Text 30] Lord Caitanya’s Childhood Pastimes 145

‘Anyone who engages in spiritual devotional service without motivation, rendering
such service for the satisfaction of the Lord, is elevated immediately to the spiritual
platform, and all his activities are spiritual.” (Bg. 14.26) Brahma-bhaydya refers
to Brahman (spiritual) activities. Although Mayavadi philosophers are very much
eager to merge in the Brahman effulgence, they have no Brahman activities. To a
certain extent they recommend Brahman activities, which for them mean engage-
ment in studying the Vedanta and Saskhya philosophies, but their interpretations
are but dry speculation. Lacking the varieties of spiritual activity, they cannot stay
for long on that platform of simply studying Vedanta or Sankhya philosophy,

Life is meant for varieties of enjoyment. The living entity is by nature full of an
enjoying spirit, as stated in the Ved@nta-satra (1.1.12): Gnandamayo ‘bhyésat. |n de-
votional service the activities are variegated and full of enjoyment. As stated in
Bhagavad-gita (9.2), all devotional activities are easy to perform (susukhart kartum),
and they are eternal and spiritual (avyayam). Since Mayavadi philosophers cannot
understand this, they take it for granted that a devotee’s activities ( $ravanarn
kirtanarn visnoh smaranarit pada-sevanam, etc.) are all material and are therefore
maya. They also consider Krsna’s advent in this universe and His activities to be
maya. Therefore, because they consider everything maya, they are known as
Mayavadis.

Actually, any activities performed favorably for the satisfaction of the Lord, under
the direction of the spiritual master, are spiritual. But for a person to disregard the
order of the spiritual master and act by concoction, accepting his nonsensical
activities to be spirituai, is mdyd. One must achieve the favor of the Supreme Per-
sonality of Godhead through the mercy of the spiritual master. Therefore one must
first please the spiritual master, and if he is pleased, then we should understand
that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is also pleased. But if the spiritual master
is displeased by our actions, they are not spiritual. Srila Vigsvanatha Cakravart?
Thakura confirms this: yasya prosGda@d bhagavat-prasddo yasyaprasddan na gatih
kuto ‘pi. Activities that please the spiritual master must be considered spiritual,
and they should be accepted as satisfying to the Lord.

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as the supreme spiritual master, instructed His
mother about the Mayavada philosophy. By saying that the body is dirt and
eatables are also dirt, He implied that everything is mdya@. This is Mayavada philoso-
thing is mayd but the nonsense they speak. While saying that everything is mdyd, the
Mayavadi philosopher loses the opportunity of devotional service, and therefore his
life is doomed. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore advised, mayavadi-bhasya sunile
haya sarva-nasa (Cc. Madhya 6.169), If one accepts the Mayavada philosophy, his
advancement is doomed forever.

TEXT 30

wyca fans aby afer wtetca |
Hate Uy Bcw alacant ce aey CBYCA N Oe I
