Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the Māyāvādīs - The Deliverance of Vārāṇasī
The city of Vārāṇasī (Kāśī) has long been the stronghold of impersonalist philosophy. When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu passed through this city, He encountered the proud Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the Lord's interaction with them is a masterclass in preaching—demonstrating how perfect humility, combined with unassailable philosophical logic, can melt the hardest hearts and deliver even the greatest offenders.
Blasphemy of the Impersonalists
The Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, led by Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, strictly adhered to the study of Vedānta and considered chanting and dancing to be sentimental activities meant only for the less intelligent. When they saw Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu absorbed in saṅkīrtana, they severely criticized Him. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that although the Lord initially ignored their blasphemy, the criticism deeply pained His pure devotees, Tapana Miśra and Candraśekhara Ācārya, who begged the Lord to intervene.
- While Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was passing through Varanasi on His way to Vrndavana, the Mayavadi sannyasi philosophers blasphemed against Him in many ways.
- Sannyasi's business is reading Vedanta, but this sannyasi is chanting and dancing. - So there was strong criticism. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu was arranged to meet this Mayavada sannyasi, and He talked on Vedanta and He defeated him.
- The Mayavadi sannyasis are all criticizing Your Holiness. We cannot tolerate hearing such criticism, for this blasphemy breaks our hearts.
- It was during this time that both Tapana Misra and Candrasekhara Acarya were feeling very sorry about the strong criticism against Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and they came together and prayed for the Lord to meet the Mayavadi sannyasis.
Divine Preaching Strategy
To pacify His devotees and to deliver the impersonalists, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu orchestrated a meeting. He accepted an invitation to dine at the home of a brāhmaṇa where all the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs were gathered. Upon arriving, the Lord exhibited extraordinary humility. He offered His respects to everyone and went to sit in a lowly place where He washed His feet. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights that this humility, combined with the Lord's brilliant bodily effulgence, immediately commanded the respect of the proud scholars.
- Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to invent a way to capture the Mayavadis and others who did not take interest in the Krsna consciousness movement. This is the symptom of an acarya.
- The Lord (Caitanya) took this opportunity and accepted the brahmana's invitation in order to meet the Mayavadi sannyasis. Actually this was an arrangement made by the Lord Himself.
- The next day Lord Caitanya went to the house of the brahmana and saw that all the Mayavadi sannyasis were sitting there. He offered His respects to all the sannyasis as was customary, and then went to wash His feet.
- One of these opulences is His (Caitanya's) beauty. By His extraordinarily beautiful bodily features, the Mayavadi sannyasis recognized Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as Narayana Himself.
Defeating the Māyāvāda Philosophy
When Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī respectfully inquired why He did not study Vedānta, the Lord humbly replied that His spiritual master considered Him a fool and ordered Him to simply chant the holy name. However, when pressed, the Lord delivered a masterful philosophical discourse. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the Lord forcefully dismantled Śaṅkarācārya's indirect, impersonalist interpretations, proving that the direct meaning of the Vedānta-sūtra establishes the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the path of devotional service.
- Vaisnavas do not neglect Vedanta, but they do not care to understand Vedanta on the basis of the Sariraka-bhasya. Therefore, to clarify the situation, Caitanya, with the permission of the Mayavadi sannyasis, wanted to speak regarding Vedanta philosophy.
- The Lord (Caitanya) thus spoke to the sannyasi almost in the same way that He spoke to the Bhattacarya of Puri, and by forceful arguments He nullified the Mayavada interpretations of the Vedanta-sutra.
- Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not talk with the Mayavadi philosophers when He first visited Varanasi, but He returned there from Mathura to convince them of the real purport of Vedanta.
- The dangerous Mayavada theory set forth by Sankaracarya - that God is impersonal - does not tally with the injunctions of the Vedas. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore described the Mayavadi philosophers as the greatest offenders.
Melting of the Māyāvādīs
The result of the Lord's profound preaching was unprecedented. The entire assembly of Māyāvādī sannyāsīs became submissive. They recognized the supreme truth in the Lord's words, begged forgiveness for their previous offenses, and began to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that by this act of causeless mercy, the Lord purified these offenders, allowing them to finally taste the nectar of love of Godhead and even honor prasādam together with Him.
- The original purpose of the Mayavadi sannyasis of Benares in meeting Caitanya Mahaprabhu was to defeat His personal conception of God. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as a preacher, turned the minds of the Mayavadis. They were melted by the sweet words of Caitanya.
- After hearing the arguments and talks of Caitanya, all the Mayavadi sannyasis who were present became pacified and replied with sweet words: Dear sir, what You have spoken is all true. A person who attains love of Godhead is certainly very fortunate.
- They (Mayavadi sannyasis) begged to be pardoned for the offenses they had committed by criticizing the Lord (Caitanya) for simply chanting and dancing and not taking part in the study of the Vedanta-sutra.
- It is to be concluded that when Lord Caitanya induced them (Mayavadi sannyasis) to chant Hare Krsna and excused them for their offenses, they were purified, and therefore there was no objection to taking lunch, or bhagavat-prasadam, with them.
Conclusion
The deliverance of the Māyāvādīs at Vārāṇasī vividly illustrates that a pure devotee fixed in knowledge of the absolute truth can conquer people entrenched in the deepest philosophical misconceptions. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches us that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's method—combining genuine humility with strict adherence to the true Vedic conclusion—is the perfect template for preaching. Through His mercy, those who were once considered the greatest offenders were transformed into joyful chanters of the holy name.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Caitanya and Mayavadis. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.