Text 186] The Lord Travels to Vrndavana 105

Srimad-Bhagavatam (6.3.20) states that there are twelve mahdjanas: Brahma,
Narada, Sambhu, Kumara, Kapila, Manu, Prahlada, Janaka, Bhisma, Bali, Sukadeva
and Yamardja.

To select our mahdajanas in the Gaudiya-sampradaya, we have to follow in the
footsteps of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His representatives. His next represen-
tative is Sri Svarapa Damodara Gosvami, and the next are the six Gosvamis —Sri
Ripa, Sri Sanatana, Bhatta Raghunatha, Sri Jiva, Gopala Bhatta and Dasa
Raghunatha. The follower of Visnusvami was Sridhara Svami, the most well
known commentator on Srimad-Bhagavatam. He was also a mahdjana. Similarly,
Candidasa, Vidyapati and Jayadeva were all mahdjanas. One who tries to imitate
the mahdjanas just to become an imitative spiritual master is certainly far away
from following in the footsteps of the mahdjanas. Sometimes people cannot ac-
tually understand how a mahajana follows other mahdjanas. In this way people
are inclined to fall from devotional service.

TEXT 186

SeH1R FSB: ora! fafsa

ata ahaa wes a foaq!

Hha GAs fafESe tate.

TRH; CUT ASE A ATE W sey ti
tarko ‘pratisthah srutayo vibhinna

nasav rsir yasya matarn na bhinnam
dharmasya tattvarn nihitarn guhayam

mahdjano yena gatah sa panthah

SYNONYMS

tarkah—dry argument; apratisthah—not fixed; srutayah— Vedas; vibhinnah—
possessing different departments; na—not; asau —that; rsih—great sage; yasya—
whose; matam—opinion; na—not; bhinnam—separate; dharmasya—of religious
principles; tattvam—truth; nihitam—placed; guhayam—in the heart of a realized
person; mahd-janah—self-realized predecessors; yena—by which way; gatah—
acted; sah—that; panthah—the pure unadulterated path.

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued, ‘‘ ‘Dry arguments are inconclusive. A
great personality whose opinion does not differ from others is not considered
a great sage. Simply by studying the Vedas, which are variegated, one cannot
come to the right path by which religious principles are understood. The solid
truth of religious principles is hidden in the heart of an unadulterated self-
