I read an incredible pastime of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu today in Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur's book "Caitanya Bhagavat", which through it, he easily and unequivacably defines the extroadinary benefit obtained from serving a pure devotee of the Lord.

In Chapter Two of the second part (Madhya-Khanda), Srila Vrindavan Das describes how Sri Caitanya had, till then, kept His real identity as the Supreme Lord secret to all for many years (even Sri Adwaita His own expansion hadn't recognized Him), but now He had finally decided to reveal Himself to Sri Adwaita and others.

It was at that time He went to Srivasa Pandit's house in the mood of the Supreme Personality of Godhead to reveal Himself to Srivas. On the Lord's revealing Himself, Srivas Pandit offered Him many beautiful prayers, just as Lord Brahma had done in a different age.

After that, Lord Caitanya then said to Srivas "Bring all the family members of the house and let them see My transcendental form".

Srivas brought all his family members including his wife, brothers, other relatives, servants and maidservants, and they all offered worship at the Lord's lotus feet.

The Supreme Lord then blessed all present by placing His lotus feet on their heads saying "May your attachment and attraction for Me increase". He then manifested His opulent Vaikuntha form and all present went into an ecstatic trance upon seeing this sublime revelation.

Even the servants and maidservants of Srivas Thakur were now seeing that Divine form, that even the personified Vedas are always very eager to see.

This extroadinary pastime revealed a very special and confidential secret... the unlimited benefit obtained by becoming a servant of a pure devotee of the Lord. What's more it reveals the best process of attaining the Supreme Goal, and that is, through the service and ensuing mercy of a Vaisnava, one can receive the shelter of the most sought after lotus feet of Sri Krsna Himself!

If by learning this secret, one is fortunate enough to be able to muster the faith and intelligence to actually desire to become a servant of the pure devotee (and thus actuaaly endeavor in his own best interest), then it would behoove one to inquire the whereabouts of a pure devotee of the Lord through humble inquiry, and upon finding one, serve him with life and soul and finally reap the ultimate reward!!

It can also be concluded through this lila that if one has heard that someone MAY actually be a pure devotee of the Lord, one should take careful note, and IN THE LEAST, not even THINK in an anatogonistic manner towards him, lest he desires to invite his own peril through the wrath of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself!

On Srila Swami Prabhupada's death bed he called on Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Maharaja and asked him if he "would take care of his disciples, they are just like monkeys". One would do well on dwelling on the reason why he asked Srila Narayan Maharaja to take care of his disiples and no-one else, and again, what the benefit is of pleasing the pure devotee in all respects.

Jaya Sri Sri Guru Gauranga!