Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmrita Ādi 7.67

sāmpradāyika sannyāsī tumi, raha ei grāme

ki kārane āmā-sabāra nā kara darśane

SYNONYMS

sāmpradāyika — of the community; sannyāsī — Māyāvādī sannyāsī; tumi — You are; raha — live; ei — this; grāme — in Vārānasī; ki kārane — for what reason; āmā-sabāra — with us; nā — do not; kara — endeavor; darśane — to mix.

TRANSLATION

"You belong to our Śańkara-sampradāya and live in our village, Vārānasī. Why then do You not associate with us? Why is it that You avoid even seeing us?

PURPORT

A Vaishnava sannyāsī or a Vaishnava in the second stage of advancement in spiritual knowledge can understand four principles — namely, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the devotees, the innocent and the jealous — and he behaves differently with each. He tries to increase his love for Godhead, make friendship with devotees and preach Krishna consciousness among the innocent, but he avoids the jealous who are envious of the Krishna consciousness movement. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself exemplified such behavior, and this is why Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī inquired why He did not associate or even talk with them. Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirmed by example that a preacher of the Krishna consciousness movement generally should not waste his time talking with Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, but when there are arguments on the basis of śāstra, a Vaishnava must come forward to talk and defeat them in philosophy.

According to Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, only one who takes sannyāsa in the disciplic succession from Śańkarācārya is a Vedic sannyāsī. Sometimes it is challenged that the sannyāsīs who are preaching in the Krishna consciousness movement are not genuine because they do not belong to brāhmana families, for Māyāvādīs do not offer sannyāsa to one who does not belong to a brāhmana family by birth. Unfortunately, however, they do not know that at present everyone is born a śūdra (kalau śūdra-sambhavah). It is to be understood that there are no brāhmanas in this age because those who claim to be brāhmanas simply on the basis of birthright do not have the brahminical qualifications. However, even if one is born in a non-brāhmana family, if he has the brahminical qualifications he should be accepted as a brāhmana, as confirmed by Śrīla Nārada Muni and the great saint Śrīdhara Svāmī. This is also stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Both Nārada and Śrīdhara Svāmī completely agree that one cannot be a brāhmana by birthright but must possess the qualities of a brāhmana. Thus in our Krishna consciousness movement we never offer the sannyāsa order to a person whom we do not find to be qualified in terms of the prescribed brahminical principles. Although it is a fact that unless one is a brāhmana he cannot become a sannyāsī, it is not a valid principle that an unqualified man who is born in a brāhmana family is a brāhmana whereas a brahminically qualified person born in a non-brāhmana family cannot be accepted. The Krishna consciousness movement strictly follows the injunctions of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, avoiding misleading heresy and manufactured conclusions.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness