Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya-lila Chapter 17 Verse 179

Madhya-līlā | Chapter 17: The Lord Travels to Vṛndāvana

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 17.179

yadyapi 'sanoḍiyā' haya seita brāhmaṇa

sanoḍiyā-ghare sannyāsī nā kare bhojana

SYNONYMS

yadyapi — although; sanoḍiyā — a priest of the Sanoḍiyā community; haya — was; seita — that; brāhmaṇa — brāhmaṇa; sanoḍiyā-ghare — in the house of a Sanoḍiyā (goldsmith); sannyāsī — a person in the renounced order of life; nā kare bhojana — does not accept food.

TRANSLATION

The brāhmaṇa belonged to the Sanoḍiyā brāhmaṇa community, and a sannyāsī does not accept food from such a brāhmaṇa.

PURPORT

In northwestern India, vaiśyas are divided into various subdivisions. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura points out that they are divided as Āgarwālā, Kālawāra and Sānwāḍa. Out of them, the Āgarwālās are said to be first-class vaiśyas, and the Kālawāras and Sānwāḍas are considered lower due to their occupational degradation. The Kālawāras generally take wine and other intoxicants. Although they are vaiśyas, they are considered to belong to a lower class. The priests who guide the Kālawāras and the Sānwāḍas are called Sanoḍiyā brāhmaṇas. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura states that the word sānoyāḍa in Bengal indicates suvarṇa-vaṇik. In Bengal there are priests who guide the suvarṇa-vaṇik community, which is also considered a low class. There is little difference between the Sānwāḍas and the suvarṇa-vaṇiks. Generally the suvarṇa-vaṇiks are bankers dealing in gold and silver. In western India, the Āgarwālās also belong to the banking profession. This is the original business of the suvarṇa-vaṇik or Āgarwālā community. Historically, the Āgarwālās came from the up-country named Ayodha, and the suvarṇa-vaṇik community also came from Ayodha. It therefore appears that the suvarṇa-vaṇiks and the Āgarwālās belong to the same community. The Sanoḍiyā brāhmaṇas were the guides of the Kālawāras and Sānwāḍas. They are therefore considered to be lower-class brāhmaṇas, and a sannyāsī is not allowed to take alms or food from them. However, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted lunch cooked by a Sanoḍiyā brāhmaṇa simply because he belonged to Mādhavendra Purī's community. Śrīla Mādhavendra Purī was the spiritual master of Īśvara Purī, who was the spiritual master of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Thus a spiritual relationship is established on the spiritual platform, without consideration of material inferiority or superiority.

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