Tattva-viveka

Why did Mahaprabhu leave Mukunda Datta to remain one of his eternal associates?

Yamuna Dasi - September 17, 2008 1:58 pm

I have read this story:

 

"Sriman Mahaprabhu instructed all the devotees about the symptoms of offensive behaviour toward Bhakti-devi by describing the activities of Mukunda Datta. This description is found in Sri Caitanya-bhagavata (Madhya-lila 10.185, 188–190, 192):

 

 

ksane dante trna laya,

ksane jathi mare

o khara-jathiya beta

na dekhiba more

 

“Sometimes Mukunda is a perfect figure of humility, approaching Me holding a straw in his teeth, but the next moment he comes to strike Me with an iron rod. I cannot bear to see that pretentious wretch.”

 

 

prabhu bale - o beta

jakhon jetha jaya

sei mat katha kahi

tathaya misaya

 

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued: “Wherever that spineless rascal goes, he simply agrees with all of the philosophical views of whoever he is with and comfortably mixes with those people.

 

 

vasistha paraye jabe

advaitera sange

bhaktiyoge nace gaya

trna kari dante

 

“When he reads Yoga Vasishtha in the company of impersonalists he favours the impersonal Mayavada philosophy. But at other times, when he is among Vaisnavas, he rejects the Mayavada doctrine and tries to exhibit symptoms of bhakti by singing and dancing with perfect humility.

 

 

anya-sampradaye giya

jakhon sambhaya

nahi mane bhakti jathi

maraye sadaya

 

“And again, in the company of any other sampradaya, he rejects the eternality of bhakti and invariably condemns the bhaktas with aggressive words.

 

 

bhakti-sthane uhara

haila aparadha

eteke haila uhara

darasan – badha

 

“One who claims that processes such as karma, jnana, and yoga are equal to bhakti or even superior to it is no better than one who strikes Me with an iron rod. Such a person commits a serious offence at the feet of Bhakti-devi. Since the bhaktas of Bhagavan never extend their association to such offenders, I cannot agree to even see his face.”

 

Sri Mukunda Datta is an eternal associate of Bhagavan so these words spoken about him by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are indeed mysterious. However, the heart of Mahaprabhu is infinitely deep and grave, so we should understand that His intention in speaking this way is to give a vital instruction: “performing the limbs of bhakti merely by accepting diksa will not bring pleasure to Sri Krsna. One can only attain His favour if one has one-pointed faith in ananya-bhakti. "

 

My question is why didn't Mahaprabhu dismiss him then? As we know he had dismissed a devotee from his intimate cirlce just for looking at a woman, so why didn't he dismiss Mukunda Datta for such a bigger sin as hypocracy, especially after saying openly so heavy words against him?