+GOV INDA ********PART 2.****** ONE ACTUALLY BECOMES A SANNYASI WHEN MIND AND BODY ARE COMPLETELY DEVOTED TO THE LORD TRANSLATION: Passing through the tract of land known as Radha-desa, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu recited the following verse in ecstasy. [As a brahmana from Avanti-desa said:] “I shall cross over the insurmountable ocean of nescience by being firmly fixed in the service of the lotus feet of Krsna. This was approved by the previous acaryas, who were fixed in firm devotion to the Lord, Paramatma, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” PURPORT: In connection with this verse, which is a quotation from Srimad- Bhagavatam (11.23.58) , Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that of the sixty-four items required for rendering devotional service, acceptance of the symbolic marks of sannyasa is a regulative principle. If one accepts the sannyasa order, his main business is to devote his life completely to the service of Mukunda, Krsna. If one does not completely devote his mind and body to the service of the Lord, he does not actually become a sannyasi. It is not simply a matter of changing dress. In Bhagavad-gita (6.1 ) it is also stated, anasritah karma-phalam karyam karma karoti yah/ sa sannyasi ca yogi ca: one who works devotedly for the satisfaction of Krsna is a sannyasi. The dress is not sannyasa, but the attitude of service to Krsna is. The word paratma-nistha means being a devotee of Lord Krsna. Paratma, the Supreme Person, is Krsna. Isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid- ananda-vigrahah. Those who are completely dedicated to the lotus feet of Krsna in service are actually sannyasis. As a matter of formality, the devotee accepts the sannyasa dress as previous acaryas did. He also accepts the three dandas. Later Visnusvami considered that accepting the dress of a tri-dandi was parat-ma-nistha: Therefore sincere devotees add another danda, the jiva-danda, to the three existing dandas. The Vaisnava sannyasi is known as a tridandi-sannyasi. The Mayavadi sannyasi accepts only one danda, not understanding the purpose of tri-danda. Later, many persons in the community of Siva Svami gave up the atma-nistha (devotional service) of the Lord and followed the path of Sankaracarya. Instead of accepting 108 names, those in the Siva Svami-sampradaya follow the path of Sankaracarya and accept the ten names of sannyasa. Although Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted the then-existing order of sannyasa (namely eka-danda), He still recited a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam about the tridanda-sannyasa accepted by the brahmana of Avantipura. Indirectly He declared that within that eka-danda, one danda, four dandas existed as one. Accepting ekadanda-sannyasa without paratma-nistha (devotional service to Lord Krsna) is not acceptable to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In addition, according to the exact regulative principles, one should add the jiva-danda to the tri-danda. These four dandas, bound together as one, are symbolic of unalloyed devotional service to the Lord. Because the ekadandi-sannyasis of the Mayavada school are not devoted to the service of Krsna, they try to merge into the Brahman effulgence, which is a marginal position between material and spiritual existence. They accept this impersonal position as liberation. Mayavadi sannyasis, not knowing that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was a tri-dandi, think of Caitanya Mahaprabhu as an ekadandi-sannyasi. This is due to their vivarta, bewilderment. In Srimad- Bhagavatam there is no such thing as an ekadandi-sannyasi; indeed, the tri-dandi- sannyasi is accepted as the symbolic representation of the sannyasa order. By citing this verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted the sannyasa order recommended in Srimad-Bhagavatam. The Mayavadi sannyasis, who are enamored of the external energy of the Lord, cannot understand the mind of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. To date, all the devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, following in His footsteps, accept the sannyasa order and keep the sacred thread a tuft of unshaved hair. The ekadandi- sannyasis of the Mayavadi school give up the sacred thread and do not keep any tuft of hair. Therefore they are unable to understand the purport of tridanda-sannyasa, and as such they are not inclined to dedicate their lives to the service of Mukunda. They simply think of merging into the existence of Brahman because of their disgust with material existence. The acaryas who advocate the daiva- varnasrama (the social order of catur-varnyam mentioned in Bhagavad-gita) do not accept the proposition of asura-varnasrama, which maintains that the social order of varna is indicated by birth. The most intimate devotee of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, namely Gadadhara Pandita, accepted tridanda-sannyasa and also accepted Madhava Upadhyaya as his tridandi-sannyasi disciple. It is said that from this Madhavacarya the sampradaya known in western India as the Vallabhacarya- sampradaya has begun. Srila Gopala Bhatta Bose, who is known as a smrtyacarya in the Gaudiya-Vaisnava-sampradaya, later accepted the tridanda-sannyasa order from Tridandipada Prabodhananda Sarasvati. Although acceptance of tridanda- sannyasa is not distinctly mentioned in the Gaudiya Vaisnava literature, the first verse of Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Upadesamrta advocates that one should accept the tridanda-sannyasa order by controlling the six forces: vaco vegam manasah krodha-vegam jihva-vegam udaropastha-vegam etan vegan yo visaheta dhirah sarvam apimam prthivim sa sisyat “One who can control the forces of speech, mind, anger, belly, tongue and genitals is known as a gosvami and is competent to accept disciples all over the world.” The followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu never accepted the Mayavada order of sannyasa, and for this they cannot be blamed. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted Sridhara Svami, who was a tridandi-sannyasi, but the Mayavadi sannyasis, not understanding Sridhara Svami, sometimes think that Sridhara Svami belonged to the Mayavada ekadanda- sannyasa community. Actually this was not the case. (Cc. Madhya 3.5-6 )

+GOV INDA ************ PART 3 ************ A KRSNA CONSCIOUS PERSON IS A SANNYASI AND A YOGI Therefore, when one is in complete knowledge, one ceases all material sense gratification, or renounces all kinds of sense gratificatory activities. This is practiced by the yogis who restrain the senses from material attachment. But a person in Krsna consciousness has no opportunity to engage his senses in anything which is not for the purpose of Krsna. Therefore, a Krsna conscious person is simultaneously a sannyasi and yogi. (B.g. 6.2, purp.) * THE REGULATIVE PRINCIPLES GOVERNING THE RENOUNCED ORDER ARE MEANT TO BRING ONE TO SERVE THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD EXCLUSIVELY TRANSLATION: He was very enthusiastic to worship Sri Krsna without disturbance; therefore it was almost in madness that he accepted the sannyasa order. Upon accepting sannyasa, Purusottama Acarya followed the regulative principles by giving up his tuft of hair and sacred thread, but he did not accept the saffron colored dress. Also, he did not accept a sannyasi title but remained as a naisthika- brahmacari. PURPORT: There are regulative principles governing the renounced order. One has to perform eight kinds of sraddha. One must offer oblations to one’s forefathers and perform the sacrifice of viraja-homa. Then one must cut off the tuft of hair called a sikha and also give up the sacred thread. These are preliminary processes in the acceptance of sannyasa, and Svarupa Damodara accepted all these. However, Purusottama Acarya did not accept the saffron color, a sannyasi name or a danda. He retained his brahmacari name. Actually Purusottama Acarya did not accept the sannyasa formally, but he renounced worldly life. He did not want to be disturbed by the formality of the sannyasa order. He simply wanted to worship Lord Sri Krsna without disturbance; therefore with heart and soul he took up the renounced order but not the formalities accompanying it. Renunciation means not doing anything but serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna. When one acts on this platform, trying to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is both a sannyasi and a yogi. (Cc. Madhya 10.107-108) * DRESS IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO MAKE A SANNYASI, BUT ACTING UNDER THE DIRECTIONS OF THE LORD IS Anyone acting under the direction of the Supreme Lord is actually a sannyasi and a yogi, and not the man who has simply taken the dress of the sannyasi or a pseudo-yogi. (B.g. 10.3, purp.) * In this age of logic, argument and disagreement, the chanting of Hare Krsna is the only means for self-realization. Because this transcendental vibration alone can deliver the conditioned soul, it is considered to be the essence of the Vedanta-sūtra. (Pg no-202 - Last Para) A student is to be considered perfected when he understands the identity of the holy name and the Supreme Lord. Unless one is under the shelter of a realized spiritual master, his understanding of the Supreme is simply foolishness. However, one can fully understand the transcendental Lord by service and devotion. When Lord Caitanya offenselessly chanted the Hare Krsna mantra, He declared that the mantra could at once deliver a conditioned soul from material contamination. In this age of Kali there is no alternative to chanting this maha-mantra. It is stated that the essence of all Vedic literature is the chanting of this holy name of Krsna: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Lord Caitanya also told PrakasanandaSarasvati, "In order to convince Me about this essential fact of Vedic knowledge, My spiritual master has taught Me (a verse from Brhan-naradiya Puraṇa[38.126].) Harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha: [Adi 17.21] In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the only means of deliverance is the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way." (Pg no-201 - Last Para) From, Chapter 18: The Conversations with Prakasananda Teachings of Lord Caitanya - By His Divine Grace A. C. Srila Swami Prabhupad Hare Krishna, Your Humble Servant