Vaishnavism 2 - Universalist Radha-Krishnaism

man, who wants to leave hearth and hometo travel with him, that it is totallyunnecessary, that one can stay in thesanctity of one’s home and still effectivelypractice the tenets of Vaishnavism. So, thisis instructive for those who are not inclinedto early sannyasa. (181)I encourage my students to live a full lifeand not practice artificial renunciation. We actaccording to our nature while constantlyrefining that nature as we develop ourrelationship with Radha-Krishna. It is notnecessary to totally disrupt one’s life to be adevotee.49. Dr. Entwistle: . . . Krishnadasa KavirajaGosvami was writing quite a long time afterthe events had actually taken place. So it islikely that he combined oral traditions withwhat he knew . . . So he was naturallygiving a general or approximate account. Idon’t think you can hold him on every word.After all, he’s trying to convey the“essence,” or the “nectar,” of the acts ofCaitanya. (196)This is a good description of the situationthat guides our interpretation of these stories.They are not eyewitness accounts, but KrishnaDas interviewed and studied with first handwitnesses of and participants in Chaitanya’spastimes. Of course, he also adds his own spinas he puts it all together to form thefoundational document for ChaitanyaVaishnavism.27