Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c6.s3.12

c6.s3.12

fere actively with the established social order, with the time-honoured Varṇāśrama Dharma; his sole concern with caste or other social restrictions was that they should not interfere with community of worship, but this did not imply community in eating or other social concerns, which should be governed by the established rules. If such community of worship did often break down social or caste convention, it was inevitable, but incidental. This never appears to have been his real object; and it is doubtful if Caitanya fully recognised the logical implications of such an attitude of common worship. There is nothing to show that he did, or that he sympathised with the radicalism of some of his followers (like Nityānanda) who wanted to work out the implications. The much talked of universal brotherhood which Caitanya is often said to have promulgated must be understood in this sense; what he wanted was not social, but religious, freedom and fellowship. It should be frankly admitted that the indications of the texts are somewhat confusing; but one need not emphasise only some of the anti-caste inclinations of Caitanya's religious (and never social) attitude, and unnecessarily make him out to be (in the light of modern ideas) a great social reformer, which he never pretended to be.