11.165
haridasa kahe,-muni nica-jati chara
mandira-nikate yaite mora nahi adhikara
SYNONYMS
haridasa kahe—Haridasa Thakura said; muni—I; nica-jati—low caste; chara—abominable; mandira-nikate—near the temple; yaite—to go; mora—my; nahi—there is not; adhikara—authority.
Haridasa Thakura replied, “I cannot go near the temple because I am a low-caste, abominable person.
I have no authority to go there.”
PURPORT
Although Haridasa Thakura was such a highly exalted Vaisnava that he was addressed as Haridasa Gosvami, he still did not like to disturb the common sense of the general populace.
Haridasa Thakura was so exalted that he was addressed as thakura and gosani, and these titles are offered to the most advanced Vaisnavas.
The spiritual master is generally called gosani, and thakura is used to address the paramahamsas, those in the topmost rank of spirituality.
Nonetheless, Haridasa Thakura did not want to go near the temple, although he was called there by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself.
The Jagannatha temple still accepts only those Hindus who are in the varnasrama order.
Other castes, especially those who are not Hindu, are not allowed to enter the temple.
This is a long-standing regulation, and thus Haridasa Thakura, although certainly competent and qualified to enter the temple, did not want even to go near it.
This is called Vaisnava humility.