Guru Maharaj: Ramananda Rai was a governor. And so therefore, a person who was a king, there were some restrictions of a sannyasi meeting a king. So He wanted to show the example that as a sannyasi, He should not associate with a materialist. But the devotees said, that actually he is a devotee. And He saw that the king would sweep the road before Lord Jagannatha. So the king in a plain vaisnava dhoti and chaddar, wearing tilaka, no royal dress, he came to see Lord Chaitanya when He was resting during the ratha yatra. No one could recognize him, because they were used to seeing him in royal dress. So he asked everyone’s permission and he started to massage the lotus legs and feet of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And he was singing the verses from the Srimad Bhagavatam, from the Gopi Geeta. So then Lord Chaitanya sat up and said, I don’t know who you are, but you have given Me priceless jewels of verses. So I will embrace you, I am very happy with your gift. Then He embraced king Prataparudra and then He laid down. So indirectly, He also gave mercy to King Prataparudra, while maintaining His standard as a sannyasi that He should not associate with materialists. Normally, kings are materialists, Ramananda Rai, he was an employee of the king. But he was not a king.
05-Aug-2020 SRI MAYAPUR DHAM, INDIA
