Adi-tila, Chapter 7 25

in that way be favored. Although there was actually no need for Him to accept
sannyasa, He did so for the benefit of those who might think Him an ordinary hu-
man being. The main purpose of His accepting sannyasa was to deliver the Mayavadi
sannyasis. This will be evident later in this chapter.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura has explained the term ‘‘Mayavadi’’ as
follows: “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is transcendental to the material
conception of life. A Mayavadi is one who considers the body of the Supreme Per-
sonality of Godhead Krsna to be made of maya and who also considers the abode of
the Lord and the process of approaching Him, devotional service, to be maya. The
Mayavadi considers all the paraphernalia of devotional service to be maya.’’ Maya
refers to material existence, which is characterized by the reactions of fruitive ac-
tivities. Mayavadis consider devotional service to be among such fruitive activities.
According to them, when bhagavatas or devotees are purified by philosophical specu-
lation, they will come to the real point of liberation. Those. who speculate in this
way regarding devotional service are called kutarkikas (false logicians), and those
who consider devotional service to be fruitive activity are also called karma-nisthas.
Those who criticize devotional service are called nindakas (blasphemers). Similarly,
nondevotees who consider devotional activities to be material are also called
pasandis, and scholars with a similar viewpoint are called adhama paduyas. The
kutarkikas, nindakas, pasandis and adhama paduyas all avoided the benefit of Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement of developing love of Godhead. Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu felt compassion for them, and it is for this reason that He decided to
accept the sannyasa order, for by seeing Him as a sannyasi they would offer Him
respects. The sannyasa order is still respected in India. Indeed, the very dress of a
sannyasi still commands respect from the Indian public. Therefore Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu accepted sannyasa to facilitate preaching His devotional cult, although
otherwise He had no need to accept the fourth order of spiritual life.

TEXT 34

pfaaet aena fier yere-SaICA |
otepfacnfs arg Caer afeecs 11 8 1

cabbisa vatsara chila grhastha-asrame
pafhica-vimsati varse kaila yati-dharme

SYNONYMS

cabbisa—twenty-four; vatsara—years; chila—He remained; grhastha—householder
life; asrame—the order of; pafica—five; vimsati—twenty; varse—in the year; kaila—
did; yati-dharme—accepted the sannyasa order.

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu remained in householder life for twenty-four years, and
on the verge of His twenty-fifth year He accepted the sannyasa order.
