Madhya-lilaChapter 12: The Cleansing of the Gundica Temple

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Sri Caitanya Caritamrita Madhya 12.127

ei aparadhe mora kahan habe gati

tomara 'gaudiya' kare eteka phaijati!

SYNONYMS

ei aparadhe -- by such an offense; mora -- of Me; kahan -- where; habe -- will be; gati -- destination; tomara gaudiya -- your Bengali Vaishnava; kare -- does; eteka -- such; phaijati -- implication.

TRANSLATION

"I now do not know what My destination is because of this offense. Indeed, your Bengali Vaishnava has greatly implicated Me."

PURPORT

It is significant that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu told Svarupa Damodara Gosvami that the Bengali Vaishnava was "your Gaudiya Vaishnava." This means that all Gaudiya Vaishnavas who are followers of the Caitanya cult are subordinate to Svarupa Damodara Gosvami. The parampara system is very strictly observed by Gaudiya Vaishnavas. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's personal secretary was Svarupa Damodara Gosvami. The next group of devotees was the six Gosvamis, then Kaviraja Gosvami. It is necessary to observe the parampara system of the Caitanya cult. There are many offenses one can commit while serving the Lord, and these are described in the Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, Hari-bhakti-vilasa and other books. According to the rules and regulations, no one should accept obeisances in the temple of the Lord before the Deity. Nor is it proper for a devotee to offer obeisances and touch the feet of the spiritual master before the Deity. This is considered an offense. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself was personally the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore it was not actually offensive to wash His lotus feet in the temple. However, because He was playing the part of an acarya, the Lord considered Himself an ordinary human being. He also wanted to give instructions to ordinary human beings. The point is that even though one plays the part of a spiritual master, he should not accept obeisances or permit a disciple to wash his feet before the Deity. This is a matter of etiquette.

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