Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 4.135
Honor Devotion Beyond Caste
“Hearing this invitation, Mādhavendra Purī came out and identified himself. The priest then delivered the pot of sweet rice and offered his obeisances, falling flat before him.”
What the purport teaches
- The priest did not ask whether Mādhavendra Purī was a brāhmaṇa. He recognized a bona fide devotee for whom Kṛṣṇa would even steal.
- Although a brāhmaṇa does not ordinarily fall flat before others, he offers such obeisances to a devotee.
- The Deity had spoken to both the priest and Mādhavendra Purī in dreams, placing them practically on the same platform. Still, the priest honored Mādhavendra Purī as a senior sannyāsī Vaiṣṇava and paramahaṁsa.
Try this today
Offer a respectful greeting to a devotee today, consciously appreciating their devotion rather than their status.
Ask yourself
Do you appreciate a devotee’s devotion more than their social position?
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.