jÄ«va, Ä«Å›vara-tattva — kabhu nahe 'sama'
jvalad-agni-rÄÅ›i yaiche sphuliá¹…gera 'kaṇa'

 jÄ«va - a living being; Ä«Å›vara-tattva - and the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kabhu - at any time; nahe - not; sama - equal; jvalat-agni-rÄÅ›i - large flame; yaiche - as; sphuliá¹…gera - of a spark; kaṇa - fragmental portion.


Text

“A living entity and the Absolute Personality of Godhead are never to be considered equal, just as a fragmental spark can never be considered the original flame.

Purport

MÄyÄvÄdÄ« sannyÄsÄ«s consider themselves Brahman, and they superficially speak of themselves as NÄrÄyaṇa. The monistic disciples of the MÄyÄvÄda school (known as smÄrta-brÄhmaṇas) are generally householder brÄhmaṇas who accept the MÄyÄvÄdÄ« sannyÄsÄ«s as NÄrÄyaṇa incarnate; therefore they offer their obeisances to them. ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu immediately protested this unauthorized system, specifically mentioning that a sannyÄsÄ« is nothing but a fragmental portion of the Supreme (cit-kaṇa jÄ«va). In other words, he is nothing more than an ordinary living being. He is never NÄrÄyaṇa, just as a molecular portion of sunshine is never the sun itself. The living entity is nothing but a fragmental part of the Absolute Truth; therefore at no stage of perfection can a living entity become the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This MÄyÄvÄda viewpoint is always condemned by the Vaiṣṇava school. ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu Himself protested this philosophy. When the MÄyÄvÄdÄ«s accept sannyÄsa and consider themselves NÄrÄyaṇa, they become so puffed up that they do not even enter the temple of NÄrÄyaṇa to offer respects, for they falsely think themselves NÄrÄyaṇa Himself. Although MÄyÄvÄdÄ« sannyÄsÄ«s may offer respects to other sannyÄsÄ«s and address them as NÄrÄyaṇa, they do not go to a NÄrÄyaṇa temple and offer respects. These MÄyÄvÄdÄ« sannyÄsÄ«s are always condemned and are described as demons. The Vedas clearly state that living entities are subordinate parts and parcels of the supreme. Eko bahÅ«nÄá¹ yo vidadhÄti kÄmÄn: the Supreme Being, Kṛṣṇa, maintains all living entities.