20210818 Why Māyāvādīs are Unable to Utter the Holy Name of Kṛṣṇa

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on August 18th, 2021 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 :

Why Māyāvādīs are Unable to Utter the Holy Name of Kṛṣṇa 
Under the Section: The Lord Travels to Vṛndāvana

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 17.123

prabhu-darśana phale śuddha-citta viprera prabhu-sakāśe samasta ghaṭanā varṇana:— 
prabhura daraśane śuddha hañāche tāṅra mana
prabhu-āge duḥkhī hañā kahe vivaraṇa

Translation: The mind of the brāhmaṇa was already purified by his seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He therefore went to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and described what had taken place before the Māyāvādī sannyāsī Prakāśānanda.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, after Lord Caitanya went through the Jhārikhaṇḍa forest, He arrived in Vārāṇasī and there He chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa and thousands of people chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa with Him. So, this is describing the pastimes in Vārāṇasī

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 17.124

prabhura īṣaddhāsya:— 
śuni’ mahāprabhu tabe īṣat hāsilā
punarapi sei vipra prabhure puchilā

Translation: Hearing this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu mildly smiled. The brāhmaṇa then spoke again to the Lord.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 17.125

māyāvādīra prakṛti-sambandhi gauṇa nāmoccāraṇei yogyatā, turīya vaikuṇṭha-nāmoccāraṇe ayogyatā:— 
“tāra āge yabe āmi tomāra nāma la-ila
seha tomāra nāma jāne,—āpane kahila

Translation: The brāhmaṇa said, “As soon as I uttered Your name before him, he immediately confirmed the fact that he knew Your name.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this brāhmaṇa is revealing how the Māyāvādī sannyāsī were criticizing Caitanya Mahāprabhu, but by that he inadvertently chanted the name of Lord Caitanya many times.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 17.126

tomāra ‘doṣa’ kahite kare nāmera uccāra
‘caitanya’ ‘caitanya’ kari’ kahe tina-bāra

Translation: “While finding fault with You, he uttered Your name three times, saying ‘Caitanya, Caitanya, Caitanya.’

Haribol!

Jayapatākā Swami: So, by the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Māyāvādī was uttering His name.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 17.127

cidvilāse aviśvāsa-hetu māyāvādīra mukhe avajñā bharei śrī-nāma uccārita haoyāya nāmāparādha hetu uhā aśrāvya:— 
tina-bāre ‘kṛṣṇa-nāma’ nā āila tāra mukhe
‘avajñā’te nāma laya, śuni’ pāi duḥkhe

Translation: “Although he spoke Your name three times, he did not utter the name ‘Kṛṣṇa.’ Because he uttered Your name in contempt, I was very much aggrieved.

Purport: Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī vilified and blasphemed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Words like brahma, caitanya, ātmā, paramātmā, jagadīśa, īśvara, virāṭ, vibhu, bhūmā, viśvarūpa and vyāpaka all indirectly indicate Kṛṣṇa. However, the chanter of these names is not actually attracted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa and His transcendental pastimes. One may get a little light from these names, but one cannot understand that the holy name of the Lord is identical with the Lord. One considers the Lord’s names material due to a poor fund of knowledge. Māyāvādī philosophers and the pañcopāsakas cannot in the least understand the existence of the spiritual world and the blissful variegatedness there. They cannot understand the Absolute Truth and its spiritual varieties — name, form, qualities and pastimes. Consequently they conclude that Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental activities are māyā. To avoid this misconception one has to directly cultivate knowledge about the holy name of the Lord. Māyāvādī philosophers do not know this fact, and therefore they commit great offenses. One should not hear anything about Kṛṣṇa or devotional service from the mouths of Māyāvādī impersonalists.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, if one hears from a Māyāvādī impersonalist about Kṛṣṇa or devotional service, then they will be implicated in offenses and their devotion would be ruined. māyāvādī kathā sunle hoya sarvanāśa. By hearing from Māyāvādī one's devotional service is ruined, so one should be careful to not hear about Kṛṣṇa or devotional service from the Māyāvādīs.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 17.128

prabhu-samīpe uhāra kāraṇa jijñāsā:— 
ihāra kāraṇa more kaha kṛpā kari’
tomā dekhi’ mukha mora bale ‘kṛṣṇa’ ’hari’”

Translation: “Why could Prakāśānanda not utter the names ‘Kṛṣṇa’ and ‘Hari’? He chanted the name ‘Caitanya’ thrice. As far as I am concerned, simply by seeing You I am moved to chant the holy names ‘Kṛṣṇa’ and ‘Hari.’”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this is the difference, the devotees are naturally inspired to chant the names of Kṛṣṇa and Hari but the Māyāvādīs are not attracted.

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 9.148

Translation: Brahmacārīs, gṛhasthas, sannyāsīs, vānaprasthas, performers of Vedic sacrifices and followers of austere vows,all went to see the Lord. Only some envious leading sannyāsīs and others did not go to see Him.

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 9.149: Mahārāja Pratāparudra: Sārvabhauma, why is that even though being the leaders they were envious?

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 9.150: sārvabhaumaḥ: O mahārāja! Pratāparudra, as long as one has not conquered the mind, one cannot give up envy to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 9.151: Mahārāja Pratāparudra: Then? Then?

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 17.129

māyāvādī—sevā-vivādī vā aparādhī, sutarāṁ tanmukhe kṛṣṇa-nāma āse nā:— 
prabhu kahe,—“māyāvādī kṛṣṇe aparādhī
‘brahma’, ‘ātmā’ ‘caitanya’ kahe niravadhi

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “The Māyāvādī impersonalists are great offenders unto Lord Kṛṣṇa; therefore they simply utter the words ‘Brahman,’ ‘ātmā’ and ‘caitanya.’

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this reveals why the Māyāvādīs can’t chant the names of Kṛṣṇa or Hari.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 17.130

kṛṣṇa-nāma, kṛṣṇa-vigraha o kṛṣṇa-svarūpera advayajñānatva evaṁ jīvanāma, jīvamūrtti o jīva-svarūpera pārthakya varṇana:— 
ataeva tāra mukhe nā āise kṛṣṇa-nāma
‘kṛṣṇa-nāma’, ‘kṛṣṇa-svarūpa’—duita ‘samāna’

Translation: “Because they are offenders unto Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is identical with His holy name, the holy name ‘Kṛṣṇa’ does not manifest in their mouths.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 17.131

‘nāma’, ’vigraha’, ’svarūpa’—tina eka-rūpa
tine ’bheda’ nāhi,—tina ’cid-ānanda-rūpa’

Translation: “The Lord’s holy name, His form and His personality are all one and the same. There is no difference between them. Since all of them are absolute, they are all transcendentally blissful.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, that’s why in this Kali-yuga, by chanting the names of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is personally present and therefore the more we can get people to chant Kṛṣṇa nāma, the whole situation will become transcendental.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 17.132

deha-dehīra, nāma-nāmīra kṛṣṇe nāhi ‘bheda’
jīvera dharma—nāma-deha-svarūpe ‘vibheda’

Translation: “There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa’s body and Himself or between His name and Himself. But as far as the conditioned soul is concerned, one’s name is different from one’s body, from one’s original form and so on.

Purport: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is herein pointing out to the brāhmaṇa that Māyāvādī philosophers cannot understand that the living entity is equal in quality with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because they do not accept this, they think that the living entity has been falsely divided from the original Brahman due to being conditioned by māyā. Māyāvādīs believe that the Absolute Truth is ultimately impersonal. When an incarnation of God or God Himself comes, they think He is covered by māyā. In other words, Māyāvādī impersonalists think that the Lord’s form is also a product of this material world. Due to a poor fund of knowledge, they cannot understand that Kṛṣṇa has no body separate from Himself. His body and Himself are both the same Absolute Truth. Not having perfect knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, such impersonalists certainly commit offenses at His lotus feet. Therefore they do not utter “Kṛṣṇa, ” the original name of the Absolute Truth. In their impersonal way, they utter the name of impersonal Brahman, spirit soul. In other words, they indulge in indirect indications of the Absolute Truth. Even if they happen to utter the names “Govinda,” “Kṛṣṇa” or “Mādhava,” they still cannot understand that these names are as good as Govinda, Kṛṣṇa or Mādhava the person. Because they are ultimately impersonalists, their uttering of the personal name has no potency. Actually they do not believe in Kṛṣṇa but consider all these names to be material vibrations. Not being able to appreciate the holy name of the Lord, they simply utter indirect names like Brahman, ātmā and caitanya.

It is a fact, however, that the name of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa the person are both spiritual. Everything about Kṛṣṇa is transcendental, blissful and objective. For a conditioned soul, the body is different from the soul, and the name given by the father is also different from the soul. The conditioned living entity’s identification with material objects keeps him from attaining his actual position. Although he is an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, he acts differently. The svarūpa, or actual identification of the living entity, is described by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’. The conditioned soul has forgotten the real activities of his original position. However, this is not the case with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa’s name and His person are identical. There is no such thing as māyā Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa is not a product of the material creation. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa’s body and His soul. Kṛṣṇa is simultaneously both soul and body. The distinction between body and soul applies to conditioned souls. The body of the conditioned soul is different from the soul, and the conditioned soul’s name is different from his body. One may be named Mr. John, but if we call for Mr. John, Mr. John may never actually appear. However, if we utter the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is immediately present on our tongue. In the Padma Purāṇa, Kṛṣṇa says, mad-bhaktā yatra gāyanti tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada: “O Nārada, I am present wherever My devotees are chanting.” When the devotees chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa — Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare — Lord Kṛṣṇa is immediately present.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Śrīla Prabhupāda has explained that our body is different from the soul, there are 8,400,000 different bodies and we have gone through different bodies, although the body is different from ātma or soul, Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His form is sac-cid-ānanda, and there is so difference between His form and ātma. Māyāvādīs think that the form of Kṛṣṇa may be in the mode of goodness, but Kṛṣṇa existed before the material world, the material world is depended on Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa is not dependent on the material world. So, there is no difference between Kṛṣṇa, the person, Kṛṣṇa, the form, Kṛṣṇa the holy name, and as we chant the names of Hare Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa is personally present but the Māyāvādī are not able to understand this.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 17.13 3

śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmera svarūpa:— padma-purāṇa o viṣṇudharmottara-vacana:— 
nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ
pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto ’bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ

Translation: “‘The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Kṛṣṇa Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Kṛṣṇa’s name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Kṛṣṇa Himself. Since Kṛṣṇa’s name is not contaminated by the material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with māyā. Kṛṣṇa’s name is always liberated and spiritual; it is never conditioned by the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa Himself are identical.’

Purport: This is a quotation from the Padma Purāṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, by taking shelter of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa in this age of Kali, we are getting the personal shelter of Kṛṣṇa and therefore this is the most powerful process, therefore we should chant Hare Kṛṣṇa all the time.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 17.134

kṛṣṇa-nāma, kṛṣṇatanu o kṛṣṇa-vilāsa—aprākṛta, cinmaya o svataḥ-prakāśa:— 
ataeva kṛṣṇera ‘nāma’, ‘deha’, ‘vilāsa’
prākṛtendriya-grāhya nahe, haya sva-prakāśa

Translation: “The holy name of Kṛṣṇa, His body and His pastimes cannot be understood by the blunt material senses. They are manifested independently.

Purport: Since Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental body, name, form, qualities, pastimes and entourage are all the Absolute Truth, they are as good as Kṛṣṇa Himself (sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha). As long as the living entity is conditioned by the three modes of material nature (goodness, passion and ignorance), the objects of his material senses — material form, taste, smell, sound and touch — will not help him understand spiritual knowledge and bliss. Rather, these are revealed to the pure devotee. One’s material name, form and qualities are certainly different from one another. In the material world, there is no conception of absolute; however, when we come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness we find that there is no material difference between Kṛṣṇa’s body and His names, activities and entourage.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, that is why by chanting the Lord's name and by thinking of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, by thinking of Kṛṣṇa’s devotees, all the things connected with Kṛṣṇa are also transcendental. In the material world there is a difference, one life we may take a male body and the next life in the female form of body but there is a difference between atma, or the soul and the body, and parents may give a material name to the body, but that name is also not identical with the body, but with Kṛṣṇa everything is identical. Therefore by chanting Kṛṣṇa’s names, one is able to achieve spiritual bliss.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 17.135

kṛṣṇera nāma, rūpa, guṇa, līlā—ekai vastu:— 
kṛṣṇa-nāma, kṛṣṇa-guṇa, kṛṣṇa-līlā-vṛnda
kṛṣṇera svarūpa-sama—saba cid-ānanda

Translation: “Kṛṣṇa’s holy name, transcendental qualities and transcendental pastimes are all equal to Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. They are all spiritual and full of bliss.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, that’s why by chanting the names of Kṛṣṇa one can advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and start to taste spiritual bliss.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 17.136

aprākṛta kṛṣṇa-nāma- rūpa-guṇa-līlā— śuddha-bhaktidvārāi grāhya, tarkapanthāya akṣajajñāne agamya:— 
ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ
sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ

Translation: “ ‘Therefore material senses cannot appreciate Kṛṣṇa’s holy name, form, qualities and pastimes. When a conditioned soul is awakened to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and renders service by using his tongue to chant the Lord’s holy name and taste the remnants of the Lord’s food,the tongue is purified, and one gradually comes to understand who Kṛṣṇa really is.’

This verse is recorded in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.234).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this chanting of Kṛṣṇa’s name, taking of Kṛṣṇa prasāda are purifiers of the tongue and thus one is able to have special spiritual realization.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 17.137

parama-camatkāra kṛṣṇa-mādhurya brahmajñerao ākarṣaka:— 
brahmānanda haite pūrṇānanda līlā-rasa
brahma-jñānī ākarṣiyā kare ātma-vaśa

Translation: “The mellows of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, which are full of bliss, attract the jñānī from the pleasure of Brahman realization and conquer him.

Purport: When one understands that he belongs not to the material world but to the spiritual world, one is called liberated. Being situated in the spiritual world is certainly pleasurable, but those who realize the transcendental name, form, qualities and pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa enjoy transcendental bliss many times more than one who has simply realized the self. When one is situated on the platform of self-realization, he can certainly be easily attracted by Kṛṣṇa and become a servant of the Lord. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā (18.54):

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasanneātmā
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

“One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.”

When one becomes spiritually realized (brahma-bhūta), he becomes happy (prasannātmā), for he is relieved from material conceptions. One who has attained this platform is not agitated by material action and reaction. He sees everyone on the platform of spirit soul (paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ). When one is completely realized, he can rise to the platform of pure devotional service (mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām). When one comes to the platform of bhakti, devotional service, he automatically realizes who Kṛṣṇa is. As the Lord says in the Bhagavad-gītā (18.55):

bhaktyā mām abhijānāti
yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ
tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā
viśate tad-anantaram

“One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.”

It is only on the bhakti platform that one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa and His transcendental name, form, qualities, pastimes and entourage. Being thus qualified spiritually, one is allowed to enter the spiritual kingdom of God and return home, back to Godhead (viśate tad-anantaram).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this why the process of devotional service is considered as the best process of yoga, because through this process one realizes Kṛṣṇa and he can go back to the spiritual world. The Māyāvādīs think that the impersonalist truth is the maximum. But the devotees they reject this impersonalist realization, they want to serve the Lord, who is a form of transcendental rasa or mellow of spiritual bliss. So there are a lot of purports because these spiritual matters are very important to understand. This was explained by Lord Caitanya to the brāhmaṇa.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 17.138

kṛṣṇa-līlā-mādhuryākṛṣṭa brahmā-jñānī brahmarāta:—

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (12/12/69)—
sva-sukha-nibhṛta-cetās tad vyudastānya-bhāvo
’py ajita-rucira-līlākṛṣṭa-sāras tadīyam
vyatanuta kṛpayā yas tattva-dīpaṁ purāṇaṁ
tam akhila-vṛjina-ghnaṁ vyāsa-sūnuṁ nato ’smi

Translation: “ ‘Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, the son of Vyāsadeva, Śukadeva Gosvāmī. It is he who defeats all inauspicious things within this universe. Although in the beginning he was absorbed in the happiness of Brahman realization and was living in a secluded place, giving up all other types of consciousness, he became attracted by the most melodious pastimes of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He therefore mercifully spoke the supreme Purāṇa, known as Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is the bright light of the Absolute Truth and which describes the activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa.’

Purport: This verse was spoken by Sūta Gosvāmī in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (12.12.69).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is considered as the ripened fruit of the Vedic-tree, because it reveals pure devotion to Lord Kṛṣṇa and His different forms, therefore one is recommended to read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 17.139

parama camatkāra kṛṣṇa-guṇa—ātmārāmerao ākarṣaka:— 
brahmānanda haite pūrṇānanda kṛṣṇa-guṇa
ataeva ākarṣaye ātmārāmera mana

Translation: “The transcendental qualities of Śrī Kṛṣṇa are completely blissful and relishable. Consequently Lord Kṛṣṇa’s qualities attract even the minds of self-realized persons from the bliss of self-realization.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, just like Śukadeva Gosavami was already in the bliss of Brahman, but He became attracted to the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, like the four kumarās, they went to Viṣṇulokā, they had already achieved self-realization, but when they saw Lord Viṣṇu and paid their obeisances, then the aroma of the Tulasī devī offered to the lotus feet of the Lord entered into their nostrils, and they became ecstatic with spiritual bliss and realized that this happiness was more than the happiness of the impersonalist bliss. Those who have realized Impersonal Brahman, if they get the association of Kṛṣṇa or His expansions, then they get converted into devotees.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 17.140

mukta-puruṣagaṇao kṛṣṇapade samākṛṣṭa:—

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (1/7/10)—

ātmārāmāś ca munayo
nirgranthā apy urukrame
kurvanty ahaitukīṁ bhaktim
ittham-bhūta-guṇo hariḥ

Translation: “‘Those who are self-satisfied and unattracted by external material desires are also attracted to the loving service of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose qualities are transcendental and whose activities are wonderful. Hari, the Personality of Godhead, is called Kṛṣṇa because He has such transcendentally attractive features.’

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kṛṣṇa means the all-attractive reservoir of all pleasure.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 17.141

kṛṣṇacaraṇa-tulasī brahmajñerao manohāriṇī:— 
ei saba rahu—kṛṣṇa-caraṇa-sambandhe
ātmārāmera mana hare tulasīra gandhe

Translation: “Apart from the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa, when tulasī leaves are offered at the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, even the aroma of the leaves attracts the minds of self-realized persons.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 17.142

nārāyaṇa-pada-tulasī brahmajña catuḥsanerao deha manera śuddha-sāttvika vikārakāriṇī:—

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (3/15/43)—
tasyāravinda-nayanasya padāravinda-
kiñjalka-miśra-tulasī-makaranda-vāyuḥ
antar-gataḥ sva-vivareṇa cakāra teṣāṁ
saṅkṣobham akṣara-juṣām api citta-tanvoḥ

Translation: “ ‘When the breeze carrying the aroma of tulasī leaves and saffron from the lotus feet of the lotus-eyed Personality of Godhead entered through the nostrils into the hearts of those sages [the Kumāras], they experienced a change in both body and mind, even though they were attached to the impersonal Brahman understanding.’

Purport: This is a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.15.43). Vidura and Maitreya discussed the pregnancy of Diti. Diti’s pregnancy caused the demigods to be very much afraid, and the demigods went to see Lord Brahmā. Lord Brahmā explained the original incident involving the cursing of Jaya and Vijaya by the Catuḥsana Kumāras. Once the Catuḥsana Kumāras went to Vaikuṇṭha to visit Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but they were stopped from entering the palace at the seventh gate by two doorkeepers named Jaya and Vijaya. Due to their jealousy, Jaya and Vijaya would not allow the Kumāras entry, and consequently the Kumāras became angry and cursed Jaya and Vijaya, condemning them to take birth in a family of asuras in the material world. The omniscient Personality of Godhead could immediately understand the incident, and He came with His eternal consort, the goddess of fortune. The Catuḥsana Kumāras immediately offered their obeisances unto the Lord. Simply by seeing the Lord and smelling the aroma of tulasī and saffron from His lotus feet, the Kumāras became devotees and abandoned their long-cherished impersonalism. Thus the four Kumāras were turned into Vaiṣṇavas simply by smelling the aromatic tulasī mixed with saffron. Those who are actually on the platform of Brahman realization and who have not offended the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa can immediately become Vaiṣṇavas simply by smelling the aroma of the Lord’s lotus feet. But those who are offenders or demons are never attracted to the Lord’s personal feature, even though they may visit the Lord’s temple many times. In Vṛndāvana we have seen many Māyāvādī sannyāsīs who do not even come to the temple of Govindajī, Gopīnātha or Madana-mohana because they think that such temples are māyā. Therefore they are called Māyāvādīs. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore said that the Māyāvādīs are the greatest offenders.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 17.143

māyāvādī nitya kṛṣṇa-sevā-virodhī baliyā śuddha -nāma-kīrtane anadhikārī:— 
ataeva ’kṛṣṇa-nāma’ nā āise tāra mukhe
māyāvādi-gaṇa yāte mahā bahirmukhe

Translation: “Because the Māyāvādīs are great offenders and atheistic philosophers, the holy name of Kṛṣṇa does not come from their mouths.

Purport: Because they are constantly blaspheming the Supreme Personality of Godhead by saying that He has no head, hands or legs, Māyāvādī philosophers remain offenders for many, many births, even though they have partially realized Brahman. However, if such impersonalists are not offenders at the lotus feet of the Lord, they immediately become devotees in the association of a devotee. In other words, if an impersonalist is not an offender, he can become a devotee if he gets a chance to associate with other devotees. If he is an offender, he cannot be converted even by the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very much afraid of this Māyāvādī offender; therefore He spoke as follows.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 17.144

premavanyāya kāśī-plāvanārtha prabhura āgamana:— 
bhāvakāli vecite āmi āilāṅa kāśīpure
grāhaka nāhi, nā vikāya, lañā yāba ghare

Translation: “I have come here to sell My emotional ecstatic sentiments in this city of Kāśī, but I cannot find any customers. If they are not sold, I must take them back home.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya is giving His actual secret, that He had come here to sell His emotional ecstasies of devotional service. So if people are not taking that, then His mission is not fulfilled.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 17.145

laulyamūlyei prabhura prema-vitaraṇa-pratijñā:— 
bhārī bojhā lañā āilāṅa, kemane lañā yāba?
alpa-svalpa-mūlya pāile, ethāi veciba

Translation: “I have brought a heavy load to sell in this city. To take it back again is a very difficult job; therefore if I get but a fraction of the price, I shall sell it here in this city of Kāśī.”

Purport: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was selling the transcendental holy name of the Lord. But Kāśī was a city of Māyāvādīs (impersonalists), and such people will never chant the holy names of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Consequently Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was feeling disappointed. How could He teach the Māyāvādīs the importance of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra? The attraction for chanting the holy name of the Lord belongs absolutely to pure devotees, and there was no possibility of finding pure devotees at Kāśī. Consequently Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s commodity was certainly very heavy. The Lord therefore suggested that even though there were no pure devotees in Kāśī, if someone was a little inclined to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, He would deliver this big load, although the proper price was not paid.

Actually we experienced this when we came to preach the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement in the West. When we came to New York in 1965, we never expected that the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra would be accepted in this country. Nonetheless, we invited people to our storefront to join in chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and the Lord’s holy name is so attractive that simply by coming to our storefront in New York, fortunate young people became Kṛṣṇa conscious. Although this mission was started with insignificant capital, it is now going nicely. The spreading of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra in the West has become successful because the young people were not offenders. The youths who joined this movement were not very advanced as far as purity is concerned, nor were they very well educated in Vedic knowledge, but because they were not offenders, they could accept the importance of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. We are now very happy to see that this movement is advancing more and more in the Western countries. We therefore conclude that the so-called mlecchas and yavanas of the Western countries are more purified than offensive Māyāvādīs or atheistic impersonalists.

Jayapatākā Swami: So Śrīla Prabhupāda has revealed how he gave the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra in the West, because people had never heard of Kṛṣṇa before, they are not offenders, they took up the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa and thus they got purified. Śrīla Prabhupāda, he went to the West with his Kṛṣṇa bhakti product of Lord Caitanya, and He distributed that to everyone. So we should be so grateful to Śrīla Prabhupāda for his bringing us this nectar of Kṛṣṇa-bhakti and the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Why Māyāvādīs are Unable to Utter the Holy Name of Kṛṣṇa. 
Under the Section: The Lord Travels to Vṛndāvana