The reason behind Srila Baba Maharaja's saffron cloth?

The Reason behind Śrīla Bābā Mahārāja’s Saffron cloth?

Date 24.02.2025

In course of glorifying Gauḍīya Gosthīpati Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Thakura Paramahaṁsa Jagadguru Prabhupāda, the guardian of pure bhakti—Śrīla Bhakti Rakshaka Śrīdhara Dev Gosvāmī Mahārāja said that—

“parahaṁsa-varam-paramārtha-patim

patitoddharane kṛta-veśa-yatim”

The crown-jewel of the paramahaṁsas, the prince of the treasure of the supreme perfection of life, śrī kṛṣṇa-prema, he accepted the robes of a mendicant sannyāsī just to deliver those fallen souls. The topmost tridaṇḍi sannyāsīs attend his lotus feet. I make my obeisance unto him; perpetually do I bow down to the effulgence emanating from the toenails of the holy feet of my Divine Master.

Which means that—even though being eternally situated in the supreme idealism of those paramahaṁsas, Śrīla Prabhupāda (the unparalleled messiah who is sent by the Supreme Lord Himself) was bound to accept the veśa of sannyāsa (saffron cloth and tridaṇḍa) for the favourable arrangement of the absolute preaching of srī caitanya vānī. We can find such a commitment in his aprākṛta līlā that—“I can come down to any level for the absolute preaching of srī caitanya vānī.”

Who can realise the secrecy of sevā mood hidden in this absolute siddhānta vichar? Here there is not even the smell of any material desire except the desire of the completely satisfying of The Supreme Lord. Though the paramahaṁsa nature is spontaneous in him (The Prabhupāda), but still externally he came down to the level of sannyāsa—as a preacher and as a teacher. His līlā of accepting the vows of sannyāsa is solely for the purpose of following the idealism and instructions of Bhagavān and preaching caitanya vānī fearlessly. As per the scriptural statement—“saṅga śakti kalau yuge”, to establish the idealism of Śrīman Mahāprabhu, he has instructed us about the procedure of gosthī-bhajana. Similarly, Śrīla Bābā Mahārāja whose whole bhajana-life is totally dedicated in establishing the Absolute Truth, who brings a flood of hari-kathā which is more than enough to inundate the whole world. The immense glories of the topics of akaitava sevā of Śrī Guru, Gaurāṅga and Go-mātā can be realised by watching his divine sevā life. His lion-like roar in the form of hari-kathā can drive away all those evil personalities, those who are in the guise of devotees going to destroy the whole devotional field. Those kapat devotees start perspiring very badly in front of him. He always avoids matters like foreign trip, making disciples, constructing temples, etc. In spite of that many are there who never hesitate to pass dirty comments about him, such audacity they have. So only for this reason he is bound to take such a step to wear saffron cloth for the absolute purpose of preaching śrī caitanya vānī, because people are always in confusion to accept him on the same level of those sahajiyā Babajis, though it is true that with sannyāsa veśa at present all nonsense going on. Śrīla Bābā Mahārāja is absolutely less interested about any kind of lābha-pūjā-pratiṣṭhā, so by avoiding the pratiṣṭhā of paramahaṁsa veśa if at all he is coming down to this level for the absolute preaching of caitanya vānī, then what problem can be there?

The following verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam can be discussed—

jñāna-niṣṭho virakto vā mad-bhakto vānapekṣakaḥ

sa-liṅgān āśramāṁs tyaktvā cared avidhi-gocaraḥ                                 (S.B. 11.18.28)

A learned transcendentalist dedicated to the cultivation of knowledge and thus detached from external objects, or My devotee who is detached even from desire for liberation — both neglect those duties based on external rituals or paraphernalia. Thus, their conduct is beyond the range of rules and regulations.

I mean those who are established in jñāna, materially detached and always neutral—such devotees of Mine, have their conduct devoid of any kind of external symptom or sign to prove his own adhikāra. They are beyond the range of any particular rules and regulation relating to scriptural analysis.

According to the sāstras there are four varṇas, namely—brahmaṇā, ksatriya, vaiśya and sūdra and four āsramas, namely—brahmacārī, gṛhasta, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. But beyond all of these also there is a state—the state of those paramahaṁsa Vaiṣṇavas. According to the vichar of Śrīla Prabhupalāda the paramahaṁsa-veśa in Śrī Gauḍīya Matha is the compensating factor to the sannyāsa-vrata. The eternal associates of Śrī Gaurāṅga Deva like Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, etc. they are all natural paramahaṁsas; again, Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Thākura Mahāsaya was also naturally on the platform of paramahaṁsa Vaiṣṇava, though he always used to wear ordinary dhoti throughout his life. The babaji-veśa of those Gauḍīyas is nothing but symbolic to the paramahaṁsa position. In this context, it is established that the paramahaṁsa-veśa is symbolic to the niṣṭhā towards bhajana and the sannyāsa veśa is symbolic to the niṣṭhā of preaching with perfect idealism.

A devotee who has truly attained the paramahaṁsa state, he naturally also having the qualities of the highest order of all āsramas—sannyāsa-āsrama. That is why naturally paramahaṁsa-baba is also a sannyāsī in one sense, because naturally he is above sannyāsa-āsrama and is supposed to reach the paramahaṁsa stage, so he has accepted the paramahaṁsa attire. Just as a 100 rupee note surely having 50 rupees in it. Therefore, if a sannyāsī voluntarily abandons the attire appropriate to his āsrama, then it is considered as a disregard for the scriptures. However, if a paramahaṁsa transcending the range of rule and regulations, outwardly descends from his elevated position or paramahaṁsa position, to the lower stage of sannyāsa veśa, then there should not be any complain against him at all. But one sannyāsī surely cannot leave his sannyāsa veśa fancifully to accept paramahaṁsa white veśa. All those above siddhānta vichars are supported by those authentic scriptural analysis.  

Thanks a lot,

Truly yours in the service of Śrī Śrī Guru, Gaurāṅga and Go-mātā,

                                All the member of Sri Bhakti Siddhānta Vānī, Sevā Trust (regd.)