what about it?

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> > Avaduta Nityananda Mahajana

> > Mahaprabhu

> > Sivananda Sena

> > Bhaktivinode Thakur

> > Arjuna

> > Krsna

> > etc.

> >

> > Also Vedavyasa was the father of Pandu, Dhrtarastra and Vidura,

> > inseminating the wives (Ambika & Ambalika) of his brother Vicitravirya and

> > also the maid (Vidura was dasi-putra) due to incapacity of the latter.

> >

> > So taking for granted these personalities fully understood the conclusion

> > of the Vedas, what arguments do we have for NOT following in their

> > footsteps?

>

> First, I should say that personalities like Lord Gaur€‰ga and Lord KŠa are

> not j…va-tattva, so that we MUST NOT list their names along with Arjuna,

> Bhaktivinoda Th€kura, etc., it is wrong to do that. And hence They are out

> of question.

 

 

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

 

I found a few qutoes that say - if I am capable of understanding them properly

- that the example given by personalities like Lord Caitanya is actually ment

to be followed by us.

 

The quotes do not say, of course, that one *must* become a grahasta just

because these personalities were, but that if one decides for this asrama then

it is Lord Caitanya and his associates who are to be followed.

 

The qouted text below is taken from "Sri Bhaktyaloka", a book in which Srila

Bhaktivinoda Thakura elaborately speaks about 6 principles that enhance bhakti

and 6 principles by which bhakti is destroyed, as they are listed in Sri

Upadesamrta by Srila Rupa Goswami.

 

The last chapter describes sadhu-vrtti (following in the footsteps of the

previous acaryas) as the 6th principle favorable for the development of

bhakti. There Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says:

 

 

"There are two kinds of sadhus - householders and renunciates. I will

separately describe the vrtti, or occupation, of each. ...What is the proper

occupation? To know this, one should see the behavior of Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu's followers. First I will write about the behaviour and occupation

of a grhasta, as found in the character of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His

devotees.

 

....A grhasta Vaisnava should model his character after that of Lord Caitanya

and His followers. A householder should follow the ways of life and obtain his

means of livelihood as exhibited by Lord Caitanya and His followers. ...For a

devotee, to remain a householder or to become renunciate is the same thing.

Srila Ramananda Raya, Sri Pundarika Vidyanidhi, Sri Srivasa Pandita, Sri

Sivananda Sena, Sri Satyaraja Khan, and Sri Advaita Prabhu were all grhastas

and have shown us the way of faultless living. The difference between a

householder and a renunciate is due to their different means of livelihood. If

the home is favorable for devotee's devotional service, then he should not

leave. It is his duty to remain a grhasta with detachment. But when the home

becomes unfavorable for his service, he then becomes eligible to leave home.

....For this reason, Srivasa Pandita did not leave home. For this reason,

Svarupa Damodara took sannyasa."

 

 

My purpose was not, of course, to prove that one has to become a grahasta just

because Lord Caitanya was - as these quotes are anyway not proving that - but

I just couldn't understand why the personalities who are not jiva-tattva are

supposed to be "out of question" as far as following in Their footsteps goes.

Therefore I looked up in Sri Bhaktyaloka again and, after reading these

quotes, desired to share them with you. Hope you don't mind.

 

 

Your servant,

Nitambini dd