3.223
jagat-nistara lagi’ karena cintana
avaisnava-jagat kemane ha-ibe mocana?
SYNONYMS
jagat-nistara—the deliverance of the people of the whole world; lagi’-for; karena cintana—was always thinking; avaisnava—full of nondevotees; jagat—the whole world; kemane—how; ha-ibe mocana—will be delivered.
Advaita Acarya was always absorbed in thoughts of how to deliver the fallen souls of the entire world “The entire world is full of nondevotees,” He thought “How will they be delivered?”
PURPORT
Srila Advaita Acarya sets the standard for acaryas in the Vaisnava sampradaya.
An acarya must always be eager to deliver the fallen souls.
A person who establishes a temple or matha to take advantage of people’s sentiments by using for his livelihood what people contribute for the worship of the Deity cannot be called a gosvami or acarya.
One who knows the conclusion of the sastras, follows in the footsteps of his predecessors and endeavors to preach the bhakti cult all over the world is to be considered an acarya.
The role of an acarya is not to earn his livelihood through the income of the temple.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura used to say that if one earns his livelihood by displaying the Deity in the temple, he is not an acarya or gosvami it would be better for him to accept service even as a sweeper in the street, for that is a more honorable means of earning one’s living.