Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 5.45
Worldly Cleverness Without Faith Misleads
“If you simply say, ‘I do not remember,’ I shall take care of the rest. By argument, I shall defeat the young brāhmaṇa.”
What the purport teaches
- The son was expert in financial dealings, but the purport describes him as foolish. He had no faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead or the spiritual position of the Deity.
- He considered the Lord's form to be merely stone or wood. He therefore assured his father that the Deity could neither speak nor come from far away to bear witness.
- He planned to use his father's claim of forgetfulness as the basis for defeating the young brāhmaṇa by word jugglery. His aim was to prevent the marriage and preserve the family's aristocracy.
Try this today
Before making one argument today, pause and check whether you are seeking truth or merely trying to win.
Ask yourself
Do you sometimes use clever arguments to protect your status rather than acknowledge the truth?
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.