Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 15.243
A Humble Request to the Supreme Lord
“You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whereas I am a most insignificant living being. Therefore please accept a little quantity of food from my house.”
What the purport teaches
- The Bhaṭṭācārya acknowledges Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and himself as a most insignificant living being. He humbly asks the Lord to accept food from his house.
- A sannyāsī should collect a little food from each householder and eat only what is necessary to maintain the body. This system is called mādhukarī, after bees collecting a little honey from each flower.
- As a sannyāsī, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu could accept a little food from the Bhaṭṭācārya’s house. Compared with what the Lord had eaten on other occasions, the feast was not even a morsel.
Try this today
Before a meal today, reflect briefly on the instruction to eat what is necessary to maintain the body.
Ask yourself
What can I learn from the Bhaṭṭācārya’s humility when asking the Supreme Lord to accept his food?
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.