17.116
"suniyachi gauda-desera sannyasi--’bhavuka’
kesava-bharati-sisya, loka-prataraka
SYNONYMS
suniyachi—I have heard; gauda-desera sannyasi—the sannyasi from Bengal; bhavuka—sentimental; kesava-bharati-sisya—disciple of Kesava Bharati; loka-prataraka—a first-class pretender.
Prakasananda Sarasvati said, “Yes, I have heard about Him.
He is a sannyasi from Bengal, and He is very sentimental.
I have also heard that He belongs to the Bharati-sampradaya, for He is a disciple of Kesava Bharati.
However, He is only a pretender.”
PURPORT
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was considered bhavuka (sentimental) because He was always seen in the bhava stage.
That is, He always exhibited ecstatic love for Krsna.
However, foolish people considered Him sentimental.
In the material world, so-called devotees sometimes exhibit emotional symptoms.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s ecstatic love cannot be compared to the imitative emotional exhibitions of pretenders.
Such exhibitions do not continue for very long.
They are temporary.
We actually see that some emotional imitators exhibit certain symptoms, but immediately after their exhibition, they are attracted to smoking and other things.
In the beginning, when Prakasananda Sarasvati heard of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s activities, he considered them to be those of a pretender.
Consequently he called Him a loka-prataraka, a pretender.
Mayavadis cannot understand the transcendental symptoms exhibited by a devotee; therefore when such symptoms are manifest, the Mayavadis equate them with temporary emotional feelings.
However, Prakasananda Sarasvati’s statement is offensive, and consequently he should be considered an atheist (pasandi).
According to Srila Rupa Gosvami, since Prakasananda Sarasvati was not engaged in the Lord’s devotional service, his sannyasa is to be considered phalgu-vairagya.
This means that since he did not know how to use things for the Lord’s service, his renunciation of the world was artificial.