Madhya-līlā

Chapter 17: The Lord Travels to Vṛndāvana

Verse 60 of 231
Cc Madhya 17.60

যাহাঙ্বিপ্র নাহি তাহাঙ্ ঽশূদ্রমহাজনঽ আসিঽ সবে ভট্টাচার্যে করে নিমন্ত্রণ

याहाङ्विप्र नाहि ताहाङ् ऽशूद्रमहाजनऽ आसिऽ सबे भट्टाचार्ये करे निमन्त्रण

yāhāṅ vipra nāhi tāhāṅ 'śūdra-mahājana' āsi' sabe bhaṭṭācārye kare nimantraṇa

Synonyms

yāhāṅwherever; viprabrāhmaṇa; nāhithere is not; tāhāṅthere; śūdra-mahā-janadevotees born in families other than brāhmaṇa; āsi'coming; sabeall of them; bhaṭṭācāryeto Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya; kare nimantraṇamake invitation..

Translation

In some villages there were no brāhmaṇas; nonetheless, devotees born in non-brāhmaṇa families came and extended invitations to Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya.

Purport

Actually a sannyāsī or a brāhmaṇa will not accept an invitation extended by a person born in a lower family. However, there are many devotees who are raised to the platform of brāhmaṇa by their initiation. These people are called śūdra-mahājana. This indicates that one who is born in a non-brāhmaṇa family has accepted the brāhmaṇa status by initiation. Such devotees extended invitations to Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya. A Māyāvādī sannyāsī will accept an invitation only from a brāhmaṇa family, but a Vaiṣṇava does not accept an invitation from a brāhmaṇa if he does not belong to the Vaiṣṇava sect. However, a Vaiṣṇava will accept an invitation from a brāhmaṇa or śūdra-mahājana if that person is an initiated Vaiṣṇava. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself accepted invitations from śūdra-mahājanas, and this confirms the fact that anyone initiated by a Vaiṣṇava mantra can be accepted as a brāhmaṇa. One can accept an invitation from such a person.

Verse 60 of 231
Prabhupāda Says