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670201CC.SF
Prabhupada: ...accustomed to follow the Vedic principles. Just like in Christian religion, those who do not follow the Bible, they are called heathens. Similarly, in Muslim, those who do not follow the Koran, they are called kafirs. Similarly, those who do not follow the Vedic principles, they are called nastika or mlecchas. Nastika means those who do not believe in the Vedic principles, they are called nastika, atheist. And those whose behavior is not very clean, they are called mlecchas. So in comparison to Hindu mode of living and others in the world, there is very great difference, social sanctity and personal sanctity. So therefore, formerly the mlecchas means the Muhammadans, because they are meat-eaters, they do not take bath daily and there are so many things. So even those persons who were delivered by Lord Caitanya, but the author says that He could not deliver the Mayavadis, the impersonalist sannyasis. That means it was easier for Him to deliver the mlecchas, but it was difficult for Him to deliver the Mayavadis. In other words, the author is trying to place the position of the Mayavadi sannyasi less than the mlecchas. Less than the mlecchas.
So, sabe edaila matra kasira mayavadi. Mayavadi means materialist. Maya means this matter, and vadi means those who stick to this principle of material... There are different kinds of materialists. Because we should always know that up to the point of intelligence, it is matter. First point is the senses, the gross. The grossest type of materialist is that they are addicted to sense gratification. So this is materialist. And above this, there are mental speculators. They are also materialists because mind is matter. So the sense gratifiers and the mental speculationists, and those who are trying to reach spiritual perfection by bodily exercise... Because body is not at all spirit; it is matter. But by intellectually, by making proper adjustment... Just the only benefit of such exercises is to concentrate the mind. The mind is very disturbed. So that is also materialist. That means jnani, yogi and karmi. Karmi means those who are working very hard day and night simply for sense gratification. That's all. They are called karmis. And jnani means they are finding out solution by mental speculation. And yogi means they are trying to find out spiritual salvation by bodily exercises. They are all, in strict sense, they are all materialist. There is no question of spiritualist. Spiritualism (means) there where one understands that what is the constitutional position of spirit and act according to that. Therefore bhakti, this devotional service, is only spiritualism because those who are devotees, they know that they are eternally part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, and therefore to be engaged in transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord is spiritualism.
So,
Mayavadi... The followers of Sankara's school, they are generally called Mayavadi. And another Mayavadi are called the Buddhists. So in the Kasi, in Benares, there were two kinds of Mayavadis. One kind of Mayavadi, the Buddhists, they have got still Sarnath. Buddhists temples there are because Lord Buddha, he started his meditation near Gaya at about hundred miles off from Benares. Then his disciples established monasteries near Kasi because Benares is well-known sacred place since a very long time, so they also established there. Formerly there was no such animosities between the Hindus and the Buddhists. They were practically on the same platform, but philosophically they were different. Just like the Mayavadis, the followers of Sankarite, they are still Hindus. They are not out of it. Similarly, Buddhists also were considered as Hindu. But when Buddha religion was completely driven away from India's boundary, then now it is considered another sect. So the Kasi Mayavadi means both the Buddhists and the followers of Sankarites.
So when Lord Caitanya was living at Benares, on His way to Vrndavana... Not... He never made His headquarters anywhere else except Jagannatha Puri. Even Benares... He was worshiper of Vrndavana, but He did not make His headquarter at Vrndavana. So when on His way to Vrndavana He stopped at Benares and was staying at Candrasekhara's house, and He was taking His meals at the house of Tapana Misra. So when He was passingbecause His only propaganda was Hare Krsna, just we are doingso when He was passing on the road, all the people joined, all the people. It is... It has got so attraction. Even nonsignificant persons like us, when we chant, it attracts people, and what to speak of Lord Caitanya? He is personally chanting. So it attracted many people. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu within three, four days became very famous man, and everyone began to say, "Oh, from Bengal, nice sannyasi, beautiful sannyasi, a young sannyasi has come, and He is come," and they were chanting and dancing, and people were very much attached to Him. In this way there was some propaganda in the city.
But the Mayavadi sannyasis, they could not tolerate. They were, I mean to say, backbiting. What they were saying? "Oh, here is a sannyasi, and He's dancing." According to Mayavada sannyasa, this dancing and singing is forbidden, forbidden. In Muhammadan religion also, dancing and singing is forbidden. I do not know what is there in the Bible, but I understand in the Bible there is sankirtana allowed. I have asked our Kirtanananda to write some article, "Sankirtana and Bible," because he is, he knows Bible very well than other members. So we shall see very nice how in Bible there is sankirtana. The Muhammadan Koran, they do not... In some of their sections, there is sankirtana, not within the mosque, but without. Anyway... So similarly, these Mayavadi sannyasis, they also do not like singing and dancing. Of course, now they are stopping, finish. They are also taking now to this process of singing and dancing in India. So formerly they used to, I mean to say, decry. So sannyasi ha-iya kare nacana gayana: "Oh, here is a sannyasi. He is dancing and singing." Na kare vedanta-sravana: "He does not give His attention for studying Vedanta," kare sankirtana, "and always engaged in Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna." Murkha sannyasi: "That means He has (no) knowledge. He has not studied all this Vedanta philosophy, and He's a nonsense. What He can do?" Sometimes we are considered a nonsense because we have no other stock except chanting. And actually, we have no stock except chanting. But why do we talk of philosophy? Because the fools want to talk of philosophy. Otherwise, there is no need of talking philosophy. Simply by chanting, everything is complete. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu was showing this example, and other Mayavadi sannyasis criticizing Him, "Oh, here is a, a foolish, is a," mean, "a illiterate sann..." Because there were many illiterate sannyasis also in India. "Illiterate sannyasi. He does not know how to execute..." (aside:) Oh, I have forgotten. [break] "...how to execute the sannyasa life. Therefore He's chanting and dancing." This sort of criticism was going on. Bhavuka ha-iya phere bhavukera sane: "And there are other sentimentalists who are also equally foolish and ignorant. So therefore they are following this sannyasi."
E saba suniya prabhu hase mane mane: "When Lord Caitanya was being criticized in that way, He was smiling. He was smiling, 'What can I do?' " So,
"He was very grave. 'Oh, let them criticize. Let Me do My duty. That's all.' "
So because He was busy at that time for visiting Vrndavana, so He did not take care of this, and He went, left Kasi, or Benares, after three, four days, and, er, although He was criticized, but He did not challenge. He went to Vrndavana.
Now, at Benares He stayed and in the house of Candrasekhara. Candrasekhara was not a brahmana, and a sannyasi is not supposed to stay any place except in the house of a brahmana or in a temple. Otherwise, he is considered lower. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not care for all these formalities. He used to stay with Candrasekhara although he was not a brahmana, a sudra, a laborer class, or little more than that. So why? Because He is completely independent, because He is Krsna. Krsna is taking the shape of a hog. Kesava dhrta-sukara-rupa. Hog is considered to be the lowest animal because it eats stool. Just like in human society, those who are dog-eaters, they are considered the lowest of the human society, similarly, amongst the animals, the hog is considered to be the lowest of the animals because it eats stool. But Krsna took the appearance of a hog. That does not mean that Krsna has become a hog. He is fully independent. And what sort of hog? That hog was covering practically half of the universe. It, He was so big. And in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, there is very nice explanation of the incarnation of hog. The... And They were being praised. The incarnation of hog was being praised from higher planets. The higher planets, three higher planets, they are resided by most pious men. They are called Janaloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka. These three higher planets, they are considered to be the most pious place within this material world. So they were praying, and when the incarnation of hog was sprinkling water by, I mean to say, shaking His body, and the sprinkle of the water was dropping in those three lokas, planets, and they were thinking themselves that "We are becoming purified," although they are considered to be the most pious and purified residents of this material world, still they prayed that "We are becoming purified." So Krsna or His devotee, they're independent. They are not under the rules and regulation of this material world. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu showed this example, that He was staying at a place which is considered abominable by other sannyasis.
Kasite lekhaka sudra-sricandrasekhara. Lekhaka sudra means he was a clerk, clerk. The clerk, clerical post was offered to the sudras, to the laborer class. There was a strike in Calcutta of the clerks. George and Skinner (?), an European firm, they had many jute (indistinct). The clerks, I mean to say, made a strike. So when their, I mean to say, chief man met the manager, so, and asked that "Whether you want to compromise with us?" the manager said, "No. I don't wish to compromise with you. I don't care for you because you are educated laborer." He gave the title to the clerks, "educated laborer." So actually in Hindu society, the clerks were called educated laborers. So here it is lekhaka sudra. Lekhaka sudra means clerk, but he's sudra. Lekhaka sudra sricandrasekhara, tanra ghare rahila. But spiritually there is no such distinction. We should always remember that materially, there may be higher, lower class. There is, always, in every society, in every country. But spiritually there is no such consideration. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's propaganda. He made Haridasa Thakurahe was a Muhammadanas the spiritual master for sankirtana, namacarya. And He picked up Sanatana Gosvami and Rupa Gosvami, who were rejected by the Hindu society, and He made them gosvamis. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's peculiarity. And here also we see that a sudra, a laborer class, a clerk, who is considered to be lower in the society, He was staying at his house.
So Caitanya Mahaprabhu... And Ramananda Raya, he was also a sudra, and he was a householder and a politician, governor, but Caitanya Mahaprabhu took instruction from him. Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave him the preference of being a teacher. He was hesitating. Ramananda Raya was hesitating, "Oh, Sir, You are sannyasi, in the highest stage of asrama, and You, in Your previous life You belonged to the brahmana sect. So You belong to the highest class, and I am a sudra, I am householder, and I am a politician. So how lower I am in comparison to You? And You are taking instruction from me, so I am feeling hesitation." Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "No, no. You don't feel hesitation." He enunciated,
"Never mind a man, whatever he is. He may be a laborer class, he may be a brahmana, or he may be a sannyasi, or he may be a householder. It doesn't matter. Anyone who knows the science of Krsna, he is spiritual master. Anyone." That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's, I mean to, highest con..., especially for the Hindu society. They have got so much caste distinction, lower and higher and this and that way. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu broke all these barriers. His simple process was: anyone who is Krsna conscious, he is welcome; he is the highest personality in the world. That was His proposal.
So He did not care that "What people will say that I am staying at a sudra's place?" No.
So He was staying with a sudra and He was taking His meals at another brahmana... He was also not sannyasi, but he was a brahmana. So in this way He was staying at Benares.
So this, this incident is that Caitanya Mahaprabhu, first of all He visited Benares and went to Vrndavana. Then, while coming back, He stayed at Allahabad, Prayag, for ten days for instructing Rupa Goswami. That we have already discussed. Now again He has come back to Benares. So He was staying at Candrasekhara's house, and He was taking His meals at Tapana Misra's house. In the meantime, Sanatana Goswami came to see Him. Sanatana Goswami, after retirement, he had many troubles. He was arrested by the Nawab because Nawab thought him that he was very important hand. "He has now... By sentiment, he's going to Caitanya." So he thought it wise to arrest him. And Sanatana Gosvami had some money, so he bribed the superintendent of jail, and he let him go away. So with great difficulty, he reached Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and he met Caitanya Mahaprabhu at Benares, and for two months he was instructed all the principles of devotional service and different incarnations. We have... Some part of this Sanatana instruction, we have discussed. Again we shall discuss. So this Sanatana Gosvami met at Benares while Caitanya Mahaprabhu was returning back from Vrndavana. We shall discuss this point tomorrow.
Thank you very much. (end)
Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/classes/cc/adi/7/39-47/san_francisco/february/01/1967 Previous: Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 7.8 -- Vrndavana, March 15, 1974 Next: Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 7.49-65 -- San Francisco, February 3, 1967
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