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80 Sri-Caitanya-caritamrta

TRANSLATION

After hearing Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, all the Mayavadi sannyasis were
moved. Their minds changed, and thus they spoke with pleasing words.

PURPORT

The Mayavadi sannyasis met Caitanya Mahaprabhu at Varanasi to criticize the
Lord regarding His participation in the sankirtana movement, which they did not
like. This demonic nature of opposition to the sankirtana movement perpetually
exists. As it existed in the time of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, similarly it existed long
before that, even in the time of Prahlada Maharaja. He used to chant in sankirtana
although his father did not like it, and that was the reason for misunderstanding
between the father and son. In Bhagavad-gita the Lord says:

na mam duskrtino mudhah
prapadyante naradhamah

mayayapahrta-jnana
asuram bhavam asgritah

“Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge
is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not
surrender unto Me.” (Bg. 7.15) The Mayavadi sannyasis are Gsurarn bhavam dsritah,
which means that they have taken the path of the asuras (demons) who do not be-
lieve in the existence of the form of the Lord. The Mayavadis say that the ultimate
source of everything is impersonal, and in this way they deny the existence of God.
Saying that there is no God is direct denial of God, and saying that God exists but
has no head, legs and hands and cannot speak, hear or eat is a negative way of
denying His existence. A person who cannot see is called blind, one who cannot
walk can be called lame, one who has no hands can be called helpless, one who can-
not speak can be called dumb, and one who cannot hear can be called deaf. The
Mayavadis’ proposition that God has no legs, no eyes, no ears and no hands is an in-
direct way of insulting Him by defining Him as blind, deaf, dumb, lame, helpless,
etc. Therefore although they present themselves as great Vedantists, they are fac-
tually mayayapahrta-jnana; in other words, they seem to be very learned scholars,
but the essence of their knowledge has been taken away.

Impersonalist Mayavadis always try to defy Vaisnavas because Vaisnavas accept
the Supreme Personality as the supreme cause and want to serve Him, talk with Him
and see Him, just as the Lord is also eager to see His devotees and talk, eat and
dance with them. These personal exchanges of love do not appeal to the Mayavadi
sannyasis. Therefore the original purpose of the Mayavadi sannyasis of Benares in
meeting Caitanya Mahaprabhu was to defeat His personal conception of God. Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu, however, as a preacher, turned the minds of the Mayavadi
sannyasis. They were melted by the sweet words of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and
thus became friendly and spoke to Him also in sweet words. Similarly, all preachers
will have to meet opponents, but they should not make them more inimical. They
are already enemies, and if we talk with them harshly or impolitely their enmity will
merely increase. We should therefore follow in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya
