Śrī Guru-viraha Ṣaṭakam - Six Verses in Separation from Sri GuruŚrī Guru-viraha Ṣaṭakam – Six Verses in Separation from Śrī Guru
Prema Dhama Deva Stotram - verses 37-40 with the Narasingha Sevaka Commentary by Swami B.V. GiriPrema Dhāma Deva Stotram with the Narasiṅgha Sevaka Commentary – Verses 37-40

Overview

In this short article, ‘The Colour for Sannyāsīs’ from December 2010, Śrīla Narasiṅgha Mahārāja describes the original colour of the cloth used by sannyāsīs in the line of Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and how in modern times, this has become obsolete.

In 1918 at Śrīdhāma Māyāpura on Gaura Pūrṇimā day, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura accepted sannyāsa, the tridaṇḍa staff, and sannyāsa cloth. But what was the colour of that cloth?

The colour was gheru-mati. Traditional gheru-mati dye has been used in India for centuries, especially by those in the line of Śrīpāda Madhvācārya. Gheru-mati, or simply gheru as it is called in Māyāpura and Vṛndāvana is a dark red clay from the earth. When cloth is dyed using larger quantities of gheru-mati it becomes dark red, and when lesser quantities are used the cloth becomes a lighter shade that resembles a very pale burnt brown colour. That was the colour that Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Thākura choose – light gheru.

But a sannyāsī in gheru is hard to find these days. Even Gauḍīya Maṭha sannyāsīs have adopted the conveniently pre-dyed cloth from the market place which sometimes resembles orange, tangerine, peach and pink. It is regrettable that pink is now the colour of choice for many sannyāsīs. Personally I find this colour anything but fit for a sannyāsī. This colour was not invented by any ācārya, sannyāsī or brahmacārī. No – the popular pink was invented by the shopkeepers of Loi Bazaar, the WalMart of Vṛndāvana.

When asked about the colour of sannyāsa-veśa, a sannyāsī often replies that his chosen colour (which he calls saffron) is a colour that “calms the mind.” The problem is that pink isn’t anything close to saffron and does nothing to calm the mind. In fact pink (especially ‘hot pink’) is just the opposite — it agitates the senses.

Convenience comes at a cost, and in this case I advocate ‘to hell with convenience’ and a return to gheru! But the likelihood of that ever happening on a large scale is little to none. However, in our mission, all brahmacārīs and sannyāsīs have traditional gheru coloured cloth. Tradition it seems, is most lacking in the contemporary Gauḍīya world.

Ultimately, colour of dress is an external consideration and many of our ācāryas were certainly not concerned about externals. But couldn’t we find a better colour than pink? I mean, the modern world has gone to outer space, invented nuclear bombs, invented the internet and the iphone — so couldn’t we come up with a better colour than pink?

The photo shown here was taken the day Sarasvatī Ṭhākura accepted sannyāsa. There are no colour photos of Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, but you can tell from this photo that his sannyāsa dress was indeed rustic.

In my mind, it is impossible to imagine this stalwart sannyāsī (our param-guru) standing there in pink…

Śrī Guru-viraha Ṣaṭakam - Six Verses in Separation from Sri GuruŚrī Guru-viraha Ṣaṭakam – Six Verses in Separation from Śrī Guru
Prema Dhama Deva Stotram - verses 37-40 with the Narasingha Sevaka Commentary by Swami B.V. GiriPrema Dhāma Deva Stotram with the Narasiṅgha Sevaka Commentary – Verses 37-40

Share this article!

Avatar of Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja (Jagat Guru Swami) appeared on Annadā Ekādaśī at Corpus Christi, USA in 1946. After studies in haṭha-yoga, he took initiation from his guru, Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda in 1970 and preached in the African continent for 3 years before accepting sannyāsa in 1976. After Prabhupāda’s disappearance, Śrīla Narasiṅgha Mahārāja took śīkṣā (spiritual instruction) from Śrīla B.R. Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī and Śrīla B.P Purī Gosvāmī. Although he spent most of his spiritual life preaching in India, Narasiṅgha Mahārāja also travelled to Europe, Mexico and the United States to spread the message of his spiritual masters. He penned over 200 essays and 13 books delineating Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava siddhānta. He left this world in his āśrama in South India in 2020.
  • Ātma Samīkṣā – The Value of Introspection

Ātma Samīkṣā – The Value of Introspection

By |March 29, 2024|Tags: |

In this article, "Ātma Samīkṣā – The Value of Introspection" Kalki Dāsa highlights the importance of introspection in the life of a devotee and especially in relation to the worldly environment that surrounds us. He also explains how transcendental sound influences our capacity to introspect.

  • Svasti No Gaura-vidhur Dadhātu (May the Moon-like Gaura Bestow Auspiciousness)

Svasti No Gaura-vidhur Dadhātu (May the Moon-like Gaura Bestow Auspiciousness)

By |March 25, 2024|Tags: , |

This Bengali poem, ‘Svasti No Gaura-vidhur Dadhātu,’ (May the Moon-like Gaura Bestow Auspiciousness) written by Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Purī Gosvāmī, was first published in 1965 in Caitanya Vāṇī magazine, Vol.5, Issue 1. In this composition, Śrīla Purī Mahārāja gives advice to the fallen jīvas to sincerely accept Mahāprabhu's gift of the Holy Name. This poem was translated into English by Sanātana Dāsa and Parameśvarī Devī Dāsī.

  • Prema Dhāma Deva Stotram with the Narasiṅgha Sevaka Commentary – Verses 56-60

Prema Dhāma Deva Stotram with the Narasiṅgha Sevaka Commentary – Verses 56-60

By |March 15, 2024|Tags: |

In verses 56 to 60 of 'Prema Dhāma Deva Stotram', Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja describes the various remarkable ecstatic transformations of Śrīman Mahāprabhu such as his kūrma-dharma (becoming like a turtle), as well as His pastime of running into the ocean at Cakra-tīrtha, mistaking it to be the Yamunā River.

  • Ātma Samīkṣā – The Value of Introspection

Ātma Samīkṣā – The Value of Introspection

By |March 29, 2024|Tags: |

In this article, "Ātma Samīkṣā – The Value of Introspection" Kalki Dāsa highlights the importance of introspection in the life of a devotee and especially in relation to the worldly environment that surrounds us. He also explains how transcendental sound influences our capacity to introspect.

  • Svasti No Gaura-vidhur Dadhātu (May the Moon-like Gaura Bestow Auspiciousness)

Svasti No Gaura-vidhur Dadhātu (May the Moon-like Gaura Bestow Auspiciousness)

By |March 25, 2024|Tags: , |

This Bengali poem, ‘Svasti No Gaura-vidhur Dadhātu,’ (May the Moon-like Gaura Bestow Auspiciousness) written by Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Purī Gosvāmī, was first published in 1965 in Caitanya Vāṇī magazine, Vol.5, Issue 1. In this composition, Śrīla Purī Mahārāja gives advice to the fallen jīvas to sincerely accept Mahāprabhu's gift of the Holy Name. This poem was translated into English by Sanātana Dāsa and Parameśvarī Devī Dāsī.

  • Prema Dhāma Deva Stotram with the Narasiṅgha Sevaka Commentary – Verses 56-60

Prema Dhāma Deva Stotram with the Narasiṅgha Sevaka Commentary – Verses 56-60

By |March 15, 2024|Tags: |

In verses 56 to 60 of 'Prema Dhāma Deva Stotram', Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja describes the various remarkable ecstatic transformations of Śrīman Mahāprabhu such as his kūrma-dharma (becoming like a turtle), as well as His pastime of running into the ocean at Cakra-tīrtha, mistaking it to be the Yamunā River.