"Welfare to Others"

5 Feb 76 , Mayapura


Prabhupada: So you should understand the purpose of taking sannyasa by the example given by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself. It is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam,

tyaktva su-dustyaja-surepsita-rajya-laksmim
dharmistha arya-vacasa yad agad aranyam
maya-mrgam dayitayepsitam anvadhavad
vande maha-purusa te caranaravindam
[SB 11.5.34]

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was resident of this place where you are taking sannyasa. So what was the purpose of His taking sannyasa? He was very respectable brahmana, Nimai Pandita. This tract of land, Navadvipa, is the place of highly educated brahmanas from time immemorial. So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu belonged to a very respectable brahmana family, the son of Jagannatha Misra, His grandfather, Nilambara Cakravarti, very respectful, respectable persons. He took birth in that family. Personally He was very beautiful; therefore His another name is Gaurasundara. And He was very learned scholar also; therefore His another name is Nimai Pandita. So, and in His family life He had very nice, beautiful young wife, Visnupriya, and very affectionate mother, and He was very influential. You know that. In one day He collected about one hundred thousand followers to protest against the Kazi's order. So in this way His social position was very favorable. Personal position was very favorable. Still, He took sannyasa, left home. Why? Dayitaye, in order to favor, in order to show mercy to the fallen souls of the world.

So He left a legacy that anyone who has taken birth in India,

bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara
[Cc. Adi 9.41]

So He exhibited personally how to do para-upakara, welfare to others, fallen souls. So this sannyasa means following the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu that,

amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa
yare dekha tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa
[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

So not only... We are trying to create a position that not only the Indians have got this responsibility, but according to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, anyone -- prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama -- they should take up this missionary work. And I am so much obliged to you, you American boys and girls also, that you have taken this Krsna consciousness movement very seriously. And by the grace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu you are taking sannyasa, some of you. Keep it very perfectly and go from town to town, city to city, village to village, all over the world and spread this Krsna consciousness movement so that everyone will be happy. People are very much suffering. Because they are mudhas, rascals, they do not know how to adjust living condition in human form. This is the bhagavata-dharma everywhere. So the human form is not to become a dog, hog, pig. You should become a perfect human being. Suddhyet sattva. Purify your existence. Why you are subjected to birth, death, old age, and disease? Because we are impure. Now if we purify our existence, then there will be no such thing as birth, death, old age, and disease. That is the version of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Krsna Himself. Simply by understanding Krsna, you become purified and you escape the contamination of birth, death, old age and disease. So try to convince the people in general, the philosophers, the religionists. We have no such thing, sectarian view. Anyone can join this movement and become purified himself. Janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara. So I am very much pleased. You have given already service to the society. Now you take up sannyasa and preach all over the world so that people may be benefited.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

Prabhupada: The danda. Take this and offer obeisances. So add to your name "Swami," that's all. What is his name?

Devotee: Viraha.

Prabhupada: Viraha Prakasa Swami. Bow down. Viraha Prakasa. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the symbolic of viraha prakasa. Govinda-virahena me. He says, sunyayitam jagat sarvam govinda-virahena me. That is viraha-prakasa, that "Everything is vacant for me without Govinda." That is called viraha. So we should be mad after Govinda. That is govinda-virahena me. Sunyayitam jagat sarvam govinda-virahena me. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna.

Devotees: Jaya Srila Prabhupada. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Excerpt from Sannyasa Initiation of Viraha Prakasa Swami -- Mayapur, February 5, 1976