# Cc. Madhya 3.6 > এতাং স আস্থায় পরাত্মনিষ্ঠা- > মধ্যাসিতাং পূর্বতমৈর্মহদ্ভিঃ । > অহং তরিষ্যামি দুরন্তপারং > তমো মুকুন্দাঙ্ঘ্রিনিষেবয়ৈব ॥৬॥ ## Text > etāṁ sa āsthāya parātma-niṣṭhām > adhyāsitāṁ pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ > ahaṁ tariṣyāmi duranta-pāraṁ > tamo mukundāṅghri-niṣevayaiva ## Synonyms *etām*—this; *saḥ*—such; *āsthāya*—being completely fixed in; *para-ātma-niṣṭhām*—devotion to the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa; *adhyāsitām*—worshiped; *pūrva-tamaiḥ*—by previous; *mahadbhiḥ*—*ācāryas*; *aham*—I; *tariṣyāmi*—shall cross over; *duranta-pāram*—the insurmountable; *tamaḥ*—the ocean of nescience; *mukunda-aṅghri*—of the lotus feet of Mukunda; *niṣevayā*—by worship; *eva*—certainly. ## Translation **"[As a brāhmaṇa from Avantī-deśa said:] 'I shall cross over the insurmountable ocean of nescience by being firmly fixed in the service of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. This was approved by the previous ācāryas, who were fixed in firm devotion to the Lord, Paramātmā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead."** ## Purport In connection with this verse, which is a quotation from *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* (11.23.57), Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura says that of the sixty-four items required for rendering devotional service, acceptance of the symbolic marks of *sannyāsa* is a regulative principle. If one accepts the *sannyāsa* order, his main business is to devote his life completely to the service of Mukunda, Kṛṣṇa. If one does not completely devote his mind and body to the service of the Lord, he does not actually become a *sannyāsī.* It is not simply a matter of changing dress. In *Bhagavad-gītā* [[bg/6/1|(Bg. 6.1)]] it is also stated, *anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ sa sannyāsī ca yogī ca:* one who works devotedly for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa is a *sannyāsī.* The dress is not *sannyāsa,* but the attitude of service to Kṛṣṇa is. The word *parātma-niṣṭhā* means being a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. *Parātmā,* the Supreme Person, is Kṛṣṇa. *Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ.* Those who are completely dedicated to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa in service are actually *sannyāsīs.* As a matter of formality, the devotee accepts the *sannyāsa* dress as previous *ācāryas* did. He also accepts the three *daṇḍas.* Later Viṣṇusvāmī considered that accepting the dress of a *tridaṇḍī* was *parātma-niṣṭhā.* Therefore sincere devotees add another *daṇḍa,* the *jīva-daṇḍa,* to the three existing *daṇḍas.* The Vaiṣṇava *sannyāsī* is known as a *tridaṇḍi-sannyāsī.* The Māyāvādī *sannyāsī* accepts only one *daṇḍa,* not understanding the purpose of *tri-daṇḍa.* Later, many persons in the community of Śiva Svāmī gave up the *ātma-niṣṭhā* (devotional service) of the Lord and followed the path of Śaṅkarācārya. Instead of accepting 108 names, those in the Śiva Svāmī *sampradāya* follow the path of Śaṅkarācārya and accept the ten names of *sannyāsa.* Although Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted the then-existing order of *sannyāsa* (namely *eka-daṇḍa*), He still recited a verse from *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* about the *tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa* accepted by the *brāhmaṇa* of Avantīpura. Indirectly He declared that within that *eka-daṇḍa,* one *daṇḍa,* four *daṇḍas* existed as one. Accepting *ekadaṇḍa-sannyāsa* without *parātma-niṣṭhā* (devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa) is not acceptable to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. In addition, according to the exact regulative principles, one should add the *jīva-daṇḍa* to the *tri-daṇḍa.* These four *daṇḍas,* bound together as one, are symbolic of unalloyed devotional service to the Lord. Because the *ekadaṇḍi-sannyāsīs* of the Māyāvāda school are not devoted to the service of Kṛṣṇa, they try to merge into the Brahman effulgence, which is a marginal position between material and spiritual existence. They accept this impersonal position as liberation. Māyāvādī *sannyāsīs,* not knowing that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a *tridaṇḍī,* think of Caitanya Mahāprabhu as an *ekadaṇḍi-sannyāsī.* This is due to their *vivarta,* bewilderment. In *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* there is no such thing as an *ekadaṇḍi-sannyāsī;* indeed, the *tridandi-sannyāsī* is accepted as the symbolic representation of the *sannyāsa* order. By citing this verse from *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,* Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted the *sannyāsa* order recommended in *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.* The Māyāvādī *sannyāsīs,* who are enamored of the external energy of the Lord, cannot understand the mind of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. To date, all the devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, following in His footsteps, accept the *sannyāsa* order and keep the sacred thread and tuft of unshaved hair. The *ekadaṇḍi-sannyāsīs* of the Māyāvādī school give up the sacred thread and do not keep any tuft of hair. Therefore they are unable to understand the purport of *tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa,* and as such they are not inclined to dedicate their lives to the service of Mukunda. They simply think of merging into the existence of Brahman because of their disgust with material existence. The *ācāryas* who advocate the *daiva-varṇāśrama* (the social order of *cātur-varṇyam* mentioned in the *Bhagavad-gītā*) do not accept the proposition of *āsura-varṇāśrama,* which maintains that the social order of *varṇa* is indicated by birth. The most intimate devotee of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, namely Gadādhara Paṇḍita, accepted *tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa* and also accepted Mādhava Upādhyāya as his *tridaṇḍi-sannyāsī* disciple. It is said that from this Mādhavācārya the *sampradāya* known in western India as the Vallabhācārya *sampradāya* has begun. Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who is known as a *smṛty-ācārya* in the Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya, later accepted the *tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa* order from Tridaṇḍipāda Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī. Although acceptance of *tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa* is not distinctly mentioned in the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava literature, the first verse of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī's *Upadeśāmṛta* advocates that one should accept the *tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa* order by controlling the six forces: > vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ krodha-vegaṁ > jihvā-vegam udaropastha-vegam > etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ > sarvām apīmāṁ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt "One who can control the forces of speech, mind, anger, belly, tongue and genitals is known as a *gosvāmī* and is competent to accept disciples all over the world." The followers of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu never accepted the Māyāvāda order of *sannyāsa,* and for this they cannot be blamed. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted Śrīdhara Svāmī, who was a *tridaṇḍi-sannyāsī,* but the Māyāvādī *sannyāsīs,* not understanding Śrīdhara Svāmī, sometimes think that Śrīdhara Svāmī belonged to the Māyāvāda *ekadaṇḍa-sannyāsa* community. Actually this was not the case.