Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Antya 13.37

dūre rahi' bhakti kariha sańge nā rahibā

tāń-sabāra ācāra-ceṣṭā la-ite nāribā

SYNONYMS

dūre rahi' — keeping apart; bhakti kariha — show devotion; sańge — in association; nā rahibā — do not stay; tāń-sabāra — their; ācāra — behavior; ceṣṭā — endeavors; la-ite nāribā — you cannot take up.

TRANSLATION

"Do not mix freely with the residents of Mathurā; show them respect from a distance. Because you are on a different platform of devotional service, you cannot adopt their behavior and practices.

PURPORT

The residents of Vṛndāvana and Mathurā are devotees of Kṛṣṇa in parental affection, and their feelings always conflict with the opinions of smārta-brāhmaṇas. Devotees who worship Kṛṣṇa in opulence cannot understand the parental devotional feelings of the residents of Mathurā and Vṛndāvana, who follow the path of spontaneous love. Devotees on the platform of vidhi-mārga (regulative devotional principles) may misunderstand the activities of those on the platform of rāga-mārga (devotional service in spontaneous love). Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructed Jagadānanda Paṇḍita to remain apart from the residents of Vṛndāvana, who were spontaneous devotees, so as not to become disrespectful toward them.

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