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Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta
[Madhya-lilā, Ch. 17]
TEXT 179
যত্নপি ‘সনোড়িয়া’ হয় সেইত ব্রাহ্মণ ।
সনোড়িয়া-ঘরে সন্ন্যাসী না করে ভোজন ॥ ১৭৯ ॥
yadyapi ‘sanoḍiyā’ haya seita brāhmaṇa sanoḍiyā-ghare sannyāsī nā kare bhojana
SYNONYMS
yadyapi —although;  sanoḍiyā —a priest of the Sanoḍiyā community;  haya —was;  seita —that;  brāhmaṇa — brāhmaṇa ;  sanoḍiyā-ghare —in the house of a Sanoḍiyā (goldsmith);  sannyāsī —a person in the renounced order of life;  nā kare bhojana —does not accept food.
TRANSLATION
The brāhmaṇa belonged to the Sanoḍiyā brāhmaṇa community, and a sannyāsī does not accept food from such a brāhmaṇa.
PURPORT
In northwestern India,  vaiśyas  are divided in various subdivisions. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura points out that they are divided as Āgaraoyālā, Kālaoyāra and Sānoyāḍa. Out of them, the Āgaraoyālās are supposed to be first-class  vaiśyas , and the Kālaoyāras and Sānoyāḍas are considered lower due to their occupational degradation. The Kālaoyāras generally take wine and other intoxicants. Although they are  vaiśyas , they are considered to belong to a lower class. The priests who guide the Kālaoyāras and the Sānoyāḍas are called Sanoḍiyā  brāhmaṇas . Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura states that the word  sānoyāḍa  in Bengal indicates  suvarṇa-vaṇik . In Bengal there are priests who guide the  suvarṇa-vaṇik  community, which is also considered a low class. There is little difference between the Sānoyāḍa and the  suvarṇa-vaṇik . Generally the  suvarṇa-vaṇiks  are bankers dealing in gold and silver. In western India, the Āgaraoyālās also belong to the banking profession. This is the original business of the  suvarṇa-vaṇik  or Āgaraoyāla community. Historically, the Āgaraoyālās came from the up-country named Ayodha, and the  suvarṇa-vaṇik  community came from Ayodha. It appears that the  suvarṇa-vaṇiks  and the Āgaraoyālās belong to the same community. The Sanoḍiyā  brāhmaṇas  were the guides of the Kālaoyāra and Sānoyāḍa. They are therefore considered to be lower-class  brāhmaṇas , and a  sannyāsī  is not allowed to take alms or food from them. However, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted lunch cooked by a Sanoḍiyā  brāhmaṇa  simply because he belonged to Mādhavendra Purī's community. Śrīla Mādhavendra Purī was the spiritual master of Īśvara Purī, who was the spiritual master of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Thus a spiritual relationship is established on the spiritual platform without consideration of material inferiority or superiority.