8.56
namaskara kaila raya, prabhu kaila alingane
dui jane krsna-katha kaya rahah-sthane
SYNONYMS
namaskara—obeisances; kaila—offered; raya—Ramananda Raya; prabhu—Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; kaila—did; alingane—embracing; dui—two; jane—the persons; krsna-katha—talks about Krsna; kaya—discussed; rahah-sthane—in a secluded place.
Ramananda Raya approached Lord Sri Caitanya and offered his respectful obeisances, and the Lord embraced him.
Then they began to discuss Krsna in a secluded place.
PURPORT
The word rahah-sthane, “in a secluded place,” is very significant.
Talks about Krsna and His pastimes-especially His pastimes in Vrndavana and His dealings with the gopis-are all very confidential.
They are not subject matter for public discussion because those who have no understanding of the transcendental nature of Krsna’s pastimes always commit great offenses, thinking Krsna to be an ordinary human being and the gopis ordinary girls.
Following the principle of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who never discussed the dealings between Krsna and the gopis publicly, devotees in the Krsna consciousness movement are enjoined not to discuss the pastimes of Lord Krsna in Vrndavana in public.
For the general public, sankirtana is the most effective method to awaken Krsna consciousness.
If possible, one should discuss the principles enunciated in the Bhagavad-gita.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu followed this principle very strictly and discussed the philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita with learned scholars like Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya and Prakasananda Sarasvati.
However, He taught the principles of the bhakti cult to students like Sanatana Gosvami and Rupa Gosvami, and He discussed with Sri Ramananda Raya the topmost devotional dealings between Krsna and the gopis.
For the general populace, He performed sankirtana very vigorously.
We must also follow these principles in preaching Krsna consciousness all over the world.