158 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Antya-lila, Ch. 5
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu preached about devotional service, ecstatic love
and the Absulute Truth by making Ramananda Raya, a grhastha born in a low
family, the speaker. Then Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself, the exalted
brahmana-sannyasi, and Pradyumna Misra, the purified brahmana, both be-
came the hearers of Ramananda Raya.
PURPORT
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya that sannyasis in
the line of Sankaradcarya always think that they have performed all the duties of
brahmanas and that, furthermore, having understood the essence of Vedanta-
sutra and become sannydsis, they are the natural spiritual masters of all society.
Similarly, persons born in brahmana families think that because they execute the
ritualistic ceremonies recommended in the Vedas and follow the principles of
smrti, they alone can become spiritual masters of society. These highly exalted
brahmanas think that unless one is born in a brahmana family, one cannot become
a spiritual master and teach the Absolute Truth. To cut down the pride of these
birthright brahmanas and Mayavadi sannyasis, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu proved
that a person like Ramananda Raya, although born in a sudra family and situated in
the grhastha-asrama, can become the spiritual master of such exalted personalities
as Himself and Pradyumna Misra. This is the principle of the Vaisnava cult, as
evinced in the teachings of $ri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. A person who knows what
is spiritual and what is material and who is firmly fixed in the spiritual position can
be jagad-guru, the spiritual master of the entire world. One cannot become jagad-
guru simply by advertising oneself as jagad-guru without knowing the essential
principles for becoming jagad-guru. Even people who never see what a jagad-
guru is and never talk with other people become puffed-up sannydsis and declare
themselves jagad-gurus. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not like this. Any person
who knows the science of Krsna and who is fully qualified in spiritual life can be-
come jagad-guru. Thus Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally took lessons from Sr
Ramdananda Raya and also sent Pradyumna Misra, an exalted brahmana, to take
lessons from him.
TEXT 86

Samat TA-TID-ABA |

Wawasan SefRaraiaeny i v-v t

haridasa-dvara ndma-mahatmya-prakdsa

sanatana-dvara bhakti-siddhdnta-vilasa
