44 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Madhya-lila, Ch. 1
TRANSLATION
To avoid turmoil, three great personalities —Haridasa Thakura, Srila
Ripa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana Gosvami—did not enter the temple of
Jagannatha.
PURPORT
It is still the practice at Jagannatha temple not to allow those to enter who
do not strictly follow the Vedic culture known as Hinduism. Srila Haridadsa
Thakura, Srila Ripa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana Gosvami had had previous in-
timate connections with Mohammedans. Haridasa Thakura had been born in
a Mohammedan family, and Srila Ripa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana Gosvami,
having given up their social status in Hindu society, had been appointed
ministers in the Mohammedan government. They had even changed their
names to Sakara Mallika and Dabira Khasa. Thus they had supposedly been
expelled from brahmana society. Consequently, out of humility, they did not
enter the temple of Jagannatha, although the Personality of Godhead, Jagan-
natha, in His form of Caitanya Mahdaprabhu, personally came to see them
every day. Similarly, the members of this Krsna consciousness society are
sometimes refused entrance into some of the temples in India. We should not
feel sorry about this as long as we engage in chanting the Hare Krsna mantra.
Krsna Himself associates with devotees who are chanting His holy name, and
there is no need to be unhappy over not being able to enter a certain temple.
Such dogmatic prohibitions were not approved by Lord Caitanya
Mahaprabhu. Those who were thought unfit to enter Jagannatha temple
were daily visited by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and this indicates that Caitanya
Mahaprabhu did not approve of the prohibitions. To avoid unnecessary tur-
moil, however, these great personalities would not enter Jagannatha temple.
TEXT 64
TAG Gtaicla Gria-ceit cwfsai |
faronyce aa 8 foceca Fafa nt vs i
mahdprabhu jagannathera upala-bhoga dekhiya
nija-grhe ya’na ei tinere miliya
SYNONYMS
maha-prabhu—Stri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; jagannathera—of Lord Jagan-
natha; upala-bhoga—offering of food on the stone; dekhiyd—after seeing;
nija-grhe—to His own residence; yd’na—goes; ei—these; tinere—three;
miliya—meeting.
