rakta-vastra 'vaiṣṇavera' parite nÄ yuyÄya
kona pravÄsÄ«re dimu, ki kÄya uhÄya?
rakta-vastra - saffron cloth; vaiṣṇavera - for a Vaiṣṇava; parite nÄ yuyÄya - is not fit to put on; kona pravÄsÄ«re - to some outsider; dimu - I shall give; ki - what; kÄya - business; uhÄya - with that.
ÅšrÄ«la BhaktisiddhÄnta SarasvatÄ« ṬhÄkura comments on this incident as follows: Vaiṣṇavas are all liberated persons, unattached to anything material. Therefore a Vaiṣṇava need not accept the dress of a sannyÄsÄ« to prove his exalted position. ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu accepted the renounced order from a sannyÄsÄ« of the MÄyÄvÄda school. Present-day Vaiṣṇava sannyÄsÄ«s, however, never think that by accepting the dress of the sannyÄsa order they have become equal to Caitanya MahÄprabhu. In fact, a Vaiṣṇava accepts the sannyÄsa order to remain an eternal servant of his spiritual master. He accepts the sannyÄsa order knowing that he is unequal to his spiritual master, who is a paramahaá¹sa, and he thinks that he is unfit to dress like a paramahaá¹sa. Therefore a Vaiṣṇava accepts sannyÄsa out of humility, not out of pride.
SanÄtana GosvÄmÄ« had adopted the dress of a paramahaá¹sa; therefore it was inappropriate for him to wear the saffron cloth on his head. However, a Vaiṣṇava sannyÄsÄ« does not think himself fit to imitate the dress of a paramahaá¹sa Vaiṣṇava. According to the principles set down by ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu (tṛṇÄd api su-nÄ«cena), one should always think himself in the lowest stage, not on the level of a paramahaá¹sa Vaiṣṇava. Thus a Vaiṣṇava will sometimes accept the sannyÄsa order just to keep himself below the level of a paramahaá¹sa Vaiṣṇava. This is the instruction of ÅšrÄ«la BhaktisiddhÄnta SarasvatÄ« ṬhÄkura.