# Cc. Ādi 7.45 > কাশীতে লেখক শূদ্র-শ্রীচন্দ্রশেখর । > তাঁর ঘরে রহিলা প্রভু স্বতন্ত্র ঈশ্বর ॥৪৫॥ ## Text > kāśīte lekhaka śūdra-śrīcandraśekhara > tāṅra ghare rahilā prabhu svatantra īśvara ## Synonyms *kāśīte*—in Vārāṇasī; *lekhaka*—writer; *śūdra*—born of a *śūdra* family; *śrī-candraśekhara*—of the name Candraśekhara; *tāṅra ghare*—in his house; *rahilā*—remained; *prabhu*—the Lord; *svatantra*—independent; *īśvara*—the supreme controller. ## Translation **This time Lord Caitanya stayed at the house of Candraśekhara, although he was regarded as a śūdra or kāyastha, for the Lord, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is completely independent.** ## Purport Lord Caitanya stayed at the house of Candraśekhara, a clerk, although a *sannyāsī* is not supposed to reside in a *śūdra's* house. Five hundred years ago, especially in Bengal, it was the system that persons who were born in the families of *brāhmaṇas* were accepted as *brāhmaṇas,* and all those who took birth in other families-even the higher castes, namely, the *kṣatriyas* and *vaiśyas*-were considered *śūdra* non-*brāhmaṇas.* Therefore although Śrī Candraśekhara was a clerk from a *kāyastha* family in upper India, he was considered a *śūdra.* Similarly, *vaiśyas,* especially those of the *suvarṇa-vaṇik* community, were accepted as *śūdras* in Bengal, and even the *vaidyas,* who were generally physicians, were also considered *śūdras.* Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, however, did not accept this artificial principle, which was introduced in society by self-interested men, and later the *kāyasthas, vaidyas* and *vaṇiks* all began to accept the sacred thread, despite objections from the so-called *brāhmaṇas.* Before the time of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the *suvarṇa-vaṇik* class was condemned by Ballal Sen, who was then the King of Bengal, due to a personal grudge. In Bengal the *suvarṇa-vaṇik* class are always very rich, for they are bankers and dealers in gold and silver. Therefore, Ballal Sen used to borrow money from a *suvarṇa-vaṇik* banker. Ballal Sen's bankruptcy later obliged the *suvarṇa-vaṇik* banker to stop advancing money to him, and thus he became angry and condemned the entire *suvarṇa-vaṇik* society as belonging to the *śūdra* community. Ballal Sen tried to induce the *brāhmaṇas* not to accept the *suvarṇa-vaṇiks* as followers of the instructions of the *Vedas* under the brahminical directions, but although some *brāhmaṇas* approved of Ballal Sen's actions, others did not. Thus the *brāhmaṇas* also became divided amongst themselves, and those who supported the *suvarṇa-vaṇik* class were rejected from the *brāhmaṇa* community. At the present day the same biases are still being followed. There are many Vaiṣṇava families in Bengal whose members, although not actually born *brāhmaṇas,* act as *ācāryas* by initiating disciples and offering the sacred thread as enjoined in the Vaiṣṇava *tantras.* For example, in the families of Ṭhākura Raghunandana Ācārya, Ṭhākura Kṛṣṇadāsa, Navanī Hoḍa and Rasikānanda-deva (a disciple of Śyāmānanda Prabhu), the sacred thread ceremony is performed, as it is for the caste Gosvāmīs, and this system has continued for the past three to four hundred years. Accepting disciples born in *brāhmaṇa* families, they are bona fide spiritual masters who have the facility to worship the *śālagrāma-śilā,* which is worshiped with the Deity. As of this writing, *śālagrāma-śilā* worship has not yet been introduced in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, but soon it will be introduced in all our temples as an essential function of *arcana-mārga* (Deity worship).