322
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta
[Antya-līlā, Ch. 3]
SYNONYMS
tumi khāile —if you eat;  haya —there is;  koṭi-brāhmaṇa-bhojana —feeding ten million  brāhmaṇas ;  eta bali —saying this;  śrāddha-pātra —the dish offered to the forefathers;  karāilā bhojana —made to eat.
TRANSLATION
“Feeding you is equal to feeding ten million brāhmaṇas,” Advaita Ācārya said. “Therefore, accept this śrāddha-pātra.” Thus Advaita Ācārya made him eat.
PURPORT
Śrāddha  is  prasāda  offered to the forefathers at a certain date of the year or month. The  śrāddha-pātra , or plate offered to the forefathers, is then offered to the best of the  brāhmaṇas  in society. Instead of offering the  śrāddha-pātra  to any other  brāhmaṇa , Advaita Ācārya offered it to Haridāsa Thākura, considering him greater than any of the foremost  brāhmaṇas . This act by Śrī Advaita Ācārya proves that Haridāsa Thākura was always situated in a transcendental position and was therefore always greater than even the most exalted  brāhmaṇa , for he was situated above the mode of goodness of the material world. Referring to the  Bhakti-sandarbha , verse 177, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Thākura quotes the following statements from the  Garuḍa Purāṇa  in this connection:
brāhmaṇānāṁ sahasrebhyaḥ satra-yājī viśiṣyate satra-yāji-sahasrebhyaḥ sarva-vedānta-pāragaḥ
sarva-vedānta-vit-koṭyā viṣṇu-bhakto viśiṣyate vaiṣṇavānāṁ sahasrebhya ekānty eko viśiṣyate
“A  brāhmaṇa  qualified to offer sacrifices is better than an ordinary  brāhmaṇa , and better than such a  brāhmaṇa  is one who has studied all the Vedic scriptures. Among many such  brāhmaṇas , one who is a devotee of Lord Viṣṇu is the best; and among many such Vaiṣṇavas, one who fully engages in the service of the Lord is the best.”
bhaktir aṣṭa-vidhā hy eṣā yasmin mlecche ‘pi vartate sa viprendro muni-śreṣṭhaḥ sa jñānī sa ca paṇḍitaḥ tasmai deyaṁ tato grāhyaṁ sa ca pūjyo yathā hariḥ