SB 4.24.74 purport-Śiva means Lord Śiva, and viriñci means Lord Brahmā. Both of these demigods are engaged in offering prayers to Lord Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. If we follow in the footsteps of such great personalities and become devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa, our lives will become successful. Unfortunately people do not know this secret. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum: “They do not know that the real interest and the highest perfection of life is to worship Lord Viṣṇu [Kṛṣṇa].” (Bhāg. 7.5.31) It is impossible to become satisfied by trying to adjust the external energy. Without being a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, one can only be baffled and confused. To save living entities from such a calamity, Lord Kṛṣṇa points out in Bhagavad-gītā (7.19):
“After many, many births and deaths, a wise man surrenders unto Me, knowing very well that I, Vāsudeva, am everything. Such a great soul is very rare.” We can achieve whatever benediction we want simply by becoming devotees of Vāsudeva.
Adi 8.7-One who does not accept the glories of the Pañca-tattva but still makes a show of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa can never achieve the mercy of Kṛṣṇa or advance to the ultimate goal.
PURPORT
If one is seriously interested in Kṛṣṇa conscious activities, he must be ready to follow the rules and regulations laid down by the ācāryas, and he must understand their conclusions. The śāstra says: dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ mahā-jano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (Mahābhārata, Vana-parva 313.117). It is very difficult to understand the secret of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but one who advances by the instruction of the previous ācāryas and follows in the footsteps of his predecessors in the line of disciplic succession will have success. Others will not. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says in this connection, chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistāra pāyeche kebā: “Unless one serves the spiritual master and ācāryas, one cannot be liberated.” Elsewhere he says:ei chaya gosāñi yāra–mui tāra dāsatāṅ’ sabāra pada-reṇu mora pañca-grāsa..“I simply accept a person who follows in the footsteps of the six Gosvāmīs, and the dust of such a person’s lotus feet is my food.“
June 28 1971 lecture SF-–So the Gosvāmīs showed us the way. Then next, śrī-gaurāṅga-guṇānuvarṇana-vidhau. They were very expert in describing the transcendental qualities of Lord Sri Caitanya, Gaurasundara, śrī-gaurāṅga-guṇānuvarṇana-vidhau. So in this way they passed their life in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and if we’ll follow the footsteps of such mahājana, mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. Our business is, we haven’t got to make research work. Everything is there, given by the Gosvāmīs and ācārya. We have simply to follow. That’s all. Who, what is Kṛṣṇa, what is God, you haven’t got to make research.
BG 3.24 purport–We should, however, note carefully that although we have to follow in the footsteps of the Lord, we still have to remember that we cannot imitate Him. Following and imitating are not on the same level. We cannot imitate the Lord by lifting Govardhana Hill, as the Lord did in His childhood. It is impossible for any human being. We have to follow His instructions, but we may not imitate Him at any time.
BG 4.3 purport- There are a number of editions of this great book of knowledge, and some of them have commentaries by the devotees, and some of them have commentaries by the demons. Commentation by the devotees is real, whereas that of the demons is useless. Arjuna accepts Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and any commentary on the Gītā following in the footsteps of Arjuna is real devotional service to the cause of this great science. The demonic, however, concoct something about Kṛṣṇa and mislead the public and general readers from the path of Kṛṣṇa’s instructions. One should try to follow the disciplic succession from Arjuna, and thus be benefitted.
BG 8.5–TRANSLATION-And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.
PURPORT-In this verse the importance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is stressed. Anyone who quits his body in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is at once transferred to the transcendental abode of the Supreme Lord. The word smaran (remembering) is important. Remembrance of Kṛṣṇa is not possible for the impure soul who has not practiced Kṛṣṇa consciousness in devotional service.To remember Kṛṣṇa one should chant the mahāmantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, incessantly, following in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya, being more tolerant than the tree, humbler than the grass and offering all respect to others without requiring respect in return. In such a way one will be able to depart from the body successfully remembering Kṛṣṇa and so attain the supreme goal.
Some conclusions– I was walking around this morning after a light snowfall and noticed the footprints I was making in the snow, and began to meditate upon the Acaryas instructions regarding following in their footsteps. If we are trying to follow somebody that is greatly desirable (Krsna or His representatives) it is much easier when you can see the footsteps or foot prints they leave behind. So in this case, the snow makes a nice print to follow. Srila Prabhupada has left us so many books, tapes, and conversations on this path back to Godhead, that anybody who takes advantage of them, will get success. There can be no excuse for anyone in this age to say, he “never knew what to do” because the path to follow and whose footsteps to follow are very clearly given in all those books. If we are fortunate, we will try to follow them.
Hare Krsna
damaghosa das