 species of birds. As far as quadrupeds are concerned, there are 3,000,000 varieties, and there are 400,000 human species.”

Some of these species may exist on one planet and not on another, but in any case within all the planets of the universe — and even in the sun — there are living entities. This is the verdict of the Vedic literatures.

As the Bhagavad-gītā (2.20) confirms:

na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ’yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.”

Since the living entities are never annihilated, they simply transmigrate from one life form to another. Thus there is an evolution of forms according to the degree of developed consciousness. One experiences different degrees of consciousness in different forms. A dog’s consciousness is different from a man’s. Even within a species we find that a father’s consciousness is different from his son’s and that a child’s consciousness is different from a youth’s. Just as we find different forms, we find different states of consciousness. When we see different states of consciousness, we may take it for granted that the bodies are different. In other words, different types of bodies depend on different states of consciousness.

This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (8.6):

yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ 
tyajanty ante kalevaram
taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya
  sadā tad bhāva-bhāvitaḥ

One’s consciousness at the time of death determines one’s type of body in the next life.”

This is the process of transmigration of the soul. A variety of bodies is already there; we change from one body to another in terms of our consciousness.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the Vedic knowledge is said to be descending knowledge coming from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just like in Vedas, 8,400,000, species it is not possible for us to count all the different species and also some may be existing on this planet and some on another planet. So, to actually understand what the universe is, what are the living entities within the universe, we need to refer to the Vedic literatures, where we can find information which otherwise is beyond our perception.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.139

jīvātmā o jīva-svarūpa-parimāṇa:—

keśāgra-śateka-bhāga punaḥ śatāṁśa kari
tāra sama sūkṣma jīvera ’svarūpa’ vicāri

Translation:  The length and breadth of the living entity is described as one ten-thousandth part of the tip of a hair. This is the original subtle nature of the living entity.

Jayapatākā Swami: In the Upaniṣads this measurement of the soul is presented and in the material world the soul is somehow unmanifested, it has a body and his consciousness complies with the body that he has, but in spiritual world, the soul expands to have a form, it don’t have any material body. The body or form of the soul and the soul are non-different in the spiritual world, in the material world this is the measurement of the soul.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.140

śāstra-pramāṇa — Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (10.87.30) śruti-stava-vyākhyā-dhṛta śloka—

keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya
śatāṁśa-sadṛśātmakaḥ
jivaḥ sūkṣma-svarūpo ’yaṁ
saṅkhyātīto hi cit-kaṇaḥ

Translation:  ‘If we divide the tip of a hair into a hundred parts and then take one of these parts and divide it again into a hundred parts, that very fine division is the size of but one of the numberless living entities. They are all cit-kaṇa, particles of spirit, not matter.’”

Purport: This is quoted from the commentary on the portion of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam wherein the Vedas personified offer their obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lord Kṛṣṇa confirms this statement in the Bhagavad-gītā (15.17):

mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ.

The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts.”

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa personally identifies Himself with the minute living entities. Lord Kṛṣṇa is the supreme spirit, the Supersoul, and the living entities are His very minute parts and parcels. Of course, we cannot divide the tip of a hair into such fine particles, but spiritually such small particles can exist. Spiritual strength is so powerful that a mere atomic portion of spirit can be the biggest brain in the material world. The same spiritual spark is within an ant and within the body of Brahmā. According to his karma, material activities, the spiritual spark attains a certain type of body. Material activities are carried out in goodness, passion and ignorance or a combination of these. According to the mixture of the modes of material nature, the living entity is awarded a particular type of body. This is the conclusion.

Jayapatākā Swami: Therefore the body may change but the ātmā is the same. Depending on one’s karma one may have elevated body like Brahmā or one of the Prajāpatis or one may be having a body of a minute insect. So, having a human form of life has a special facility to go back to our spiritual existence in the spiritual world.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.141

śveḥ uḥ mantrānusāre pañcadaśīte citradīpe (81)—

bālāgra-śata-bhāgasya
śatadhā kalpitasya ca
bhāgo jīvaḥ sa vijñeya
iti cāha parā śrutiḥ

Translation: ‘If we divide the tip of a hair into one hundred parts and then take one part and divide this into another one hundred parts, that ten-thousandth part is the dimension of the living entity. This is the verdict of the chief Vedic mantras.’”

Purport: The first three padas of this verse from the Pañcadaśī-citra-dīpa (81) are taken from the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (5.9).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, in the Upaniṣads and Purāṇas the same dimension is given and in this way the soul transmigrates from one body to another and it never dies and never gets divided, cut or dried, it exists eternally. It is a spiritual part (cit) of Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, spiritual part cit-kaṇa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.142

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (11.16.11)—

sūkṣmāṇām apy ahaṁ jīvaḥ

Translation: [Lord Kṛṣṇa says:] ‘Among minute particles, I am the living entity.’

Purport: The living entity is one with and different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As spirit soul, the living entity is one in quality with the Supreme Lord; however, the Supreme Lord is bigger than the biggest, and the living entity is the smallest of the small.

This quotation is the third pada of a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.16.11).

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya’s philosophy on the Vedānta-sūtra is acintya-bhedābheda tattva that it is inconceivably and simultaneously, the soul is one and different from Kṛṣṇa. The idea is that the soul has the same quality but the quantity is infinitesimally less.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.143

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (10.87.30)—

aparimitā dhruvās tanu-bhṛto yadi sarva-gatās
tarhi na śāsyateti niyamo dhruva netarathā
ajani ca yan-mayaṁ tad avimucya niyantṛ bhavet
samam anujānatāṁ yad amataṁ mata-duṣṭatayā

Translation: ‘O Lord, although the living entities who have accepted material bodies are spiritual and unlimited in number, if they were all-pervading there would be no question of their being under Your control. If they are accepted, however, as particles of the eternally existing spiritual entity — as part of You, who are the supreme spirit whole — we must conclude that they are always under Your control. If the living entities are simply satisfied with being identical with You as spiritual particles, then they will be happy being controllers of so many things. The conclusion that the living entities and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are one and the same is a faulty conclusion. It is not a fact.’”

Purport: This verse, which is also from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.87.30), was spoken by the personified Vedas.

Jayapatākā Swami: In other words the soul is infinitesimal particle of the Lord, he is qualitatively one and quantitatively different.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.144

virūpa-bhede jīva dvividha—(1) sthāvara, (2) jaṅgama;

jaṅgamera trividhatva—jala-sthala-khecara:—

tāra madhye ‘sthāvara’, ‘jaṅgama’—dui bheda
jaṅgame tiryak-jala-sthalacara-vibheda

Translation: The unlimited living entities can be divided into two divisions — those that can move and those that cannot move. Among living entities that can move, there are birds, aquatics and animals.

Purport by Srila Prabhupāda: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is giving clear instructions on how the living entities live under different conditions. There are trees, plants and stones that cannot move, but still they must be considered living entities, or spiritual sparks. The soul is present in bodies like those of trees, plants and stones. They are all living entities. Among moving living entities such as birds, aquatics and animals, the same spiritual spark is there. As stated herein, there are living entities that can fly, swim and walk. We must also conclude that there are living entities that can move within fire and ether. Living entities have different material bodies composed of earth, water, air, fire and ether. The words tāra madhye mean within this universe.” The entire material universe is composed of five material elements. It is not true that living entities reside only within this planet and not within others. Such a conclusion is completely contradictory to the Vedas.

As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (2.24):

acchedyo ’yam adāhyo ’yam
akledyo ’śoṣya eva ca
nityaḥ sarva-gataḥ sthāṇur
acalo ’yaṁ sanātanaḥ

This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same.”

The soul has nothing to do with the material elements. Any material element can be cut to pieces, especially earth. As far as the living entity is concerned, however, he can be neither burned nor cut to pieces. He can therefore live within fire. We can conclude that there are also living entities within the sun. Why should living entities be denied this planet or that planet? According to the Vedas, the living entities can live anywhere and everywhere — on land, in water, in air and in fire. Whatever the condition, the living entity is unchangeable (sthāṇu). From the statements of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the Bhagavad-gītā, we are to conclude that living entities exist everywhere throughout the universes. They are distributed as trees, plants, aquatics, birds, human beings and so on.

Jayapatākā Swami: The higher planets have living entities with one day equal to our one year on the earth. that means by those calculations we may live for few months. So, they have bodies which are subtle and not something which are aware of. So The Vedas tells about different types of life, different living entities like yakṣas, siddhas, gandharvas. So many kinds Of course we may think that they may be UFOs or something but the only way we can understand this is from the Vedas.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.145

sthalacarera śreṣṭhatva; tanmadhye mānavajātira sarva-śreṣṭhatva; tanmadhye karmī, jñānī o bhaktera tāratamya-tulanā:—

tāra madhye manuṣya-jāti ati alpatara
tāra madhye mleccha, pulinda, bauddha, śabara

Translation: Although the living entities known as human beings are very small in quantity, that division may be still further subdivided, for there are many uncultured human beings like mlecchas, pulindas, bauddhas and śabaras.

Jayapatākā Swami: Human form of life gives facility to achieve liberation, go back to the spiritual world. But the uncultured types of human being which are mentioned here and normally it is difficult for them to achieve perfection, but if they take the shelter of a bonafide spiritual master who is a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then he can deliver even these uncultured human beings.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.146

veda-niṣṭha-madhye ardheka veda ‘mukhe’ māne
veda-niṣiddha pāpa kare, dharma nāhi gaṇe

Translation: Among human beings, those who are followers of the Vedic principles are considered civilized. Among these, almost half simply give lip service while committing all kinds of sinful activities against these principles. Such people do not care for the regulative principles.

Purport: The word veda means knowledge.” Supreme knowledge consists of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead and our relationship with Him and acting according to that relationship. Action in accordance with the Vedic principles is called religion. Religion means following the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Vedic principles are the injunctions given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Āryans are civilized human beings who have been following the Vedic principles since time immemorial. No one can trace out the history of the Vedic principles set forth so that man might understand the Supreme Being. Literature or knowledge that seeks the Supreme Being can be accepted as a bona fide religious system, but there are many different types of religious systems according to the place, the disciples and the people’s capacity to understand.

The highest type of religious system is described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.6) thus:

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje.

The highest form of religion is that by which one becomes fully conscious of the existence of God, including His form, name, qualities, pastimes, abode and all-pervasive features. When everything is completely known, that is the perfection of Vedic knowledge. The fulfillment of Vedic knowledge is systematic knowledge of the characteristics of God.

This is confirmed by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā (15.15):

vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ.

The aim of Vedic knowledge is to understand God. Therefore those who are actually following Vedic knowledge and searching after God cannot commit sinful activities against the Supreme Lord’s order. However, in this Age of Kali, although men profess to belong to so many different kinds of religions, most of them commit sinful activities against the orders of the Vedic scriptures. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says herein, veda-niṣiddha pāpa kare, dharma nāhi gaṇe. In this age, men may profess a religion, but they actually do not follow the principles. Instead, they commit all kinds of sins.

Jayapatākā Swami: Many people say that they are following this and that religion but actually they don’t follow the standards of that religion, just as Lord Jesus gave ten commandments but many people don’t follow that. Similarly, our different scriptures describe different practices, but people don’t follow those, and therefore they do kind of lip service they don’t actually do their prescribed duties. So, in such cases, they can’t be considered eligible for spiritual emancipation.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.147

dharmācāri-madhye bahuta ‘karma-niṣṭha’
koṭi-karma-niṣṭha-madhye eka ‘jñānī’ śreṣṭha

Translation: Among the followers of Vedic knowledge, most are following the process of fruitive activity and distinguishing between good and bad work. Out of many such sincere fruitive actors, there may be one who is actually wise.

Purport: Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura states that the word karma-niṣṭha refers to one who aspires to enjoy the results of his good work and pious activity. Some followers of Vedic principles offer everything to the Absolute Truth and do not aspire to enjoy the results of their pious actions. These are also considered among the karma-niṣṭhas. Sometimes we see pious men earn money with great hardship and then spend the money for some pious cause by opening public charities, schools and hospitals. Whether one earns money for himself or for the public benefit, he is called a karma-niṣṭha. Out of millions of karma-niṣṭhas there may be one who is wise. Those who try to avoid fruitive activity and who become silent in order to merge into the spiritual existence of the Absolute Truth are generally known as jñānīs, wise men. They are not interested in fruitive activity but in merging into the Supreme. In either case, both the karma-niṣṭhas and the jñānīs are interested in personal benefit. The karmīs are directly interested in personal benefit within the material world, and the jñānīs are interested in merging into the existence of the Supreme. The jñānīs maintain that fruitive activity is imperfect. For them, perfection is the cessation of work and the merging into the supreme existence. That is their goal in life. The jñānī wants to extinguish the distinction between knowledge, the knower and the aim of knowledge. This philosophy is called monism, or oneness, and is characterized by spiritual silence.

Jayapatākā Swami: so, the fruitive worker or karma-niṣṭha is described who is better than karma-niṣṭha is the jñanī.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.148

muktagaṇera madhyeo kṛṣṇa-bhaktera sudurllabhatva:—

koṭi-jñāni-madhye haya eka-jana ‘mukta’
koṭi-mukta-madhye ‘durlabha’ eka kṛṣṇa-bhakta

Translation: Out of many millions of such wise men, one may actually become liberated [mukta], and out of many millions of such liberated persons, a pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa is very difficult to find.

Purport: In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.2.32) it is said that due to their poor fund of knowledge, the jñānīs are not actually liberated. They simply think that they are liberated. The perfection of knowledge culminates when one comes to the platform of of knowing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. The Absolute Truth (satya-vastu) is described as Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. Knowledge of impersonal Brahman and the Supersoul is imperfect until one comes to the platform of knowing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is therefore clearly said in this verse, koṭi-mukta-madhye ‘durlabha’ eka kṛṣṇa-bhakta. Those who search after the knowledge of impersonal Brahman or localized Paramātmā are certainly accepted as liberated, but due to their imperfect knowledge they are described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as vimukta-māninaḥ. Since their knowledge is imperfect, their conception of liberation is imperfect. Perfect knowledge is possible when one knows the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

This is supported by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā (5.29):

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ
sarva-loka-maheśvaram
suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries.”

Research is going on for the karmīs, jñānīs and yogīs, but until the search is complete, no one can attain peace. Therefore the Bhagavad-gītā says, jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati: one can actually attain peace when he knows Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.149

kṛṣṇa-bhaktera sudurllabhatva o sarva-śreṣṭhatvera kāraṇa:—

kṛṣṇa-bhakta—niṣkāma, ataeva ‘śānta’
bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī—sakali ‘aśānta’

Translation: Because a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa is desireless, he is peaceful. Fruitive workers desire material enjoyment, jñānīs desire liberation, and yogīs desire material opulence; therefore they are all lusty and cannot be peaceful.

Purport: The devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa has no desire other than serving Kṛṣṇa. Even so-called liberated people are full of desires. Fruitive actors desire better living accommodations, and jñānīs want to be one with the Supreme. Yogīs desire material opulence, yogic perfections and magic. All of these nondevotees are lusty (kāmī). Because they desire something, they cannot have peace.

The peace formula is given by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā (5.29):

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ
sarva-loka-maheśvaram
suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

One who simply understands that throughout the entire universe Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer and beneficiary of all kinds of sacrifices, penances and austerities, which should be performed only to attain His devotional service, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Being and thus the proprietor of all the material worlds, and that Kṛṣṇa is the only friend who can actually do good to all living entities (suhṛdaṁ sarvabhūtānām) — one who understands these three principles about Kṛṣṇa immediately becomes desireless (niṣkāma) and therefore peaceful. A kṛṣṇa-bhakta knows that his friend and protector in all respects is Kṛṣṇa, who is able to do anything for His devotee.

Kṛṣṇa says,

kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati:

O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.”

Since Kṛṣṇa gives this assurance, the devotee lives in Kṛṣṇa and has no desire for personal benefit. The background for the devotee is the all-good Himself. Why should the devotee aspire for something good for himself? His only business is to please the Supreme by rendering as much service as possible. A kṛṣṇa-bhakta has no desire for his own personal benefit. He is completely protected by the Supreme.

Avaśya rakṣibe kṛṣṇa viśvāsa pālana.

Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that he is desireless because Kṛṣṇa will give him protection in all circumstances. It is not that he expects any assistance from Kṛṣṇa; he simply depends on Kṛṣṇa just as a child depends on his parents. The child does not know how to expect service from his parents, but he is always protected nevertheless. This is called niṣkāma (desirelessness).

Although karmīs, jñānīs and yogīs fulfill their desires by performing various activities, they are never satisfied. A karmī may work very hard to acquire a million dollars, but as soon as he gets a million dollars he desires another million. For the karmīs, there is no end of desire. The more the karmī gets, the more he desires. The jñānīs cannot be desireless because their intelligence is unsound. They want to merge into the Brahman effulgence, but even though they may be raised to that platform, they cannot be satisfied there. There are many jñānīs or sannyāsīs who, after taking sannyāsa and giving up the world as false, return to the world to engage in politics or philanthropy or to open schools and hospitals. This means that they could not attain the real Brahman (brahma-satyam). They have to come down to the material platform to engage in philanthropic activity. Thus they again cultivate desires, and when these desires are exhausted, they desire something different. Therefore the jñānī cannot be niṣkāma, desireless. Nor can the yogīs be desireless, for they desire yogic perfections in order to exhibit some magical feats and gain popularity. People gather around these yogīs, and the yogīs desire more and more adulation. Because they misuse their mystic power, they fall down again to the material platform. It is not possible for them to become niṣkāma, desireless.

The conclusion is that only the devotees, who are simply satisfied in serving the Lord, can actually become desireless. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says here, kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma. Since the kṛṣṇa-bhakta, the devotee of Kṛṣṇa, is satisfied with Kṛṣṇa, there is no possibility of falldown.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we can hear why the devotee of Kṛṣṇa is considered special and that is explained here.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.150

śāstra-pramāṇa:—Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (6.14.5)—

muktānām api siddhānāṁ
nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇaḥ
sudurlabhaḥ praśāntātmā
koṭiṣv api mahā-mune

Translation: ‘O great sage, out of many millions of materially liberated people who are free from ignorance, and out of many millions of siddhas who have nearly attained perfection, there is hardly one pure devotee of Nārāyaṇa. Only such a devotee is actually completely satisfied and peaceful.’”

Purport: This verse is quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.14.5). The nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa, the devotee of Lord Nārāyaṇa, is the only blissful person. One who becomes a nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa is already liberated from material bondage. He already possesses all the perfections of yoga. Unless one comes to the platform of nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa and passes over the platform of bhukti-mukti-siddhi, he cannot be fully satisfied. That is the pure devotional stage.

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā

One who desires nothing but Kṛṣṇa and who is not influenced by the process of jñāna-mārga (cultivation of knowledge) actually becomes free from ignorance. A first-class person is one who is not influenced by karma (fruitive activity) or yoga (mystic power). He simply depends on Kṛṣṇa and is satisfied in his devotional service.

According to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.17.28):

nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati.

Such a person is never afraid of anything. For him, heaven and hell are the same.

Not knowing the situation of a nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa, rascals become envious. By the grace of Nārāyaṇa, a devotee is situated in the most opulent position in the material world. Rascals are envious of Nārāyaṇa and His devotee, but the devotee endeavors to please another devotee of Nārāyaṇa because he knows that by pleasing Nārāyaṇa’s representative one directly pleases Lord Nārāyaṇa. Therefore a devotee offers the best comforts and facilities to his spiritual master. Outsiders who have no knowledge of Nārāyaṇa are envious of both Nārāyaṇa and His devotee. Consequently when they see that Nārāyaṇa’s devotee is opulently situated, they become even more envious. But when the devotee of Nārāyaṇa asks such foolish people to come live with him in the same comfortable situation, they do not agree because they cannot give up illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. Therefore the materialist refuses the company of a nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa, although he is envious of the devotee’s material situation. In Western countries when ordinary men — storekeepers and workers — see our devotees living and eating sumptuously and yet not working, they become very eager to know where they get the money. Such people become envious and ask, How is it possible to live so comfortably without working? How is it you have so many cars, bright faces and nice clothes?” Not knowing that Kṛṣṇa looks after His devotees, such people become surprised, and some become envious.

Jayapatākā Swami: So Śrīla Prabhupāda is a nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa and he was spreading the message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness around the world. Many people took his shelter and also became nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa and became peaceful by rendering devotional service. Somehow by Lord Kṛṣṇa mercy all these devotees live simply but comfortably and some people get envious against these devotees.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, A Devotee of Kṛṣṇa is Very Rare and Superior to Karmīs, Jñānīs and Yogīs 
Under the section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī