Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Ādi 12.35
Do Not Describe God as Poverty-Stricken
“But he has made the incarnation of Godhead a poverty-stricken beggar. Therefore I shall punish him in order to correct him.”
What the purport teaches
- To call someone an incarnation of God and at the same time present him as poverty-stricken is contradictory. The purport calls this the greatest offense.
- The Māyāvādī teaching that everyone is God includes calling a poor man daridra-nārāyaṇa, or “poor Nārāyayaṇa.” Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu rejected such unauthorized ideas.
- The Lord said He would punish the writer in order to correct him. The purport strongly warns against following Māyāvāda philosophy.
Try this today
Write one sentence explaining why the expression “poor Nārāyaṇa” is rejected in this purport.
Ask yourself
Why is it contradictory to describe the Supreme Lord as a poverty-stricken beggar?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport; the practice and question are plain words for trying the verse today.