Verse 1.14.23

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 1.14.23:

যা’র বা না থাকে কিছু পূর্বাদৃষ্ট-দোষে সেই তৃণ, জল, ভূমি দিবেক সন্তোষে ॥ ২৩ ॥

या’र वा ना थाके किछु पूर्वादृष्ट-दोषे सेइ तृण, जल, भूमि दिबेक सन्तोषे ॥ २३ ॥

yā’ra vā nā thāke kichu pūrvādṛṣṭa-doṣe sei tṛṇa, jala, bhūmi dibeka santoṣe || 23 ||

ya’ra va na thake kichu purvadrsta-dose sei trna, jala, bhumi dibeka santose (23)

English translation:

(23) “If due to his previous impious activities he does not have anything, then he should satisfy his guests with a straw mat, some water, and place to lie down.

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

The greedy prākṛta-sahajiyās, who are cruel and expert in satisfying their tongues and bellies, are presently identifying themselves as preachers of the cult of Caitanyacandra, and thus they cheat Vaiṣṇava sannyāsīs from their rightful share of straw mats, etc. In order to expose their opposition to Him, Śrī Caitanyacandra has exhibited these ideal householder pastimes. The Lord has instructed everyone by His activities appropriate to a householder of showing proper respect to guests and sannyāsīs. But some people, though identifying themselves as His followers, act just the opposite. A few years ago in the city of Dacca, a greedy brāhmaṇa, who was a so-called disciple of a caste Gosvāmī and who earned his livelihood by selling the holy name, mantras, and Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, behaved in an extremely cruel manner with a few tridaṇḍi-sannyāsīs and brahmacārīs, who had arrived there as guests, in order to deprive them from receiving Viṣṇu’s noon offering. In order to protect people from such behavior, the Lord personally exhibited the pastimes of giving shelter and foodstuffs to guests and sannyāsīs. Alas, just consider the Lord’s pastime of affectionate and careful distribution of indiscriminate

mercy to the guests and sannyāsīs! And then consider the endeavors of persons who are averse to Caitanya and who in the name of preaching His cult harass and oppose guests and sannyāsīs who are under the shelter of Śrī Caitanya!! Not only in the city of Dacca, a few days ago in Kuliyā- nagara (Navadvīpa), some such people with the help of a few fierce miscreants, rather than offering respect, unfairly attacked innocent Vaiṣṇava sannyāsīs, brāhmaṇas, and devotee women who had come to participate in the circumambulation of the Dhāma. All these are simply unfavorable endeavors against the teachings of Śrī Caitanyadeva. [This purport also applies to verses 25-27 of this chapter.]