I remember one time Prabhupada met with some reporters. Prabhupada was explaining that this movement is presenting the science of God, the absolute truth, the absolute knowledge, the highest knowledge to mankind, and this will save mankind.
They were asking, “Well, how do you know it’s the absolute truth? Are you telling us that you hear God speak and you know what God wants?”
Srila Prabhupada said, “Yes.”
Now, I was in this room thinking that these reporters are going to take this the wrong way because they’re not devotees to really understand that that’s Prabhupada’s position. So I said, “What Prabhupada means is that the message of God is coming down through parampara, this disciplic line, unbroken, and so when Prabhupada repeats it, that is the message of….”
Prabhupada interrupted and said, “No! That is not what I mean.”
The reporters said, “So, you are saying you directly see God and speak to God?”
Prabhupada said, “Yes.”
So apart from me being revealed as an utter fool, for even trying to interject, I understood that Prabhupada had a way of knowing how he wanted to preach to reporters, to the scientists, to philosophers, to scholars, to priests and religionists.
There were also times when he would call someone a rascal to their face. Prabhupada knew what he was saying and doing perfectly. This was one of those times where he was actually willing to reveal himself to a non-devotee.
(Memories of Srila Prabhupada, Volume 4, by Siddhanta Dasa)
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Abhay Charan Das courtesy
Srila Prabhupada;
"So that is described here, kṛṣṇa- caitanya-saṁjñakam. Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He has expanded Himself as gurūn. The guru, the spiritual master, he's also Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ. In all the śāstras, guru is accepted as Kṛṣṇa. Sākṣād-dharitvena. Sākṣād means directly. Just like you offer your devotion, respects, to guru. So that respect is offered to Kṛṣṇa. Guru also does not think himself that he is Kṛṣṇa, but he collects the devotional services of the disciples to offer to Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. We cannot approach Kṛṣṇa directly. We should approach through guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam ( SB 11.3.21). That is the injunction of the śāstra, that one should approach the guru who can transfer the service from the disciple to the Supreme Person. So... Therefore the first offering is guru, vande gurūn. Then guru creates many devotees. Guru's business is to canvass on behalf of Supreme Lord. That is guru's business. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja" ( BG 18.66)