Caitanya Caritamrta Adi Lila 7.66-76

Harer Nama Kevalam Sole Path in Kali

📅 February 8, 1967 📍 San Francisco ⏱ 25 min
In Kali-yuga, the humble chanting of Hare Krishna supersedes complex Vedantic philosophy for the masses.
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Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.66–76 — February 8, 1967, San Francisco 670208CC-SAN FRANCISCO [25:31 Minutes] Prabhupāda: Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, they are now together. Now there will be discussion. Now Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, he [is] asking Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "I think Your name is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, and You are disciple..., You have accepted this renounced order of life from Keśava Bhāratī." As I've explained to you that there are ten different names in the Śaṅkara-sampradāya of the sannyāsī, and there are 108 names amongst the Vaiṣṇava sannyāsa. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, although He was initiated by Vaiṣṇava, He took sannyāsa, He accepted sannyāsa, from Bhāratī, who belongs to the Śaṅkara-sampradāya, Śaṅkara sect. The rule is that if one has to accept renounced order of life, there is ceremony.

As there is ceremony of initiation, there is ceremony of accepting this renounced order of life. And that ceremony must be performed by another bona fide, I mean to..., sannyāsī, renounced order. It is not that you take your cloth and get it colored and one day you become a sannyāsī. No.

There are ceremonies. So 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.

ChantingSpiritual MasterImpersonalismKrishna ConsciousnessJnanaBhakti
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