192 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Antya-lila, Ch. 2
TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the ocean of mercy. Who can understand Him?
When He chastises His dear devotees, He certainly does so to reestablish the
principles of religion or duty.

PURPORT

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says in this connection that Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, the ocean of mercy, chastised Junior Haridasa, although Junior
Haridadsa was His dear devotee, to establish that one in the devotional line,
engaged in pure devotional service, should not be a hypocrite. For a person
engaged in devotional service in the renounced order, having intimate relation-
ships with women is certainly hypocrisy. This chastisement was given to Junior
Haridasa as an example to future sahajiyas who might adopt the dress of the
renounced order to imitate Ripa Gosvami and other bona fide sannydsis but
secretly have illicit connections with women. To teach such men, Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu chastised His dear devotee Haridasa for a slight deviation from the
regulative principles. Srimati Madhavidevi was a highly elevated devotee;
therefore approaching her to ask for some rice to serve ei Caitanya Mahaprabhu
was certainly not very offensive. Nevertheless, just to preserve the regulative prin-
ciples for the future, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu enforced the hard-and-fast rule
that no one in the renounced order should intimately mix with women. Had Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu not chastised Junior Haridasa for this slight deviation, so-
called devotees of the Lord would have exploited the example of Junior Haridasa
to continue their habit of illicit connections with women unrestrictedly. Indeed,
they still preach that such behavior is allowed for a Vaisnava. But it is strictly not
allowed. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the teacher of the entire world, and
therefore He enforced this exemplary punishment to establish that illicit sexual
connections are never allowed by Vaisnava philosophy. This was His purpose in
chastising Junior Haridasa. Sri Caitanya Mahdaprabhu is in fact the most mag-
nanimous incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but He strictly
prohibited illicit sex.

TEXT 144
cafe’ win Grier Ha SHA |
AAR BISA ACA W-ASIA 0 388 |
dekhi’ trasa upajila saba bhakta-gane
svapne-ha chadila sabe stri-sambhasane
SYNONYMS

dekhi’—seeing; trasa—an atmosphere of fear; upajila—grew; saba bhakta-
gane—among all the devotees; svapne-ha—even in dreams; chadila—gave up;
sabe—all; stri-sambhasane—talk with women.
