Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.49-65 , San Francisco , 1967-02-07

Prabhupāda: While Lord Caitanya was residing at Benares, Rūpa..., Sanātana Gosvāmī met Him, and He taught him about Kṛṣṇa consciousness and the procedure to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. For two months He instructed.

So while Lord Caitanya was residing at Benares, that Tapana Miśra and Candraśekhara submitted with great regret that "Sir, the other party, the Māyāvādī sannyāsīns, they are criticizing Your activities. Because You are chanting and You do not give much attention to the reading of Vedānta philosophy, they are criticizing that 'What kind of sannyāsī is He? He does not take part in the matter of studying Vedānta philosophy, and on sentiment He is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, and some innocent people are following Him.' So in this way they are criticizing."

It is the duty of devotee not to tolerate blaspheme. So they are presenting before the Lord that "The criticism by the other party has become unbearable. So something must be done. Otherwise, we shall die or commit suicide."

There are three kinds of devotees: kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī and mahā-bhāgavata, bhāgavata, or those who are in the lower status, those who are in the middle status and those who are in the highest status. Those who are in the lower status are beginners, devotees. For them, the description is that,

"In the lower stage, a devotee goes to the temple or to the church or to the mosque, with great devotion and faith offers prayers to the Lord, but he has no knowledge about other devotees," na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu, "and he does not know the duty to others."

A devotee should not be satisfied simply by elevating himself in spiritual advancement. He has got other duties also. What is that other duties? That those who are innocent, those who are not interested... Everyone is interested, but there are persons who have forgotten his relationship with God. Therefore it is the duty of the devotee to enlighten others. That is required.

Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he also preached the sense of God, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is the duty of devotee. It is the duty of good son of God, but the..., those who are in the lower status, they have not developed such consciousness that "I have to preach the philosophy of God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness to others." They are simply satisfied themself. They go to the church or mosque or temple, offer their prayers in devotion. That's all. So the next stage is one who is advanced spiritualist, he has got four visions.

"A person who knows what is God, and knows also who is a devotee, and knows also who is innocent, and knows also who is atheist..." There are four kinds of people. So atheist, innocent, devotee and, er, yes, three classes, and God. God, God's devotee. One, God; second, God's devotee; third, innocent persons; and fourth, atheist.

So a person who has elevated himself to the second stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he has got four kinds of dealings. First thing is, because he knows God, therefore he loves God, prema. His only lovable object is God, or Kṛṣṇa. And the second is the..., he makes friendship with the devotees of God. First thing is, because he loves God, therefore he makes friendship with the devotees of God. But God is the center. If you love God, then you can love others also very perfectly.

For example... Of course, in your country I do not know, but in our country, suppose a girl is married to a boy, and the boy has got father, mother, brothers and so many other relatives. As soon as the girl comes to the house of her husband, the father of the husband becomes the father-in-law, or the mother of the husband becomes mother-in-law. So he has got..., she has got some duty to the father-in-law, to the mother-in-law, to the brother-in-law; but before marriage, she had no connection with these, all these people.

Similarly, as soon as you make your connection revived... The connection is permanent. Your relationship with Kṛṣṇa, or God, is eternal, but we have forgotten. So as soon as it is revived, "Oh, I am the part and parcel of the Supreme," or "I am son of the Supreme," then your relationship with other sons of God becomes clear. That is universal brotherhood.

So one who is in the second stage of development, he knows God, he loves God, and in relationship with God, he loves the devotees of the..., he makes friendship with the devotees of the God. Īśvare tad-adhīneṣu bāliśeṣu [SB 11.2.46]. And so far the innocents are concerned... Innocent means they are not offender, but they do not know what is God, what is his relation; ordinary man. For them, the person who in the second stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his duty is to enlighten them. And those who are atheist, purposely against God, they should be avoided.

Therefore there are four kinds of dealings for the person who is in the intermediate position. And those who are in the higher status of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they do not see anyone as against God. Their vision is that everyone is engaged in God's service. So there..., there is only one vision: that everyone is engaged in God's service. They have no distinction. That is very higher stage. One should not imitate that stage.

So in the lower stage, these two gentlemen, Tapana Miśra and Candraśekhara, they are hearing the criticism against Lord Caitanya, but they are, I mean to say, placing themself in the lower status, and they say that "We cannot bear this." Because they haven't got sufficient power to refute the arguments of the other party, therefore they are feeling sorry.

Because, unless one is conversant with logic, arguments and Vedic literature, it is very difficult to defend. The more you can defend from the attacks of atheist, the more you should understand you have advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The atheists, generally, they will attack you, undoubtedly. But you have to defend yourself. So that is the business of the persons who are in the intermediate position.

Eka vipra milila āsiyā. Now, while they were talking, Lord Caitanya and His two devotees, Tapana Miśra and Candraśekhara, so two..., one brāhmaṇa came to invite Lord Caitanya.

The brāhmaṇa came and fell down on the feet of Caitanya Mahāprabhu and requested Him that "I have come to beg one thing from You. Please be kind to agree to this."

Caitanya Mahāprabhu, although He was in the renounced order of life, sannyāsī, still, He was avoiding the company of the Māyāvādī, who are impersonalists. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is personalist. So generally, that is the system still. The impersonalist, as soon as they see some personalist, they begin to attack by arguments. So those who are not very highly developed, they avoid. But those who are conversant, they argue, so on.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, while He was staying at Benares, He was not very enthusiastic to mix with this Māyāvādī class of sannyāsīs. Therefore this man who invited all the sannyāsīs for a dinner, he also came to Caitanya Mahāprabhu and asked Him that "I know that You do not associate Yourself with the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. Still, I have come to invite You. Please accept my request."

"I know that You avoid the association. Still, I am requesting You. If You kindly accept this request." Prabhu hāsi' nimantraṇa kaila aṅgīkāra [Cc. Ādi 7.56]. Now there are two incidences. One incidences..., one incidence is that His two devotees were very sorry, because the other party was criticizing Him. And the meantime, another brāhmaṇa came to invite Him. So it was coincidence. Caitanya Mahāprabhu thought that this is an opportunity to meet the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs and to talk with him..., to talk with them, how they criticized the personalist.

So although previously He did not associate with the Māyāvādī sannyāsī, still, to please His devotees, who were very sorry to hear the criticism, He accepted the invitation so that He could meet them and talk with them.

And so the invitation was accepted, and the meeting date was also accepted.

The next day the Lord went to the house of that person who invited, that brāhmaṇa, and He saw there were many other Māyāvādī sannyāsīs sitting together.

Now, just see the behavior of Lord Caitanya. Although He was not in agreement with the other party, still, because they were sannyāsīs, renounced order of life, Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered His respect by bowing down before them. It is the duty of everyone, not only between the sannyāsī and sannyāsī. It is the custom of Vedic system.

As soon as one would see a sannyāsī, at once he should offer his respect. If he does not offer his respect, then it is enjoined that he should fast one day as punishment. He should not eat. "Oh, I saw a sannyāsī, but I did not offer my respect. Therefore the penance should be that I should fast one day." This is the injunction.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, although He was God Himself, but His behavior and His etiquette was excellent. At once He saw the sannyāsīs, He offered His respect. Pāda prakṣālana kari vasilā sei sthāne [Cc. Ādi 7.59]. And it is the system that when one comes from outside, he has to wash his feet before he enters room, especially for the sannyāsī. So He washed His feet and sat down outside where the other sannyāsī was sitting, a little off, just the place where He washed His feet.

And while He was sitting in that place, He was so nice and beautiful. He was only twenty-four years old, and..., or twenty-five years old, and very beautiful, very fair complexion, and He has accepted the sannyāsa order, the saffron cloth, and with tilaka. Everything looked so very nice that other sannyāsīs became attracted, "Oh, very nice."

The other sannyāsīs who were sitting, they were all attracted, "A very nice boy sannyāsī." So uṭhila sannyāsī saba chāḍiyā āsana [Cc. Ādi 7.61]: automatically they were so pleased that they stood up to show Him respect, Lord Caitanya. Prakāśānanda-nāme eka sannyāsī-pradhāna [Cc. Ādi 7.62]:

"The chief of the sannyāsīs who were sitting there, his name was Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī." Sarasvatī. The sannyāsīs, they have got different titles. According to Śaṅkara-sampradāya, there are ten titles. And, according to Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya, there are 108 titles. So the ten titles which the Śaṅkara-sampradāya claim, that is also included in the Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya.

They are called Sarasvatī, Bhāratī, er, I mean to say Vana, Araṇya—in this way, there are ten names. My Guru Mahārāja, my spiritual master, he was sannyāsī, and his title was Sarasvatī. Sarasvatī. So Sarasvatī, Bhāratī, Tīrtha, Vana, Araṇya, Parvata, just like so many titles. So there was a sannyāsī who was the chief amongst other sannyāsī. His name was Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. He was great scholar.

Now, offering respect to Lord Caitanya, he began to say,

"O my dear Sir, why You are sitting so distant place and a filthy place? Please come here. Sit with us."

Prabhu kahe,—āmi ha-i hina-sampradāya [Cc. Ādi 7.64]. Now, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, because He heard the criticism by this Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī that "This Caitanya Mahāprabhu who has come in Benares, He is not very learned"; therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu is replying him that "I belong to the lower-class sannyāsī. Therefore I am sitting in this filthy place. You better sit in higher places."

"So I am not fit to sit with you," Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied.

He was learned man, Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. He could understand the hint given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He himself personally went to receive Caitanya Mahāprabhu and caught His hand: "Please come here. Sit with us. Why You are sitting here?"

Now next, tomorrow, we shall discuss about their talks.

Thank you very much. [end]