Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 6.73
Mahāprabhu Does Not Depend on External Formalities
“Gopīnātha Ācārya replied, “Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not rely on any external formality. There is no need for Him to accept the sannyāsa order from a superior sampradāya.””
What the purport teaches
- Gopīnātha Ācārya explains that Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not rely on external formality. He has no need to accept sannyāsa from a superior sampradāya.
- Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted sannyāsa from the Bhāratī sampradāya, which belongs to the disciplic succession of Śaṅkarācārya. Different sannyāsa names were assigned different ranks.
- The name Bhāratī describes one who is completely educated and freed from ignorance. Such a person is never unhappy, even in a distressed condition.
Try this today
Write down one quality associated with the name Bhāratī and reflect on it for a minute.
Ask yourself
Do I give more attention to an external rank than to the qualities it is meant to represent?
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.