Verse 2.10.277-278

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 2.10.277-278:

মুরারি-গুপ্তের দাসে যে প্রসাদ পাইল কেহ মাথা মুডাইযা তাহা না দেখিল ধনে, কুলে, পাণ্ডিত্যে চৈতন্য নাহি পাই কেবল ভক্তির বশ চৈতন্য গোসাঞি ॥ ২৭৭-২৭৮ ॥

मुरारि-गुप्तेर दासे ये प्रसाद पाइल केह माथा मुडाइया ताहा ना देखिल धने, कुले, पाण्डित्ये चैतन्य नाहि पाइ केवल भक्तिर वश चैतन्य गोसाञि ॥ २७७-२७८ ॥

murāri-guptera dāse ye prasāda pāila keha māthā muḍāiyā tāhā nā dekhila dhane, kule, pāṇḍitye caitanya nāhi pāi kevala bhaktira vaśa caitanya gosāñi || 277-278 ||

murari-guptera dase ye prasada paila keha matha mudaiya taha na dekhila dhane, kule, panditye caitanya nahi pai kevala bhaktira vasa caitanya gosani (277-278)

English translation:

(277-278) The mercy received by the servants of Murāri Gupta could not be seen by shaving one’s head. One cannot achieve the mercy of Lord Caitanya by wealth, high birth, or scholarship, for the Lord is controlled only by devotional service.

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

Persons who were engaged in activities like atonement or shaving their heads and brahmacārīs and sannyāsīs who kept their hair were unable to achieve the good fortune of attaining the Lord’s mercy that the servants of Murāri Gupta attained even without displaying such humility and

frugality. Many people think that the richest man is the topmost Vaiṣṇava. Some people think that if one can take birth in a aristocratic family, he can achieve the mercy of Śrī Caitanya. Yet others think that if one achieves proficiency in the scriptures, he can control Śrī Caitanyadeva. But Śrī Caitanyadeva is never bound or controlled by such worldly glories. The devotees, however, control Śrī Caitanyadeva with love through their unalloyed devotional service even though they do not possess such glories.