With folded hands Sanätana Gosvämé requested the Lord to manifest Himself in his heart and personally direct him in writing this book. To direct him Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu gave a synopsis of the Vaiñëava regulative principles as follows (CC Madhya 324 - 344):
Whatever you want to do you will be able to do correctly by Lord Kåñëa's favor. He will manifest the real purport. Because you asked Me for a synopsis, please hear these few indications. In the beginning one must take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master. In your book there should be the characteristics of the bona fide guru and the bona fide disciple. Then, before accepting a spiritual master, one can be assured of the spiritual master's position. Similarly, the spiritual master can also be assured of the disciple's position. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa, should be described as the worshipable object, and you should consider the (béja) mantra for the worship of Kåñëa, Rama, or any other expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
You should discuss the qualifications necessary for receiving a mantra, the perfection of the mantra, the purification of the mantra, initiation, morning duties, remembrance of the Supreme Lord, cleanliness, and washing the mouth and other parts of the body. In the morning, one should regularly brush his teeth, take his bath, offer prayers to the Lord and offer obeisances to the spiritual master. One should render service to the spiritual master and paint one's body in twelve places with ürdhva puëòra (tilaka). One should stamp the holy names of the Lord on his body, or one should stamp the symbols of the Lord, such as the disc and club.
After this, you should describe how one should decorate his body with gopécandana, wear neck beads, collect tulasé leaves from the tulasi tree, cleanse his cloth and the altar, cleanse one's own house or apartment and go to the temple and ring the bell just to draw the attention of Lord Kåñëa. Also describe the Deity worship, wherein one should offer food to Kåñëa at least five times daily. One should in due time place Kåñëa on a bed. You should also describe the process for offering ärati and the worship of the Lord according to the list of five, sixteen or fifty ingredients.
The characteristics of the Deities should be discussed as well as the characteristics of the çälagräma-çilä. One should also discuss visiting the Deities in the temple and touring holy places like Våndävana, Mathurä, and Dvärakä. You should glorify the holy name and carefully give up offenses when chanting the holy name. One should know the symptoms of a Vaiñëava. One must give up or nullify all kinds of sevä-aparädha, offenses in Deity worship. The items of worship, such as water, conchshell, flowers, incense and lamp, should be described. You should also mention chanting softly, offering prayers, circumambulating, and offering obeisances. All these should be carefully studied.
Other items to be considered are the method of performing puraçcaraëa (purification), taking kåñëa-prasäda, giving up unoffered food and not blaspheming the Lord's devotees.
You should describe the ritualistic duties to be performed every day, and you should also describe the fortnightly duties – especially how to observe the fortnightly Ekädaçé fast. You should also describe the duties to be observed every month, and you should especially describe the observance of ceremonies like Janmäñöamé, Räma-navamé and Nåsiàha-caturdaçé. Ekädaçé, Janmäñöamé, Vämana-dvädaçé, Räma-navamé and Nåsiàha-caturdaçé—all these should be described. You should recommend the avoidance of mixed Ekädaçé and the performance of pure Ekädaçé. You should also describe the fault in not observing Ekädaçé. One should be very careful as far as these items are concerned. If one is not careful, one will be negligent in executing devotional service.
Whatever you say about Vaiñëava behavior, the establishment of Vaiñëava temples and Deities, and everything else should be supported by evidence from the Puräëas. You should give general and specific descriptions of the behavior and activities of a Vaiñëava. You should outline things that are to be done and things that are not to be done. All this should be described as regulations and etiquette.
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