180 TEACHINGS OF QUEEN KUNTI

Although when Caitanya Mahaprabhu was only twenty-four or twenty-
five years old He had a lovable, beautiful wife and a devoted, affectionate
mother, He gave up everything and took sannydsa, the renounced order
of life. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu was a grhastha, a householder, He
was so much honored that merely by the direction of His finger He was
able to enlist thousands of people to join Him in a civil disobedience
movement. In Nadia, the city where He lived, His position was very re-
spectable, and physically He was very beautiful. Yet He gave up His
young, faithful, beautiful wife, His affectionate mother, His position, and
everything else. This is called vairdgya, renunciation.

If someone who has nothing to possess says, ‘‘I have renounced every-
thing,’ what is the meaning of his renunciation? But if one has some-
thing and then renounces it, his renunciation is meaningful. So Caitanya
Mahaprabhu’s renunciation is unique. No one else could give up such a
happy home, such honor, and such affection from mother, wife, friends,
and students. Even Advaita Prabhu, although the age of Caitanya Maha-
prabhu’s father, honored Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Yet still Sri Caitanya
Mahdprabhu gave up everything. Why? Just to teach us (dpani dcari’
prabhu jivere sikhdya). He personally taught the whole world how one
must detach oneself and become a devotee of Krsna. Therefore when
Ripa Gosvami resigned his post as a government minister and met
Caitanya Mahaprabhu at Prayaga, he fell flat before Sri Caitanya Maha-
prabhu and offered obeisances with this prayer:

namo maha-vadanyaya
krsna-prema-pradaya te

krsnaya krsna-caitanya-
namne gaura-tvise namah

‘*You are most magnanimous,” he prayed, ‘‘for Youare distributing love
of Krsna.”’

Love of Krsna is not an easy thing to obtain, because by this love one
can purchase Krsna, but Caitanya Mahaprabhu distributed this love of
Krsna to anyone and everyone, even to the two drunkards Jagai and
Madhai. Narottama dasa Thakura has therefore sung:

dina-hina yata chila hari-name uddharila,
ta’ra saksi jagai-madhai

‘*Caitanya Mahaprabhu is so magnanimous that He delivered all kinds of
sinful men simply by allowing them to chant the Hare Krsna mantra. The
