Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Sri Caitanya Caritamrita Adi 5.232

se saba painu ami vrindavane aya

sei saba labhya ei prabhura kripaya

SYNONYMS

se saba -- all this; painu -- got; ami -- I; vrindavane -- to Vrindavana; aya -- coming; sei saba -- all this; labhya -- obtainable; ei -- this; prabhura kripaya -- by the mercy of Lord Nityananda.

TRANSLATION

I have attained all this by coming to Vrindavana, and this was made possible by the mercy of Lord Nityananda.

PURPORT

All the inhabitants of Vrindavana are Vaishnavas. They are all-auspicious because somehow or other they always chant the holy name of Krishna. Even though some of them do not strictly follow the rules and regulations of devotional service, on the whole they are devotees of Krishna and chant His name directly or indirectly. Purposely or without purpose, even when they pass on the street they are fortunate enough to exchange greetings by saying the name of Radha or Krishna. Thus directly or indirectly they are auspicious.

The present city of Vrindavana has been established by the Gaudiya Vaishnavas since the six Gosvamis went there and directed the construction of their different temples. Of all the temples in Vrindavana, ninety percent belong to the Gaudiya Vaishnava sect, the followers of the teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda, and seven temples are very famous. The inhabitants of Vrindavana do not know anything but the worship of Radha and Krishna. In recent years some unscrupulous so-called priests known as caste gosvamis have introduced the worship of demigods privately, but no genuine and rigid Vaishnavas participate in this. Those who are serious about the Vaishnava method of devotional activities do not take part in such worship of demigods.

The Gaudiya Vaishnavas never differentiate between Radha-Krishna and Lord Caitanya. They say that since Lord Caitanya is the combined form of Radha-Krishna, He is not different from Radha and Krishna. But some misled people try to prove that they are greatly elevated by saying that they like to chant the holy name of Lord Gaura instead of the names of Radha and Krishna. Thus they purposely differentiate between Lord Caitanya and Radha-Krishna. According to them, the system of nadiya-nagari, which they have recently invented in their fertile brains, is the worship of Gaura, Lord Caitanya, but they do not like to worship Radha and Krishna. They put forward the argument that since Lord Caitanya Himself appeared as Radha and Krishna combined, there is no necessity of worshiping Radha and Krishna. Such differentiation by so-called devotees of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is considered disruptive by pure devotees. Anyone who differentiates between Radha-Krishna and Gauranga is to be considered a plaything in the hands of maya.

There are others who are against the worship of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, thinking Him mundane. But any sect that differentiates between Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Radha-Krishna, either by worshiping Radha-Krishna as distinct from Lord Caitanya or by worshiping Lord Caitanya but not Radha-Krishna, is in the group of prakrita-sahajiyas.

Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, the author of Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, predicts in verses 225 and 226 that in the future those who manufacture imaginary methods of worship will gradually give up the worship of Radha-Krishna, and although they will call themselves devotees of Lord Caitanya, they will also give up the worship of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and fall down into material activities. For the real worshipers of Lord Caitanya, the ultimate goal of life is to worship Sri Sri Radha and Krishna.

<<< >>>

Copyright (c) The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness