Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Ādi 17.265
Accepting Sannyāsa to Inspire Respect
“I shall accept the sannyāsa order of life, for thus people will offer Me their obeisances, thinking of Me as a member of the renounced order.
What the purport teaches
- Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu plans to accept sannyāsa so that people will offer Him obeisances as a member of the renounced order.
- The brāhmaṇa is foremost among the social orders, and sannyāsa is the most elevated spiritual order. A sannyāsī is therefore the spiritual master of all the varṇas and āśramas.
- The purport criticizes the pride that prevents caste brāhmaṇas from respecting Vaiṣṇava sannyāsīs. In the Lord’s time, the custom was to offer obeisances immediately to any sannyāsī, known or unknown.
Try this today
Examine one assumption you hold about a spiritual teacher’s birth or nationality.
Ask yourself
Does pride or concern with someone’s background ever hinder my respect for spiritual renunciation?
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.