Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Adi-lila Chapter 17 Verse 266

Ādi-līlā | Chapter 17: The Pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His Youth

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Ādi 17.266

praṇatite ha'be ihāra aparādha kṣaya

nirmala hṛdaye bhakti karāiba udaya

SYNONYMS

praṇatite — by offering obeisances; ha'be — there will be; ihāra — of such offenders; aparādha — the offenses; kṣaya — destruction; nirmala — pure; hṛdaye — in the heart; bhakti — devotional service; karāiba — I shall cause; udaya — the rising.

TRANSLATION

"Offering obeisances will relieve them of all the reactions to their offenses. Then, by My grace, devotional service [bhakti] will awaken in their pure hearts.

PURPORT

According to the Vedic injunctions, only a brāhmaṇa may be offered sannyāsa. The Śańkara-sampradāya (ekadaṇḍa-sannyāsa-sampradāya) awards the sannyāsa order only to caste brāhmaṇas, or born brāhmaṇas, but in the Vaiṣṇava system even one not born in a brāhmaṇa family may be made a brāhmaṇa according to the direction of the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaḿ jāyate nṛṇām). Any person from any part of the world may be made a brāhmaṇa by the regular process of initiation, and when he follows brahminical behavior, observing the principle of abstaining from intoxication, illicit sex, meat-eating and gambling, he may be offered sannyāsa. All the sannyāsīs in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, who are preaching all over the world, are regular brāhmaṇa-sannyāsīs. Thus the so-called caste brāhmaṇas should not object to offering them respectful obeisances. By offering such obeisances, as recommended by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they will diminish their offenses and automatically awaken to their natural position of devotional service. As it is said, nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema sādhya kabhu naya: [Cc. madhya 22.107] kṛṣṇa-prema can be awakened in a purified heart. The more we offer obeisances to sannyāsīs, especially Vaiṣṇava sannyāsīs, the more we diminish our offenses and purify our hearts. Only in a purified heart can kṛṣṇa-prema awaken. This is the process of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cult, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

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