No 8 – The thunderbolt launched to crush down the anti Gaudiya Math Mission and their baseless allegations against The Prabhupada and Sri Gaudiya Math

In search of the Absolute Truth which is only available in Śrī Gauḍīya Maṭh

(No 8 – The thunderbolt launched to crush down the anti Gauḍīya Maṭh Mission and their baseless allegations against The Prabhupāda and Śrī Gauḍīya Maṭh)

Doubts regarding Sannyāsa Vrata and red cloth (saffron) approved by him (The Prabhupāda)

  

By sampradāya-saṁrakṣaka Śrī Śyām Dās Babajī Mahārāja

Sannyāsa vrata and red cloth (saffron cloth) is always approved in all authentic śāstras like Ramayan, Mahābhārat, Śrīmad Bhagavadji Mahapurāṇa, Garga Saṁhitā etc. etc. Even in Kṛṣṇa līlā inside Vṛndāvan Dhām we can find that Pourṇamāsī (Bhagavatī Yogamāyā Devī) always in red cloth (saffron cloth). All different documents or evidences already given before in this book, still for your kind information we are going to quote some names of those super personalities those who had Sannyāsa Vrata and red cloth, like Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrīla Mādhavendra Purīpād, Śrīla Iśvara Purīpād, Keśava Bhāratī, Śrīla Brahmananda Bhāratī, Śrīla Paramānanda Purī, Śrīla Vallabha Ācārya, Śrī Ramanuja Ācārya, Śrī Mādhavācārya, Śrī Viṣṇu Svāmī, Śrī Nimbārka Ācārya…..etc, all they were in red cloth and sannyāsa veśa.

So what doubt can be there in it?

As per your objection Śrīman Mahāprabhu did not give any direct order to anybody to take sannyāsa, but obviously that doesn’t mean that He was against sannyāsa vrata. If He was at all against sannyāsa vrata, then why He took sannyāsa vrata to show the topmost idealism of topmost Bhāgavata seva vrata? We can quote the following verse for your kind information—

From the following Śrī Caitanya-aṣṭakam we can see the following verse—

sadopāsyaḥ śrīmān dhṛta-manuja-kāyaiḥ pranayitām 

vahadbhir gīrvāṇair giriśa-parameṣṭhi- prabhṛtibhih 

sva-bhaktebhyaḥ śuddhām nija-bhajana-mudrām upadiśan 

sa caitanyah kim me punar api dṛśor yāsyati padam (1) 

That Supreme Lord (Śrīman Mahāprabhu) who is eternally worshipable for all demigods like Brahmā, Śaṅkara, etc. by the help of divine prayers, appears in this material world just like a human figure. He specially wanted to expose all the secrecy of bhajana modes by the help of his own ācarana to establish the art of śuddha bhakti among all of His followers. 

When will Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu—who is perpetually worshipable for demigods such as Śiva and Brahmā who have assumed human form (as Advaita Ācārya and Haridāsa Thakura) and who nurture great love for Him; who is supremely radiant; and who instructs His devotees on the practice of pure bhajana—again become visible to me?

Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is always the most worshipable Deity of the demigods, including Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā, who came in the guise of ordinary human being bearing absolute love for the Supreme Lord. He wanted to instruct His own pure devotional service to His own devotees. Ah! Will He again become an absolute object of my darśana?

Also you cannot show any such order (or evidence) by Him to someone for taking white Paramahaṁsa veśa. Actually those who are Paramahaṁsa Guru-Vaiṣṇavas it is not obligatory to take sannyāsa vrata to establish their absolute Bhāgavata seva mood, because they are already having natural Paramahaṁsa bhāva to swim in the ocean of prema. But still under the humble guidance of our Gauḍīya Guruvarga and Śrīman Mahāprabhu or four sampradāik ācāryas etc. if at all some devotee going to accept sannyāsa vrata to hide his natural Paramahaṁsa bhāva then it can be accepted as more and more excellent, because their natural tṛṇād api bhāva can be found exposed in their līlā. Then wherefrom the question of criticism arising inside your heart, that is the main question in front of us.

The same thing declared by Śrīman Mahāprabhu Himself after taking Sannyāsa vrata at Katwa. The following śloka from Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta can prove this point—

prabhu kahe — sādhu ei bhikṣura vacana mukunda sevana-vrata kaila nirdhāraṇa 

(CC Madhya 3.7)

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu approved the purport of this verse on account of the determination of the mendicant devotee to engage in the service of Lord Mukunda. He gave His approval of this verse, indicating that it was very good.

From Śrīmad Bhāgavatam we know the following corresponding śloka on the basis of which Śrīman Mahāprabhu wanted to confirm his bhāva—

etāṁ sa āsthāya parātma-niṣṭhām adhyāsitāṁ pūrvatamair maharṣibhiḥ 

ahaṁ tariṣyāmi duranta-pāraṁ tamo mukundāṅghri-niṣevayaiva 

(ŚB 11.23.57)

I shall cross over the insurmountable ocean of nescience by being firmly fixed in the service of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. This was approved by the previous ācāryas, who were fixed in firm devotion to the Lord, Paramātmā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

From Śrīmad Bahgavatam 11 Canto /17/14 śloka we can see the extreme dignity of Sannyāsa vrata—

gṛhāśramo jaghanato brahmacaryaṁ hṛdo mama

vakṣaḥ-sthalād vane-vāsaḥ sannyāsaḥ śirasi sthitaḥ 

(ŚB 11.17.14)

The married order of life appeared from the loins of My universal form, and the celibate students came from My heart. The forest-dwelling retired order of life appeared from My chest, and the renounced order of life was situated within the head of My universal form.

From Manu smṛti 12/10 śloka we know that—

vāgdaṇḍo'tha manodaṇḍaḥ kāyadaṇḍastathaiva ca | yasyaite nihitā buddhau tridaṇḍīti sa ucyate || 10 ||

Control over Speech, control over the Mind and control over the Body,—the man in whose heart these are firmly fixed is called ‘the man of triple control.’

The great Gaura parshad Śrī Gopal Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī – previously who compiled Hari Bhakti Vilās in a very precise form, which was later on compiled by Śrīla Sanātan Gosvāmīpād in a very elaborated form there you can find all in details about the dignity of sannyāsa vrata. On those ancient ages the system of tridaṇḍī sannyāsa was there in the way of Vedic culture. So what wrong in it? It is not wise on your part to pass negative remark. Only those foolish-fallen-faithless-fanatic non-devotees out of their ignorance – can proclaim that in Kali Kal there is no sannyāsa vrata on the basis on the following śloka—

aśvamedhaṁ gavālambhaṁ sannyāsaṁ pālapaaitṛkaṁ devareṇa sutopattiṁ kalau pañca vivarjayet 

Verse 4.115 - Verses 112b, 113a, Kṛṣṇa-janma-khaṇḍa, Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa

Five things are forbidden in the age of Kali – horse-sacrifice, cow-sacrifice, acceptance of sannyāsa, offering flesh to the forefathers and begetting a child in the womb of the wife of one’s elder brother. This is the absolute realization of the Tridaṇḍī Bhikṣuk which we can find from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.23.57.

etāṁ sa āsthāya parātma-niṣṭhām adhyāsitāṁ pūrvatamair maharṣibhiḥ 

ahaṁ tariṣyāmi duranta-pāraṁ tamo mukundāṅghri-niṣevayaiva 

(ŚB 11.23.57)

Surely I can cross over this material ocean full of miseries of tama by being firmly fixed in the service of the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This kind of absolute vicāra already approved by our previous ācāryas, who were fixed in firm devotion to the Lord, Paramātmā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

From Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1/13/27 śloka we know the following absolute Siddhānta vicāra –

yaḥ svakāt parato veha jāta-nirveda ātmavān 

hṛdi kṛtvā hariṁ gehāt pravrajet sa narottamaḥ 

(ŚB 1.13.27)

He is certainly a first-class man who awakens and understands, either by himself or from others, the falsity and misery of this material world and thus leaves home and depends fully on the Personality of Godhead residing within his heart. From Śrī Caitanya Madhya 8 stroke 127 śloka it is very clear about the approval of sannyāsa vrata by Śrīman Mahāprabhu – who Himself was the great sannyāsī.

kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, śūdra kene naya yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei ‘guru’ haya 

(CC Madhya 8.127)

“Whether one is a brāhmaṇa, a sannyāsī or a śūdra — regardless of what he is — he can become a spiritual master if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa.”

This means that Kṛṣṇa tattva vit sannyāsīs – they also can act as ācārya or guru. This kind of open and direct approval by Śrīman Mahāprabhu can put all those sahajiyā bābājīs in a false case background. You are requested to go through the following articles written by Śrīla Saccidānanda Bahktivinod Ṭhākur on the topic of ‘Vaiṣṇavera Varṇāśrama dharma’ (Varṇāśrama Dharma of Vaiṣṇavas) which is already given in the previous chapter.

Gaura Hari Hari Bol