20241008 Śrī Caitanya Śikṣāmṛta 2.3. Qualification for Karma and Caste Consideration

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Second Shower — Consideration of secondary rules

Respect according to status

Respecting people according to status is a basic etiquette. This is called respect (maryādā). The fault of mahat-atikrama (violation of great souls) happens due to breaking the etiquette of respect. leads to great guilt. Respect is to be given in the following order written below. Just as normally everyone should respect humans. More respect than that should be given to the human who has the position. In this way, gradually increasing the respect, devotees are to be respected more than anything else. By this rule the respect of the brāhmaṇa and the Vaiṣṇava is observed everywhere;

1. A human being is to be respected.

2. The respect as per civilization.

3. Respect the position. Within this is respecting king.

4. Respect the education.

5. Respect the good qualities.

6. Respect varṇa (caste). Within this is respecting brāhmaṇa.

7. Respect āśrama. Within this is respecting sannyāsī.

8. Respect devotion. Within this is respecting Vaiṣṇava

It belongs to the Vaiṣṇava tradition.

It should be understood that from respecting the position the king is honored, from respecting the education the scholars are honored, From respecting varṇa (caste) brāhmaṇa is honored, from respecting āśrama sannyāsī is honored, and from respecting the devotion, devoted person is honored.

13. ījyā

The name of pūjā to the Lord is ījyā. It is an action that produces piety for everyone. Among all the rules, ījyā should be known as the main one.

14. Steadfastness in one’s qualification (adhikāra–niṣṭhā)

There is a difference in the form of ījyā depending on the qualification. Good deeds are pious (puṇya) and bad deeds are sin. Karma, akarma and vikarma have been distinguished in the scriptures. Just the puṇya-karma is ‘karma’. That which if not done is a fault is called ‘akarma’. The name of sin is ‘vikarma’. Karma is of three types: nitya (daily constant obligatory), naimittika (occasional ritualistic) and kāmya (desirable for sense gratification). Kāmya-karma is to be abandoned. Nitya and naimittika actions are to be accepted and followed. Worshiping God is nitya-karma. Offering tarpaṇa to the pitṛs and so on naimittika.*

Jayapataka Swami: So, Śrīla Prabhupāda used this maryāda-atikrama. That if you initiate without receiving the order from the guru, that is called maryāda-atikrama. So one does things according to the order of the guru. So Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, in his presence nobody initiated. But some disciples went to the West and Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura told them they could initiate. So the order of guru is above other things. Like Govinda dāsa, he was a godbrother of Lord Caitanya. Normally, godbrothers, they don’t serve their godbrothers. But since the guru of Govinda dāsa told him to serve Lord Caitanya, then he was more serious to follow the order of his guru. So Lord Caitanya then, since he got that order, so He accepted his service.

Here Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura gave a system for offering respect to others. To offer respect to all humans. And respect as per civilization. Respect one’s position, within this is respecting the king. Now say if someone is an MLA or MP or minister, then accordingly you offer them respect. I am saying the Indian titles. But I don’t know what the titles are in other countries. Like, a governor is addressed as ‘Your Excellency’. A Chief Minister is addressed as ‘Most Honorable’. Ordinary minister is addressed as ‘Honorable’. So for each person there is some etiquette. So we follow this, this is in a general sense as you go down.

So some of these things are just etiquette. They are like a protocol in the material world. But if we know and offer them proper respect then it is good for us.

Ijya: You see we would hope that people will honor and respect the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Bhagavad-gītā talks about karma, akarma and vikarma. So good deeds are called karma. What do you think? Bad deeds are sins. And akarma there is no reaction.

So pious activities are of three types. In Bhiṣma-Pañcaka, we offer tarpaṇa to Bhiṣmadeva. He was a nitya-brahmacārī, he had no offspring. So we offer tarpaṇa for him because he had no children, we are adopting him as our father. That is for our benefit. He does not need us.

Note: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam11.19.23

iṣṭaṁ dattaṁ hutaṁ japtaṁ
mad-arthaṁ yad vrataṁ tapaḥ

performing all desirable activities such as charity, sacrifice, chanting, vows and austerities with the purpose of achieving Me

Jayapataka Swami: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare!

So we do this with the purpose of pleasing Kṛṣṇa. Even some material respect, we just offer it with the purpose of pleasing Kṛṣṇa. So these things are done in a civilized world. But people who are devoted, we consider them more advanced. But we offer respect to all the others. Like someone came to see our dialysis machine and he was some Banerjee. So I said, “Oh! You are a brāhmaṇa!” He got humbled! So to know what one’s position in the society, that is appreciated. But today’s brāhmaṇas may not actually follow all the rules. So we don’t know, they may, maybe not. So we do all these things to achieve Kṛṣṇa.

In the 18^th chapter of Bhagavad-gītā it says never give up charities or sacrifice. So here also in the verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it also mentions charity, vows and austerities with the purpose of achieving Kṛṣṇa. Haribol!

Question: How can I realize at my level that God loves me if I have never felt it?

Jayapataka Swami: Actually Kṛṣṇa, Lord Caitanya loves everyone and I give many examples, you cannot live one second without His mercy. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Kṛṣṇe matir astu!