Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Sri Caitanya Caritamrita Madhya 6.127

sannyasira dharma lagi' sravana matra kari

tumi yei artha kara, bujhite na pari"

SYNONYMS

sannyasira -- of one in the renounced order of life; dharma -- the occupation; lagi' -- for the matter of; sravana -- hearing; matra -- only; kari -- I do; tumi -- you; yei -- whatever; artha -- meaning; kara -- present; bujhite -- to understand; na -- not; pari -- I am able.

TRANSLATION

"Only for the sake of executing the duties of the renounced order of sannyasa do I listen. Unfortunately, I cannot in the least understand the meaning you are presenting."

PURPORT

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu presented Himself as if He were a sannyasi in name only or, in other words, a number-one fool. Mayavadi sannyasis in India are very much accustomed to declaring themselves jagad-gurus, teachers of the world, although they have no information of the outside world and are limited in their experience to a small town or village, or perhaps to the country of India. Nor do such sannyasis have sufficient education. Unfortunately, at the present moment there are many foolish sannyasis, both in India and elsewhere, who simply read and study Vedic literature without understanding the purports. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu was having His discussion with the Chand Kazi, the Muslim magistrate of Navadvipa, He recited a verse from the Vedic literature to the effect that the order of sannyasa is prohibited in this Age of Kali. Only those who are very serious and who follow the regulative principles and study Vedic literature should accept sannyasa. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu approved of a sannyasi's reading the Vedanta-sutra, or Brahma-sutra, but He did not approve the Sariraka commentary of Sankaracarya. Indeed, He said elsewhere, mayavadi-bhashya sunile haya sarva-nasa: "If one hears the Sariraka-bhashya of Sankaracarya, he is doomed." Thus a sannyasi, a transcendentalist, must read the Vedanta-sutra regularly, but he should not read the Sariraka-bhashya. This is the conclusion of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The real commentary on the Vedanta-sutra is Srimad-Bhagavatam. Artho 'yam brahma-sutranam: Srimad-Bhagavatam is the original commentary on the Vedanta-sutra, written by the author himself, Srila Vyasadeva.

<<< >>>

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