Why is Arjuna’s renunciation disapproved and the Goswamis’ renunciation appreciated?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

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So Krishna told Arjuna, don’t renounce the world.
But then the Goswamis renounced and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appreciated them. And initially when the Goswami wanted to renounce, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu told him, don’t do it right now. But later on, he appreciated again.
Multiple factors are involved. First is that in the case of Arjuna, his nature was of a Kshatriya. And Kshatriya doesn’t usually renounce, at least not in youth.
It is very rare. He was quite young at that time. Secondly, his desire to renounce was primarily a result, at that point at least, it was primarily a result of the complexity of his material situation.
It is not because of a desire for achieving something higher. Thirdly, Krishna had a mission at that particular point where he wanted to establish dharma. And Arjuna had a vital role to play in that mission.
In contrast, in the Goswami situation, they were also engaged in royal administration. But at that particular time, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s plan was not so much to establish the rule of dharma over them. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to teach Harinam Sankirtan.
He did not come here to teach Varanashram dharma or Rajya dharma or anything like that. And for teaching Harinam Sankirtan and for teaching process of Bhakti Yoga in general, in his plan, the Goswamis could play a more valuable role by renouncing the world. Secondly, if we see that the Goswamis, they were already Brahmanas.
Also Brahmanas they were. And all the Goswamis were not exactly from Brahmana family. But still, he was also having, that could also be one factor where Chaitanya Mahaprabhu checked him initially.
But then he consistently demonstrated his renunciation. And by demonstrating or at least his intention for renunciation, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu saw that, he appreciated that. And that’s how he gave him the epithet that you are, I have to encourage them to renounce.
So whichever ashram we are in, one should do it wholeheartedly. And so the Goswamis took to renunciation and they were exemplary renunciates. Arjuna continued as a grahastha and he was exemplary.
Kshatriya wore here. He was doing the dharma of Kshatriya and as a grahastha very well. So the Lord has different missions at different times and different people have different natures.
There goes the pastime of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the three brothers and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu told one of them to become a grahastha, another to worship the deity, another to renounce the world. So that will vary according to their individual nature and the Lord’s plan for them.