20221206 Vanquishing the False Pride of So-called Renunciants and Learned Scholars

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on December 6th,2022 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, India.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Dear Devotees! Today we will continue with the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book. Today's chapter is entitled as:

Vanquishing the False Pride of So-called Renunciants and Learned Scholars
Under the section: How Pradyumna Miśra Received Instructions from Rāmānanda Rāya

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 5.83

jagadguru gaurera loka-śikṣā-rahasyaḥ—

āra eka ‘svabhāva’ gaurera śuna, bhakta-gaṇa
aiśvarya-svabhāva gūḍha kare prakaṭana

Translation: There is yet another characteristic of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. O devotees, listen carefully to how He manifests His opulence and characteristics, although they are exceptionally deep.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, how Lord Caitanya manifest His opulences is described in this chapter.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 5.84

prākṛta varṇāśrama o pāṇḍityādi—satyadharma-vaktṛtvera nidarśana naheḥ—

sannyāsī paṇḍita-gaṇera karite garva nāśa
nīca-śūdra-dvārā karena dharmera prakāśa

Translation: To vanquish the false pride of so-called renunciants and learned scholars, He spreads real religious principles, even through a śūdra, or lowborn, fourth-class man.

Purport: When a man is greatly learned in the Vedānta-sūtras, he is known as a paṇḍita, or learned scholar. Generally this qualification is attributed to brāhmaṇas and sannyāsīs. Sannyāsa, the renounced order of life, is the topmost position for a brāhmaṇa, a member of the highest of the four varṇas (brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra). According to public opinion, a person born in a brāhmaṇa family, duly reformed by the purificatory processes and properly initiated by a spiritual master, is an authority on Vedic literature. When such a person is offered the sannyāsa order, he comes to occupy the topmost position. The brāhmaṇa is supposed to be the spiritual master of the other three varṇas, namely kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra, and the sannyāsī is supposed to be the spiritual master even of the exalted brāhmaṇas.

Generally brāhmaṇas and sannyāsīs are very proud of their spiritual positions. Therefore, to cut down their false pride, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu preached Kṛṣṇa consciousness through Rāmānanda Rāya, who was neither a member of the renounced order nor a born brāhmaṇa. Indeed, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya was a gṛhastha belonging to the śūdra class, yet Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu arranged for him to be the master who taught Pradyumna Miśra, a highly qualified brāhmaṇa born in a brāhmaṇa family. Even Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself, although belonging to the renounced order, took instruction from Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya. In this way Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu exhibited His opulence through Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya. That is the special significance of this incident.

According to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s philosophy, yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei ‘guru’ haya: anyone who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa can become a spiritual master, without reference to whether or not he is a brāhmaṇa or sannyāsī. Ordinary people cannot understand the essence of śāstra, nor can they understand the pure character, behavior and abilities of strict followers of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s principles. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is creating pure, exalted Vaiṣṇavas even from those born in families considered lower than those of śūdras. This is proof that a Vaiṣṇava may appear in any family, as confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.4.18):

“Kirātas, Hūṇas, Āndhras, Pulindas, Pulkaśas, Ābhīras, Śumbhas, Yavanas and members of the Khasa races, and even others addicted to sinful acts, can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord, due to His being the supreme power. I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.” (Bhāg. 2.4.18)

By the grace of the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu, anyone can be completely purified, become a preacher of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and become the spiritual master of the entire world. This principle is accepted in all Vedic literature. Evidence can be quoted from authoritative śāstras showing how a lowborn person can become the spiritual master of the entire world. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is to be considered the most munificent personality, for He distributes the real essence of the Vedic śāstras to anyone who becomes qualified by becoming His sincere servant.

Jayapatākā Swami: Anyone can be recognized as a spiritual master by taking shelter of Lord Caitanya and understanding the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness ye kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya, so the real essence is to know the science of Kṛṣṇa, and that is the qualification.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 5.85

dṛṣṭānta—(1) sannyāsi-veśadhārī svayaṁ prabhu o śaukravipra miśra, ubhayerai śuśrūṣu-śiṣyarūpe gṛhastha-veśadhārī o aśaukra-viprakulodbhava kṛṣṇa-kathā-kīrtanakārī śrī-rāyake gurutve varaṇapūrvaka lokaśikṣāḥ—

‘bhakti’, ‘prema’, ‘tattva’ kahe rāye kari’ ‘vaktā’
āpani pradyumna-miśra-saha haya ‘śrotā’

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu preached about devotional service, ecstatic love and the Absolute Truth by making Rāmānanda Rāya, a gṛhastha born in a low family, the speaker. Then Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself, the exalted brāhmaṇa-sannyāsī, and Pradyumna Miśra, the purified brāhmaṇa, both became the hearers of Rāmānanda Rāya.

Purport: Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says in his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya that sannyāsīs in the line of Śaṅkarācārya always think that they have performed all the duties of brāhmaṇas and that, furthermore, having understood the essence of the Vedānta-sūtra and become sannyāsīs, they are the natural spiritual masters of all society. Similarly, persons born in brāhmaṇa families think that because they execute the ritualistic ceremonies recommended in the Vedas and follow the principles of smṛti, they alone can become spiritual masters of society. These highly exalted brāhmaṇas think that unless one is born in a brāhmaṇa family, one cannot become a spiritual master and teach the Absolute Truth. To cut down the pride of these birthright brāhmaṇas and Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu proved that a person like Rāmānanda Rāya, although born in a śūdra family and situated in the gṛhastha-āśrama, can become the spiritual master of such exalted personalities as Himself and Pradyumna Miśra. This is the principle of the Vaiṣṇava cult, as evinced in the teachings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. A person who knows what is spiritual and what is material and who is firmly fixed in the spiritual position can be jagad-guru, the spiritual master of the entire world. One cannot become jagad-guru simply by advertising oneself as jagad-guru without knowing the essential principles for becoming jagad-guru. Even people who never see what a jagad-guru is and never talk with other people become puffed-up sannyāsīs and declare themselves jagad-gurus. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not like this. Any person who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa and who is fully qualified in spiritual life can become jagad-guru. Thus Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally took lessons from Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya and also sent Pradyumna Miśra, an exalted brāhmaṇa, to take lessons from him.

Jayapatākā Swami: In the Kumbha-mela there were sannyāsīs who declared themselves as jagad-gurus, but they never left their village. Śrīla Prabhupāda, he was actually jagad-guru because he preached all over the world. But people would just claim to be jagad-gurus without any qualification, therefore Śrīla Prabhupāda, he preferred not to be called jagad-guru because of the misuse of this phrase.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 5.86

(2) yavana-kulodbhūta ṭhākura-haridāsake jagad-guru o nāmācāryera padavī-dāna

haridāsa-dvārā nāma-māhātmya-prakāśa
sanātana-dvārā bhakti-siddhānta-vilāsa

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu exhibited the glories of the holy name of the Lord through Haridāsa Ṭhākura, who was born in a Muslim family. Similarly, He exhibited the essence of devotional service through Sanātana Gosvāmī, who had almost been converted into a Muslim.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya to show that the real qualification is to know the science of Kṛṣṇa, not to be either birthright or āśrama right. he made authorities like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Sanātana Gosvāmī just to show this principle that the real qualification is to know the science of Kṛṣṇa. This is the means by which Śrīla Prabhupāda spread the saṅkīrtana movement all over the world.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 5.87

mleccha-saṅge vāsa kariyāo (3) śrī-sanātana—kṛṣṇa-bhaktisiddhānta vā sambandha-jñānera ācārya o (4) śrī-rūpa— vraja-prema-bhakti-rasa vā abhidheyera ācāryaḥ—

śrī-rūpa-dvārā vrajera prema-rasa-līlā
ke bujhite pāre gambhīra caitanyera khelā?

Translation: Also, the Lord fully exhibited the ecstatic love and transcendental pastimes of Vṛndāvana through Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. Considering all this, who can understand the deep plans of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu?

Jayapatākā Swami: So, by this standard, Lord Caitanya's prediction that His movement would spread in every town and village of the whole world will certainly come true.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 5.88

śrī-caitanya-līlā-sindhura bindulābhe jagaduddhāraḥ—

śrī-caitanya-līlā ei—amṛtera sindhu
trijagat bhāsāite pāre yāra eka bindu

Translation: The activities of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu are just like an ocean of nectar. Even a drop of this ocean can inundate all the three worlds.

Haribol!

Purport: To inundate the three worlds with nectar is the purpose of the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. How this could be possible was exhibited by Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī and later by Ṭhākura Narottama dāsa and Śyāmānanda Gosvāmī, who all represented the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Now that same mercy is overflooding the entire world through the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. The present Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is nondifferent from the pastimes performed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu when He was personally present, for the same principles are being followed and the same actions performed without fail.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, people who are still attached to the material concepts cannot understand this strategy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu that birth and coming from a sinful background are all burnt up if one understands the science of Kṛṣṇa, that is the real qualification.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 5.89

śraddhāya caitanya-līlāmṛta-pāna-phale cidvṛttira udaye sambandha-jñāna, abhidheya o prayojanalābhaḥ—

caitanya-caritāmṛta nitya kara pāna
yāhā haite ‘premānanda’, ‘bhakti-tattva-jñāna’

Translation: O devotees, relish daily the nectar of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta and the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, for by doing so one can merge in transcendental bliss and attain full knowledge of devotional service.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, if one reads every day the pastimes of Lord Caitanya, the teachings of Lord Caitanya, they can be flooded with transcendental bliss. This is the secret of attaining full knowledge in devotional service. Most people are not reading the pastimes of Lord Caitanya and they will not understand the real essence of bhakti-yoga.

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, 5.90

prabhura eirūpa nīlācala-līlāḥ—

ei-mata mahāprabhu bhakta-gaṇa lañā
nīlācale viharaye bhakti pracāriyā

Translation: Thus Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, accompanied by His associates, His pure devotees, enjoyed transcendental bliss in Jagannātha Purī [Nīlācala] by preaching the bhakti cult in many ways.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya's pastimes in Jagannath Purī or Nīlācala are establishing the real purpose of bhakti-yoga, and to understand bhakti-yoga one should simply study the pastimes and teachings of Lord Caitanya. His preaching is something completely out of the box!

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Vanquishing the False Pride of So-called Renunciants and Learned Scholars
Under the section: How Pradyumna Miśra Received Instructions from Rāmānanda Rāya