Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 25.193
Rigid Customs Deepen Social Division
“This became a perplexing problem for him because his wife kept requesting him to kill Subuddhi Rāya. Finally the Nawab sprinkled a little water on Subuddhi Rāya’s head from a pitcher that had been used by a Muslim.”
What the purport teaches
- Under his wife’s repeated demands, the Nawab faced a perplexing problem. Finally, he sprinkled Subuddhi Rāya’s head with water from a pitcher used by a Muslim.
- The purport explains that rigid Hindu customs then made such contact grounds for immediate ostracism. Under these customs, Subuddhi Rāya was condemned to have become a Muslim.
- The purport describes how caste oppression and a special tax led many low-caste Hindus to prefer becoming Muslims. It also explains that British policies of division maintained ill feelings between the communities and contributed to partition.
Try this today
Today, avoid judging someone merely by the community they associate with.
Ask yourself
How can rigid judgments based on social contact or association deepen division between people?
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.