dharma-sthÄpana-hetu sÄdhura vyavahÄra
purÄ«-gosÄñira ye Äcaraṇa, sei dharma sÄra

1 times this text was mentioned in purports to other texts: NBS(1)

 dharma-sthÄpana-hetu - to establish the principles of religion; sÄdhura vyavahÄra - behavior of a devotee; purÄ«-gosÄñira - of MÄdhavendra PurÄ«; ye Äcaraṇa - the behavior; sei - that; dharma sÄra - the essence of all religion.


Text

“A devotee’s behavior establishes the true purpose of religious principles. The behavior of MÄdhavendra PurÄ« GosvÄmÄ« is the essence of such religious principles.â€

Purport

ÅšrÄ«la BhaktisiddhÄnta SarasvatÄ« ṬhÄkura gives the following commentary on this passage. A sÄdhu, or honest man, is called a mahÄjana or a mahÄtmÄ. The mahÄtmÄ is described thus by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (9.13):

mahÄtmÄnas tu mÄá¹ pÄrtha daivÄ«á¹ praká¹›tim ÄÅ›ritÄḥ
bhajanty ananya-manaso jñÄtvÄ bhÅ«tÄdim avyayam

“O son of Pá¹›thÄ, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.â€

In the material world, the word mahÄtmÄ is understood in different ways by different religionists. Mundaners also come up with their different angles of vision. For the conditioned soul busy in sense gratification, a mahÄjana is recognized according to the proportion of sense gratification he offers. For instance, a businessman may consider a certain banker to be a mahÄjana, and karmÄ«s desiring material enjoyment may consider philosophers like Jaimini to be mahÄjanas. There are many yogÄ«s who want to control the senses, and for them Patañjali Ṛṣi is a mahÄjana. For the jñÄnÄ«s, the atheist Kapila, Vasiṣṭha, DurvÄsÄ, DattÄtreya and other impersonalist philosophers are mahÄjanas. For the demons, HiraṇyÄká¹£a, HiraṇyakaÅ›ipu, RÄvaṇa, RÄvaṇa’s son MeghanÄda, JarÄsandha and others are accepted as mahÄjanas. For materialistic anthropologists speculating on the evolution of the body, a person like Darwin is a mahÄjana. The scientists who are bewildered by Kṛṣṇa’s external energy have no relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, yet they are accepted by some as mahÄjanas. Similarly, philosophers, historians, literary men, public speakers and social and political leaders are sometimes accepted as mahÄjanas. Such mahÄjanas are respected by certain men who have been described in ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam (2.3.19):

Å›va-viá¸-varÄhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ
 saá¹stutaḥ puruá¹£aḥ paÅ›uḥ
na yat-karṇa-pathopeto
 jÄtu nÄma gadÄgrajaḥ

“Men who are like dogs, hogs, camels and asses praise those men who never listen to the transcendental pastimes of Lord ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa, the deliverer from evils.â€

Thus on the material platform animalistic leaders are worshiped by animals. Sometimes physicians, psychiatrists and social workers try to mitigate bodily pain, distress and fear, but they have no knowledge of spiritual identity and are bereft of a relationship with God. Yet they are considered mahÄjanas by the illusioned. Self-deceived persons sometimes accept leaders or spiritual masters from a priestly order that has been officially appointed by the codes of material life. In this way, they are deceived by official priests. Sometimes people accept as mahÄjanas those who have been designated by ÅšrÄ«la Vá¹›ndÄvana dÄsa ṬhÄkura as á¸haá¹…ga-vipras (imposter brÄhmaṇas). Such imposters imitate the characteristics of ÅšrÄ«la HaridÄsa ṬhÄkura, and they envy HaridÄsa ṬhÄkura, who was certainly a mahÄjana. They make great artificial endeavors, advertising themselves as great devotees of the Lord or as mystic hypnotists knowledgeable in witchcraft, hypnotism and miracles. Sometimes people accept as mahÄjanas demons like PÅ«tanÄ, TṛṇÄvarta, Vatsa, Baka, AghÄsura, Dhenuka, KÄlÄ«ya and Pralamba. Some people accept imitators and adversaries of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, such as Pauṇá¸raka, Åšá¹›gÄla VÄsudeva, the spiritual master of the demons (ÅšukrÄcÄrya), or atheists like CÄrvÄka, King Vena, Sugata and Arhat. People who accept such imitators as mahÄjanas have no faith in ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Rather, they accept godless cheaters who present themselves as incarnations of God and cheat foolish people within the material world by word jugglery. Thus many rascals are accepted as mahÄjanas.

It is those who are devoid of devotional service who sometimes mistakenly accept persons with mundane motives as mahÄjanas. The only motive must be kṛṣṇa-bhakti, devotional service to the Lord. Sometimes fruitive workers, dry philosophers, nondevotees, mystic yogÄ«s and persons attached to material opulence, women and money are considered mahÄjanas. But ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam (6.3.25) gives the following statement about such unauthorized mahÄjanas:

prÄyeṇa veda tad idaá¹ na mahÄjano ’yaá¹
 devyÄ vimohita-matir bata mÄyayÄlam
trayyÄá¹ jaá¸Ä«-ká¹›ta-matir madhu-puá¹£pitÄyÄá¹
 vaitÄnike mahati karmaṇi yujyamÄnaḥ

In this material world, karmÄ«s (fruitive actors) are accepted as mahÄjanas by foolish people who do not know the value of devotional service. The mundane intelligence and mental speculative methods of such foolish people are under the control of the three modes of material nature. Consequently they cannot understand unalloyed devotional service. They are attracted by material activities, and they become worshipers of material nature. Thus they are known as fruitive actors. They even become entangled in material activities disguised as spiritual activities. In the Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ such people are described as veda-vÄda-ratÄḥ, supposed followers of the Vedas. They do not understand the real purport of the Vedas, yet they think of themselves as Vedic authorities. People versed in Vedic knowledge must know Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. VedaiÅ› ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ. (Bg. 15.15)

In this material world a person may be famous as a karma-vÄ«ra, a successful fruitive worker, or he may be very successful in performing religious duties, or he may be known as a hero in mental speculation (jñÄna-vÄ«ra), or he may be a very famous renunciant. In any case, ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam (3.23.56) gives the following opinion in this matter.

neha yat karma dharmÄya na virÄgÄya kalpate
na tÄ«rtha-pada-sevÄyai jÄ«vann api má¹›to hi saḥ

“Anyone whose work is not meant for elevating him to religious life, anyone whose religious ritualistic performances do not raise him to renunciation, and anyone situated in renunciation that does not lead him to devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead must be considered dead, although he is breathing.â€

The conclusion is that all pious activity, fruitive activity, religious principles and renunciation must ultimately lead to devotional service. There are different types of processes for rendering service. One may serve his country, people and society, the varṇÄÅ›rama-dharma system, the sick, the poor, the rich, women, demigods and so on. All this service comes under the heading of sense gratification, or enjoyment in the material world. It is most unfortunate that people are more or less attracted by such material activity and that the leaders of these activities are accepted as mahÄjanas, great ideal leaders. Actually they are only misleaders, but an ordinary man cannot understand how he is being misled.

Narottama dÄsa ṬhÄkura says, sÄdhu-Å›Ästra-guru-vÄkya, cittete kariyÄ aikya: “One should accept as one’s guide the words of the sÄdhus, the Å›Ästra and the guru.†A sÄdhu is a great personality like ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu, the Å›Ästras are the injunctions of revealed scriptures, and the guru, or spiritual master, is one who confirms the scriptural injunctions. Accepting the guidance of these three is the actual way of following the great personalities (mahÄjanas) for real advancement in life (mahÄjano yena gataḥ sa panthÄḥ). A man covered by illusion cannot understand the proper way; therefore ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu says, dharma-sthÄpana-hetu sÄdhura vyavahÄra: “The behavior of a devotee is the criterion for all other behavior.†ŚrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu Himself followed the devotional principles and taught others to follow them. PurÄ«-gosÄñira ye Äcaraṇa, sei dharma sÄra. ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu personally followed the behavior of MÄdhavendra PurÄ« and advised others to follow his principles. Unfortunately, people have been attracted to the material body since time immemorial.

yasyÄtma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhÄtuke
 sva-dhīḥ kalatrÄdiá¹£u bhauma ijya-dhīḥ
yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
 janeá¹£v abhijñeá¹£u sa eva go-kharaḥ

“A human being who identifies this body made of three elements with his self, who considers the by-products of the body to be his kinsmen, who considers his land of birth worshipable, and who goes to a place of pilgrimage simply to take a bath rather than meet men of transcendental knowledge there is to be considered like an ass or a cow.†(BhÄg. 10.84.13) Those who accept the logic of gaá¸á¸ÄlikÄ-pravÄha and follow in the footsteps of pseudo mahÄjanas are carried away by the waves of mÄyÄ. Bhaktivinoda ṬhÄkura therefore warns:

miche mÄyÄra vaÅ›e, yÄccha bhese’,
khÄccha hÄbuá¸ubu, bhÄi
jÄ«va kṛṣṇa-dÄsa, e viÅ›vÄsa,
ka’rle ta’ Ära duḥkha nÄi

“Don’t be carried away by the waves of mÄyÄ. Just surrender to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, and all miseries will end.†Those who follow social customs and behavior forget to follow the path chalked out by the mahÄjanas; thus they are offenders at the feet of the mahÄjanas. Sometimes they consider such mahÄjanas very conservative, or they create their own mahÄjanas. In this way they ignore the principles of the paramparÄ system. This is a great misfortune for everyone. If one does not follow in the footsteps of the real mahÄjanas, one’s plans for happiness will be frustrated. This is elaborately explained later in the Madhya-lÄ«lÄ (chapter twenty-five, verses 55, 56 and 58). It is there stated:

parama kÄraṇa Ä«Å›vare keha nÄhi mÄne
sva-sva-mata sthÄpe para-matera khaṇá¸ane
tÄte chaya darÅ›ana haite ‘tattva’ nÄhi jÄni
‘mahÄjana’ yei kahe, sei ‘satya’ mÄni
Å›rÄ«-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-vÄṇī — amá¹›tera dhÄra
tiá¹…ho ye kahaye vastu, sei ‘tattva’ — sÄra

People are so unfortunate that they do not accept the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Instead, they want to be supported by so-called mahÄjanas, or authorities. TÄte chaya darÅ›ana haite ‘tattva’ nÄhi jÄni: we cannot ascertain the real truth simply by following speculators. We have to follow the footsteps of the mahÄjanas in the disciplic succession. Then our attempt will be successful. ÅšrÄ«-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-vÄṇī — amá¹›tera dhÄra: “Whatever is spoken by ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu is an incessant flow of nectar.†Whoever accepts His words as reality can understand the essence of the Absolute Truth.

No one can ascertain the Absolute Truth by following the philosophy of SÄá¹…khya or the yoga system of Patañjali, for neither the followers of SÄá¹…khya nor the yogÄ«s who follow Patañjali accept Lord Viṣṇu as the Supreme Personality of Godhead (na te viduḥ svÄrtha-gatiá¹ hi viṣṇum). The ambition of such people is never fulfilled; therefore they are attracted by the external energy. Although mental speculators may be renowned all over the world as great authorities, actually they are not. Such leaders are themselves conservative and not at all liberal. However, if we preach this philosophy, people will consider Vaiṣṇavas very sectarian. ÅšrÄ«la MÄdhavendra PurÄ« was a real mahÄjana, but misguided people cannot distinguish the real from the unreal. But a person who is awakened to Kṛṣṇa consciousness can understand the real religious path chalked out by the Lord and His pure devotees. ÅšrÄ« MÄdhavendra PurÄ« was a real mahÄjana because he understood the Absolute Truth properly and throughout his life behaved like a pure devotee. ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu approved the method of ÅšrÄ« MÄdhavendra PurÄ«. Therefore, although from the material viewpoint the Sanoá¸iyÄ brÄhmaṇa was on a lower platform, ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu considered him situated on the highest platform of spiritual realization.

ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam (6.3.20) states that there are twelve mahÄjanas: BrahmÄ, NÄrada, Åšambhu, the four KumÄras, Kapila, Manu, PrahlÄda, Janaka, BhÄ«á¹£ma, Bali, Åšukadeva and YamarÄja.

To select our mahÄjanas in the Gauá¸Ä«ya-sampradÄya, we have to follow in the footsteps of ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu and His representatives. His next representative is ÅšrÄ« SvarÅ«pa DÄmodara GosvÄmÄ«, and the next representatives are the six GosvÄmÄ«s — ÅšrÄ« RÅ«pa, ÅšrÄ« SanÄtana, Bhaá¹­á¹­a RaghunÄtha, ÅšrÄ« JÄ«va, GopÄla Bhaá¹­á¹­a and DÄsa RaghunÄtha. A follower of Viṣṇu SvÄmī’s was ÅšrÄ«dhara SvÄmÄ«, the most well known commentator on ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam. He was also a mahÄjana. Similarly, Caṇá¸Ä«dÄsa, VidyÄpati and Jayadeva were all mahÄjanas. One who tries to imitate the mahÄjanas just to become an imitative spiritual master is certainly far away from following in the footsteps of the mahÄjanas. Sometimes people cannot actually understand how a mahÄjana follows other mahÄjanas. In this way people commit offenses and fall from devotional service.