3.222
tumi khaile haya koti-brahmana-bhojana"
eta bali, sraddha-patra karaila bhojana
SYNONYMS
tumi khaile—if you eat; haya—there is; koti-brahmana-bhojana—feeding ten million brahmanas; eta bali—saying this; sraddha-patra—the dish offered to the forefathers; karaila bhojana—made to eat “Feeding you is equal to feeding ten million brahmanas,” Advaita Acarya said “Therefore, accept this sraddha-patra.” Thus Advaita Acarya made him eat.
PURPORT
Sraddha is prasada offered to the forefathers at a certain date of the year or month.
The sraddha-patra, or plate offered to the forefathers, is then offered to the best of the brahmanas in society instead of offering the sraddha-patra to any other brahmana, Advaita Acarya offered it to Haridasa Thakura, considering him greater than any of the foremost brahmanas.
This act by Sri Advaita Acarya proves that Haridasa Thakura was always situated in a transcendental position and was therefore always greater than even the most exalted brahmana, for he was situated above the mode of goodness of the material world.
Referring to the Bhakti-sandarbha, verse 177, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura quotes the following statements from the Garuda Purana in this connection:
brahmananam sahasrebhyah
satra-yaji visisyate
satra-yaji-sahasrebhyah
sarva-vedanta-paragah
sarva-vedanta-vit-kotya
visnu-bhakto visisyate
vaisnavanam sahasrebhya
ekanty eko visisyate “A brahmana qualified to offer sacrifices is better than an ordinary brahmana and better than such a brahmana is one who has studied all the Vedic scriptures.
Among many such brahmanas, one who is a devotee of Lord Visnu is the best; and among many such Vaisnavas, one who fully engages in the service of the Lord is the best.”
bhaktir asta-vidha hy esa
yasmin mlecche ’pi vartate
sa viprendro muni-sresthah
sa jnani sa ca panditah
tasmai deyam tato grahyam
sa ca pujyo yatha harih “There are many different kinds of devotees, but even a Vaisnava coming from a family of mlecchas or yavanas is understood to be a learned scholar, complete in knowledge, if he knows the Vaisnava philosophy.
He should therefore be given charity, for such a Vaisnava is as worshipable as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
na me ’bhaktas catur-vedi
mad-bhaktah sva-pacah priyah
tasmai deyam tato grahyam
sa ca pujyo yatha hy aham Lord Krsna says, “Even if a nondevotee comes from a brahmana family and is expert in studying the Vedas, he is not very dear to Me, whereas even if a sincere devotee comes from a low family of meat-eaters, he is very dear to Me.
Such a sincere pure devotee should be given charity, for he is as worshipable as I.”