Only rare souls surrender completely to serve Krishna with no desire but to please Him eternally.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Prabhupāda: kecit kevalayā bhaktyā vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ aghaṁ dhunvanti kārtsnyena nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ [SB 6.1.15] We are discussing this verse, that "Somebody," kecit, "not all." Kecit, "Somebody, simply by acting devotional service, devotional service to Vāsudeva, he immediately finishes all reaction of sinful life." Simply by devotional service unto the Vāsudeva, one can become free from all sinful reaction of life. Bhaktyā means "by devotional service." So bhaktyā, there are nine different processes. [break] [devotee translates thoughout] ...and the same, but according to our capacity they are divided into nine processes. So it begins with śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma...
[SB 7.5.23]. Beginning with śravaṇam, hearing. [break] ...nine processes are hearing, chanting, then worshiping, serving, offering everything. In this way there are nine different ways.
The beginning is hearing. Hearing, just you all ladies, gentlemen, you have come here to hear. Then hearing, if your hearing is perfect, then kīrtanam, means describing or preaching. So our this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are first giving chance to the people in general for hearing. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was talking with Rāmānanda Rāya, he specially gave stress on this point of hearing. If you hear, then the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is never conquered by anyone, but a devotee who is hearing about Him, he can conquer over Him. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, of course, He quoted from Bhāgavatam.
Any devotee or bona fide preacher, he does not manufacture anything. He simply follows the previous mahājana. He said, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya [SB 10.14.3]. One should not try to speculate to understand the Supreme Truth. So we should give up this habit of speculating to understand God.
One should become submissive, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva, that very submissive to hear from the right person. So hearing is so important; therefore our all Vedic literature is called śruti. So the subject matter which is beyond our sense perception, avāṭ-manasā gocaraḥ, that cannot be understood by using our imperfect senses. Now the question is: from whom to hear?
So in the śāstra it is said, san-mukharitām: "You have to hear from realized saintly person." It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ [Bg 4.34] You have to hear from a person who has seen or who has understood the Absolute Truth and who is tat, sad-guru. He must be a devotee of the Lord. So it is stated in the śāstra that, ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ avaiṣṇava gurur na sa syāt sat śva-paco guruḥ [Padma Purāṇa] It is said that "A brāhmaṇa who is very well expert in the brahminical activities and mantra-tantra-viśārada, knows all the Vedic mantras, but if he is not a Vaiṣṇava, he cannot become guru. But a person born in a family of dog-eaters, śva-paca, he can become guru if he has become Vaiṣṇava." Sanātana Gosvāmī, one of the big ācāryas of Gauḍīya sampradāya, he has also said that avaiṣṇava gurur na sa syāt.
Sa. He says that—I forget that verse—that "A person..." Pūta-hari-kathāmṛtaṁ śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇa-pūta-hari-kathāmṛtaṁ śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. [Padma Purāṇa] He says that "You do not try to hear from a person who is avaiṣṇava, hari-kathāmṛtam." The hari-kathā, the message of Kṛṣṇa like Bhagavad-gītā and other, Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you should not hear from a person who is not a Vaiṣṇava.