Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya-lila Chapter 4 Verse 147

Madhya-līlā | Chapter 4: Śrī Mādhavendra Puri's Devotional Service

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 4.147

pratiṣṭhāra bhaye purī gelā palāñā

kṛṣṇa-preme pratiṣṭhā cale sańge gaḍāñā

SYNONYMS

pratiṣṭhāra bhaye — in fear of reputation; purī — Mādhavendra Purī; gelā — went away; palāñā — fleeing; kṛṣṇa-preme — in love of Kṛṣṇa; pratiṣṭhā — reputation; cale — goes; sańge — simultaneously; gaḍāñā — gliding down.

TRANSLATION

Being afraid of his reputation [pratiṣṭhā], Mādhavendra Purī fled from Remuṇā. But the reputation brought by love of Godhead is so sublime that it goes along with the devotee, as if following him.

PURPORT

Almost all the conditioned souls within the material world are envious. Jealous people generally turn against one who automatically attains some reputation. This is natural for jealous people. Consequently, when a devotee is fit to receive worldly reputation, he is envied by many people. This is quite natural. When a person, out of humility, does not desire fame, people generally think him quite humble and consequently give him all kinds of fame. Actually a Vaiṣṇava does not hanker after fame or a great reputation. Mādhavendra Purī, the king of Vaiṣṇavas, bore his reputation, but he wanted to keep himself outside of the vision of the general populace. He wanted to cover his real identity as a great devotee of the Lord, but when people saw him overwhelmed in the ecstasy of love of Godhead, they naturally gave credit to him. Actually a first-class reputation is due Mādhavendra Purī because he was a most confidential devotee of the Lord. Sometimes a sahajiyā presents himself as being void of desires for reputation (pratiṣṭhā) in order to become famous as a humble man. Such people cannot actually attain the platform of celebrated Vaiṣṇavas.

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