Text 172] The Chastisement of Junior Haridasa 205

Sri-rpa-raghunatha-pade ydara asa
caitanya-caritamrta kahe krsnadasa

SYNONYMS
$ri-rapa—Srila Ripa Gosvami; raghunatha—Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami;
pade—at the lotus feet; yara—whose; asa—expectation; caitanya-caritamrta—
the book named Caitanya-caritamrta; kahe—describes; krsna-dasa—Srila
Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami.

TRANSLATION

Praying at the lotus feet of Sri Rapa and Sri Raghunatha, always desiring
their mercy, |, Krsnadasa, narrate Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, following in their
footsteps.

Instructions from this Chapter

Summarizing this chapter, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that one
should derive from it the following lessons. (1) Although Sri Caitanya
Mahdaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is an incarnation of mercy, He
nevertheless gave up the company of one of His personal associates, namely
Junior Haridasa, for if He had not done so, pseudo-devotees would have taken ad-
vantage of Junior Haridasa’s fault by using it as an excuse to live as devotees and
at the same time have illicit sexual connections. Such activities would have
demoralized the cult of Sti Caitanya Mahdaprabhu, and as a result, devotees would
surely have gone to a hellish life in the name of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. (2) By
chastising Junior Haridasa, the Lord set the standard for dcaryas, or the heads of in-
stitutions propagating the Caitanya cult, and for all actual devotees. Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu wanted to maintain the highest standard. (3) Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu instructed that a pure devotee should be simple and free from sinful
activities, for thus one can be His bona fide servant. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
taught His followers how to observe the renounced order strictly. (4) Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu wanted to prove that His devotees are exalted and that their
character is ideal. He kindly accepts His faithful devotees and teaches them how
much tribulation and disturbance can be produced by even a slight deviation
from the strict principles of devotional life. (5) By chastising Junior Haridasa, Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu exhibited His mercy toward him, thus showing how ele-
vated was Junior Haridasa’s devotion for Him. Because of this transcendental rela-
tionship, the Lord corrected even a slight offense committed by His pure devotee.
Therefore one who wants to be a pure devotee of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
should give up all material sense gratification; otherwise, the lotus feet of Sri
