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Prakasananda Sarasvati asked Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Why do you follow this sentimentalism, chanting and dancing? You are a . . . and some of the foolish persons, who have no knowledge, they also follow You. What is this

Expressions researched:
"Prakasananda Sarasvati asked Caitanya Mahaprabhu" |"Why do you follow this sentimentalism, chanting and dancing? You are a . . . and some of the foolish persons, who have no knowledge, they also follow You. What is this"

Lectures

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī asked Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "Why do you follow this sentimentalism, chanting and dancing? You are a . . . and some of the foolish persons, who have no knowledge, they also follow You. What is this?" Vedānta-paṭhana, dhyāna,—sannyāsīra dharma (CC Adi 7.69): "You have taken sannyāsa, renounced order of life. Your duty is to study Vedānta always and meditate." Tāhā chāḍi' kara kene bhāvukera . . . "And You have given up all these procedure, and You are simply chanting and dancing?".

Caitanya Mahāprabhu took sannyāsa from Keśava Bhāratī. This Keśava Bhāratī belonged to Śaṅkara-sampradāya. Therefore Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī also belonged to Śaṅkara-sampradāya. So he's asking that, "I understand that Your name is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya."

Now, there are different kinds of names of brahmacārī also under the guidance of a sannyāsī. So the person who is under the guidance of Bhāratī, the brahmacārī's name is Caitanya. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, although He took sannyāsa, He did not change His brahmacārī name. That is also very significant. Because in the Māyāvādī sannyāsa, as soon as they take sannyāsa, they think that "I have become Nārāyaṇa." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, although He was regularly a sannyāsī, He did not change His name of brahmacārī. That means brahmacārī is meant for serving the spiritual master, so He continued to be a servitor. That is the significance.

So Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī is asking that, "You are a sannyāsī of our sampradāya because You have accepted renounced order from Bharati. So what is the reason that You do not mix with us?" That is his first question. "And another complaint is that You are a sannyāsī. You should devote Your time in discussing philosophy, Sāṅkhya philosophy, and Vedānta-sūtra. You should learn. You should understand why You have taken sannyāsa. And what is this, that You are simply dancing and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare?" This was his first question. Yes.

And Caitanya Mahāprabhu was simply dancing and chanting. This is the specific contribution of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Because, amongst the Māyāvādī sannyāsī, dancing and chanting is considered to be material. So that is also, they take, it is also one kind of sense gratification. So sannyāsa means they should stop sense gratification. So this is also, according to them, sense gratification, because they took it as ordinary singing.

So Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī asked Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "Why do you follow this sentimentalism, chanting and dancing? You are a . . . and some of the foolish persons, who have no knowledge, they also follow You. What is this?" Vedānta-paṭhana, dhyāna,—sannyāsīra dharma (CC Adi 7.69): "You have taken sannyāsa, renounced order of life. Your duty is to study Vedānta always and meditate." Tāhā chāḍi' kara kene bhāvukera . . . "And You have given up all these procedure, and You are simply chanting and dancing?"

Prabhāve dekhiye tomā sākṣāt nārāyaṇa (CC Adi 7.70). "So far I see You, from Your bodily features, oh, You appear to be very glorious. You are very intelligent." Because He was boy. Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī was very elderly, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu was only twenty-four years old. So he's appreciating that, "From Your face it appears that You are very learned, advanced. And why do You indulge in this sentimentalism?" This is very important question, and answer you should know. This saṅkīrtana movement . . . hīnācāra kara kene, ithe ki kāraṇa: "So this is not deserving to a sannyāsī."

prabhu kahe-śuna, śrīpāda, ihāra kāraṇa
guru more mūrkha dehki' karila śāsana
(CC Adi 7.71)

"Yes. You are right, My dear Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. You are right. But there is reason why do I do it. Now I can explain to you. When I took sannyāsa from My Guru Mahārāja, from My spiritual master, he found Me a rascal and fool number one, rascal." So guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana: "So, because he found Me a foolish person, therefore he has chastised Me."

Why? What is that? "He said mūrkha tumi: 'You are foolish. You have no education. You are illiterate.' " Tomāra nāhika vedāntādhikāra (CC Adi 7.72): "'It is not possible for You to understand Vedānta.'" 'Kṛṣṇa-mantra' japa sadā—ei mantra-sāra:" 'Therefore, You simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. That will make You all right.'"

Now here is the point, that was Caitanya Mahāprabhu a foolish person? No. He was not a foolish person. In His childhood He was known as Nimāi Pandit, the greatest learned man. Even when He was sixteen years old, He defeated another very learned fellow from Kashmir. So He was reputed scholar, and He was known. And Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī knew it that Caitanya Mahāprabhu, even in His gṛhastha āśrama or in His householder life, He was a teacher of nyāya, logic, and He's great learned man. He knew it.

But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that, "My spiritual master found Me a rascal, a fool. Therefore he said that 'You have no chance for understanding Vedānta. Therefore You take to this principle: chant simply Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare.' " What is this purpose of presenting Himself as fool and rascal? The idea is that in this age, 99.9% are fools and rascals; therefore it is very difficult for them to understand what is the purpose of Vedānta. He's representing Himself as one of the fools and rascals.

Page Title:Prakasananda Sarasvati asked Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Why do you follow this sentimentalism, chanting and dancing? You are a . . . and some of the foolish persons, who have no knowledge, they also follow You. What is this
Compiler:SharmisthaK
Created:2022-09-10, 15:45:27
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1