Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmrita Madhya 7.69

"ghare krishna bhaji' more kariha āśīrvāde

nīlācale āsi' yena tomāra prasāde"

SYNONYMS

ghare — at home; krishna — Lord Krishna; bhaji' — worshiping; more — unto Me; kariha — do; āśīrvāde — blessing; nīlācale — at Jagannātha Purī; āsi' — returning; yena — so that; tomāra — your; prasāde — by the mercy.

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked the Bhattācārya to bless Him while he engaged in the devotional service of Lord Krishna at home, so that by Sārvabhauma's mercy the Lord could return to Jagannātha Purī.

PURPORT

The word kariha āśīrvāde means "continue to bestow your blessings upon Me." Being a sannyāsī, Caitanya Mahāprabhu was in the fourth order of life and was thus due all respect and adoration, whereas Sārvabhauma Bhattācārya, as a householder, was in the second order. A sannyāsī is supposed to offer blessings to a grihastha, yet now, by His practical behavior, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu requested the blessings of a grihastha. This incident shows the special significance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching. He gave equal status to everyone, regardless of material considerations. His movement is thoroughly spiritual. Although apparently a grihastha (householder), Sārvabhauma Bhattācārya was unlike the so-called karmīs interested in sense gratification. After being initiated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Bhattācārya was perfectly situated in the spiritual order; therefore it was quite possible for him to offer blessings even to a sannyāsī. He was always engaged in the service of the Lord, even at home. In our disciplic line we have the example of a perfect householder paramahamsa — Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Thākura. In his book Śaranāgati, Bhaktivinoda Thākura states, ye-dina grihe, bhajana dekhi', grihete goloka bhāya (Śaranāgati 31.6). Whenever a householder glorifies the Supreme Lord in his home, his activities are immediately transformed into the activities of Goloka Vrindāvana, spiritual activities taking place in the Goloka Vrindāvana planet of Krishna. Activities exhibited by Krishna Himself at Bhauma Vrindāvana, the Vrindāvana-dhāma existing on this planet, are not different from His activities on the planet Goloka Vrindāvana. This is proper realization of Vrindāvana anywhere. In our Krishna consciousness movement we inaugurated the New Vrindāvana activities, wherein devotees are always engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, and this is not different from Goloka Vrindāvana. The conclusion is that one who acts strictly in the line of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is competent to offer blessings to sannyāsīs, even though he be a grihastha householder. Although he is in an exalted position, a sannyāsī still must elevate himself to the transcendental platform by rendering service to the Lord. By His actual behavior, Caitanya Mahāprabhu begged the blessings of Sārvabhauma Bhattācārya. In this way He set the example of how one should expect blessings from a Vaishnava regardless of his social position.

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