23.105
yukta-vairagya-sthiti saba sikhaila
suska-vairagya-jnana saba nisedhila
SYNONYMS
yukta-vairagya—of proper renunciation; sthiti—the situation; saba—all; sikhaila—instructed; suska-vairagya—dry renunciation; jnana—speculative knowledge; saba—all; nisedhila—forbade.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then told Sanatana Gosvami about proper renunciation according to a particular situation, and the Lord forbade dry renunciation and speculative knowledge in all respects.
PURPORT
This is the technique for understanding suska-vairagya and yukta-vairagya.
In Bhagavad-gita (6.17) it is said:
yuktahara-viharasya
yukta-cestasya karmasu
yukta-svapnavabodhasya
yogo bhavati duhkha-ha “He who is temperate in his habits of eating, sleeping, working and recreation can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system.” To broadcast the cult of Krsna consciousness, one has to learn the possibility of renunciation in terms of country, time and candidate.
A candidate for Krsna consciousness in the Western countries should be taught about the renunciation of material existence, but one would teach candidates from a country like India in a different way.
The teacher (acarya) has to consider time, candidate and country.
He must avoid the principle of niyamagraha-that is, he should not try to perform the impossible.
What is possible in one country may not be possible in another.
The acarya’s duty is to accept the essence of devotional service.
There may be a little change here and there as far as yukta-vairagya (proper renunciation) is concerned.
Dry renunciation is forbidden by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and we have also learned this from our spiritual master, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Gosvami Maharaja.
The essence of devotional service must be taken into consideration, and not the outward paraphernalia.
Sanatana Gosvami wrote his Vaisnava smrti, Hari-bhakti-vilasa, which was specifically meant for India.
In those days, India was more or less following the principle of smarta-vidhi.
Srila Sanatana Gosvami had to keep pace with this, and his Hari-bhakti-vilasa was compiled with this in mind.
According to smarta-brahmanas, a person not born in a brahmana family could not be elevated to the position of a brahmana.
Sanatana Gosvami, however, says in Hari-bhakti-vilasa (2.12) that anyone can be elevated to the position of a brahmana by the process of initiation yatha kancanatam yati
kamsyam rasa-vidhanatah
tatha diksa-vidhanena
dvijatvam jayate nrnam There is a difference between the smarta process and the gosvami process.
According to the smarta process, one cannot be accepted as a brahmana unless he is born in a brahmana family.
According to the gosvami process, the Hari-bhakti-vilasa and the Narada-pancaratra, anyone can be a brahmana if he is properly initiated by a bona fide spiritual master.
This is also the verdict of Sukadeva Gosvami in Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.4.18):
kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa
abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah
ye ’nye ca papa yad-apasrayasrayah
sudhyanti tasmai prabhavisnave namah A Vaisnava is immediately purified, provided he follows the rules and regulations of his bona fide spiritual master.
It is not necessary that the rules and regulations followed in India be exactly the same as those in Europe, America and other Western countries.
Simply imitating without effect is called niyamagraha.
Not following the regulative principles but instead living extravagantly is also called niyamagraha.
The word niyama means “regulative principles,” and agraha means “eagerness.” The word agraha means “not to accept.” We should not follow regulative principles without an effect, nor should we fail to accept the regulative principles.
What is required is a special technique according to country, time and candidate.
Without the sanction of the spiritual master, we should not try to imitate.
This principle is recommended here: suska-vairagya-jnana saba nisedhila.
This is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s liberal demonstration of the bhakti cult.
We should not introduce anything whimsically, without the sanction of the bona fide spiritual master.
In this connection, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura comments on these points by quoting two verses by Sri Rupa Gosvami (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.255-256) anasaktasya visayan
yatharham upayunjatah
nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe
yuktam vairagyam ucyate
prapancikataya buddhya
hari-sambandhi-vastunah
mumuksubhih parityago
vairagyam phalgu kathyate “When one is not attached to anything but at the same time accepts everything in relation to Krsna, one is rightly situated above possessiveness.
On the other hand, one who rejects everything without knowledge of its relationship to Krsna is not as complete in his renunciation.” To preach the bhakti cult, one should seriously consider these verses.