8.127

tomara thani ailana tomara mahima suniya

tumi more stuti kara ’sannyasi’ janiya

SYNONYMS

tomara thani—to your presence; ailana—I have come; tomara—your; mahima—glories; suniya—hearing; tumi—you; more—Me; stuti—praising; kara—do; sannyasi—a person in the renounced order of life; janiya—knowing as.

Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued, "After hearing about your glories, I have come to your place.

But you are offering Me words of praise out of respect for a sannyasi, one in the renounced order of life.

PURPORT

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura explains that a mundane person, being enriched by mundane opulences, must always know that the transcendental opulences of the advanced devotees are far more important than the materialistic opulences of a person like himself.

A materialistic person with material opulences should not be very proud or puffed up before a transcendental devotee.

If one approaches a transcendental devotee on the strength of one’s material heritage, opulence, education and beauty and does not offer respect to the advanced devotee of the Lord, the Vaisnava devotee may offer formal respects to such a materially puffed-up person, but he may not deliver transcendental knowledge to him.

Indeed, the devotee sees him as a non-brahmana or sudra.

Such a puffed-up person cannot understand the science of Krsna.

A proud person is deceived in transcendental life and, despite having attained a human form, will again glide into hellish conditions.

By His personal example, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu explains how one should be submissive and humble before a Vaisnava, even though one may be situated on a high platform.

Such is the teaching of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as the acarya of the world, the supreme spiritual master and teacher.