17.51
tathapi tanra darsana-sravana-prabhave
sakala desera loka ha-ila ’vaisnave’
SYNONYMS
tathapi—still; tanra—His; darsana—of seeing; sravana—of hearing; prabhave—by the potency; sakala—all; desera—of countries; loka—people; ha-ila—became; vaisnave—pure devotees of the Lord.
Although Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not manifest His natural ecstatic love, everyone became a pure devotee simply by seeing and hearing Him.
PURPORT
Srila Rupa Gosvami has described Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as maha-vadanya-avatara, the most munificent incarnation.
Although Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is not physically present now, simply by chanting His holy name (sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda) 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-samhita: premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared five hundred years ago, but it cannot be said that now the potency of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra is less powerful than it was in His presence.
By hearing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu through the parampara system, one can be purified.
Therefore in this verse it is said: tathapi tanra darsana-sravana-prabhave.
It is not that everyone is able to see Krsna or Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu physically, but if one hears about Him through books like Sri Caitanya-caritamrta and through the parampara system of pure Vaisnavas, there is no difficulty in becoming a pure Vaisnava, free from mundane desires and personal motivations.