Text 26]
The Cleansing of the Gundicā Temple
13
SYNONYMS
tomā-sabāra —of all of you;  ājñāya —by the order;  āmi —l;  nā —not;  mili —shall meet;  rājāre —the King;  dāmodara —Dāmodara Paṇḍita;  kahe —says;  yabe —when;  mili —l shall meet;  tabe —then;  tāṅre —him.
TRANSLATION
“I shall not meet the King at the request of all the devotees, but I shall do so if Dāmodara will give his permission.”
PURPORT
From the spiritual point of view, a  sannyāsī  is strictly forbidden to see materialistic people, especially a king who is always engaged in counting pounds, shillings and pence. Indeed, the meeting between a  sannyāsī  and a king is always considered abominable. A  sannyāsī  is always subjected to public criticism, and a small fault on his part is taken seriously by the public. People actually expect a  sannyāsī  to preach and not take part in any social or political matters. If a  sannyāsī  is subject to public criticism, his preaching will not be fruitful. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu specifically wanted to avoid such criticism so that His preaching work would not be hampered. It so happened that while the Lord was talking to His disciples at that time, the devotee Dāmodara Paṇḍita was present. This Dāmodara Paṇḍita was a very faithful devotee and a staunch lover of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Whenever there was anything that might touch or taint the character of the Lord, Dāmodara Paṇḍita would immediately point it out, not even considering the exalted position of the Lord. It is sometimes said that fools rush in where angels dare not, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to point out Dāmodara Paṇḍita's foolishness in coming forward to criticize the Lord. Thus the Lord indirectly hinted that if Dāmodara Paṇḍita would give Him permission, He would go to see the King. There was deep meaning in this statement, for it is a warning that Dāmodara should not dare criticize the Lord any more, for it was not befitting his position as a devotee. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was considered the guide and spiritual master of all the devotees living with Him. Dāmodara Paṇḍita was one of them, and the Lord rendered Dāmodara Paṇḍita a special favor by warning him to avoid criticizing Him any further. A devotee or a disciple should never attempt to criticize the Lord or His
TEXT 26
দামোদর কর্তৃ,—তুমি স্বতন্ত্র দ্বৈত।।
কর্তব্যাকর্তব্য সব তোমার গোচর ॥ ২৬ ॥
dāmodara kahe, —tumi svatantra iśvara kartavyākartavya saba tomāra gocara