Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 10.143
Mutual Respect and the Guru’s Order
“As such, it is not befitting that the guru’s servant should engage in My personal service. Yet My spiritual master has given this order. What shall I do?”
What the purport teaches
- A guru’s servants or disciples are Godbrothers to one another. They should respect one another as prabhu, or master, and never disrespect a Godbrother.
- Govinda had been Īśvara Purī’s personal servant, but Īśvara Purī ordered him to become Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s personal servant.
- Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu considered accepting this service unbefitting, yet His spiritual master had ordered it. He asked Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, an experienced friend, what to do.
Try this today
Reflect on one interaction with a fellow disciple and identify one concrete way to show greater respect.
Ask yourself
How can I preserve respect for a fellow disciple even when that person serves me?
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.