By Narasimha das
[Note: I wrote a version of this article by hand (minus the parts in brackets) and gave it to Tamal Krsna Gosvami in late 1979 when we were staying at our ISKCON farm project in Oklahoma. The next day when I brought him his lunch, I noticed he had “Krsna Book” opened to Chapter 77. He said, “Let’s discuss your article.” He got an urgent call right after lunch, and we never had that discussion. But he gave me permission to leave his “zone”, and shortly thereafter he spoke his famous Topanga Canyon confessions, wherein he frankly admitted Srila Prabhupada had never appointed any gurus.]
In Srila Prabhupada’s KRSNA BOOK, Chapter 77, we find the story of Romaharsana Suta. This man was a learned transcendentalist and direct disciple of Srila Vyasadeva. But he was not a pure devotee. Srila Prabhupada explains: “his transcendental realization was not perfect.”
Just prior to the advent of the age of Kali, many great sages and saintly persons gathered at the holy place of Naimisaranya to perform a great sacrifice via the recitation of the pastimes of the Supreme Lord and His pure devotees. Such narrations are found in the Puranas, such as Srimad-Bhagavatam and Mahabharata, and in other authorized scriptures. In Vedic culture, advanced devotees well-versed in these scriptures would often lead long discourses and discussions of these important topics. Unlike the modern-day bhagavat-saptas performed by professional speakers to impress laymen for sake of their own financial gain, these meetings were attended almost exclusively by ascetics and yogis, or serious transcendentalists eager to develop full Krishna consciousness.
Romharsana Suta had studied all the Vedas and Puranas under the personal guidance of Srila Vyasadeva, the literary incarnation of God. Therefore he had been elected to sit on the vyasasana at the great assembly of transcendentalists, even though he had not been born in a lineage of pure brahmins. We find many examples mentioned in Srila Prabhupada books wherein a person not born in a family of brahmins had achieved the position of a brahmin or acarya by virtue of training, staunch sadhana and realization in Krishna consciousness. Srila Haridas Thakura, for instance, who was born in a family of Mohammedans, was recognized as the best devotee and given the title of nama-acarya by Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Himself. Srila Haridas Thakura, however, was the emblem of humility and never considered himself a great devotee or teacher of Vaisnavas.
Romaharsana Suta was not a devotee on the level of Haridas Thakura. In spite of his learning and exalted status, he had failed to perfectly realize his constitutional position as a tiny part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Rather he imagined himself to be the greatest sadhu. He dared to sit on the vyasasana–even in the presence of many learned devotees who hailed from dynasties of pure and exalted brahmins or brahma-rishis. Moreover, when everyone else stood up and offered obeisance to welcome Lord Balarama, Romaharsana Suta remained seated. Srila Prabhupada mentions that he should have followed the example of all the other learned sages present by standing to receive Lord Balarama.
[Note: Srila Prabhupada’s “Nectar of Devotion” states that everyone should stand up to greet the Deities. No one should remain seated.]
Srila Prabhupada writes: “When Lord Balarama saw that Romahasana Suta did not understand the highest principle of religiousness in spite of having studied all the Vedas, He certainly could not support his position. Romaharsana had been given the chance to become a perfect brahmana, but because of his ill behavior in his relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his low birth was immediately remembered… “
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