# Cc. Madhya 4.111 ## Text > tāṅra ṭhāñi mantra laila yatana kariñā > calilā dakṣiṇe purī tāṅre dīkṣā diñā ## Synonyms *tāṅra* *ṭhāñi*—from him; *mantra*—initiation; *laila*—accepted; *yatana*—efforts; *kariñā*—making; *calilā*—started; *dakṣiṇe*—toward the south; *purī*—Mādhavendra Purī; *tāṅre*—to Him (Advaita Ācārya); *dīkṣā*—initiation; *diñā*—giving. ## Translation **Advaita Ācārya begged to be initiated by Mādhavendra Purī. After initiating Him, Mādhavendra Purī started for South India.** ## Purport In this connection, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura comments that Advaita Ācārya took initiation from Mādhavendra Purī, who was a *sannyāsī* in the disciplic succession of the Madhva-sampradāya. According to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: > kibā vipra kibā nyāsī śūdra kene naya, > yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya "A person may be a *brāhmaṇa,* a *sannyāsī,* a *śūdra* or whatever, but if he is well conversant in the science of Kṛṣṇa, he can become a *guru.*"(Cc. Madhya 8.128) This statement is supported by Śrī Mādhavendra Purī. According to the *pañcarātra* injunction, only a householder *brāhmaṇa* can initiate. Others cannot. When a person is initiated, it is assumed that he has become a *brāhmaṇa;* without being initiated by a proper *brāhmaṇa,* one cannot be converted into a *brāhmaṇa.* In other words, unless one is a *brāhmaṇa,* he cannot make another a *brāhmaṇa.* A *gṛhastha-brāhmaṇa* partaking of the *varṇāśrama-dharma* institution can secure various types of paraphernalia to worship Lord Viṣṇu through his honest labor. Actually, people beg to be initiated by these householder *brāhmaṇas* just to become successful in the *varṇāśrama* institution or to become free from material desires. It is therefore necessary for a spiritual master in the *gṛhastha-āśrama* to be a strict Vaiṣṇava. A spiritual master from the *sannyāsa* order has very little opportunity to perform *arcana,* Deity worship, but when one accepts a spiritual master from the transcendental *sannyāsīs,* the principle of Deity worship is not at all neglected. To implement this conclusion, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave us His opinion in the verse *kibā vipra kibā nyāsī,* etc. This indicates that the Lord understood the weakness of society in its maintaining that only a *gṛhastha-brāhmaṇa* should be a spiritual master. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu indicated that it does not matter whether the spiritual master is a *gṛhastha* (householder), a *sannyāsī* or even a *śūdra.* A spiritual master simply must be conversant in the essence of the *śāstra;* he must understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Only then can one become a spiritual master. *Dīkṣā* actually means initiating a disciple with transcendental knowledge by which he becomes freed from all material contamination.