Text 54] The Lord’s Return to Jagannatha Puri 135
SYNONYMS

raya kahe —Bhavananda Raya replied; ami sddra—I belong to the fourth class of
the social divisions; visayi—engaged in mundane affairs; adhama—very fallen;
tabu—still; tumi—You; sparsa—touch; ei—this; isvara-laksana—sign of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead.

TRANSLATION

After hearing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s praise, Bhavananda Raya submit-
ted, “I am in the fourth class of the social order, and | engage in mundane
affairs. Although | am very fallen, You have still touched us. This is proof that
You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”’

PURPORT
As stated in Bhagavad-gita (5.18):
vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva svapake ca
panditah sama-darsinah

“The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned
and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].”

Those who are highly advanced in spiritual understanding do not care about a
person's material condition. A spiritually advanced person sees the spiritual iden-
tity of every living being, and consequently he makes no distinction between a
learned brahmana, a dog, a candala or anyone else. He is not influenced by the
material body but sees a person's spiritual identity. Consequently Bhavananda
Raya appreciated Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s statement, which showed that the
Lord did not consider the social position of Bhavananda Raya, who belonged to
the stra caste engaged in mundane activities. Rather, the Lord considered the
spiritual position of Bhavananda Raya, Ramananda Raya and his brothers. The ser-
vant of the Lord is also similarly inclined. He gives shelter to any person—any liv-
ing entity— regardless of whether one belongs to a brahmana family or is a can-
dala. The spiritual master reclaims all people and encourages everyone in spiritual
life. By taking shelter of such a devotee, one can make his life successful. As con-
firmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.4.18):

kirata-h@nandhra-pulinda-pulkasa
abhira-sumbha yavanah khasddayah
ye ‘nye ca papa yad-apdasrayasrayah
sudhyanti tasmai prabhavisnave namah
