156 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Antya-lila, Ch. 5

TEXT 84

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AG-YU-AtM SAA HCAS SBA Nl v8 Il

sannydsi pandita-ganera karite garva nasa
nica-sGdra-dvara karena dharmera prakasa

SYNONYMS

sannydsi—persons in the renounced order; pandita-ganera—of the learned
scholars; karite—to do; garva—pride; ndsa—vanquishing; nica—lowborn;
sddra—a fourth-class man; cvara—through; karena—does; dharmera prakasa—
spreading of real religious principles.

TRANSLATION

To vanquish the false pride of so-called renunciants and learned scholars,
He spreads real religious principles, even through a sddra, or lowborn fourth-
class man.

PURPORT

When a man is greatly learned in the Veddanta-stitras, he is known as pandita, or
a learned scholar. Generally this qualification is attributed to brahmanas and san-
nydsis. Sannydsa, the renounced order of life, is the topmost position for a
brahmana, a member of the highest of the four varnas (brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya
and stidra). According to public opinion, a person born in a brahmana family, duly
reformed by the purificatory processes and properly initiated by a spiritual master,
is an authority on Vedic literature. When such a person is offered the sannydsa
order, he comes to occupy the topmost position. The brahmana is supposed to be
the spiritual master of the other three varnas, namely ksatriya, vaisya and stdra,
and the sannydsi is supposed to be the spiritual master even of the exalted
brahmanas.

Generally brahmanas and sannydsis are very proud of their spiritual positions.
Therefore, to cut down their false pride, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu preached Krsna
consciousness through Ramananda Raya, who was neither a member of the
renounced order nor a born brahmana. Indeed, Sri Ramananda Raya was a
grhastha belonging to the sddra class, yet Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu arranged for
him to be the master who taught Pradyumna Misra, a highly qualified brahmana
born in a brahmana family. Even Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself, although
belonging to the renounced order, took instruction from Sri Ramananda Raya. In
this way Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu exhibited His opulence through Sri Ramananda
Raya. That is the special significance of this incident.
