Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura gives the following commentary on this passage. A sadhu or an honest man is called a mahajana or a mahatma. The mahatma is thus described in Bhagavad-gita:

"O son of Prtha, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible." (Bg. 9.13)

"Men who are like dogs, hogs, camels and asses praise those men who never listen to the transcendental pastimes of Lord Sri Krsna, the deliverer from evils."

"Anyone whose work is not meant to elevate him to religious life, anyone whose religious ritualistic performances do not raise him to renunciation, and anyone situated in renunciation that does not lead him to devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead must be considered dead, although he is breathing."

In this material world, karmis (fruitive actors) are accepted as mahajanas by foolish people who do not know the value of devotional service. Their mundane intelligence and mental speculative methods are under the control of the three modes of material nature. Consequently they cannot understand unalloyed devotional service. They are attracted by material activities, and they become worshipers of material nature. Thus they are known as fruitive actors. They even become entangled in material activities disguised as spiritual activities. In Bhagavad-gita, such people are described as veda-vada-rata. They do not understand the real purpose of the Vedas, yet they think of themselves as Vedic authorities. People versed in Vedic knowledge must know Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah. (Bg. 15.15)

"A human being who identifies this body made of three elements with his self, who considers the by-products of the body to be his kinsmen, who considers the land of birth worshipable, and who goes to the place of pilgrimage simply to take a bath rather than meet men of transcendental knowledge there is to be considered like an ass or a cow." (Bhag. 10.84.13) Those who accept the logic of gad-dalika-pravaha and follow in the footsteps of pseudo-mahajanas are carried away by the waves of maya. Bhaktivinoda Thakura therefore warns:

"Don't be carried away by the waves of maya. Just surrender to the lotus feet of Krsna, and all miseries will end." Those who follow social customs and behavior forget to follow the path chalked out by the mahajanas; thus they are offenders at the feet of the mahajanas. Sometimes they consider such mahajanas very conservative, or they create their own mahajanas. In this way they ignore the principles of the parampara system. This is a great misfortune for everyone. If one does not follow in the footsteps of a real mahajana, one's plans for happiness will be frustrated. This is elaborately explained in Madhya-lila (Chapter Twenty-five, verses 55, 56 and 58). It is there stated:

People are so unfortunate that they do not accept the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Instead, they want to be supported by so-called mahajanas, authorities. Tate chaya darsana haite 'tattva' nahi jani: we cannot ascertain the real truth simply by following speculators. We have to follow the footsteps of the mahajanas in the disciplic succession. Then our attempt will be successful. Sri-krsna-caitanya-vani-amrtera dhara: "Whatever is spoken by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is an incessant flow of nectar." Whoever accepts His words as reality can understand the essence of the Absolute Truth. No one can ascertain the Absolute Truth by following the philosophy of Sankhya or Patanjali, for the followers of Sankhya or Patanjali do not accept Lord Visnu as the Supreme Personality of Godhead (na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum). The ambition of such people is never fulfilled; therefore they are attracted by the external energy. Although mental speculators may be renowned all over the world as great authorities, actually they are not. Such leaders are themselves conservative and not at all liberal. However, if we preach this philosophy, people will consider Vaisnavas very sectarian. Srila Madhavendra Puri was a real mahajana, but misguided people cannot distinguish the real from the unreal. However, a person who is awakened to Krsna consciousness can understand the real religious path chalked out by the Lord and His pure devotees. Sri Madhavendra Puri was a real mahajana because he understood the Absolute Truth properly and throughout his life behaved like a pure devotee. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu approved the method of Sri Madhavendra Puri. Therefore, although from the material viewpoint the Sanodiya brahmana was on a lower platform, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu considered him situated on the highest platform of spiritual realization.