Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Bhajan Kutir

namo gaura-kiśorāya sākṣād-vairāgya-mūrtaye
vipralambha-rasāmbhode pādāmbujāya te namaḥ
I offer my respectful obeisances unto Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja (the spiritual master of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī), who is renunciation personified. He is always merged in a feeling of separation and intense love of Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Paramahaṁsa, they do not come in the society because people may imitate and they fall down. Therefore they are aloof. Just like Gaura Kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja. He was aloof, bhajanānandī. But one who will act as preacher or spiritual master, even if he is paramahaṁsa, he should live ordinary so that his disciples may follow. He comes to second stage. Paramahaṁsa is the first stage, and preacher is in the second stage, and neophytes are in the third stage.
(701219 – Lecture SB 06.01.34-39 – Surat)

There are many devotees, they’re illiterate practically. They do not know what is Vedānta-sūtra. But still, by their sincere devotional service they’re very much elevated. What to speak of others, Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja. Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, he was illiterate. He could not sign even his name. But he was so spiritually elevated that my spiritual master, who was the topmost scholar of his time, he accepted him as spiritual master.
What is the reason? The reason is that this transcendental science does not depend on academic qualification. It is . . . it is not that because one is very . . . academically very qualified, he’ll become a devotee. No. The secret is . . . that is given in the Vedic literature (SB 5.18.12) yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā. No.
yasya deve parā bhaktir
yathā deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ
prakāśante mahātmanaḥ
(Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.23)
The transcendental knowledge becomes revealed. To whom it becomes revealed? It becomes revealed to such person who has got unflinching love for Kṛṣṇa and for the spiritual master. Caitanya-caritāmṛta also says, guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). One can come to the spiritual perfectional stage, or come to the spiritual platform, by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master.
(690610 – Lecture SB 01.05.11-12 – New Vrindaban, USA)

So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a great scholar. There is no doubt of it. But in spite of His becoming a great scholar, He is presenting Himself as a great fool. He says: “”My Guru Mahārāja saw Me a great . . .”” Even one is very great scholar, he has to abide by the decision of his spiritual master. Even one is very great scholar, and if his spiritual master says that “”You are a great fool,”” he should accept it. This is called full surrender. For example, I’ll give you a practical . . . my Guru Mahārāja was very great scholar, and his Guru Mahārāja, from literary point of view, he could not even sign his name, Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja. And Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura asked Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura to accept Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja as his . . . as his spiritual master, that “”You go and take your initiation from Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja.”” So he thought that “”I am a great scholar, and I am son of a magistrate, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, and great Vaiṣṇava. He’ll be very much pleased to accept me.”” Of course, he was very much pleased. But in the beginning he refused. He refused. Because . . . of course, that is only show—he was not proud—just to teach us. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī explained that, “”I was little proud. So I was thrice refused by Guru Mahārāja,”” although he was the only disciple.
So the scholarship is not a qualification of becoming devotee. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s teaching. Scholarship may help, but it is not necessary. Real necessary is that one should be humble and meek and follow the instruction of the spiritual master. This is real qualification.
(740313 – Lecture CC Adi 07.91-2 – Vrndavana)”