Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Antya 7.16
A Modest Reply to Praise
“Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “My dear Vallabha Bhaṭṭa, you are a learned scholar. Kindly listen to Me. I am a sannyāsī of the Māyāvāda school. Therefore I have no chance of knowing what kṛṣṇa-bhakti is.”
What the purport teaches
- Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu addresses Vallabha Bhaṭṭa as a learned scholar and kindly asks him to listen.
- In His reply, He describes Himself as a sannyāsī of the Māyāvāda school.
- He says that He therefore has no chance of knowing what kṛṣṇa-bhakti is. Following the praise in the preceding verses, His reply is strikingly modest.
Try this today
In one conversation today, acknowledge the other person's learning without drawing attention to your own.
Ask yourself
What can you learn from the modest way Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu responds to praise?
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.