The Supreme Lord is not subservient to us. By our material mind, intellect and material words we cannot narrate the glories of the Supreme Lord and His Absolute counterpart. It is beyond our comprehension. When They will manifest Their qualities in us then we can understand. How will They manifest? When you take absolute shelter of Them.

Brahma considered Krishna as a gopal (milk-man), son of Nanda and an ordinary person. But when he surrendered he received the mercy of Krishna and understood Him as para-tattva. Same person!

phalen phala karana anumiyate

—By the fruit you can understand the cause behind it.

We are seeing the Vaishnavas and Guru, but their glories are not manifesting in our heart. They are aprakrit—transcendental. Even their touch can destroy all the ignorance. Their touch means the touch of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord provides His association through His devotees.

There is an incident from Srimad Bhagavatam in relationship to atonement. I have narrated it many times. Sukdeva Goswami is speaking to Pariksit Maharaj,

na tathā hy aghavān rājan
pūyeta tapa-ādibhiḥ
yathā kṛṣṇārpita-prāṇas
tat-puruṣa-niṣevayā
(Srimad Bhagavatam 6.1.16)

“A sinner cannot purify himself by austerity, karma, gyana etc. They can only purify themselves by submission.”

There are various ways of atonement—karma kanda, gyan kanda, bhakti. It’s narrated elaborately in the 6th Canto of Bhagavatam in relation to the topic of Ajamil.

If we submit to the Supreme Lord, submit to a pure devotee, they can uproot the cause of our nescience. They can destroy the nescience.

How can we submit ourselves? It is possible only by serving a true Vaishnava! Then we can have the aptitude to take absolute shelter of Sri Krishna and His devotees. Whether we have actually submitted or not we can understand by the fruit. phalen phala karana anumiyate—By the fruit one can understand the cause behind it.

Devotees of the Lord are not speaking any lies. They are speaking the truth. We have got our own defects. We have to rectify those defects. We are not submitting actually because we have got no faith in the pure devotees. We are not seeing any pure devotees. We think, “I’m the only pure devotee.” If so, then you associate with yourself!

This is the most abominable state. It is said by Narottam Das Thakur—ki rūpe pāibo sevā mui durācāra, śrī guru vaiṣṇave rati nā hoilo āmāra . We cannot believe the words, teachings and instructions of our Gurudev. We don’t give any value to it. We are not seeing any Guru or Vaishnava. We think, “I’m Vaishnava. I’m the only Guru.” This is the most abominable state. Gradually you’ll go down-down-down to hell. You will go just the opposite. By speaking so-called Harikatha you will go to hell. There is no belief in actual Harikatha! Who will rescue you? Only Guru & Vaishnava will rescue you!

What took place in Srivas Angana?

Mahaprabhu eternally resides in Srivas Angana—

srivas angane, nityanand nartane, sachir angane,
raghav bhavane nitya adhisthaan!

Mahaprabhu told Srivas Pandit that, except for devotees, no one should be allowed in His Sankirtan pastimes at Srivas Angana. There was a Bhattacharya Brahmin, Gopal Chapal, who was rough-spoken and talkative. He used to criticize others. He requested Srivas Pandit to allow him in Sankirtan. In response Srivas Pandit told him, “Mahaprabhu has not ordered me.” Hearing this, the Brahmin told, “Oh! You have become a great devotee, what kind of devotee you are I understand; I know what you do in the night, you try to showcase yourself as a devotee.”

In the night, he put articles for worship of goddess Bhavani in front of Srivas Pandit’s house, such as wine, meat etc. to defame him. Others will then think he poses as devotee but actually he does Bhavani-puja (worship the goddess) all the night. When Srivas Pandit opened the door of his house and saw all those items lying there, he said, “Look this is what I actually do in the night.” But no one believed that Srivas Pandit could do such things. Mahaprabhu understood who had done this. He became angry at Gopal Chapal. Mahaprabhu cursed him to have leprosy, and after three days Gopal Chapal was attacked by this disease because he disparaged and vilified a sadhu. Srivas Pandit did not take any offense but Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was very much dissatisfied and angry. Gopal Chapal himself begged Mahaprabhu for forgiveness. Mahaprabhu said, “You insulted and disregarded Srivas Pandit. I shall make you be eaten by worms of leprosy for crores and crores of births, not just one birth.” He was enraged. Later when Gopal Chapal approached Mahaprabhu after His sanyas, again at Koladwip, the place where all offenses are destroyed, Mahaprabhu told him the way to be freed from his disease was by begging for forgiveness from Srivas Pandit.

Durvasa Rishi is not an ordinary rishi. He can live without eating for one thousand years and he can take the food for one thousand years in one day. Everyone trembled by hearing his name. He wanted to kill Ambarish Maharaja. But Sudarshan-chakra, the Disc of Lord Vishnu, came and tried to burn Durvasa Rishi. Durvasa Rishi started to run here and there. He went to Brahma, Mahadeva, and at last to Narayana. Narayana also could not save. Narayana said, aham bhakta paradhina—“I am subdued by the devotion of My devotees. I cannot do anything. Sadhus have conquered My heart. My heart is not here. By heart one can offer compassion to others. So how can I offer compassion when My heart is not with Me! My heart is with My pure devotees. So you have to go to Ambarish Maharaja.”

The Lord says, bhakta, bhakta-janeyi aamar priya— “Not only the devotees but persons related to the devotees are also dear to Me.”

There was a maid servant named Dukhi in the house of Srivas Pandit. Dukhi means one who is always in the grip of sorrow. She had no worldly education or qualification. She used to perform service in the house of Srivas Pandit, seeing that Mahaprabhu was satisfied. At night Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was performing dancing and chanting and in the morning He would go to the Ganges to take bath. Srivas Pandit ordered Dukhi, “You should bring water from the Ganges every day because Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is dancing throughout the night. He may say in the morning—“I am very tired, I cannot go to the Ganges.” Then we can bathe Him, to have an opportunity to help with His ablution etc. so you have to bring water in a big earthen pot.” She used to bring water daily in this pot. But Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to go to the Ganges daily. Then that maid-servant felt, 'I am an insignificant person. I have no opportunity to serve.' She was dejected. By her dejection, which is actually bhakti (devotion), Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (one morning) said, “I’m very much tired, I cannot go to the Ganges.” He made the pastime of being tired. Then Srivas Pandit called Dukhi.

“Have you brought the water?”

“Yes.”

“Bring here. We have to bathe Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Your water will be used.”

Dukhi felt very happy as Mahaprabhu accepted her service. Then Chaitanya Mahaprabhu asked Srivas Pandit, “Whom are you calling ‘Dukhi’?”

Srivas Pandit said, “The maid-servant.”

“No, she is not Dukhi. She is Sukhi (the happiest). She can’t have unhappiness.”

Dukhi is related to Srivas Pandit. A person related to a devotee is also dear to Krishna. Krishna or Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is not seeing her other qualities. Similarly, there was a tailor who was Muslim by birth, he used to sew the garments of Srivas Pandit. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said he may be a Muslim but he has an aptitude and a desire to serve Srivas Pandit and his family members. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was satisfied. The tailor has no other qualities (other than serving Srivas Pandit). So when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was chanting and dancing, He infused Divine Love in that Muslim tailor and he also started dancing. By the chanting of the holy names he got all ecstatic feelings that Munis and Rishis cannot get. He was rescued.

One should be very careful about the offenses. If you serve Guru and Vaishnavas, you can get everything.

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca
patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ