20201221 Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya Questions Lord Caitanya’s Need for Accepting Sannyāsa (Part 1)

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 21st December 2020 in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, India.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram
hariḥ oṁ tat sat

Introduction: Today we are continuing with the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya book, today is Part 2 of chapter entitled:

Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya Questions Lord Caitanya’s Need for Accepting Sannyāsa PART 2

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.14

eteke tomāra āmi lainu āśraya// tāhā kara' ye-rūpe āmāra bhāla haya/

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya continued, “Therefore I have taken shelter. Do whatever you consider is beneficial for Me.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.15

ki vidhi kariba muñi, thākiba ki-rūpe?/ ye-mate nā paḍoṅ muñi e saṁsāra-kūpe/

Jayapatākā Swami: “What rules and regulations I should do? How should I live? Please instruct Me so that I do not fall into the dark well of material life.” 

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.16

saba upadeśa more kaha amāyāya
`āmi se tomāra hai jāna sarvathāya'

Jayapatākā Swami: “Please instruct Me without any reservation. I am a soul surrendered to you.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.017

ei mate aneka-prakāre māyā kari'
sārvabhauma-prati kahilena gaurahari

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Gaurahari spoke various means to delude Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, while speaking to him.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.018

prabhura māyāya vimohita sārvabhaumera prabhura prati upadeśa—/

nā jāniyā sārvabhauma īśvarera marma
kahite lāgilā ye jīvera yata dharma

Jayapatākā Swami: Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya didn’t understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead's intention,

he began to speak about the religious duties of the conditioned living entities.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.019

sārvabhauma balena,—“kahilā yata tumi
sakala tomāra bhāla vāsilāma āmi

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said,

“Whatever you said,

I liked everything you said

and I love everything about you.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.020 ye tomāra haiyāche bhaktira udaya/ atyanta apūrva se kahile kabhu naya/

Jayapatākā Swami: “The pure devotion which has awakened in You

is certainly most wonderful

and beyond anyone’s description.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.021 kṛṣṇa-kṛpā haiyāche tomāra upare/ sabe eka kariyācha nahe vyavahāre/

Jayapatākā Swami: “Mercy of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is upon you,

but You have done one thing that is not proper.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.022 parama subuddhi tumi haiyā āpane/ tabe tumi sannyāsa karilā ki kāraṇe/

Jayapatākā Swami: “You have great intelligence,

but why did You take sannyāsa?

What was the reason?”

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: Sārvabhauma said,

“O Kṛṣṇa Caitanya,

You have attained Kṛṣṇa's mercy

and You are most intelligent.

So why did You take sannyāsa?

What qualification do You have to take sannyāsa?

You are too young.

Personalities like Mādhavendra Purī have taken sannyāsa,

but they have done so after maturely enjoying

material life.

Before accepting sannyāsa,

You should have particularly considered

that everyone respects a sannyāsī

as a member of the topmost āśrama.

Since You have accepted Vaiṣṇava principles,

which entail becoming humbler

than a blade of grass,

what need was there to become

a candidate for receiving

the highest respect found in social etiquette?

Giving up śikhā

and brāhmaṇa thread is an example of pride.

It is simply the desire to ascend

to the highest level of fame.

A person following Vaiṣṇava principles

should offer obeisances

to a dog, a dog-eater,

a cow, and an ass,

and he should not

accept respect from anyone.

Māyāvādī sannyāsīs in particular

consider themselves equal to the Supreme Lord,

who is the creator, maintainer,

and annihilator.

Therefore, they are unworthy sons

and foolish.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was questioning why the Lord Caitanya accepted sannyāsa,

not understanding that this was His pastime, and He is Supreme Personality of Godhead.

In the ordinary etiquette,

one will take sannyāsa after being elderly,

but He left His household life and took sannyāsa at a young age.

that’s why Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya questioning,

what was the need for him to take sannyāsa?

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 12.13:

Sārvabhauma thought to himself,

“This great person, chief of men,

took sannyāsa at a young age

for he has this appearance.

There is no need to think further.

It is not difficult for you to conclude.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 12.14: “He is attractive to the whole world,

with many signs of a great person.

How can he spend his time

maintaining the conduct of a sannyāsa?”

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 12.15: “Though born in a great family,

this person shows his young age.

How can he maintain the difficult post

of a sannyāsa in Kali-yuga?

It is very difficult.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Actually, in Kali-yuga, we see that many people find it very difficult to maintain the sannyāsa order.

Of course, Lord Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa Himself

so He can do anything He wants

but ordinary people would find it difficult to maintain sannyāsa at a very young age

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.16.220 mahāvaṁśe janma nyāsī supaṇḍita jana / taruṇa-vayase nahe sannyāsa-karaṇa/

Jayapatākā Swami: He is from an exalted family.

He is a learned panḍita,

and now He is a sannyāsī.

Still, a man so young

has no reason to accept sannyāsa.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.16.221 e samaye anucita sannyāsera dharma / nā bujhiyā kaila dvija etabaḍa karma/

Jayapatākā Swami: At this age at this time of life it is improper to accept the sannyāsa dharma.

Unaware of this truth,

this brāhmaṇa has done a very big action.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.023 sārvabhauma-kartṛka vaiṣṇavera sannyāsa grahaṇera niṣprayojanīyatā-pratipādana—/

bujha dekhi vicāriyā ki āche sannyāse/ prathamei baddha haya ahaṅkāra-pāśe/

Jayapatākā Swami: “Just consider, what is the use of accepting sannyāsa?

First one immediately becomes bound by the ropes of false ego.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.024 daṇḍa dhari' mahā-jñāna haya āpanāre// kāhāreo bale yoḍa-hasta nāhi kare/

Jayapatākā Swami: “One who carries a sannyāsa daṇḍa

considers himself a great person

and does not

fold his hands in respect

to anyone.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.025 yāra pada-dhūli laite vedera vihita/ hena jane namaskare, tabu nahe bhīta/

Jayapatākā Swami: “That a person who the Vedas say that is worthy of taking dust from their lotus feet

even then a sannyāsī

is not afraid to accept obeisances from such a personality.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.026 ahaṅkāra dharma ei kabhu bhāla nahe/ bujha ei bhāgavate yena mata kahe/

Jayapatākā Swami: “Any false ego is never good.

Try to understand the words of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,

the way we should act, in this regard.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.027 vaiṣṇava-dharma ki?—/

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.29.16/ praṇamed daṇḍa-vad bhūmāv//

ā-śva-cāṇḍāla-go-kharam/ praviṣṭo jīva-kalayā //

tatraiva bhagavān iti /

Realizing that the Supreme Personality of Godhead

has entered the body

of every living entity as the Supersoul,

one should offer obeisances before all

—even the dogs, outcastes,

cows, and asses

—falling flat upon the ground like a rod.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the devotees of the Lord can offer obeisances to every living entity

seeing that the Supersoul is present there.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.028 “brāhmaṇādi kukkura caṇḍāla anta kari’/ daṇḍavat karibeka bahu mānya kari’ /

Jayapatākā Swami: “With great respect, offer prostrated obeisances

to the brāhmaṇas, other living entities,

dogs, and dog-eaters

and others.”

Purport by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.29.34) it is stated:

“Such a perfect devotee offers respects to every living entity because he is under the firm conviction that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has entered the body of every living entity as the Supersoul, or controller.”

In Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Antya 20.25) it is stated: “Although a Vaiṣṇava is the most exalted person, he is prideless and gives all respect to everyone, knowing everyone to be the resting place of Kṛṣṇa.”

Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.029

ei se vaiṣṇava-dharma-sabāre praṇati
sei dharmadhvajī, yāra ithe nāhi rati

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the Vaiṣṇava etiquette is to offer respects to everyone, but one who is not following the religious people has no attachment for this prescription. Anyway, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya is giving his consideration of negative aspects of taking sannyāsa, being a sannyāsī one offers no one respects and often Māyāvādī thinks themselves as the Supreme Lord. So, he is expressing his apprehension that Lord Caitanya may become in this way, by having accepting sannyāsa at an early age. So, of course, he doesn’t know about Lord Caitanya, although He is having these ideas, we could see that Lord Caitanya was actually in love for Kṛṣṇa, so these things are not applicable for Lord Caitanya.