True spiritual greatness lies in selfless service to all humanity, not personal comfort or hereditary caste privilege.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda's Appearance Day Lecture — February 7, 1969, Los Angeles 690207BA-LOS ANGELES [47:48 Minutes] BhaktisiddhantaApp_690207BA-LOS ANGELES Prabhupāda: ...means a broader heart. They are not satisfied simply by his personal comfort. In political history also, you will find so many great leaders, they sacrificed their own comforts. In your country there was George Washington.
He sacrificed so many. There were other leaders. In every country, in political field. Similarly, social field also. Even the political leaders, the Marx, they also..., he was also compassionate by seeing the terrible condition of the Russian peasants, so he started that Communist movement.
That is the way. Great men, they work for the general mass of people. They are not... That is their greatness. So Advaita Prabhu, when He found that people are simply engaged in eating, sleeping, and they are not..., they have no concern with Kṛṣṇa, and their life is being spoiled, so He wanted to start this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, say, about six hundred years ago.
But He considered Himself as unable to take up this movement seriously, because the condition of the people was so wretched. He thought that "If Kṛṣṇa Himself comes, then it can be done. Otherwise it is not possible." So Advaita Prabhu called Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu, by His call, He appeared, Kṛṣṇa appeared. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was almost like grandson of Advaita Prabhu.
But when He was young man, a very beautiful youth, so at that time nobody knew, but Advaita Prabhu knew that "He is Kṛṣṇa. He has come." So He was simply... Sometimes devotees pretend to be not in knowledge. So He was praying Kṛṣṇa, "This boy is very nice.
If He takes up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, then it will be very successful. He is very intelligent, beautiful." In this way there was, Caitanya's Mahāprabhu's time, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was going nicely, very. And after Him, there was six Gosvāmīs. They also managed.
Then, as it is the rule of this material world that you start something very good, but in due course of time the things deteriorate, so this Vaiṣṇava, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, also deteriorated in due course of time. Say, after the disappearance of the Gosvāmīns, about 250 years after, the things became most ridiculous. The so-called devotees... Their representatives still are continuing. They are called prākṛta-sahajiyā.