38. Devotees' Respect For Lord Jagannatha: Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Sanatana Gosvami and Namacarya Haridasa Thakura never entered Jagannatha's temple and took great pains to avoid even the possibility of touching one of Jagannatha's priests, by not even travelling on the path in front of the temple main gate, (Lion Gate). In fact, during one scorching summer day, Sri Sanatana Gosvami walked on the blistering beach sands to go to see Mahaprabhu, instead of taking a shorter path near the main entrance i.e., Lion gate of the temple. Mahaprabhu asked Sanatana, "How did you come along the beach, where the sand is so hot? Why didn't you come by the cool path in front of the Simha-dvāra gate? The hot sand must have blistered your soles. Now you cannot walk. How did you tolerate it?" Srila Sanatana Gosvāmi replied, "I did not feel much pain, nor did I know that there were blisters because of the heat. I have no right to pass by the Simha-dvara, for the servants of Jagannatha are always coming and going there. If I touch them, I shall be ruined." Greatly pleased with Sanatana's conduct, Mahaprabhu said: tathapi bhakta-svabhava maryada-raksana maryada-palana haya sadhura bhusana "It is the nature of a devotee to protect and observe Vaishnava etiquette. Maintenance of the Vaishnava etiquette is the ornament of a devotee." (CC. 3.4.125-130)

Devotees' Respect For Lord Jagannath: 

Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Sanatana Gosvami and Namacarya Haridasa Thakura never entered Jagannatha's temple and took great pains to avoid even the possibility of touching one of Jagannatha's priests, by not even travelling on the path in front of the temple main gate, (Lion Gate). 

In fact, during one scorching summer day, Sri Sanatana Gosvami walked on the blistering beach sands to go to see Mahaprabhu, instead of taking a shorter path near the main entrance i.e., Lion gate of the temple.

Mahaprabhu asked Sanatana, "How did you come along the beach, where the sand is so hot? Why didn't you come by the cool path in front of the Simha-dvāra gate? The hot sand must have blistered your soles. Now you cannot walk. How did you tolerate it?"

Srila Sanatana Gosvāmi replied, "I did not feel much pain, nor did I know that there were blisters because of the heat. I have no right to pass by the Simha-dvara, for the servants of Jagannatha are always coming and going there. If I touch them, I shall be ruined." 

Greatly pleased with Sanatana's conduct, Mahaprabhu said:

tathapi bhakta-svabhava 

maryada-raksana 

maryada-palana haya 

sadhura bhusana

"It is the nature of a devotee to protect and observe Vaishnava etiquette. Maintenance of the Vaishnava etiquette is the ornament of a devotee." (CC. 3.4.125-130)

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