Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 10.13

vaiṣṇavera ei haya eka svabhāva niścala

teńho jīva nahena, hana svatantra īśvara

SYNONYMS

vaiṣṇavera — of great devotees; ei — this; haya — is; eka — one; svabhāva — nature; niścala — unflinching; teńho — He; jīva — conditioned soul; nahena — is not; hana — is; svatantra — independent; īśvara — controller.

TRANSLATION

"A Vaiṣṇava travels to places of pilgrimage to purify them and reclaim fallen conditioned souls. This is one of the duties of a Vaiṣṇava. Actually, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not a living entity but the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. Consequently, He is a fully independent controller, yet in His position as a devotee, He carries out the activities of a devotee."

PURPORT

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura points out that because there are many permanent residents in holy places who do not precisely follow the rules and regulations governing living in a sacred place, exalted devotees have to go to these places to reclaim such persons. This is the business of a Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava is unhappy to see others materially enmeshed. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught these activities of a Vaiṣṇava although He is the worshipable Deity of all Vaiṣṇavas, the complete and independent Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-muktaḥ — complete, completely uncontaminated and eternally liberated. He is sanātana, for He has no beginning or end.

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