Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Sri Caitanya Caritamrita Madhya 15.243

tumi ta' isvara, muni -- kshudra jiva chara

eka-grasa madhukari karaha angikara

SYNONYMS

tumi -- You; ta' -- certainly; isvara -- the Supreme Personality of Godhead; muni -- I; kshudra jiva -- insignificant living being; chara -- worthless; eka-grasa -- one small quantity; madhu-kari -- as collected by the bees; karaha -- please do; angikara -- accept.

TRANSLATION

"You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whereas I am a most insignificant living being. Therefore please accept a little quantity of food from my house."

PURPORT

A sannyasi is expected to collect a little food from each and every householder. That is to say, he should take whatever he requires to eat. This system is called madhukari. The word madhukari comes from the word madhukara and means "honey-collecting bees." Bees collect a little honey from each flower, but all these small quantities of honey accumulate to become a beehive. Sannyasis should collect a little from each and every householder and should eat simply what is necessary to maintain the body. Being a sannyasi, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu could collect a little food from the house of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, and this was the Bhattacarya's request. Compared to the food eaten by the Lord on other occasions, the Bhattacarya's feast was not even a morsel. This is what the Bhattacarya is pointing out to the Lord.

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