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Library » Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta » Madhya-līlā » CHAPTER FOUR

CC Madhya 4.123

Bengali

অযাচিত-বৃত্তি পুরী — বিরক্ত, উদাস ।
অযাচিত পাইলে খা’ন, নহে উপবাস ॥ ১২৩ ॥

Text

ayācita-vṛtti purī — virakta, udāsa
ayācita pāile khā’na, nahe upavāsa

Synonyms

ayācita-vṛtti — accustomed to avoid begging; purī — Mādhavendra Purī; virakta — unattached; udāsa — indifferent; ayācita — without begging; pāile — if getting; khā’na — he eats; nahe — if not; upavāsa — fasting.

Translation

Mādhavendra Purī avoided begging. He was completely unattached and indifferent to material things. If, without his begging, someone offered him some food, he would eat; otherwise he would fast.

Purport

This is the paramahaṁsa stage, the highest stage for a sannyāsī. A sannyāsī can beg from door to door just to collect food, but a paramahaṁsa who has taken ayācita-vṛtti, or ājagara-vṛtti, does not ask anyone for food. If someone offers him food voluntarily, he eats. Ayācita-vṛtti means being accustomed to refrain from begging, and ājagara-vṛtti indicates one who is compared to a python, the big snake that makes no effort to acquire food but rather allows food to come automatically within its mouth. In other words, a paramahaṁsa simply engages exclusively in the service of the Lord without caring even for eating or sleeping. It was stated about the six Gosvāmīs: nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau. In the paramahaṁsa stage one conquers the desire for sleep, food and sense gratification. One remains a humble, meek mendicant engaged in the service of the Lord day and night. Mādhavendra Purī had attained this paramahaṁsa stage.