evaṁ nirjita-ṣaḍ-vargaiḥ
kriyate bhaktir īśvare
vāsudeve bhagavati
yayā saṁlabhyate ratiḥ
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.7.33)
Translation: By these activities [as mentioned above], one is able to cut down the influence of the enemies—namely lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness and jealousy—and when thus situated, one can render service to the Lord. In this way, one surely attains the platform of loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Purport: As mentioned in verses thirty and thirty-one, ones first duty is to approach the spiritual master, the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to begin rendering service to him. Prahlāda Mahārāja proposed that from the very beginning of life (kaumāra ācaret prājñaḥ), a small child should be trained to serve the spiritual master while living at the guru-kula. Brahmacārī gurukule vasan dānto guror hitam (Sb. 7.12.1). This is the beginning of spiritual life: guru-pādāśrayaḥ, sādhu-vartmānuvartanam, sad-dharma-pṛcchā. By following the instructions of the guru and the śāstras, the disciple attains the stage of devotional service and becomes unattached to his possessions. Whatever he possesses, he offers to the spiritual master, the guru, who engages him in śravaṇaṁ, kīrtanaṁ, viṣṇoḥ… The disciple follows him strictly and, in this way, learns how to control his senses. Then, by using his pure intelligence, he gradually becomes a lover of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as confirmed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī (ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ). In this way, one’s life becomes perfect, and his attachment for Kṛṣṇa becomes positively manifested. In that stage, he is situated in ecstasy, experiencing bhāva and anubhāva, as explained in the following verse.
The neophyte devotees—in other words, we may say the brahmacārīs—have to stay in the guru-kula. The brahmacārī—brahmacārī gurukule vasan dānto guror hitam, this has been stated in this canto, in the seventh canto, twelfth chapter, verse one. Come to the verse now…seventh chapter. Śrīla Prabhupāda, my revered spiritual master, wrote this thing in his purport.
Rūpa Gosvāmī has also said, 'ādau śraddhā, tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ.' First thing—ādau means first thing, which is śraddhā. Śraddhā means firm faith, unflinching faith. Unflinching faith on what?
Devotee: The spiritual master and his shelter.
Gour Govinda Swami: Sādhu, śāstra and guru and the injunctions—unflinching faith in the injunctions of the śāstras, the vedic literature, and sādhu, a devotee who has developed this prema. One should have faith in his words…in his words. That is śraddhā, firm faith. This is number one prerequisite, ādau śraddhā, do you understand? One should have this faith. One who is a faithless person, he cannot develop this, do you understand? He cannot tread this path of devotional service. His life will be useless.
So, as a mahājana, as a bonafide authority, spiritual authority, Prahlāda Mahārāja says—it is stated in the Mahābhārata; it is also a bonafide vedic scripture—'mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ' (Cc. Madya-līlā 17.186).
We must tread that path, what mahājanas like Prahlāda Mahārāja have shown, do you understand? So, Prahlāda Mahārāja is a mahājana, a dear devotee, as well. There are twelve famous mahājanas mentioned in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam; do you know them?
Devotee: [Inaudible]
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes, mention their names.
Devotee: Prahlāda Mahārāja, Lord Kapila, Bhīṣma, [inaudible]
Gour Govinda Swami: Why don't you learn that verse?! Svayambhū, Nārada, Śambhu, Kapila, Kumāra, Manu, Prahlāda, Janaka, Bhīṣma, Bali, Śuka, and Yama; that is a verse—quotation from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Yamarāja, who's one of the mahājanas, says this thing. The famous twelve mahājanas are Svayambhū, Nārada, Śambhu…Svayambhū—Brahmājī—Nārada…Śambhu is Śiva.
Svayambhū, Nārada, Śambhu, Janaka, Kapila, Manu, the four Kumāras…Kapila is the son of Devahūti. [Inaudible], Svayambhūva Bandhu, do you understand? Nārada, Kapila, Manu, Prahlāda, Janaka, Bhīṣma; then Bali, Vyaśaki—the son of Vyāsadeva—Manu; then comes Yamarāja. These are twelve mahājanas, famous mahājanas, who are mentioned in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Those who are followers of the mahājanas, strict followers, are also one of the mahājanas. Those who come in the disciplic succession or the paramparā of mahājanas—do you understand?—they are known as mahājana-paramparā, disciplic succession of the mahājanas.