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As a matter of social etiquette, I am addressed as 'pandita.' Pandita means learned. Learned scholar, he is called pandita

Expressions researched:
"As a matter of social etiquette, I am addressed as 'pandita" |"Pandita means learned. Learned scholar, he is called pandita"

Lectures

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

He says that grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita: And, "As a matter of social etiquette, I am addressed as 'paṇḍita.' " Paṇḍita means learned. Learned scholar, he is called paṇḍita.

Sanātana Gosvāmī, actually he belonged to the brāhmaṇa family. He . . . his forefathers belonged to the Sārasvata brāhmaṇa. There are different sect, Gaura brāhmaṇa and Sārasvata brāhmaṇa. So Sārasvata brāhmaṇa, actually they belonged to the Āryan, ārya-varta, the Punjab side and Kashmir side. They are considered to be high-class brāhmaṇa.

So he belongs to that community. But somehow or other, their forefathers, I mean to say, make their domicile in Bengal because they had some property in Bengal. They were very rich, aristocratic family. And this Sanātana Gosvāmī accepted ministership in the Muhammadan kingdom.

So in those days, amongst the brāhmaṇa community, if any brāhmaṇa would accept service, he becomes at once a śūdra. He becomes at once, because service is meant for the śūdras, not for the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriya and vaiśyas. They would never accept anybody's obligation as service. They will starve. That was the principle. Only the śūdras could accept service. So because this Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī accepted government office—although it was government office, but it was service—so they were outside the brāhmaṇa community.

So all these . . . Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted. Otherwise, at that time social condition was very strict. You have heard the name of Rabindranath Tagore. They were also in that way ostracized. Yes. They were out of brāhmaṇa community. They also belonged to the brāhmaṇa community. So therefore he is presenting himself that nīca jāti. Nīca jāti: "I am lower caste." Why? Now, nīca-saṅgī: "Because my association nīca, my association Muhammadans.

They are not brāhmaṇas. They are not highly qualified. Because my association lower, so I am lower also." And patita: "I have fallen down from the standard of my paternal position." Patita: "I am fallen." Adhama. Adhama means "I am the lowest of the human being."

So of course, because Sanātana Gosvāmī was under certain condition, it is not simply, particularly for this Sanātana Gosvāmī. Everyone, unless he is conscious of his position that he is the lowest, he cannot become the highest. One should not think . . . while approaching a spiritual master, one should not be puffed up with his so-called qualification. He should be a blank slate. That is the... That is the requirement. He should forget. That, whatever nonsense he had learned, he should forget. Otherwise there will be no benefit by approaching spiritual master. He should forget.

If he keeps his personality, "I believe . . . I cannot . . ." oh, there is no necessity. With such nonsense things, nobody should approach a spiritual master. One should become a blank slate. That is the instruction here, that "I am fallen, I am the lowest, and I am lower born. So many things, all good qualification, this is my position." Nīca jāti. And kuviṣaya-kūpe paḍi' goṅāinu janama (CC Madhya 20.99); "I have now wasted my time simply by sense gratification." Viṣaya means āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna (Hitopadeśa 25).

These are called viṣaya, objects of sense gratification: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. These are called viṣaya, and we are engaged only how to eat very nicely, how to sleep very nicely, how to give me protection and how to have nice mating. This is our business.

So Sanātana Gosvāmī says that, "I have simply wasted my time in this way, and my position is this." So therefore, actually, āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni: "Because I am so much fallen, because I have wasted my time in sense gratification, because I am ostracized, because my association is so lower, therefore my position is that I do not know what is actually beneficial to me." Āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni.

Now, Sanātana Gosvāmī was minister, educated. He was a learned scholar in Parsi . . . in Parsi and Sanskrit. So how it is that he is placing himself in that way? Is he, I mean to say, imitating something, such humbleness? But actually he was not. Actually, he was . . . no. Actually he was so. A devotee does not say anything falsely, unless he feels, he feels himself like that. Why does he feel? He was educated. He belonged to the brāhmaṇa, aristocratic family. His association was all nawabs and zamindars, aristocratic family, and still, he says like this. Why? What is the defect, that he felt like that?

Now he is expressing. Āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni: "I do not know what is actually beneficial to me. I am thinking that 'If I am posted in a service like this, and if I have got some aristocratic association, I have got some arrangement for sense gratification . . .' That is materialism. So I have passed my . . . wasted my time in that way. But actually I do not know what is beneficial to me."

So grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita, tāi satya māni. In the Indian system a brāhmaṇa is addressed as "paṇḍita." Perhaps you know Paṇḍita Jawaharlal Nehru. Although he had no brahminical qualification, but because he was born in a brāhmaṇa family, so this title was . . . "Paṇḍita." A brāhmaṇa is addressed as paṇḍita, a kṣatriya is addressed as ṭhākura, and a vaiśya is addressed seth, sethjī, a rich man. The vaiśyas, vaiśyas are generally very rich men. Perhaps you have . . . as you have in your country the Rockefeller, Carnegie and Ford, similarly, in our country we have got many rich men just like Birla, Dalmiya, Bangar, and so many. So they are called sethjī. So sethjī, ṭhākurajī and paṇḍitajī. And the śūdras are called mahājana. Because if they are called śūdra, they will be angry. So mahājana means great personality.

So these are some etiquette for addressing different communities. Amongst the different communities, although they were of such classification, still, there was no enmity. They lived in village although in their position, but the relationship was very friendly, just like brothers, just like brothers actually. Because the culture was religion, culture was this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So they depended on the culture. There was no provincialism, because they depended on culture. So culture is the thing, the Kṛṣṇa conscious, which can . . . even there are materially so many high and low classification, when you come to this culture, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they will be all in the same level.

So he says that grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita: And, "As a matter of social etiquette, I am addressed as 'paṇḍita.' " Paṇḍita means learned. Learned scholar, he is called paṇḍita. Paṇḍita sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18).

You have read in the Bhagavad-gītā: a paṇḍita means he sees everything on equal eye. Why? Because he is brāhmaṇa, he has known what is Brahman and what are these living entities. He has got such knowledge. That is called paṇḍita. So Sanātana Gosvāmī had no such knowledge. At least, he is pretending like that.

So he says that grāmya-vyavahāre kahaye paṇḍita: "By social etiquette I am addressed as 'paṇḍita,' but . . ." Tāi satya māni: "And I also accept that I am paṇḍita." If somebody falsely calls me that "Your Majesty," so it is an insult. It is not honoring him. I am an ordinary man. If somebody calls me "Your Majesty'" so a man who has no qualification, if he is eulogized in that way, that is an insult. But we are so much fool that if somebody calls me "Your Majesty," I shall feel, "Oh, I am Majesty. Yes. I am his Majesty." That is our nature. If some false qualifications is awarded to me, I shall be very glad to accept it. I shall think, "Yes, I am so . . ."

So Sanātana Gosvāmī said that "Actually, I am not paṇḍita, because I do not know what is my benefit, what is beneficial to me. I do not know the goal of my life. I simply wasted my time in sense gratification. I do not know. And still, people say, 'You are paṇḍita,' and I accept it. Just see my position."

This is blank slate, admitting that, "I am fool number one, but people say I am learned, and I accept it." This is our nature. This is called illusion. He will never think that, "I am fool number one." He will always think, "Oh, who can be greater than me? I am the . . . I can think myself. Why? What is the necessity of a spiritual master? I can become a religious leader, I can become such and such, or . . ." this is our mentality.

So this mentality should be sacrificed first, before going to a spiritual master. First of all you have to select who can be your spiritual master. That requires some knowledge. Or you have to behave with a person to understand, "Whether he is fit to become my spiritual master?" Then you should offer yourself to be a student. That is the process, not that all of a sudden you shall go to a person, "Oh, please accept me as my student." No. You should first of all try to understand whether he is actually fit. Then offer yourself.

Page Title:As a matter of social etiquette, I am addressed as 'pandita.' Pandita means learned. Learned scholar, he is called pandita
Compiler:SharmisthaK
Created:2022-11-01, 08:15:44
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1