Text 26} The Cleansing of the Gundica Temple 13
SYNONYMS
toma-sabara—of all of you; ajfaya—by the order; 4mi—l; nd—not; mili—shall
meet; rajare—the King; damodara—Damodara Pandita; kahe—says; yabe—
when; mili—| shall meet; tabe—then; taAre—him.
TRANSLATION
“I shall not meet the King at the request of all the devotees, but I shall do so
if Damodara will give his permission.”
PURPORT
From the spiritual point of view, a sannyasi is strictly forbidden to see ma-
terialistic people, especially a king who is always engaged in counting pounds,
shillings and pence. Indeed, the meeting between a sannydsi and a king is always
considered abominable. A sannyasi is always subjected to public criticism, and a
small fault on his part is taken seriously by the public. People actually expect a
sannyasi to preach and not take part in any social or political matters. If a sannydsi
is subject to public criticism, his preaching will not be fruitful. Sri Caitanya
Mahdaprabhu specifically wanted to avoid such criticism so that His preaching
work would not be hampered. It so happened that while the Lord was talking to
His disciples at that time, the devotee Damodara Pandita was present. This
Damodara Pandita was a very faithful devotee and a staunch lover of Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu. Whenever there was anything that might touch or taint the
character of the Lord, Damodara Pandita would immediately point it out, not even
considering the exalted position of the Lord. It is sometimes said that fools rush in
where angels dare not, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to point out
Damodara Pandita’s foolishness in coming forward to criticize the Lord. Thus the
Lord indirectly hinted that if Damodara Pandita would give Him permission, He
would go to see the King. There was deep meaning in this statement, for it is a
warning that Damodara should not dare criticize the Lord any more, for it was not
befitting his position as a devotee. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was considered the
guide and spiritual master of all the devotees living with Him. Damodara Pandita
was one of them, and the Lord rendered Damodara Pandita a special favor by
warning him to avoid criticizing Him any further. A devotee ora disciple should
never attempt to criticize the Lord or His representative, the spiritual master.
TEXT 26
wicatas 30a,— Shy aoe BI |
SOG AA COM CUBA Wo
damodara kahe, —tumi svatantra isvara
kartavydkartavya saba tomara gocara
