11.58
ramananda raya, aji tomara prema-guna
prabhu-age kahite prabhura phiri’ gela mana
SYNONYMS
ramananda raya—Ramananda Raya; aji—today; tomara—your; prema-guna—quality of love; prabhu-age—in front of the Lord; kahite—when he described; prabhura—of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; phiri’ gela—became changed; mana—the mind “The Lord has already changed His mind due to Ramananda Raya’s description of your pure love for Him.”
PURPORT
At first the Lord did not want to see the King, but due to the Bhattacarya’s and Ramananda Raya’s earnest endeavors, the Lord’s mind was changed.
The Lord already declared that Krsna would be merciful upon the King due to the King’s service to the devotees.
This is the process by which one can advance in Krsna consciousness.
First there must be the devotee’s mercy; then Krsna’s mercy will descend.
Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto ’pi.
Our first duty, therefore, is to satisfy the spiritual master, who can arrange for the Lord’s mercy.
A common man must first begin to serve the spiritual master, or the devotee.
Then, through the mercy of the devotee, the Lord will be satisfied.
Unless one receives the dust of a devotee’s lotus feet on one’s head, there is no possibility of advancement.
This is also confirmed by a statement of Prahlada Maharaja’s in Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.5.32):
naisam matis tavad urukramanghrim
sprsaty anarthapagamo yad-arthah
mahiyasam pada-rajo-’bhisekam
niskincananam na vrnita yavat Unless one approaches a pure devotee, he cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Maharaja Prataparudra worshiped both Ramananda Raya and Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya.
Thus he touched the lotus feet of pure devotees and was able thereby to approach Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.