Question: In the introduction of Srimad Bhagavatam, Prabhupada has written that Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa from Kesava Bharati, who was a mayavadi sannyasi. If Mahaprabhu was very much against mayavadis, then why did he take his sannyas initiation from Kesava Bharati?
Answer By Romapada Swami: Before answering the question, I would like to make a minor comment. While Caitanya Mahaprabhu was certainly very much against the “mayavada philosophy” and cautioned His devotees in the strictest of terms not to associate with mayavadis, in a broader sense, He was not ‘against’ mayavadis per se. In certain circumstances He exhibited His great compassion towards them; when there was an opportunity, He delivered Krishna consciousness to Prakasananda Sarasvati and his numerous mayavadi disciples.
The pastime of Lord Caitanya accepting sannyasa is described in detail in the Caitanya Caritamrta. One of the main reasons why Lord Caitanya decided to take sannyasa was because the non-devotees were offending Him, mistaking Him to be an ordinary person. He took sannyasa for showing compassion to such offenders, so that at least on account of His position as a sannyasi, they would offer Him respect and thereby derive spiritual benefit.
Srila Prabhupada explains in Caitanya Caritamrta how during the time of Lord Caitanya, the influence of Sankaracarya in society was very strong, and consequently people in general thought that one could accept sannyasa only in the Sankaracarya sampradaya. Since His acceptance of sannyasa was also designed to invoke the respect of the common members of the public as well as the brahminical community, if only due to social convention (and in this way receive spiritual benefit by respecting him, rather that faulting Him for His ecstatic moods of prema), Lord Caitanya, not wishing to disturb the current social convention of His time, took the renounced order of life from Keshava Bharati who was in the Sankaracarya sampradaya, although sannyasa order was also sanctioned in the Vaishnava sampradaya.
Besides, although Keshava Bharati belonged to Sankaracarya sampradaya, he was also a great devotee. According to some authoritative opinions, although Keshava Bharati belonged to the Sankara-sampradaya, he had formerly been initiated by a great Vaishnava, Srila Madhavendra Puri (see Adi lila 9.13-15 purport).
