The Move onto the Land

C hapter 1 S annyä S é Ö häkura

hådi kåtvä harià gehät pravrajet sa narottamaù

“He is certainly a first-class man who awakens and understands, either by himself or from others, the falsity and misery of this material world and thus leaves home and depends fully on the Personality of Godhead residing within his heart.” (Çrémad-Bhägavatam 1.13.27)

He develops detachment completely, carrying Lord Hari in his heart. He leaves home with the purpose of doing hari-bhajana, as opposed to the dhéra-sannyäsé, who has no such purpose. Another name for narottama-sannyäsa is vidyät-sannyäsa. He understands that family life is a great impediment to bhajana, that it is compared to a deep dark well; therefore, the narottama-sannyäsé leaves his äçrama with the purpose of doing hari-bhajana. These two types of sannyäsé, dhéra and narottama, quit home, but the first type, dhéra-sannyäsé does not set out having decided on a destination. He just wanders. Whereas the narottama-sannyäsé purposefully decides that he is leaving home only to do hari-bhajana.

13

He Is a Devotee from His Birth

After Çréla Gour Govinda Swami took sannyäsa from Çréla Prabhupäda, many senior disciples of Çréla Prabhupäda complained. They said, “Why has he taken sannyäsa? He is a new man” But Çréla Prabhupäda turned to them and said, “He is not a new man. You are new men! He is a devotee from his birth.”*

* Author’s note: From material calculation, Çréla Gour Govinda Swami was a new man. He received first initiation (hari-näma) within only a few weeks, second initiation (Gäyatré mantra) after a few more weeks and sannyäsa after approximately five months of being in the association of Çréla Prabhupäda. Plus, there was a moratorium on taking sannyäsa, as quoted by Bhéma däsa in this