There is the important point of Māyāvādī philosophers. Every one of them, they say that "I am God," but actually he thinks within himself that, "What kind of God I am?" That is the position. But for argument's sake they will play so many things in support of their views, but actually, any sane man will think that "What kind of God I am? I cannot defend myself from the slightest attack of this material nature, and still I claim . . ."
But they cannot admit frankly. They think like that. That is being admitted here by the chief disciple of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, that "Although we say: 'Yes, this is . . . ' but it does not appeal to our mind." He is frankly saying.
- śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-vākya dṛḍha satya māni
- kali-kāle sannyāse 'saṁsāra' nāhi jini
- (CC Madhya 25.28)
Now he says that, "What Lord Caitanya, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, has said, that is very nice. And we simply accept this sannyāsa order—oh, that will not help us. Simply by accepting, changing the garment, colored garment, and without understanding anything properly or dealing properly, that is not the way for salvation." Because according to Śaṅkarācārya, anyone who accepts sannyāsa, he becomes immediately Nārāyaṇa, God. He immediately becomes God.
So that is being refuted by one of the disciple, that "This is nonsense, that simply by accepting and changing the garment I become God. This is not . . ." Actually, one has to understand things as they are. So therefore, the explanation as given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that is right.
- harer nāma-ślokera yei karilā vyākhyāna
- sei satya sukhadārtha parama pramāṇa
- (CC Madhya 25.29)
Now Caitanya Mahāprabhu has explained before them that, "My Guru Mahārāja saw Me a fool. Therefore he has asked Me the 'Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa.' " So "This explanation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu is very nice."
- bhakti vinā mukti nahe, bhāgavate kaya
- kali-kāle nāmābhāse sukhe mukti haya
- (CC Madhya 25.30)
So far salvation is concerned, nobody can be liberated without bhakti, without devotional service. Bhakti vinā, without devotion, or without love of Godhead, without attaining . . . that is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So long one is not a surrendered soul to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no question of liberation from this material world. Bhāgavata says.
Śreyaḥ-sṛtiṁ bhaktim udasya te vibho (SB 10.14.4). There's a nice verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. It is said there that śreyaḥ-sṛtim, the real path of salvation, śreyaḥ-sṛtim, bhaktim, that is devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śreyah-sṛtiṁ bhaktim. Bhaktim udasya te vibho. If somebody gives up the path of devotional service, kliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye, and wastes time simply for understanding that "This is not Brahman, this is not Brahman . . ."
That is the way of Māyāvādī philosophers. They scrutinize that, "This is māyā and this is Brahman"; therefore they are called Māyāvāda. Simply, what is not Brahman . . . they say it is one, but simply they distinguish, "This is māyā, this is Brahman." Why this is māyā? They say . . . wherefrom the māyā comes? Then it becomes dualism actually. Although they say that, "We are monists, one," but they explain that this māyā is illusion. Māyā is temporary, and actually, everything is one. Eko brahma dvitīya nāsti.
But the Vaiṣṇava philosophy is that, "Yes. It is . . ." It is called viśiṣṭādvaitavāda. We also say: "Yes, one," but one in variety. There are varieties. We don't say that māyā is something external. Māyā is there. Māyā is there. It is not external. It may be inferior, as it is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā that material energy, the material nature is inferior.
That does not mean infer . . . some part of my body is inferior. That does not mean it has no existence. It is not mithyā. They say everything mithyā. Mithyā means false. So inferior part of my body there may be, but it is not false. Similarly, the māyā, māyā is not false. It is temporary.