16 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Madhya-lila, Ch. 17
TRANSLATION

While the Lord was bathing and murmuring the Gayatri mantra, the
elephants came before Him. The Lord immediately splashed some water on
the elephants and asked them to chant the name of Krsna.

PURPORT

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was the Supreme Personality of Godhead playing the
part of a very great advanced devotee. On the mahd-bhdagavata platform, the
devotee makes no distinction between friends and enemies. On that platform he
sees everyone as a servant of Krsna. As stated in Bhagavad-gita:

vidyd-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].”
(Bg. 5.18)

A mahda-bhagavata, being learned and advanced in spiritual consciousness, sees
no difference between a tiger, an elephant or a learned scholar. The test of ad-
vanced spiritual consciousness is that one becomes fearless. He envies no one,
and he is always engaged in the Lord’s service. He sees every living entity as an
eternal part and parcel of the Lord, rendering service according to his capacity by
the will of the Supreme Lord. As Bhagavad-gita confirms:

sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto

mattah smrtir jfidnam apohanam ca
“| am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge
and forgetfulness.” (Bg. 15.15)

The mahd-bhdagavata knows that Krsna is in everyone’s heart. Krsna is dictating,
and the living entity is following His dictations. Krsna is within the heart of the
tiger, elephant and boar. Therefore Krsna tells them, “Here is a maha-bhagavata.
Please do not disturb him.” Why, then, should the animals be envious of such a
great personality? Those who are neophytes or even a little progressed in devo-
tional service should not try to imitate the mahd-bhdagavata. Rather, they should
only follow in their footsteps. The word anukara means “imitating,” and anusara
means “trying to follow in the footsteps.’ We should not try to imitate the ac-
tivities of a maha-bhagavata or Sti Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Our best efforts should
be exerted in trying to follow them according to our ability. The maha-bhagavata’s
