haridÄsa kahe, — muñi nÄ«ca-jÄti chÄra
mandira-nikaá¹­e yÄite mora nÄhi ÄdhikÄra

 haridÄsa kahe - HaridÄsa ṬhÄkura said; muñi - I; nÄ«ca-jÄti - low caste; chÄra - abominable; mandira-nikaá¹­e - near the temple; yÄite - to go; mora - my; nÄhi - there is not; ÄdhikÄra - authority.


Text

HaridÄsa ṬhÄkura replied, “I cannot go near the temple because I am a low-caste, abominable person. I have no authority to go there.â€

Purport

Although HaridÄsa ṬhÄkura was such a highly exalted Vaiṣṇava that he was addressed as HaridÄsa GosvÄmÄ«, he still did not like to disturb the common sense of the general populace. HaridÄsa ṬhÄkura was so exalted that he was addressed as á¹­hÄkura and gosÄñi, and these titles are offered to the most advanced Vaiṣṇavas. The spiritual master is generally called gosÄñi, and á¹­hÄkura is used to address the paramahaá¹sas, those in the topmost rank of spirituality. Nonetheless, HaridÄsa ṬhÄkura did not want to go near the temple, although he was called there by ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu Himself. The JagannÄtha temple still accepts only those Hindus who are in the varṇÄÅ›rama order. Other castes, especially those who are not Hindu, are not allowed to enter the temple. This is a long-standing regulation, and thus HaridÄsa ṬhÄkura, although certainly competent and qualified to enter the temple, did not want even to go near it. This is called Vaiṣṇava humility.