sabÄ namaskari' gelÄ pÄda-praká¹£Älane
pÄda praká¹£Älana kari vasilÄ sei sthÄne
sabÄ - to all; namaskari' - offering obeisances; gelÄ - went; pÄda - foot; praká¹£Älane - for washing; pÄda - foot; praká¹£Älana - washing; kari - finishing; vasilÄ - sat down; sei - in that; sthÄne - place.
As soon as ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu saw the sannyÄsÄ«s He immediately offered obeisances, and then He went to wash His feet. After washing His feet, He sat down by the place where He had done so.
By offering His obeisances to the MÄyÄvÄdÄ« sannyÄsÄ«s, ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu very clearly exhibited His humbleness to everyone. Vaiṣṇavas must not be disrespectful to anyone, to say nothing of a sannyÄsÄ«. ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu teaches, amÄninÄ mÄna-dena: one should always be respectful to others but should not demand respect for himself. A sannyÄsÄ« should always walk barefoot, and therefore when he enters a temple or a society of devotees he should first wash his feet and then sit down in a proper place. In India it is still the prevalent custom that one put his shoes in a specified place and then enter the temple barefoot after washing his feet. ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu is an ideal ÄcÄrya, and those who follow in His footsteps should practice the methods of devotional life that He teaches us.
