TEXT 85
'bhakti', 'prema', 'tattva' kahe raye kari' 'vakta'
apani pradyumna-misra-saha haya 'srota'
SYNONYMS
bhaktidevotional service; premaecstatic love; tattvatruth; kaheHe says; rayeRamananda Raya; kari'-by making; vaktathe speaker; apaniHimself; pradyumna-misraPradyumna Misra; sahawith; haya srotabecomes the listener.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu preached about devotional service, ecstatic love and the Absolute Truth by making Ramananda Raya, a grhastha born in a low family, the speaker. Then Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself, the exalted brahmana-sannyasi, and Pradyumna Misra, the purified brahmana, both became the hearers of Ramananda Raya.
PURPORT
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya that sannyasis in the line of Sankaracarya always think that they have performed all the duties of brahmanas and that, furthermore, having understood the essence of Vedanta-sutra and become sannyasis, they are the natural spiritual masters of all society. Similarly, persons born in brahmana families think that because they execute the ritualistic ceremonies recommended in the Vedas and follow the principles of smrti, they alone can become spiritual masters of society. These highly exalted brahmanas think that unless one is born in a brahmana family, one cannot become a spiritual master and teach the Absolute Truth. To cut down the pride of these birthright brahmanas and Mayavadi sannyasis, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu proved that a person like Ramananda Raya, although born in a sudra family and situated in the grhastha-asrama, can become the spiritual master of such exalted personalities as Himself and Pradyumna Misra. This is the principle of the Vaisnava cult, as evinced in the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. 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 sannyasis and declare themselves jagad-gurus. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not like this. Any person who knows the science of Krsna and who is fully qualified in spiritual life can become jagad-guru. Thus Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally took lessons from Sri Ramananda Raya and also sent Pradyumna Misra, an exalted brahmana, to take lessons from him.

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