Teachings of Lord Caitanya

 

                          Table of Contents

 

                               Preface

 

   There is no difference between the teachings of Lord Caitanya presented here and the teachings of Lord Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita. The teachings of Lord Caitanya are practical demonstrations of Lord Krsna's teachings. Lord Krsna's ultimate instruction in Bhagavad-gita is that everyone should surrender unto Him, Lord Krsna. Krsna promises to take immediate charge of such a surrendered soul. The Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is already in charge of the maintenance of this creation by virtue of His plenary expansion, Ksirodakasayi Visnu, but this maintenance is not direct. However, when the Lord says that He takes charge of His pure devotee, He actually takes direct charge. A pure devotee is a soul who is forever surrendered to the Lord, just as a child is surrendered to his parents or an animal to its master. In the surrendering process, one should: (1) accept things favorable for discharging devotional service, (2) reject things unfavorable, (3) believe firmly in the Lord's protection, (4) feel exclusively dependent on the mercy of the Lord, (5) have no interest separate from the interest of the Lord, and (6) always feel oneself meek and humble.

   The Lord demands that one surrender unto Him by following these six guidelines, but the unintelligent so-called scholars of the world misunderstand these demands and urge the general mass of people to reject them. At the conclusion of the Ninth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krsna directly says: "Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, offer obeisances and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me." (Bg. 9.34) However, the scholarly demons misguide the masses of people by directing them to the impersonal, unmanifest, eternal, unborn truth rather than the Personality of Godhead. The impersonalist Mayavadi philosophers do not accept that the ultimate aspect of the Absolute Truth is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If one desires to understand the sun as it is, one must first face the sunshine, then the sun globe and, after entering into that globe, come face to face with the predominating deity of the sun. Due to a poor fund of knowledge, the Mayavadi philosophers cannot go beyond the Brahman effulgence, which may be compared to the sunshine. The Upanisads confirm that one has to penetrate the dazzling effulgence of Brahman before one can see the real face of the Personality of Godhead.

   Lord Caitanya therefore teaches direct worship of Lord Krsna, who appeared as the foster child of the King of Vraja. He also suggests that the place known as Vrndavana is as good as Lord Krsna because there is no difference between the name, quality, form, pastimes, entourage and paraphernalia of Lord Krsna and Lord Krsna Himself. That is the absolute nature of the Absolute Truth.

   Lord Caitanya also recommended that the highest mode of worship in the highest perfectional stage is the method practiced by the damsels of Vraja. These damsels (gopis, or cowherd girls) simply loved Krsna without a motive for material or spiritual gain. Caitanya also recommended Srimad-Bhagavatam as the spotless narration of transcendental knowledge, and He pointed out that the highest goal in human life is to develop unalloyed love for Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

   Lord Caitanya's teachings are identical to those given by Lord Kapila, the original propounder of sankhya-yoga, the sankhya system of philosophy. This authorized system of yoga recommends meditation on the transcendental form of the Lord. There is no question of meditating on something void or impersonal. One can meditate on the transcendental form of Lord Visnu even without practicing involved sitting postures. Such meditation is called perfect samadhi. This perfect samadhi is verified at the end of the Sixth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita where Lord Krsna says: "And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all." (Bg. 6.47)

   Lord Caitanya instructed the mass of people in the sankhya philosophy of acintya-bhedabheda-tattva, which maintains that the Supreme Lord is simultaneously one with and different from His creation. Lord Caitanya taught this philosophy through the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. He taught that the holy name of the Lord is the sound incarnation of the Lord and that since the Lord is the absolute whole, there is no difference between His holy name and His transcendental form. Thus by chanting the holy name of the Lord one can directly associate with the Supreme Lord by sound vibration. As one practices this sound vibration, he passes through three stages of development: the offensive stage, the clearing stage and the transcendental stage. In the offensive stage one may desire all kinds of material happiness, but in the second stage one becomes clear of all material contamination. When one is situated on the transcendental stage, he attains the most coveted position--the stage of loving God. Lord Caitanya taught that this is the highest stage of perfection for human beings.

   Yoga practice is essentially meant for controlling the senses. The central controlling factor of all the senses is the mind; therefore one first has to practice controlling the mind by engaging it in Krsna consciousness. The gross activities of the mind are expressed through the external senses, either for the acquiring of knowledge or the functioning of the senses in accordance to the will. The subtle activities of the mind are thinking, feeling and willing. In accordance to one's consciousness, the individual is either polluted or clear. If one's mind is fixed on Krsna (His name, quality, form, pastimes, entourage and paraphernalia), all one's activities--both subtle and gross--become favorable. The Bhagavad-gita's process of purifying consciousness is the process of fixing one's mind on Krsna by talking of His transcendental activities, cleansing His temple, going to His temple, seeing the beautiful transcendental form of the Lord nicely decorated, hearing His transcendental glories, tasting food offered to Him, associating with His devotees, smelling the flowers and tulasi leaves offered Him, engaging in activities for the Lord's interest, etc. No one can bring the activities of the mind and senses to a stop, but one can purify these activities through a change in consciousness. This change is indicated in Bhagavad-gita when Krsna tells Arjuna of the knowledge of yoga whereby one can work without fruitive results. "O son of Prtha, when you act by such intelligence, you can free yourself from the bondage of works." (Bg. 2.39) A human being is sometimes restricted in sense gratification due to certain circumstances such as disease, etc., but this is not the prescription. Without knowing the actual process by which the mind and senses can be controlled, less intelligent men either try to stop the mind and senses by force, or they give in to them and are carried away by the waves of sense gratification.

   The regulative principles and the rules of yoga, the various sitting postures and breathing exercises performed in an attempt to withdraw one's senses from the sense objects are methods meant for those who are too much engrossed in the bodily conception of life. The intelligent man who is situated in Krsna consciousness does not try to forcibly stop his senses from acting. Rather, he engages his senses in the service of Krsna. No one can stop a child from playing by leaving him inactive. A child can be stopped from engaging in nonsense by being engaged in superior activities. The forceful restraint of sense activities by the eight principles of yoga is recommended for inferior men. Being engaged in the superior activities of Krsna consciousness, superior men naturally retire from the inferior activities of material existence.

   In this way Lord Caitanya teaches the science of Krsna consciousness. That science is absolute. Dry mental speculators try to restrain themselves from material attachment, but it is generally found that the mind is too strong to be controlled and that it drags them down to sensual activities. A person in Krsna consciousness does not run this risk. One has to engage his mind and senses in Krsna conscious activities, and Lord Caitanya teaches one how to do this in practice.

   Before accepting sannyasa (the renounced order), Lord Caitanya was known as Visvambhara. The word visvambhara refers to one who maintains the entire universe and who leads all living entities. This maintainer and leader appeared as Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya to give humanity these sublime teachings. Lord Caitanya is the ideal teacher of life's prime necessities. He is the most munificent bestower of love of Krsna. He is the complete reservoir of all mercies and good fortune. As confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, Mahabharata and the Upanisads, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna Himself, and He is worshipable by everyone in this age of disagreement. Everyone can join in His sankirtana movement. No previous qualification is necessary. just by following His teachings, anyone can become a perfect human being. If one is fortunate enough to be attracted by His features, one is sure to be successful in one's life mission. In other words, those who are interested in attaining spiritual existence can be easily relieved from the clutches of maya by the grace of Lord Caitanya. These teachings presented in this book are nondifferent from the Lord.

   Being engrossed in the material body, the conditioned soul increases the pages of history by all kinds of material activities. The teachings of Lord Caitanya can help human society stop such unnecessary and temporary activities. By these teachings, humanity can be elevated to the topmost platform of spiritual activity. These spiritual activities actually begin after liberation from material bondage. Such liberated activities in Krsna consciousness constitute the goal of human perfection. The false prestige one acquires by attempting to dominate material nature is illusory. Illuminating knowledge can be acquired from the teachings of Lord Caitanya, and by such knowledge one can advance in spiritual existence.

   Everyone has to suffer or enjoy the fruits of his activity; no one can check the laws of material nature which govern such things. As long as one is engaged in fruitive activity, he is sure to be baffled in an attempt to attain the ultimate goal of life. I sincerely hope that by understanding the teachings of Lord Caitanya, human society will experience a new light of spiritual life which will open the field of activity for the pure soul.

   om tat sat

   A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

   March 14, 1968

   Birthday of Lord Caitanya

   Sri-Sri-Radha-Krsna Temple

   New York, NY

 

                               Prologue

                       by Bhaktivinoda Thakura

 

   [This account originally appeared in a short work by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura entitled, "Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: His Life and Precepts." (August 20, 1896)]

   Caitanya Mahaprabhu was born in Mayapur in the town of Nadia just after sunset on the evening of the 23rd Phalguna 1407 Sakabda, answering to the 18th of February, 1486, of the Christian Era. The moon was eclipsed at the time of his birth, and the people of Nadia were then engaged, as was usual on such occasions, in bathing in the Bhagirathi with loud cheers of Haribol. His father, Jagannatha Misra, a poor brahmana of the Vedic order, and his mother, Saci-devi, a model good woman, both descended from brahmana stock originally residing in Sylhet. Mahaprabhu was a beautiful child, and the ladies of the town came to see him with presents. His mother's father, Pandita Nilambara Cakravarti, a renowned astrologer, foretold that the child would be a great personage in time; and he, therefore, gave him the name Visvambhara. The ladies of the neighborhood styled him Gaurahari on account of his golden complexion, and his mother called him Nimai on account of the nimba tree near which he was born. Beautiful as the lad was, everyone heartily loved to see him every day. As he grew up he became a whimsical and frolicsome lad. After his fifth year, he was admitted into a pathasala where he picked up Bengali in a very short time.

   Most of his contemporary biographers have mentioned certain anecdotes regarding Caitanya which are simple records of his early miracles. It is said that when he was an infant in his mother's arms he wept continually, and when the neighboring ladies cried Haribol he used to stop. Thus there was a continuation of the utterance of Haribol in the house, foreshewing the future mission of the hero. It has also been stated that when his mother once gave him sweetmeats to eat, he ate clay instead of the food. His mother asking for the reason, he stated that as every sweetmeat was nothing but clay transformed, he could eat clay as well. His mother, who was also the consort of a pandita, explained that every article in a special state was adapted to a special use. Earth, while in the state of a jug, could be used as a water pot, but in the state of a brick such a use was not possible. Clay, therefore, in the form of sweetmeats was usable as food, but clay in its other states was not. The lad was convinced and admitted his stupidity in eating clay and agreed to avoid the mistake in the future. Another miraculous act has been related. It is said that a brahmana on pilgrimage became a guest in his house, cooked food and read grace with meditation upon Krsna. In the meantime the lad came and ate up the cooked rice. The brahmana, astonished at the lad's act, cooked again at the request of Jagannatha Misra. The lad again ate up the cooked rice while the brahmana was offering the rice to Krsna with meditation. The brahmana was persuaded to cook for the third time. This time all the inmates of the house had fallen asleep, and the lad shewed himself as Krsna to the traveller and blessed him. The brahmana was then lost in ecstasy at the appearance of the object of his worship. It has also been stated that two thieves stole away the lad from his father's door with a view to purloin his jewels and gave him sweetmeats on the way. The lad exercised his illusory energy and deceived the thieves back towards his own house. The thieves, for fear of detection, left the boy there and fled. Another miraculous act that has been described is the lad's demanding and getting from Hiranya and Jagadisa all the offerings they had collected for worshiping Krsna on the day of Ekadasi. When only four years of age he sat on rejected cooking pots which were considered unholy by his mother. He explained to his mother that there was no question of holiness and unholiness as regards earthen pots thrown away after the cooking was over. These anecdotes relate to his tender age up to the fifth year.

   In his eighth year, he was admitted into the tola of Gangadasa Pandita in Ganganagara close by the village of Mayapur. In two years he became well read in Sanskrit grammar and rhetoric. His readings after that were of the nature of self-study in his own house, where he had found all-important books belonging to his father, who was a pandita himself. It appears that he read the smrti in his own study, and the nyaya also, in competition with his friends, who were then studying under the celebrated Pandita Raghunatha Siromani.

   Now, after the tenth year of his age, Caitanya became a passable scholar in grammar, rhetoric, the smrti and the nyaya. It was after this that his elder brother Visvarupa left his house and accepted the asrama (status) of a sannyasi (ascetic). Caitanya, though a very young boy, consoled his parents, saying that he would serve them with a view to please God. Just after that, his father left this world. His mother was exceedingly sorry, and Mahaprabhu, with his usual contented appearance, consoled his widowed mother.

   It was at the age of 14 or 15 that Mahaprabhu was married to Laksmidevi, the daughter of Vallabhacarya, also of Nadia. He was at this age considered one of the best scholars of Nadia, the renowned seat of nyaya philosophy and Sanskrit learning. Not to speak of the smarta panditas, the Naiyayikas were all afraid of confronting him in literary discussions. Being a married man, he went to Eastern Bengal on the banks of the Padma for acquirement of wealth. There he displayed his learning and obtained a good sum of money. It was at this time that he preached Vaisnavism at intervals. After teaching him the principles of Vaisnavism, he ordered Tapana Misra to go to and live in Benares. During his residence in East Bengal, his wife Laksmidevi left this world from the effects of snakebite. On returning home, he found his mother in a mourning state. He consoled her with a lecture on the uncertainty of human affairs. It was at his mother's request that he married Visnupriya, the daughter of Raja Pandita Sanatana Misra. His comrades joined him on his return from pravasa or sojourn. He was now so renowned that he was considered to be the best pandita in Nadia. Kesava Misra of Kashmir, who had called himself the Great Digvijayi, came to Nadia with a view to discuss with the panditas of that place. Afraid of the so-called conquering pandita, the tola professors of Nadia left their town on pretence of Invitation. Kesava met Mahaprabhu at the Barokona-ghata in Mayapur, and after a very short discussion with him he was defeated by the boy, and mortification obliged him to decamp. Nimai Pandita was now the most important pandita of his times.

   It was at the age of 16 or 17 that he travelled to Gaya with a host to sing the holy name of Hari in the streets and bazaars. This created a sensation and roused different feelings in different quarters. The bhaktas were highly pleased. The smarta brahmanas became jealous of Nimai Pandita's success and complained to Chand Kazi against the character of Caitanya as un-Hindu. The Kazi came to Srivasa Pandita's house and broke a mrdanga (khola drum) there and declared that unless Nimai Pandita ceased to make noise about his queer religion he would be obliged to enforce Mohammedanism on him and his followers. This was brought to Mahaprabhu's notice. He ordered the townspeople to appear in the evening, each with a torch in his hand. This groups, and on his arrival in the Kazi's house, he held a long conversation with the Kazi and in the end communicated into his heart his Vaisnava influence by touching his body. The Kazi then wept and admitted that he had felt a keen spiritual influence which had cleared up his doubts and produced in him a religious sentiment which gave him the highest ecstasy. The Kazi then joined the sankirtana party. The world was astonished at the spiritual power of the Great Lord, and hundreds and hundreds of heretics converted and joined the banner of Visvambhara after this affair.

   It was after this that some of the jealous and low-minded brahmanas of Kulia picked a quarrel with Mahaprabhu and collected a party to oppose him. Nimai Pandita was naturally a soft-hearted person, though strong in his principles. He declared that party feelings and sectarianism were the two great enemies of progress and that as long as he should continue to be an inhabitant of Nadia belonging to a certain family, his mission would not meet with complete success. He then resolved to be a citizen of the world by cutting his connection with his particular family, caste and creed, and with this resolution he embraced the position of a sannyasi at Katwa, under the guidance of Kesava Bharati of that town, on the 24th year of his age. His mother and wife wept bitterly for his separation, but our hero, though soft in heart, was a strong person in principle. He left his little world in his house for the unlimited spiritual world of Krsna with man in general.

   After his sannyasa, he was induced to visit the house of Advaita Prabhu in Santipura. Advaita managed to invite all his friends and admirers from Nadia and brought Sacidevi to see her son. Both pleasure and pain invaded her heart when she saw her son in the attire of a sannyasi. As a sannyasi, Krsna Caitanya put on nothing but a kaupina and a bahirvasa (outer covering). His head was without hair, and his hands bore a danda (stick) and a kamandalu (hermit's water pot). The holy son fell at the feet of his beloved mother and said, "Mother! This body is yours, and I must obey your orders. Permit me to go to Vrndavana for my spiritual attainments." The mother, in consultation with Advaita and others, asked her son to reside in Puri (the town of Jagannatha) so that she might obtain his information now and then. Mahaprabhu agreed to that proposition and in a few days left Santipura for Orissa. His biographers have described the journey of Krsna Caitanya (that was the name he got after his sannyasa) from Santipura to Puri in great detail. He travelled along the side of the Bhagirathi as far as Chatrabhoga, situated now in Thana Mathurapura, Diamond Harbour, 24 Parganas. There he took a boat and went as far as Prayaga-ghata in the Midnapura District. Thence he walked through Balasore and Cuttack to Puri, seeing the temple of Bhuvanesvara on his way. Upon his arrival at Puri he saw Jagannatha in the temple and resided with Sarvabhauma at the request of the latter. Sarvabhauma was a gigantic pandita of the day. His readings knew no bounds. He was the best naiyayika of the times and was known as the most erudite scholar in the Vedanta philosophy of the school of Sankaracarya. He was born in Nadia (Vidyanagara) and taught innumerable pupils in the nyaya philosophy in his tola there. He had left for Puri some time before the birth of Nimai Pandita. His brother-in-law Gopinatha Misra introduced our new sannyasi to Sarvabhauma, who was astonished at his personal beauty and feared that it would be difficult for the young man to maintain sannyasa-dharma during the long run of his life. Gopinatha, who had known Mahaprabhu from Nadia, had a great reverence for him and declared that the sannyasi was not a common human being. On this point Gopinatha and Sarvabhauma had a hot discussion. Sarvabhauma then requested Mahaprabhu to hear his recitation of the Vedanta-sutras, and the latter tacitly submitted. Caitanya heard with silence what the great Sarvabhauma uttered with gravity for seven days, at the end of which the latter said, "Krsna Caitanya! I think you do not understand the Vedanta, for you do not say anything after hearing my recitation and explanations." The reply of Caitanya was that he understood the sutras very well, but he could not make out what Sankaracarya meant by his commentaries. Astonished at this, Sarvabhauma said, "How is it that you understand the meanings of the sutras and do not understand the commentaries which explain the sutras? All well! If you understand the sutras, please let me have your interpretations." Mahaprabhu thereon explained all the sutras in his own way without touching the pantheistic commentary of Sankara. The keen understanding of Sarvabhauma saw the truth, beauty and harmony of arguments in the explanations given by Caitanya and obliged him to utter that it was the first time that he had found one who could explain the Brahma-sutras in such a simple manner. He admitted also that the commentaries of Sankara never gave such natural explanations of the Vedanta-sutras as he had obtained from Mahaprabhu. He then submitted himself as an advocate and follower. In a few days Sarvabhauma turned out to be one of the best Vaisnavas of the time. When reports of this came out, the whole of Orissa sang the praise of Krsna Caitanya, and hundreds and hundreds came to him and became his followers. In the meantime Mahaprabhu thought of visiting Southern India, and he started with one Krsnadasa Brahmana for the journey.

   His biographers have given us a detail of the journey. He went first to Kurmaksetra, where he performed a miracle by curing a leper named Vasudeva. He met Ramananda Raya, the Governor of Vidyanagara, on the banks of the Godavari and had a philosophical conversation with him on the subject of prema-bhakti. He worked another miracle by touching (making them immediately disappear) the seven tala trees through which Ramacandra, the son of Dasaratha, had shot his arrow and killed the great Bali Raja. He preached Vaisnavism and nama-sankirtana throughout the journey. At Rangaksetra he stayed for four months in the house of one Venkata Bhatta in order to spend the rainy season. There he converted the whole family of Venkata from Ramanuja Vaisnavism to Krsna-bhakti, along with the son of Venkata, a boy of ten years named Gopala, who afterwards came to Vrndavana and became one of the six Gosvamis or prophets serving under their leader Sri Krsna Caitanya. Trained up in Sanskrit by his uncle Prabodhananda Sarasvati, Gopala wrote several books on Vaisnavism.

   Caitanya visited numerous places in Southern India as far as Cape Comorin and returned to Puri in two years by Pandepura on the Bhima. In this latter place he spiritualized one Tukarama, who became from that time a religious preacher himself. This fact has been admitted in his abhangas, which have been collected in a volume by Mr. Satyendra Nath Tagore of the Bombay Civil Service. During his journey he had discussions with the Buddhists, the Jains and the Mayavadis in several places and converted his opponents to Vaisnavism.

   Upon his return to Puri, Raja Prataparudra-deva and several pandita brahmanas joined the banner of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was now twenty-seven years of age. In his twenty-eighth year he went to Bengal as far as Gauda in Malda. There he picked up two great personages named Rupa and Sanatana. Though descended from the lines of the Karnatic brahmanas, these two brothers turned demi-Moslems by their continual contact with Hussain Shah, the then Emperor of Gauda. Their names had been changed by the Emperor into Dabira Khasa and Sakara Mallika, and their master loved them heartily since they were both learned in Persian, Arabic and Sanskrit and were loyal servants of the state. The two gentlemen had found no way to come back as regular Hindus and had written to Mahaprabhu for spiritual help while he was at Puri. Mahaprabhu had written in reply that he would come to them and extricate them from their spiritual difficulties. Now that he had come to Gauda, both the brothers appeared before him with their long-standing prayer. Mahaprabhu ordered them to go to Vrndavana and meet him there.

   Caitanya returned to Puri through Santipura, where he again met his dear mother. After a short stay at Puri he left for Vrndavana. This time he was accompanied by one Balabhadra Bhattacarya. He visited Vrndavana and came down to Prayaga (Allahabad), converting a large number of Mohammedans to Vaisnavism by argument from the Koran. The descendants of those converts are still known as Pathana Vaisnavas. Rupa Gosvami met him at Allahabad. Caitanya trained him up in spirituality in ten days and directed him to go to Vrndavana on missions. His first mission was to write theological works explaining scientifically pure bhakti and prema. The second mission was to revive the places where Krsnacandra had in the end of Dvapara-yuga exhibited His spiritual lila (pastimes) for the benefit of the religious world. Rupa Gosvami left Allahabad for Vrndavana, and Mahaprabhu came down to Benares. There he resided in the house of Candrasekhara and accepted his daily bhiksa (meal) in the house of Tapana Misra. Here it was that Sanatana Gosvami joined him and took instruction for two months in spiritual matters. The biographers, especially Krsnadasa Kaviraja, have given us details of Caitanya's teachings to Rupa and Sanatana. Krsnadasa was not a contemporary writer, but he gathered his information from the Gosvamis themselves, the direct disciples of Mahaprabhu. Jiva Gosvami, who was nephew of Sanatana and Rupa and who has left us his invaluable work the Sat-sandarbha, has philosophized on the precepts of his great leader. We have gathered and summarized the precepts of Caitanya from the books of those great writers.

   While at Benares, Caitanya had an interview with the learned sannyasis of that town in the house of a Maratha brahmana who had invited all the sannyasis for entertainment. At this interview, Caitanya shewed a miracle which attracted all the sannyasis to him. Then ensued reciprocal conversation. The sannyasis were headed by their most learned leader Prakasananda Sarasvati. After a short controversy, they submitted to Mahaprabhu and admitted that they had been misled by the commentaries of Sankaracarya. It was impossible even for learned scholars to oppose Caitanya for a long time, for there was some spell in him which touched their hearts and made them weep for their spiritual improvement. The sannyasis of Benares soon fell at the feet of Caitanya and asked for his grace (krpa). Caitanya then preached pure bhakti and instilled into their hearts spiritual love for Krsna which obliged them to give up sectarian feelings. The whole population of Benares, on this wonderful conversion of the sannyasis, turned Vaisnavas, and they made a master sankirtana with their new Lord. After sending Sanatana to Vrndavana, Mahaprabhu went to Puri again through the jungles with his comrade Balabhadra. Balabhadra reported that Mahaprabhu had shown a good many miracles on his way to Puri, such as making tigers and elephants dance on hearing the name of Krsna.

   From this time, that is, from his 31 st year, Mahaprabhu continually lived in Puri in the house of Kasi Misra until his disappearance in his forty-eighth year at the time of sankirtana in the temple of Tota-gopinatha. During these 18 years, his life was one of settled love and piety. He was surrounded by numerous followers, all of whom were of the highest order of Vaisnavas and who were distinguished from the common people by their purest character and learning, firm religious principles and spiritual love of Radha-Krsna. Svarupa Damodara, who had been known by the name of Purusottamacarya while Mahaprabhu was in Nadia, joined him from Benares and accepted service as his secretary. No production of any poet or philosopher could be laid before Mahaprabhu unless Svarupa had passed it as pure and useful. Raya Ramananda was his second mate. Both he and Svarupa would sing while Mahaprabhu expressed his sentiments on a certain point of worship. Paramananda Puri was his minister in matters of religion. There are hundreds of anecdotes described by his biographers which we do not think it meet here to reproduce. Mahaprabhu slept short. His sentiments carried him far and wide in the firmament of spirituality every day and night, and all his admirers and followers watched him throughout. He worshiped, communicated with his missionaries at Vrndavana, and conversed with those religious men who newly came to visit him. He sang and danced, took no care of himself and oft-times lost himself in religious beatitude. All who came to him believed in him as the all-beautiful God appearing in the nether world for the benefit of mankind. He loved his mother all along and sent her mahaprasada now and then with those who went to Nadia. He was most amiable in nature. Humility was personified in him. His sweet appearance gave cheer to all who came in contact with him. He appointed Prabhu Nityananda as the missionary in charge of Bengal. He dispatched six disciples (Gosvamis) to Vrndavana to preach love in the upcountry. He punished all of his disciples who deviated from a holy life. This he markedly did in the case of Junior Haridasa. He never lacked in giving proper instructions in life to those who solicited them. This will be seen in his teachings to Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. His treatment to Haridasa (senior) will show how he loved spiritual men and how he defied caste distinction in spiritual brotherhood.

 

                       Lord Caitanya's Mission

 

   Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu instructed His disciples to write books on the Science of Krsna, a task which those who follow Him have continued to carry out down to the present day. The elaborations and expositions on the philosophy taught by Lord Caitanya are in fact most voluminous, exacting and consistent due to the system of disciplic succession. Although Lord Caitanya was widely renowned as a scholar in His youth, He left only eight verses, called Siksastaka. These eight verses clearly reveal His mission and precepts. These supremely valuable prayers are translated herein.

                                  1.

   Glory to the Sri Krsna sankirtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death. This sankirtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for which we are always anxious.

                                  2.

   O my Lord, Your holy name alone can render all benediction to living beings, and thus You have hundreds and millions of names like Krsna and Govinda. In these transcendental names You have invested all Your transcendental energies. There are not even hard and fast rules for chanting these names. O my Lord, out of kindness You enable us to easily approach You by Your holy names, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction for them.

                                  3.

   One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.

                                  4.

   O almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor do I desire beautiful women, nor do I want any number of followers. I only want Your causeless devotional service birth after birth.

                                  5.

   O son of Maharaja Nanda [Krsna], I am Your eternal servitor, yet somehow or other I have fallen into the ocean of birth and death. Please pick me up from this ocean of death and place me as one of the atoms at Your lotus feet.

                                  6.

   O my Lord, when will my eyes be decorated with tears of love flowing constantly when I chant Your holy name? When will my voice choke up, and when will the hairs of my body stand on end at the recitation of Your name?

                                  7.

   O Govinda! Feeling Your separation, I am considering a moment to be like twelve years or more. Tears are flowing from my eyes like torrents of rain, and I am feeling all vacant in the world in Your absence.

                                  8.

   I know no one but Krsna as my Lord, and He shall remain so even if He handles me roughly by His embrace or makes me brokenhearted by not being present before me. He is completely free to do anything and everything, for He is always my worshipful Lord unconditionally.

 

                             Introduction

 

   [Originally delivered as five morning lectures on Caitanya-caritamrta--the authoritative biography of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, by Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami--before the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, New York City, April 10-14, 1967.]

   The word caitanya means living force. As living entities, we can move, but a table cannot because it does not possess living force. Movement and activity may be considered to be signs or symptoms of the living force. Indeed, it may be said that there can be no activity without the living force. Although the living force is present in the material condition, it is not amrta, immortal. The words caitanya-caritamrta, then, may be translated as "the character of the living force in immortality."

   But how is this living force displayed immortally? It is not displayed by man or any other creature in this material universe, for none of us are immortal in these bodies. We possess the living force, we perform activities, and we are immortal by our nature and constitution, but the material condition into which we have been put does not allow our immortality to be displayed. It is stated in the Katha Upanisad that eternality and the living force belong both to ourselves and God. Although this is true in that both God and ourselves are immortal, there is a difference. As living entities, we perform many activities, but we have a tendency to fall down into material nature. God has no such tendency. Being all-powerful, He never comes under the control of material nature. Indeed, material nature is but one display of His inconceivable energies.

   On the ground we may see only clouds in the sky, but if we fly above the clouds we can see the sun shining. From the sky, skyscrapers and cities seem very tiny; similarly, from God's position this entire material creation is insignificant. The tendency of the conditioned living entity is to come down from the heights where everything can be seen in perspective. God, however, does not have this tendency. The Supreme Lord is not subject to fall down into illusion (maya) any more than the sun is subject to fall beneath the clouds. Because the Supreme Lord is not subject to illusion, He is unconditioned; because we, as finite living entities, are prone to fall into illusion, we are called conditioned. Impersonalist philosophers (Mayavadis) maintain that both the living entity and God Himself are under the control of maya when they come into this material world. This may be true of the living entity, but it is not true of God, for in all instances the material energy is working under His direction. Those who consider the Supreme Lord to be subject to material conditioning are called fools by Krsna Himself in Bhagavad-gita:

 

                         avajananti mam mudha

                        manusim tanum asritam

                        param bhavam ajananto

                        mama bhuta-mahesvaram

 

   "Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be." (Bg. 9.11)

   Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu should not be considered to be one of us. He is Krsna Himself, the supreme living entity, and as such He never comes under the cloud of maya. Krsna, His expansions, and even His higher devotees never fall into the clutches of illusion. Lord Caitanya came to earth simply to preach Krsna-bhakti, love of Krsna. In other words, He is Lord Krsna Himself teaching the living entities the proper way to approach Krsna. He is like a teacher who, seeing a student doing poorly, takes up a pencil and writes, saying, "Do it like this: A, B, C." By this, one must not foolishly think that the teacher is learning his ABC's. Although He appears in the guise of a devotee, we should always remember that Lord Caitanya is Krsna (God) Himself teaching us how to become Krsna conscious, and we must study Him in that light.

   In Bhagavad-gita Lord Krsna sets forth the highest religious principle in this way:

 

                       sarva-dharman parityajya

                        mam ekam saranam vraja

                       aham tvam sarva-papebhyo

                        moksayisyami ma sucah

 

   "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear." (Bg. 18.66)

   This may seem to be a simple instruction to follow, but invariably our reaction is, "Oh, surrender? Give up? But I have so many responsibilities." And maya, illusion, says to us, "Don't do it, or you'll be out of my clutches. Just stay in my clutches, and I'll kick you." It is a fact that we are constantly being kicked by maya, just as the male ass is kicked in the face by the she-ass when he comes for sex. Similarly, cats and dogs are always fighting and whining when they have sex. These are the tricks of nature. Even an elephant in the jungle is caught by the use of a trained she-elephant who leads him into a pit. Maya has many activities, and in the material world her strongest shackle is the female. Of course in actuality we are neither male nor female--for these designations refer only to the outer dress, the body. We are all actually Krsna's servants. In conditioned life, however, we are shackled by the iron chains which take the form of beautiful women. Thus every male is bound by sex life, and therefore when one attempts to gain liberation from the material clutches, he must first learn to control the sex urge. Unrestricted sex puts one fully in the clutches of illusion. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu officially renounced this illusion at the age of twenty-four, although His wife was sixteen and His mother seventy, and He was the only male member of the family. Although He was a brahmana and was not rich, He took sannyasa, the renounced order of life, and thus extricated Himself from family entanglement.

   If we wish to become fully Krsna conscious, we have to give up the shackles of maya, or, if we remain with maya, we should live in such a way that we will not be subject to illusion. It is not necessary for one to abandon his family, for there were many householders amongst Lord Caitanya's closest devotees. What must be renounced is the propensity for material enjoyment. Although Lord Caitanya approved of a householder having regulated sex in marriage, He was very strict with those in the renounced order, and He even banished junior Haridasa for glancing lustfully at a young woman. The point is that one must take up a particular path and stick to it, obeying all the rules and regulations necessary for success in spiritual life. It was Lord Caitanya's mission that He teach the path of Krsna consciousness to all men and thereby enable them to partake of the immortality of spiritual life.

   From Caitanya-caritamrta we learn how Caitanya taught people to become immortal, and thus the title may be properly translated as "the immortal character of the living force." The supreme living force is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is also the supreme entity. There are innumerable living entities, and all of them are individual. This is very easy to understand: We are all individual in thought and desires, and the Supreme Lord is also an individual person. He is different, though, in that He is the leader, the one whom no one can excel. Amongst the created living entities, one being can excel another in one capacity or another. The Lord is an individual, just as the living entities are individual, but He is different in that He is the supreme individual. God is also infallible, and in Bhagavad-gita He is addressed as Acyuta, which means, "He who never falls down." This is indicated because in Bhagavad-gita Arjuna had fallen into delusion but Krsna had not. We often hear it said that God is infallible, and in Bhagavad-gita Krsna states:

 

                      nanyam gunebhyah kartaram

                         yada drastanupasyati

                       gunebhyas ca param vetti

                      mad-bhavam so 'dhigacchati

 

   "When you see that there is nothing beyond these modes of nature in all activities and that the Supreme Lord is transcendental to all these modes, then you can know My spiritual nature." (Bg. 14.19)

   Thus we should not think that Krsna is overpowered by the material potency when He is in the material world. Krsna and His incarnations are not under the control of material nature. They are totally free. Indeed, in Srimad-Bhagavatam one who has a godly nature is actually defined as one who is not affected by the modes of material nature, although in material nature. If even a devotee can attain this freedom, then what to speak of the Supreme?

   The real question is how can we remain unpolluted by material contamination while in the material world. It was Rupa Gosvami who explained that we can remain uncontaminated while in the world if we simply make it our ambition to serve Krsna. One may then justifiably ask, "How can I serve?" Obviously this is not simply a matter of meditation, which is just an activity of the mind, but of practical work. Love of Krsna's service can only be attained by working for Krsna. In such work, we should leave no resource unused. Whatever is there, whatever we have, should be used for Krsna. We can use everything: typewriters, automobiles, airplanes, missiles--anything. If we simply speak to people about Krsna consciousness, we are also rendering service. If our minds, senses, speech, money and energies are thus engaged in the service of Krsna, we cannot be considered to be existing in material nature. By virtue of spiritual consciousness, or Krsna consciousness, we transcend the platform of material nature. It is a fact that Krsna, His expansions and His devotees--that is, those who work for Him--are not in material nature, although people with a poor fund of knowledge think that they are.

   Caitanya-caritamrta teaches that the spirit soul is immortal and that our activities in the spiritual world are also immortal. The Mayavadis, who hold to the view that the Absolute is impersonal and formless, contend that a realized soul has no need to talk. However, the Vaisnavas, who are devotees of Krsna, contend that when one reaches the stage of realization, he really begins to talk. "Previously we only talked of nonsense," the Vaisnava says. "Now let us begin our real talks, talks of Krsna." The Mayavadis are also fond of using the example of the water pot, maintaining that when a pot is not filled with water it makes a sound, but that when it is filled it makes no sound. But are we waterpots? How can we be compared to them? A the material world. In this instance both the sun and moon have risen together, and it is proper to offer obeisances directly to Lord Caitanya and Nityananda.

   In the Western world where the glories of Lord Caitanya are relatively unknown, one may inquire, "Who is Krsna Caitanya?" The scriptural conclusion in answer to that question is that He is the Supreme Personality of God head. Generally in the Upanisads the Supreme Absolute Truth is described in an impersonal way, but the personal aspect of the Absolute Truth is mentioned in the Isopanisad, where, after a description of the all-pervading, we find the following verse:

 

                         hiranmayena patrena

                        satyasyapihitam mukham

                       tat tvam pusann apavrnu

                        satya-dharmaya drstaye

 

   "O my Lord, sustainer of all that lives, Your real face is covered by Your dazzling effulgence. Kindly remove that covering and exhibit Yourself to Your pure devotee." (Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 15)

   The impersonalists do not have the power to go beyond the effulgence of God and arrive at the personality from whom this effulgence is emanating. At the end of Isopanisad, however, there is a hymn to the Personality of Godhead. It is not that the impersonal Brahman is denied; it is also described, but that Brahman is considered to be the glaring effulgence of the body of Caitanya. In other words, Krsna Caitanya is the basis of the impersonal Brahman. It is also stated by Krsna in Bhagavad-gita that the impersonal Brahman rests on Him (brahmano hi pratisthaham, Bg. 14.27). The Paramatma, or Supersoul, which is present within the heart of every living entity and within every atom of the universe, is but the partial representation of Caitanya. Krsna Caitanya is therefore the basis of Brahman and the Supreme Personality of Godhead as well. As the Supreme, He is full in six opulences: wealth, fame, strength, beauty, knowledge and renunciation. In short, we should know that He is Krsna, God, and nothing is equal to or greater than Him. There is no superior to be conceived. He is the Supreme Person.

   It was Rupa Gosvami, a confidential devotee taught for more than ten days continuously by Lord Caitanya, who wrote:

 

                         namo maha-vadanyaya

                        krsna-prema-pradaya te

                       krsnaya krsna-caitanya-

                       namne gaura-tvise namah

 

   "I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya, who is more magnanimous than any other avatara, even Krsna Himself, because He is bestowing freely what no one else has ever given--pure love of Krsna."

   It is not that Caitanya teaches a long and elaborate path to God realization. He is completely spiritual, and He begins from the point of surrender to Krsna. He does not pursue the paths of karma-yoga or jnana-yoga or hatha-yoga but begins at the end of material existence, at the point where one gives up all material attachment. In Bhagavad-gita Krsna began His teachings by distinguishing the soul from matter and in the Eighteenth Chapter concluded at the point where the soul surrenders to Him in devotion. The Mayavadis would have all talk cease there, but at that point the real discussion only begins. It is the Vedanta-sutra which begins: athato brahma-jijnasa: "Now let us begin to inquire about the Supreme Absolute Truth." Rupa Gosvami thus praises Caitanya as the most munificent incarnation of all, for He gives the greatest gift by indicating the highest form of devotional service. In other words, He answers the most important inquiries that anyone can make.

   There are different stages of devotional service and God realization. Strictly speaking, anyone who accepts the existence of God is situated in devotional service. To acknowledge that God is great is something, but not much. Caitanya, preaching as an acarya, a great teacher, taught that we can enter into a relationship with God and actually become God's friend. In Bhagavad-gita Krsna showed Arjuna His universal form because Arjuna was His "very dear friend." Upon seeing Krsna as the Lord of the universes, however, Arjuna actually asked Krsna to forgive the familiarity of his friendship. Caitanya goes beyond this point. Through Lord Caitanya we can become friends with Krsna, and there is no limit to this friendship. We can become friends of Krsna not in awe or adoration but in complete freedom. We can even relate to God as His father. This is not only the philosophy of Caitanya-caritamrta but of Srimad-Bhagavatam as well. There are no other literatures in the world in which God is treated as the son of a devotee. Usually God is seen as the almighty Father who supplies the demands of His sons. The great devotees, however, sometimes treat God as a son in their execution of devotional service. The son demands, and the father supplies, and in supplying Krsna the devotee becomes like a father. Instead of taking from God, we give to God. It was in this relationship that Krsna's mother, Yasoda, told the Lord, "Here, eat this or You'll die. Eat nicely." In this way Krsna, although the proprietor of everything, depends on the mercy of His devotee. This is a uniquely high level of friendship in which the devotee actually believes himself to be the father of Krsna.

   However, Lord Caitanya's greatest gift was His teaching that Krsna can be actually treated as one's lover. In this relationship the Lord is so much attached that He expresses His inability to reciprocate. Krsna was so obliged to the gopis, the cowherd girls of Vrndavana, that He felt unable to return their love. "I cannot repay your love," He told them. "I have no more assets to return." Thus devotional service is performed on this excellent platform, and knowledge of the devotee's relationship to Krsna as lover and beloved was given by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. It was never given by any previous incarnation or acarya. Thus Rupa Gosvami wrote of Caitanya: "Devotional service itself is the highest platform, the glorious platform which You have contributed. You are Krsna in a yellow complexion, and You are Sacinandana, the son of mother Saci. Those who hear Caitanya-caritamrta will keep You in their hearts. It will be easy to understand Krsna through You." Thus Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to deliver Krsna. His method of deliverance was not meditation, fruitive activities or scriptural study, but love.

   We have often heard the phrase "love of Godhead." How far this love of Godhead can actually be developed can be learned from the Vaisnava philosophy. Theoretical knowledge of love of God can be found in many places and in many scriptures, but what that love of Godhead actually is and how it is developed can be found in Vaisnava literatures. It is the unique and highest development of love of God that is given by Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

   Even in this material world we can have a little sense of love. How is this possible? It is due to the love which is found in the Godhead. Whatever we find within our experience within this conditional life is situated in the Supreme Lord, who is the ultimate source of everything. In our original relationship with the Supreme Lord there is real love, and that love is reflected pervertedly through material conditions. Our real love is continuous and unending, but because that love is reflected pervertedly in this material world, it lacks continuity and is inebriating. If we want real transcendental love, we have to transfer our love to the supreme lovable object--the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the basic principle of Krsna consciousness.

   In material consciousness we are trying to love that which is not at all lovable. We give our love to dogs and cats, running the risk that at the time of death we may think of them and consequently take birth in a family of cats or dogs. Thus love that does not have Krsna as its object leads downward. It is not that Krsna or God is something obscure or something that only a few chosen people can attain. Caitanya Mahaprabhu informs us that in every country and in every scripture there is some hint of love of Godhead. Unfortunately no one knows what love of Godhead actually is. The Vedic scriptures, however, are different in that they can direct the individual in the proper way to love God. Other scriptures do not give information on how one can love God, nor do they actually define or describe what or who the Godhead actually is. Although they officially promote love of Godhead, they have no idea how to execute it. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu gives a practical demonstration of how to love God in a conjugal relationship. Taking the part of Radharani, Caitanya tries to love Krsna as Radharani loved Him. Krsna was always amazed by Radharani's love. "How does Radharani give Me such pleasure?" He would ask. In order to study Radharani, Krsna lived in Her role and tried to understand Himself. This is the secret of Lord Caitanya's incarnation. Caitanya is Krsna, but He has taken the mode or role of Radharani to show us how to love Krsna. Thus He is addressed: "I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord who is absorbed in Radharani's thoughts."

   This brings up the question of who Radharani is and what Radha-Krsna is. Actually Radha-Krsna is the exchange of love. This is not ordinary love; Krsna has immense potencies, of which three are principal: internal, external and marginal. In the internal potency there are three divisions: samvit, hladini and sandhini. The hladini potency is the pleasure potency. All living entities have this pleasure-seeking potency, for all beings are trying to have pleasure. This is the very nature of the living entity. At present we are trying to enjoy our pleasure potency by means of the body in this material condition. By bodily contact we are attempting to derive pleasure from material sense objects. We should not think, however, that Krsna, who is always spiritual, tries to seek pleasure on this material plane like us. Krsna describes the material universe as a nonpermanent place full of miseries. Why, then, would He seek pleasure in the material form? He is the Supersoul, the supreme spirit, and His pleasure is beyond the material conception.

   In order to learn how Krsna's pleasure can be obtained, we must read the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam in which Krsna's pleasure potency is displayed in His pastimes with Radharani and the damsels of Vraja. Unfortunately, unintelligent people turn at once to the sports of Krsna in the Dasama-skandha, the Tenth Canto. Krsna's embracing Radharani or His dancing with the cowherd girls in the rasa dance are generally not understood by ordinary men because they consider these pastimes in the light of mundane lust. They incorrectly think that Krsna is like themselves and that He embraces the gopis just as an ordinary man embraces a young girl. Some people thus become interested in Krsna because they think that His religion allows indulgence in sex. This is not Krsna-bhakti, love of Krsna, but prakrta-sahajiya-- materialistic lust.

   In order to avoid such errors, we should understand what Radha-Krsna actually is. Radha and Krsna display their pastimes through Krsna's internal energy. The pleasure potency of Krsna's internal energy is a most difficult subject matter, and unless one understands what Krsna is, he cannot understand it. Krsna does not take any pleasure in this material world, but He has a pleasure potency. Because we are part and parcel of Krsna, the pleasure potency is within us also, but we are trying to exhibit that pleasure potency in matter. Krsna, however, does not make such a vain attempt. The object of Krsna's pleasure potency is Radharani, and He exhibits His potency or His energy as Radharani and then engages in loving affairs with Her. In other words, Krsna does not take pleasure in this external energy but exhibits His internal energy, His pleasure potency, as Radharani. Thus Krsna manifests Himself as Radharani in order to exhibit His internal pleasure potency. Of the many extensions, expansions and incarnations of the Lord, this pleasure potency is the foremost and chief.

   It is not that Radharani is separate from Krsna. Radharani is also Krsna, for there is no difference between the energy and the energetic. Without energy, there is no meaning to the energetic, and without the energetic, there is no energy. Similarly, without Radha there is no meaning to Krsna, and without Krsna, there is no meaning to Radha. Because of this, the Vaisnava philosophy first of all pays obeisances to and worships the internal pleasure potency of the Supreme Lord. Thus the Lord and His potency are always referred to as Radha-Krsna. Similarly, those who worship the name of Narayana first of all utter the name of Laksmi, as Laksmi-Narayana. Similarly, those who worship Lord Rama first of all utter the name of Sita. In any case--Sita-Rama, Radha-Krsna, Laksmi-Narayana--the potency always comes first.

   Radha and Krsna are one, and when Krsna desires to enjoy pleasure, He manifests Himself as Radharani. The spiritual exchange of love between Radha and Krsna is the actual display of the internal pleasure potency of Krsna. Although we speak of "when" Krsna desires, just when He did desire we cannot say. We only speak in this way because in conditional life we take it that everything has a beginning; however, in the absolute or spiritual life there is neither beginning nor end. Yet in order to understand that Radha and Krsna are one and that They also become divided, the question "When?" automatically comes to mind. When Krsna desired to enjoy His pleasure potency, He manifested Himself in the separate form of Radharani, and when He wanted to understand Himself through the agency of Radha, He united with Radharani, and that unification is called Lord Caitanya.

   Why did Krsna assume the form of Caitanya Mahaprabhu? It is explained that Krsna desired to know the glory of Radha's love. "Why is She so much in love with Me?" Krsna asked. "What is My special qualification that attracts Her so? And what is the actual way in which She loves Me?" It seems strange that Krsna, as the Supreme, should be attracted by anyone's love. We search after the love of a woman or a man because we are imperfect and lack something. The love of a woman, that potency and pleasure, is absent in man, and therefore a man wants a woman, but this is not the case with Krsna, who is full in Himself. Thus Krsna expressed surprise: "Why am I attracted by Radharani? And when Radharani feels My love, what is She actually feeling?" In order to taste the essence of that loving affair, Krsna appeared just as the moon appears on the horizon of the sea. Just as the moon was produced by the churning of the sea, by the churning of spiritual love affairs the moon of Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared. Indeed, Caitanya's complexion was golden, just like the moon. Although this is figurative language, it conveys the meaning behind the appearance of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The full significance of His appearance will be explained in later chapters.

   The manifestations of the Supreme are also explained in Caitanya-caritamrta. After offering respects to Lord Caitanya, Krsnadasa Kaviraja next offers them to Nityananda. He explains that Nityananda is a manifestation of Sankarsana, who is the origin of the Maha-Visnu. Krsna's first manifestation is as Balarama and then Sankarsana, and after Sankarsana He is manifest as Pradyumna. In this way so many expansions take place. Although there are many expansions, Lord Sri Krsna is the origin, as confirmed in Brahma-samhita. He is like the original candle from which many thousands and millions of candles are lit. Although any number of candles can be lighted, the original candle still retains its identity as the origin. In this way Krsna expands Himself into so many lights, and all these expansions are called Visnu-tattva. Visnu is a large light, and we are small lights, but all are expansions of Krsna.

   When it is necessary to create the material universe, Visnu expands Himself as the Maha-Visnu. This Maha-Visnu lies down on the Causal Ocean and breathes all the universes from His nostrils. Thus from the Maha-Visnu and the Causal Ocean all the universes spring, and all these universes float in the Causal Ocean. In this regard there is the story of Vamana, who, when He took three steps, stuck His foot through the covering of the universe. Water from the Causal Ocean flowed through the hole which His foot made, and it is said that that flow of water became the River Ganges. Therefore the Ganges is accepted as the most sacred water of Visnu and is worshiped by all Hindus from the Himalayas down to the Bay of Bengal.

   That Maha-Visnu who lies on the Causal Ocean is actually an expansion of Balarama, who is Krsna's first expansion, and, in the Vrndavana pastimes, is the brother of Krsna. In the maha-mantra Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, the word Rama refers to Balarama. Since Nityananda is an expansion of Balarama, Rama also refers to Lord Nityananda. Thus Hare Krsna, Hare Rama addresses not only Krsna and Balarama but Lord Caitanya and Nityananda as well.

   The subject matter of Caitanya-caritamrta primarily deals with what is beyond this material creation. The cosmic material expansion is called maya because it has no eternal existence. Because it is sometimes manifested and sometimes not manifested, it is regarded as illusory. But beyond this temporary manifestation there is a higher nature, as indicated in Bhagavad-gita:

 

                      paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo

                      'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanah

                        yah sa sarvesu bhutesu

                        nasyatsu na vinasyati

 

   "Yet there is another nature, which is eternal and is transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested matter. It is supreme and is never annihilated. When all in this world is annihilated, that part remains as it is." (Bg. 8.20)

   That supreme nature is beyond the manifested (vyaktah) and unmanifested (avyaktah). This superior nature which is beyond both creation and annihilation is the living force which is manifest in the bodies of all living entities. The body itself is composed of inferior nature, matter, but it is the superior nature that is moving the body. The symptom of that superior nature is consciousness. Thus in the spiritual world, where everything is composed of the superior nature, everything is conscious. In the material world inanimate objects are not conscious, but in the spiritual world this is not so. There a table is conscious, the land is conscious, the trees are conscious--everything is conscious.

   It is not possible to imagine how far this material manifestation extends. In the material world everything is calculated by imagination or by some imperfect method, but Vedic literatures give information of what lies beyond the material universe. Those who believe in experimental knowledge may doubt the Vedic conclusions, for they cannot even calculate how far this universe is extended, nor can they reach far into the universe itself. It is not possible to obtain information of anything beyond this material nature by experimental means. That which is beyond our power of conception is called acintya, inconceivable. It is useless to argue or speculate about what is inconceivable. If it is truly inconceivable, it is not subject to speculation or experimentation. Our energy is limited, and our sense perception is limited; therefore we must rely on the Vedic conclusions regarding that subject matter which is inconceivable. Knowledge of the superior nature must simply be accepted without argument. How is it possible to argue about something to which we have no access? The method for understanding transcendental subject matter is given by Lord Krsna Himself in Bhagavad-gita, where Krsna tells Arjuna at the beginning of the Fourth Chapter:

 

                         imam vivasvate yogam

                       proktavan aham avyayam

                        vivasvan manave praha

                       manur iksvakave 'bravit

 

   "I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Iksvaku." (Bg. 4.1)

   This is the method of parampara, or disciplic succession. Similarly, in Srimad-Bhagavatam Krsna imparted knowledge into the heart of Brahma, the first created creature within the universe. Brahma imparted those lessons to his disciple, Narada, and Narada imparted that knowledge to his disciple, Vyasadeva. Vyasadeva imparted it to Madhvacarya, and from Madhvacarya the knowledge comes down to Madhavendra Puri, to Isvara Puri and from him to Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

   One may ask that if Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna Himself, then why did He need a spiritual master? Of course He did not need a spiritual master, but because He was playing the role of acarya (one who teaches by example), He accepted a spiritual master. Even Krsna Himself accepted a spiritual master, for that is the system. In this way the Lord sets the example for men. We should not think, however, that the Lord takes a spiritual master because He is in want of knowledge. He is simply stressing the importance of accepting the disciplic succession. The knowledge of that disciplic succession actually comes from the Lord Himself, and if the knowledge descends unbroken, it is perfect. Although we may not be in touch with the original personality who first imparted the knowledge, we may receive the same knowledge through this process of transmission. In Srimad-Bhagavatam, it is stated that Krsna, the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, transmitted transcendental knowledge into the heart of Brahma. This then is one way knowledge is received--through the heart. Thus there are two processes by which one may receive knowledge: One depends upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated as the Supersoul within the heart of all living entities, and the other depends upon the guru or spiritual master, who is an expansion of Krsna. Thus Krsna transmits information both from within and from without. We simply have to receive it. If knowledge is received in this way, it doesn't matter whether it is inconceivable or not.

   In Srimad-Bhagavatam there is a great deal of information given about the Vaikuntha planetary systems which are beyond the material universe. Similarly, a great deal of inconceivable information is given in Caitanya-caritamrta. Any attempt to arrive at this information through experimental knowledge is not possible. The knowledge simply has to be accepted. According to the Vedic method, sabda, or transcendental sound, is regarded as evidence. Sound is very important in Vedic understanding, for, if it is pure, it is accepted as authoritative. Even in the material world we accept a great deal of information which is sent thousands of miles by telephone or radio. In this way we also accept sound as evidence in our daily lives. Although we cannot see the informant, we accept his information as valid on the basis of sound. Sound vibration then is very important in the transmission of Vedic knowledge.

   The Vedas inform us that beyond this cosmic manifestation there are extensive planets and the spiritual sky. This material manifestation is regarded as only a small portion of the total creation. The material manifestation includes not only this universe but innumerable others as well, but all the material universes combined comprise only one fraction of the total creation. The majority of the creation is situated in the spiritual sky. In that sky innumerable planets float, and these are called Vaikunthalokas. In every Vaikunthaloka Narayana presides in the form of His four-armed expansions: Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Vasudeva.

   As stated before, the material universes are manifested by the Lord in the form of Maha-Visnu. Just as a husband and wife combine to beget offspring, the Maha-Visnu combines with His wife Maya, or material nature. This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita where Krsna states:

 

                        sarva-yonisu kaunteya

                       murtayah sambhavanti yah

                       tasam brahma mahad yonir

                        aham bija-pradah pita

 

   "It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kunti, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father." (Bg. 14.4)

   Visnu impregnated Maya or material nature simply by glancing at her. This is the spiritual method. Materially we are limited to impregnate by only one particular part of our body, but the Supreme Lord, Krsna or Maha-Visnu, can impregnate any part by any part. Simply by glancing the Lord can conceive countless living entities in the womb of material nature. The Brahma-samhita also confirms that the spiritual body of the Supreme Lord is so powerful that any part of that body can perform the functions of any other part. We can only touch with our hands or skin, but Krsna can touch just by glancing. We can only see with our eyes, we cannot touch or smell with them. Krsna, however, can smell and also eat with His eyes. When foodstuffs are offered to Krsna we don't see Him eating, but He eats simply by glancing at the food. We cannot imagine how things work in the spiritual world where everything is spiritual. It is not that Krsna does not eat or that we imagine that He eats; He actually eats, but His eating is different from ours. Our eating process will be similar to His when we are completely on the spiritual platform. On that platform every part of the body can act on behalf of any other part.

   Visnu does not require anything in order to create. He does not require the goddess Laksmi in order to give birth to Brahma, for Brahma is born from a lotus flower which grows from the navel of Visnu. The goddess Laksmi sits at the feet of Visnu and serves Him. In this material world sex is required to produce children, but in the spiritual world one can produce as many children as he likes without having to take help from his wife. Because we have no experience with spiritual energy, we think that Brahma's birth from the navel of Visnu is simply a fictional story. We are not aware that spiritual energy is so powerful that it can do anything and everything. Material energy is dependent on certain laws, but spiritual energy is fully independent.

   Brahma is born from the navel of Garbhodakasayi Visnu, who is but a partial manifestation of the Maha-Visnu. Countless universes reside like seeds within the skin pores of the Maha-Visnu, and when He exhales, they all are manifest. In the material world we have no experience of such a thing, but we do experience a perverted reflection in the phenomenon of perspiration. We cannot imagine, however, the duration of one breath of the Maha-Visnu, for within one breath all of the universes are created and annihilated. Lord Brahma only lives for the duration of one breath, and according to our time scale 4,320,000,000 years constitute only twelve hours of Brahma, and Brahma lives one hundred of his years. Yet the whole life of Brahma is contained within one breath of the Maha-Visnu. Thus it is not possible for us to imagine the breathing power of the Supreme Lord. That Maha-Visnu is but a partial manifestation of Krsna.

   Thus Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami discusses Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu as Sri Krsna Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Lord Nityananda as Balarama, the first expansion of Krsna. Advaitacarya, another principal disciple of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's, is accepted as an expansion of the Maha-Visnu. Thus Advaitacarya is also the Lord, or, more precisely, an expansion of the Lord. The word advaita means nondual, and his name is such because he is nondifferent from the Supreme Lord. He is also called acarya, teacher, because he disseminated Krsna consciousness. In this way he is just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Although Caitanya is Sri Krsna Himself, He appears as a devotee to teach people in general how to love Krsna. Similarly, Advaitacarya appeared just to distribute the knowledge of Krsna consciousness. Thus he is also the Lord incarnated as a devotee. Krsna is manifested in five different expansions, and He and all of His associates appear as devotees of the Supreme Lord in the form of Sri Krsna Caitanya, Nityananda, Advaitacarya, Gadadhara, Srivasa and others. In ali cases, Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the source of energy for ali His devotees. Since this is the case, if we take shelter of Caitanya Mahaprabhu for the successful execution of Krsna consciousness, we are sure to make progress. One devotional song by Narottama dasa Thakura states: "My dear Lord Caitanya, please have mercy upon me. There is no one who is as merciful as You. My plea is most urgent because Your mission is to deliver fallen souls, and no one is more fallen than l. I beg priority."

   The author of Caitanya-caritamrta, Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, was an inhabitant of Vrndavana and a great devotee. He had been living with his family in Katwa, a small town in the district of Burdwan in Bengal. His family also worshiped Radha-Krsna, and once when there was some misunderstanding amongst his family about devotional service, Krsnadasa Kaviraja was advised by Nityananda Prabhu in a dream to leave home and go to Vrndavana. Although he was very old, he started out that very night and went to live in Vrndavana. While he was there, he met some of the Gosvamis, principal disciples of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was requested to write Caitanya-caritamrta by the devotees of Vrndavana. Although he began this work at a very old age, by the grace of Lord Caitanya he finished it. Today it remains the most authoritative book on Caitanya's philosophy and life.

   When Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami was living in Vrndavana, there were not very many temples. At that time Madana-mohana, Govindaji and Gopinatha were the three principal temples. As a resident of Vrndavana, he offered his respects to the Deities in these temples and requested God's favor: "My progress in spiritual life is very slow, so l'm asking Your help." In Caitanya-caritamrta, Krsnadasa first offers his obeisances to Madana-mohana vigraha, the Deity who can help us progress in Krsna consciousness. In the execution of Krsna consciousness, our first business is to know Krsna and our relationship with Him. To know Krsna is to know one's self, and to know one's self is to know one's relationship with Krsna. Since this relationship can be learned by worshiping Madana-mohana vigraha, Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami first establishes his relationship with Him.

   When this is established, Krsnadasa begins to worship the functional Deity, Govinda. Govinda resides eternally in Vrndavana. In the spiritual world of Vrndavana the buildings are made of touchstone, the cows are known as surabhi cows, givers of abundant milk, and the trees are known as wish-fulfilling trees, for they yield whatever one desires. In Vrndavana Krsna herds the surabhi cows, and He is worshiped by hundreds and thousands of gopis, cowherd girls, who are all goddesses of fortune. When Krsna descends to the material world, this same Vrndavana descends just as an entourage accompanies an important personage. Because when Krsna comes, His land also comes, Vrndavana is not considered to exist in the material world. Therefore devotees take shelter of the Vrndavana in India, for it is considered to be a replica of the original Vrndavana. Although one may complain that no kalpa-vrksa, wish-fulfilling trees, exist there, when the Gosvamis were there, the kalpa-vrksa were present. It is not that one can simply go to such a tree and make demands; one must first become a devotee. The Gosvamis would live under a tree for one night only, and the trees would satisfy all their desires. For the common man this may all seem very wonderful, but as one makes progress in devotional service, all this can be realized.

   Vrndavana is actually experienced as it is by persons who have stopped trying to derive pleasure from material enjoyment. "When will my mind become cleansed of all hankering for material enjoyment so I will be able to see Vrndavana?" one great devotee asks. The more Krsna conscious we become and the more we advance, the more everything is revealed as spiritual. Thus Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami considered Vrndavana in India to be as good as the Vrndavana in the spiritual sky, and in Caitanya-caritamrta he describes Radharani and Krsna as seated beneath a wish-fulfilling tree in Vrndavana on a throne decorated with valuable jewels. There Krsna's dear friends, the cowherd boys and the gopis, serve Radha and Krsna by singing, dancing, offering betel nuts and refreshments and decorating Their Lordships with flowers. Even today in India people decorate thrones and recreate this scene during the month of July. Generally at that time people go to Vrndavana to offer their respects to the Deities there.

   Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami maintains that the Radha and Krsna Deities show us how to serve Radha and Krsna. The Madana-mohana Deities simply establish that "I am Your eternal servant." With Govinda, however, there is actual acceptance of service, and therefore He is called the functional Deity. The Gopinatha Deity is Krsna as master and proprietor of the gopis. He attracted all the gopis, or cowherd girls, by the sound of His flute, and when they came, He danced with them. These activities are all described in the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. These gopis were childhood friends of Krsna, and they were all married, for in India the girls are married by the age of twelve. The boys, however, are not married before eighteen so Krsna, who was fifteen or sixteen at the time, was not married. Nonetheless He called these girls from their homes and invited them to dance with Him. That dance is called the rasa-lila dance, and it is the most elevated of all the Vrndavana pastimes. Krsna is therefore called Gopinatha because He is the beloved master of the gopis.

   Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami petitions the blessings of Lord Gopinatha. "May that Gopinatha, the master of the gopis, Krsna, bless you. May you become blessed by Gopinatha." Just as Krsna attracted the gopis by the sweet sound of His flute, the author of Caitanya-caritamrta prays that He will also attract the reader's mind by His transcendental vibration. It is the purpose of this book, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, to transmit the essence of that vibration in an easily readable summary study.

 

                             Chapter One

                      Teachings to Rupa Gosvami

 

   Srila Rupa Gosvami, the younger brother of Sanatana Gosvami, went to Prayaga, the modern city of Allahabad, with his younger brother Vallabha. When the two brothers heard that Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was staying there, they both became very happy and went to see the Lord. At that time the Lord was on His way to visit the temple Bindumadhava. On the way to the temple, the Lord was chanting and dancing, and thousands of people were following Him. Some of these people were crying, and some were laughing. Some were dancing, and some were singing, and some were falling on the ground, offering obeisances to the Lord. In all cases, all of them were roaring the holy name of Krsna. It is said that in spite of being at the confluence of the rivers Ganges and Yamuna, Prayaga was never flooded until the appearance of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, at which time the city was overflooded by love of Krsna.

   The two brothers, Rupa Gosvami and Vallabha, stayed aloof in an uncrowded place and witnessed the great crowd and wonderful scene. When the Lord danced, He raised His arms and shouted, "Haribol! Haribol!" The people all about Him were astonished to see His wonderful activities. After visiting the temple, the Lord accepted prasada (food offered to the Deity) at the house of a Deccanist (Southern) brahmana. While at the brahmana's home, the Lord was visited by Rupa Gosvami and Vallabha. From a distance the two brothers fell down on the ground to offer obeisances, and they chanted many Sanskrit verses from the scriptures. When the Lord saw Rupa Gosvami offering obeisances before Him, He became very pleased and asked him to get up. The Lord then informed Rupa Gosvami of the causeless mercy of Krsna upon him, for Krsna had just delivered him from a materialistic way of life based simply on pound-shilling-pence.

   The Lord accepted the two brothers as His own devotees, and He cited one verse from the scriptures which stated that it is possible for a brahmana, who has studied the four Vedas, to not be accepted as a devotee of the Lord and that a pure devotee could come from a very low family and yet be accepted by Him. Then the Lord embraced the two brothers, and, out of His causeless mercy, touched their heads with His lotus feet. Being blessed in this way, the brothers offered prayers to the Lord in their own words. The prayers indicated that Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu was Krsna Himself, that He had assumed the form and fair complexion of Caitanya and was thus known as Gauranga (the golden one), and that He was the most munificent incarnation of Krsna because He was distributing love of Krsna. Srila Rupa Gosvami also quoted one verse which was later found in the book Govinda-lilamrta (1.2):

 

                  yo 'jnana-mattam bhuvanam dayalur

                   ullaghayann apy akarot pramattam

                   svaprema-sampat-sudhayadbhuteham

                  sri-krsna-caitanyam amum prapadye

 

   "Let me surrender unto the lotus feet of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is the most merciful Personality of Godhead. He delivers those souls who are merged in ignorance and offers them the highest gift, love of Krsna, and thus makes them mad for Krsna consciousness."

   After this incident, Vallabha Bhatta invited the Lord to go to the other side of the Ganges, and the Lord went. From that moment on, wherever the Lord went, Rupa Gosvami would follow Him and stay with Him. Because the Lord felt inconvenienced in crowded places, He asked Rupa Gosvami to accompany Him to a place on the banks of the Ganges known as Dasasvamedha-ghata. For ten days He instructed Rupa Gosvami about the truth of Krsna, the principles of devotional service and the transcendental relationships with Krsna. All of this was described in full detail so that in the future Rupa Gosvami could distribute this science of Krsna in his book Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. Indeed, Srila Rupa Gosvami described this incident in the first verse of Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, in which he speaks of the causeless mercy of the Lord upon him.

   The Supreme Lord is cognizant and all-powerful, and by His causeless mercy He empowers a living entity to receive His mercy. Being under the spell of conditional life, people in general are averse to rendering devotional service and practicing Krsna consciousness. In fact, most people are unaware of the principal teachings of Krsna consciousness regarding one's eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the ultimate goal of life, which is to return home, back to Godhead. Nor are people aware of the process by which one can return to the spiritual world. Because these important subject matters are unknown to the conditioned soul, Lord Caitanya, out of His causeless mercy, instructed Rupa Gosvami in the principles of devotional service. Later, for the good of the people in general, Rupa Gosvami distributed this information of the science of devotional service.

   In the prologue to Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.1.2), Rupa Gosvami wrote the following:

 

                         hrdi yasya preranaya

                   pravartito 'ham varaka-rupo 'pi

                       tasya hareh pada-kamalam

                        vande caitanyadevasya

 

   "I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as Lord Caitanyadeva, because due to His inspiration I feel the desire within my heart to write something about devotional service. For this reason I am engaged in writing this book on the science of devotion known as Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu."

   When Lord Caitanya began His instructions to Rupa Gosvami, He first told him, "My dear Rupa, the science of devotional service is just like the great ocean, and it is not possible to show you all its length and breadth. However, I shall try to explain the nature of that ocean by taking just one drop out of it. In this way you can taste it and understand what that ocean of devotional service actually is.

   The Lord then explained that within this brahmanda, or universe, there are innumerable living entities who, according to their own fruitive activities, are transmigrating from one species of life to another and from one planet to another. In this way their encagement in material existence has been continuing since time immemorial. In actuality, these living entities are atomic parts and parcels of the supreme spirit. It is said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam that the length and breadth of the individual soul is approximately 1.10,000th part of the tip of a hair--in other words, it is so small that it is invisible. This is also confirmed in the Svetasvatara Upanisad. In the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, one of the four Kumaras, known as Sanandana, gave the following speech upon performing a great sacrifice: "O Supreme Truth! If the living entities were not infinitesimal sparks of the supreme spirit, each minute spark would be all-pervading and would not be controlled by a superior power. But if the living entity is accepted as a minute part and parcel of the Supreme Lord he automatically becomes controlled by a supreme energy or power. The latter is his actual constitutional position, and if he remains in this position he can attain full freedom." (Bhag. 10.87.30) If one mistakenly considers his position to be equal to that of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he becomes contaminated by the doctrine of nonduality, and his efforts in transcendental life are rendered ineffective.

   Lord Caitanya elaborated on these teachings of Srimad-Bhagavatam by pointing out that there are two kinds of living entities--the eternally liberated and the eternally conditioned. The eternally conditioned living entities can be divided into two types--moving and nonmoving. Those entities which cannot move--like trees, for example--remain in one place and are classified as nonmoving entities, and those that move--such as the birds and beasts--are called jangama (moving entities) and are further divided into three categories: those that fly in the sky, those that swim in the water, and those that walk on land. Out of the many millions and trillions of living entities on land, human beings comprise only a small portion. Out of that small number of human beings, most are totally ignorant of spiritual life, are unclean in their habits and have no faith in the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In short, most human beings live like animals. These can actually be deducted from the number of human beings that comprise human or civilized life. It is very difficult to find a few human beings who believe in the scriptures and the existence of God, or, for that matter, in proper behavior. Those who do believe in the value of these things are known as arya, a word denoting those who believe in advancing in spiritual life. Out of those who believe in the value of the scriptures and the advancement of human civilization, there are two classes--the righteous and the unrighteous. Those who are righteous generally execute fruitive activities in order to derive some good result for sense gratification. Out of many such persons who engage in righteous activities for sense gratification, only a few come to know about the Absolute Truth. These are called jnanis, empiric philosophers. Out of many hundreds and thousands of such empiric philosophers, only a handful actually attain liberation. When one is liberated, he theoretically understands that the living entity is not composed of material elements but is spirit soul, distinct from matter. Simply by theoretically understanding this doctrine, one can be called liberated, but actually a mukta, or liberated soul, is he who understands his constitutional position as an eternal servant of the Lord. Such liberated souls engage with faith and devotion in the service of the Lord, and they are called krsna-bhaktas, or Krsna conscious persons.

   Krsna-bhaktas are free from all material desires. Those who are liberated theoretically by knowing simply that the living entity is not material may still have desires, although they may be technically classified amongst liberated souls. Their main desire is to become one with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Generally such persons are very much attached to Vedic rituals and righteous activities, performing them in order to enjoy material prosperity. Even when some of them transcend material enjoyment, they still try to enjoy the spiritual world by merging into the existence of the Supreme Lord. Some of them are also desirous of attaining mystic powers through the execution of yoga. As long as these desires are within one's heart, he cannot understand the nature of pure devotional service. When one is constantly being agitated by such desires, he is not peaceful. Indeed, as long as there is any desire for material perfection at all, one cannot be at peace. Since the devotees of Lord Krsna do not desire anything material, they are the only peaceful persons within this material world. This is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam:

 

                        muktanam api siddhanam

                          narayana-parayanah

                       sudurlabhah prasantatma

                         kotisv api mahamune

 

   "O great sage, out of many millions of liberated persons and persons who have achieved success in mystic yoga, one who is completely devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and who is filled with peace is very hard to find." (Bhag. 6.14.5)

   In this way Lord Caitanya explained that of the many thousands and millions of living entities wandering in the material world, one who by the grace of Lord Krsna and the spiritual master gets the seed of devotional service is very rare and fortunate. A pious or religious man is generally inclined to worship deities in various temples, but if by chance, even without his knowledge, he offers his obeisances to Lord Visnu or receives the favor of a Vaisnava, a devotee of the Lord, he at that time acquires the asset necessary to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is clearly understood from the life story of the great sage Narada, which is related in Srimad-Bhagavatam. By serving Vaisnavas in his previous life, Narada was favored by the devotees of the Lord and became a great sage. Indeed, amongst sages Narada Muni is considered to be the greatest.

   Vaisnavas, or devotees, are usually very compassionate upon conditioned souls. Without even being invited, a devotee will go from door to door to enlighten people and to bring them out of the darkness of nescience by injecting knowledge of the living entity's constitutional position as a servant of Lord Krsna. Such devotees are empowered by the Lord to distribute devotional consciousness, or Krsna consciousness, to the people in general. They are known as authorized spiritual masters, and it is by their mercy that a conditioned soul gets the seed of devotional service. The causeless mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is first appreciated when one comes in touch with a bona fide spiritual master who can bring the conditioned soul to the highest position of devotional life. Therefore Lord Caitanya said that by the mercy of the spiritual master one can achieve the causeless mercy of the Lord, and by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one can attain the mercy of the bona fide spiritual master.

   Thus by the mercy of the spiritual master and Krsna, one receives the seed of devotional service. He has only to sow the seed in the field of his heart, just as a gardener sows the seed of a valuable tree. After sowing this seed, one has to water it in the form of chanting and hearing the holy name of the Supreme Lord or by taking part in discussions about the science of devotional service in a society of pure devotees. When the plant of devotional service sprouts up from the seed of devotion, it begins to grow freely. When it is full grown, it surpasses the length and breadth of this universe and enters into the transcendental atmosphere, where everything is bathed in the effulgence of the brahmajyoti. The plant even penetrates this brahmajyoti and gradually enters the planet known as Goloka Vrndavana. There the plant takes shelter at the lotus feet of Krsna. That is the ultimate goal of devotional service. After attaining this position, the plant produces fruit, which is known as the fruit of love of Godhead. However, it is necessary for the devotee, or transcendental gardener, to pour water on the plant daily by chanting and hearing. Unless one waters the plant by chanting and hearing, there is every chance that it will dry up.

   Lord Caitanya pointed out to Rupa Gosvami that there was a certain danger to be encountered while watering the root of the devotional plant. After the plant has grown some bit, an animal may come and either eat or destroy it. When green leaves of a plant are taken by some animal, the plant generally dies. The most dangerous animal is considered a mad elephant, for if a mad elephant enters into a garden, it causes tremendous damage to plants and trees. An offense to a pure devotee of the Lord is called vaisnavaparadha, the mad elephant offense. In the discharge of devotional service, an offense to the feet of a pure devotee can create havoc. Thus one has to defend the plant of bhakti by tending it properly and taking care not to commit offenses. If one is cautious, the plant can properly thrive.

   There are ten principal offenses which can be committed against the holy name. The first is to blaspheme the great devotees who have tried to spread the glories of the holy name throughout the world. The holy name of Krsna is nondifferent from Krsna, and one who attempts to spread the holy names throughout the world is beloved of Him. Krsna Himself does not tolerate offenses against His pure devotees. The second offense is to deny that Lord Visnu is the Absolute Truth. There is no difference between His name, quality, form, pastimes and activities, and one who sees a difference is considered an offender. The Lord is Supreme, and no one is equal to or greater than Him. Consequently if one thinks that the Lord's names are nondifferent from the names of demigods, he offends. The Supreme Lord and the demigods should never be considered on the same level.

   The third offense is to consider the bona fide spiritual master to be a common man. The fourth offense is to blaspheme Vedic literature and authorized scriptures like the Puranas. The fifth offense is to consider the glories attributed to the holy names to be exaggerations. The sixth offense is to concoct perverted theories about the holy name. The seventh offense is to commit sinful activities on the strength of chanting the holy name. It is understood that by chanting the holy names one is free from sinful reactions, but this does not mean that one should act sinfully on the strength of chanting. That is the greatest offense. The eighth offense is to consider that religious rituals, austerity, sacrifices or other forms of renunciation are equal to chanting the holy name. Chanting the holy name is as good as associating with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Pious activities are only means to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they can even be performed for some material reason. The ninth offense is to preach the glories of the holy name of God to a faithless person who is not interested in hearing them. The tenth and last offense is to maintain material attachment even after hearing and chanting the holy names of God. The idea is that by chanting the holy name without offense, one can obtain elevation to the liberated platform. On the liberated platform one is freed from all material attachment. Thus if one chants the holy names and still has material attachments, he must be committing some offense.

   There are also other factors which disturb the plant of devotional service. Along with this plant the weeds of material desires also grow. When a person advances in bhakti, it is natural that many persons will come to him requesting to become disciples and will offer him some material gains. If one is attracted by a large number of disciples and material conveniences offered by these disciples and forgets his duty as a bona fide master, the growth of the plant will be impeded. Simply by taking advantage of material conveniences one may become addicted to enjoying material comforts.

   It is also considered to be disadvantageous to desire liberation. The only desire should be the desire to render service. Neglect of restrictions and prohibitions is also disadvantageous. The prohibitions are mentioned in the authorized scriptures: One should not indulge in illicit sex life, intoxication, meat eating or gambling. These things are forbidden to one who is attempting devotional service. If one does not follow these principles strictly, there may be a severe disturbance in the discharge of devotional service.

   If one is not particularly careful, even by watering the plant of devotional service, unnecessary weeds will grow and hamper progress. The idea is that when one waters a garden, not only does the desired plant grow more rapidly, but the unwanted plants grow also. If the gardener does not see these impediments and take them out, they will overcome and choke the plant of devotion. If, however, one is careful to guard against the growth of unwanted plants, the plant of devotion grows luxuriantly and reaches the ultimate goal, Goloka Vrndavana. When the living entity engaged in devotional service relishes the fruit of love of Godhead, he forgets all religious ritual and improvements in his economic condition. He no longer desires to satisfy his senses, and he no longer desires to become one with the Supreme Lord by merging into His effulgence.

   There are many phases of spiritual knowledge and transcendental bliss. On one platform are the ritualistic sacrifices recommended in the Vedas, the execution of austerities and pious duties, and the practice of mystic yoga. These all reward different results to their performer. The rewards of these practices, however, appear to be very glittering as long as one is not elevated to the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Love of God is dormant in everyone, and it can be awakened from its dormant position by the execution of pure devotional service, just as a person bitten by a serpent can be awakened by ammonia.

   After speaking in this way about devotional service, Lord Caitanya begins to describe devotional service and its symptoms to Rupa Gosvami. He explains that in pure devotional service there can be no desire other than the desire to advance in Krsna consciousness. In Krsna consciousness there is no scope for worshiping any demigod or any other form of Krsna, nor is there room for indulgence in speculative empiric philosophy, nor indulgence in fruitive activities. One should be free from all these contaminations. A devotee should accept only those things that are favorable to keep his body and soul together and should reject those things that increase the demands of the body. Only the bare necessities for bodily maintenance should be accepted. By minimizing bodily necessities, one can primarily devote his time to the cultivation of Krsna consciousness through the chanting of the holy names of God. Pure devotional service means engaging all the senses of the body in the service of the Lord. At the present moment, our senses are all designated because the body is designated. Consequently we think that this body belongs to a particular society or a particular country or a particular family. In this way the body is bound by so many designations. Similarly, the senses belong to the body, and when the body is subject to such designations, the senses are also. Thus the senses engage themselves on behalf of family, society, nation and so on. When they are so engaged, they cannot cultivate Krsna consciousness. The senses must be purified, and this is possible when one purely understands that he belongs to Krsna and that his life belongs to Krsna. The devotee should see his identity as an eternal servant of Krsna. In this way one can engage his senses in the service of the Lord. Such engagement is called pure devotional service.

   A pure devotee accepts the transcendental loving service of the Lord but rejects ali kinds of liberation for his personal sense gratification. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.29.11-13) Lord Kapila explains that as soon as a pure devotee hears the glories and transcendental qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is seated in everyone's heart, his mind immediately flows toward the Lord, just as the waters of the Ganges flow toward the sea. Such spontaneous attraction to the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is most important to pure devotional service. Devotional service is pure when one engages in the service of the Supreme Lord without any motive and without being hampered with material impediments. The pure devotee does not desire to live on the same planet with the Supreme Lord, nor does he desire the same opulence as the Lord, nor does he desire to have the same form as the Lord, nor to live with Him side by side, nor to merge into His existence, etc. Even if the devotee were offered such rewards by the Lord, he would reject them. The point is that a devotee is so much absorbed in the transcendental loving service of the Lord that he has no time to think of any benefit beyond his immediate engagement. Just as an ordinary materialistic businessman thinks of nothing else when he is absorbed in his business, a pure devotee, when engaged in the service of the Lord, does not think of anything beyond that engagement.

   If one is so absorbed in the rendering of service, he can be understood to be elevated to the highest position of bhakti. By such transcendental loving service alone can one surpass the influence of maya and relish pure love of Godhead. As long as one desires material benefit or liberation, which are called the two witches of allurement, he cannot relish the taste of transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord.

   There are three stages of devotional service: The first is the beginning stage of cultivation, the second is the realization of service, and the third, the supreme stage, is the attainment of love of Godhead. There are nine different methods of cultivating devotional service--such as hearing, chanting, remembering, etc.--and all these processes are employed in the first stage. If one is engaged in chanting and hearing with devotion and faith, his material misgivings gradually become vanquished. As his faith in devotional service gradually increases, he becomes assured of a higher perfectional position. In this way one can become firmly fixed in devotion, increase his taste for it, become attached and feel ecstasy. This ecstasy occurs in the preliminary stage of love of Godhead. Attainment of ecstasy is produced by execution of devotional service. When one continues the process of hearing and chanting, attachment grows and assumes the name of love of Godhead.

   When one attains the third stage of transcendental love of God, there occur further developments known as transcendental affection, emotion, ecstasy, and extreme and intense attachment. These are technically known by the terms raga, anuraga, bhava and mahabhava. The progress from one stage to another can be compared to the thickening of sugar candy juice. In the first stage sugar candy juice is like a thin liquid. When, by evaporation, it becomes thicker and thicker, it turns into molasses. Finally it turns into granules and becomes sugar, rock candy and so on. Just as liquid sugar juice progresses from one stage to another, similarly transcendental love for the Supreme Lord develops by stages.

   When one actually becomes situated on the transcendental platform, he becomes steady. Unless one is so situated, his position may not be steady and he may fall down. When one is actually situated transcendentally, there is no fear of falling down. This stage of understanding is technically called sthayi-bhava. There are even stages beyond this position, and they are known as vibhava, anubhava, sattvika and vyabhicari. After one attains these, there is actually an exchange of rasa, or transcendental activity with the Supreme Lord. This exchange in loving reciprocation between the lover and the beloved is generally called krsna-bhakti-rasa. It should be noted that the transcendental loving exchanges stand on the steadfast position of sthayi-bhava, as explained before. The basic principle of vibhava is sthayi-bhava, and all other activities are auxiliary for the development of transcendental love.

   The ecstasy of transcendental love has two components--the context and the cause of the excitement. The context is also divided into two parts--the subject and the object. The exchange of devotional service is the subject, and Krsna is the object. The transcendental qualities are the causes of excitement. This means that the transcendental qualities of Krsna excite the devotee to serve Him. The impersonal (Mayavadi) philosophers say that the Absolute Truth has no specific qualities, but the Vaisnava philosophers say that the Absolute Truth is described as nirguna (without qualities) because He has no material qualities. This is not to say that He does not have spiritual qualities. Indeed, the Lord's spiritual qualities are so great and so enchanting that they can even attract a liberated person. This is explained in the atmarama verse of the Srimad-Bhagavatam where it is said that those who are already situated on the platform of self-realization are attracted by the transcendental qualities of Krsna. This means that Krsna's qualities are not material but pure and transcendental.

   The higher stage of ecstasy can be characterized by the following thirteen transcendental activities: (1) dancing, (2) rolling on the floor, (3) singing, (4) clapping, (5) bristling of the hairs of the body, (6) thundering, (7) yawning, (8) breathing heavily, (9) forgetting social conventions, (10) salivating, (11) laughing, (12) aching, (13) coughing. All these symptoms are not awakened simultaneously; they act according to the exchange of transcendental relationships. Sometimes one symptom is prominent, and at another time another is prominent.

   The transcendental rasas, or relationships, can be divided into five. The initial stage is called santa-rati, wherein one who is liberated from material contamination appreciates the greatness of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One who attains this stage does not exactly engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, for this is a neutral stage. In the second stage, which is called dasya-rati, a person appreciates his position as being everlastingly subordinate to the Supreme Lord, and he understands that he is eternally dependent on the causeless mercy of the Supreme Person. At that same time there is an awakening of natural affection, such as is felt by a son who grows up and begins to appreciate his father's benedictions. At this stage the living entity wants to serve the Supreme Lord instead of serving maya, illusion. In the third stage, called sakhya-rati, transcendental love is developed, and one associates with the Supreme on an equal level of love and respect. As this stage is further developed, there is joking and such relaxed exchanges as laughing and so on. On this level there are fraternal exchanges with the Supreme Person, and one is free from all bondage. At this stage one practically forgets his inferior position as a living entity, but at the same time he has the greatest respect for the Supreme Person.

   In the fourth stage, called vatsalya-rati, the fraternal affection evinced in the preceding stage develops into paternal affection. At this time the living entity tries to be the parent of God. Instead of worshiping the Lord, the living entity, as a parent of the Supreme, becomes an object of worship for the Supreme Person. At this stage the Lord depends on the mercy of His pure devotee and puts Himself under the control of the devotee to be raised. The devotee in this stage attains the position wherein he can embrace the Supreme Lord and even kiss His head. In the fifth stage, called madhura-rati, there is an actual transcendental exchange of conjugal love between the lover and the beloved. It is at this stage that Krsna and the damsels of Vraja glanced at one another, for on this platform there is an exchange of loving glances, motions of the eyes, pleasant words, attractive smiles, etc.

   Besides these five primary rasas, or relationships, there are seven secondary rasas which consist of laughing, having wonderful visions, entering into a chivalrous relationship, experiencing pity, feeling anger and experiencing ghastliness and devastation. For example, Bhisma related to Krsna as a warrior in the chivalrous rasa. Hiranyakasipu, however, experienced an exchange of the ghastly and devastating rasa. The five primary rasas constantly remain within the heart of the pure devotee, and the seven secondary rasas sometimes appear and disappear to enrich the flavors and tastes of the primary ones. After enriching the primary rasas, they disappear.

   Examples of santa-bhaktas, or devotees in the neutral stage, are the nine yogis named Kavi, Havi, Antariksa, Prabuddha, Pippalayana, Avirhotra, Dravida or Drumila, Camasa and Karabhajana. The four Kumaras (Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatkumara and Sanatana) are also examples of this stage. Examples of devotees in the second stage, the dasya stage of servitorship, are Raktaka, Citraka and Patraka in the Gokula rasa. These all function as servants of Krsna. In Dvaraka there is Daruka, and in the Vaikuntha planets there are Hanuman and others. Devotees in the third stage, the stage of friendship, are Sridama in Vrndavana and Bhima and Arjuna in Dvaraka and on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. There are many others also. As far as those relating to Krsna in paternal love, they include devotees like Yasoda and Maharaja Nanda--that is, Krsna's mother, father, uncle and similar relatives. In conjugal love there are the damsels of Vraja, Vrndavana, and the queens and goddesses of fortune in Dvaraka. No one can count the vast number of devotees in this rasa.

   Attachment to Krsna can also be broken down into two categories. On one platform there is attachment with awe and veneration. This type of attachment might be characterized by a certain lack of freedom, and it is exhibited in Mathura and in the Vaikuntha planets. In these abodes of the Lord, the spirit of transcendental loving service is restricted. However, in Gokula Vrndavana, love is freely exchanged, and although the cowherd boys and damsels of Vrndavana know that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they do not show awe and veneration because of the great intimacy of their relationship with Him. In the five principal transcendental relationships, awe and veneration are sometimes impediments obscuring the Lord's actual greatness and sometimes they actually impede one's service to the Lord. When there is friendship, paternal affection and conjugal love, however such awe and veneration are reduced. For instance, when Krsna appeared as the son of Vasudeva and Devaki, His parents prayed to the Lord with awe and veneration because they understood that the Supreme Lord Krsna or Visnu had appeared before them as their little child. This is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.44.51). Although the Supreme Lord was present as their child, Devaki and Vasudeva began to pray to Him. Similarly, when Arjuna saw the universal form of the Lord, he was so afraid that he begged pardon for his dealings with Krsna as an intimate friend. As a friend, Arjuna often behaved unceremoniously with the Lord, and upon seeing the awesome universal form, Arjuna said:

 

                  sakheti matva prasabham yad uktam

                    he krsna he yadava he sakheti

                      ajanata mahimanam tavedam

                     maya pramadat pranayena vapi

 

                    yac cavahasartham asatkrto 'si

                      vihara-sayyasana-bhojanesu

                   eko 'thavapy acyuta tat-samaksam

                   tat ksamaye tvam aham aprameyam

 

   "I have in the past addressed You as 'O Krsna,' 'O Yadava,' 'O my friend,' without knowing Your glories. Please forgive whatever I may have done in madness or in love. I have dishonored You many times while relaxing or while lying on the same bed or eating together, sometimes alone and sometimes in front of many friends. Please excuse me for all my offenses." (Bg. 11.41-42)

   Similarly, when Krsna was playing jokes on Rukmini, she feared that Krsna might leave her and became so perturbed that she dropped the fan with which she was fanning Him and fainted, falling unconscious on the floor. As far as Yasoda, Krsna's mother in Vrndavana, is concerned, it is stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhag. 10.8.45):

 

                       trayya copanisadbhis ca

                     sankhya-yogais ca satvataih

                        upagiyamana-mahatmyam

                        harim samanyatatmajam

 

   The Personality of Godhead, who is worshiped by all the Vedas and Upanisads, as well as by the sankhya system of philosophy and all authorized scriptures, was considered to be born in her womb. It is also stated (Bhag. 10.9.12) that Mother Yasoda bound the child Krsna with a rope, as if He were an ordinary son born of her body. Similarly, there are other descriptions of Krsna's being treated as an ordinary person (Bhag. 10.18.24). Indeed, when He was defeated in games with His friends, the cowherd boys, Krsna would carry them--notably Sridama--on His shoulders.

   Regarding the dealings of the gopis with Sri Krsna in Vrndavana, it is described (Bhag. 10.30.36-40) that when Sri Krsna took Srimati Radhika alone from the rasa dance, She thought that Krsna had left all the other gopis. Although they were all equally beautiful, He satisfied Her in this way, and She began to think proudly, "My dear Lord Krsna has left the beautiful gopis, and He is satisfied with Me alone." In the forest, She told Krsna, "My dear Krsna, I am unable to move anymore. Now if You like You can take Me wherever You desire." Krsna replied, "Come lean against My shoulder," and as soon as He said this, He disappeared, whereupon Srimati Radhika repined greatly.

   When Krsna disappeared from the scene of the rasa dance, all the gopis began to repent, saying, "Dear Krsna! We have come here and have left aside our husbands, sons, relatives, brothers and friends! Neglecting their advice, we have come to You, and You best know the reason for our coming here. You know that we have come because we are captivated by the sweet sound of Your flute. But You are so cunning that in the dead of night You have left girls and women like us! This is not very good for You."

   The word sama means controlling the mind and keeping it from being diverted in various ways by fixing it on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When one's mind is fixed on the Supreme Lord, he is known to be situated on the sama platform. On that platform the devotee understands that Krsna is the basic principle behind everything that is within one's experience. This is also explained in Bhagavad-gita (Bg. 7.19). Such a person can understand that Krsna is present in everything and is distributed all over the cosmic manifestation. Although everything is under the control of the Supreme Lord and is situated in His energy, everything is nonetheless different from Krsna in His personal form. It is also stated in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu that one who understands this, whose intelligence is fixed on Krsna, has attained the platform of sama. Moreover, the Supreme Personality of Godhead says: samo mannisthata buddheh: Unless one is elevated to the platform of santa-rati, he cannot be fixed in knowledge of the greatness of Krsna or of the diffusion of His different energies, which are the cause of all manifestations. This same point is explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhag. 11.19.36):

 

                       samo mannisthata buddher

                        dama indriya-samyamah

                       titiksa duhkha-sammarso

                       jihvopastha jayo dhrtih

 

   Stability of mind can be achieved by one who has concluded that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the original source of everything. And when one can control his senses, that is called sama. When one is ready to tolerate all kinds of sufferings in order to control the senses and keep the mind steady, that is called titiksa, or tolerance. And when one can control the urges of the tongue and genitals, that is called dhrtih. From dhrtih, one becomes dhira, pacified. A pacified person is never disturbed by the urges of the tongue and the genitals.

   If one can fix his mind on Krsna without deviation, he can attain a steadfast position in Krsna consciousness, santa-rasa. When one attains santa-rasa, unflinching faith in Krsna is established, and all material desires cease. These specific characteristics of santa-rasa--unflinching faith in Krsna and cessation of all desires which are not connected with Krsna--are common to all other rasas as well, just as sound is generally present in all other elements (air, fire, water and earth) because it is produced from the sky. Similarly, these two characteristics of santa-rasa are present in other transcendental relationships, such as dasya (servitorship), sakhya (fraternity), vatsalya (paternal affection), and the madhura-rasa (conjugal love).

   When we speak of non-Krsna, or desire which has no connection with Krsna, this does not mean that anything exists without Krsna. Actually there cannot be anything "non-Krsna" because everything is a product of the energy of Krsna. Since Krsna and His energies are identical, everything is Krsna indirectly. For example, consciousness is common to every living entity, but when consciousness is purely centered on Krsna (Krsna consciousness), it is pure, and when consciousness is centered on something other than Krsna, or when it is directed to sense gratification, it may be called non-Krsna consciousness. Thus it is in the polluted state that the conception of non-Krsna comes. In the pure state, however, there is nothing but Krsna consciousness.

   Active interest in Krsna--the understanding that Krsna is mine or that I am Krsna's, and that therefore my business is to satisfy the senses of Krsna--is typical of a higher stage than the neutrality of the santa-rasa. Simply by understanding the greatness of Krsna, one can achieve the status of santa-rasa, in which the worshipable object may be the impersonal Brahman or Paramatma. Worship of the impersonal Brahman and the Paramatma is conducted by those engaged in empiric philosophical speculation and mystic yoga. However, when one develops even further in Krsna consciousness, or spiritual understanding, he can appreciate that the Paramatma, the Supersoul, is the eternal worshipable object, and he surrenders unto Him. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate (Bg. 7.19): "After many, many births of worshiping Brahman and Paramatma, when one surrenders unto Vasudeva as the supreme master and accepts himself as the eternal servitor of Vasudeva, he becomes a great transcendentally realized soul." At that time, due to his thick and thin relationship with the Supreme Absolute Truth, one begins to render some sort of transcendental loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus the neutral relationship known as santa-rasa is transformed into dasya-rasa, servitorship.

   On the platform of dasya-rasa, the greatest quantity of awe and veneration of the Supreme Lord is exhibited. That is, in the dasya-rasa, the greatness of the Supreme Lord is appreciated. It should be noted here that on the platform of santa-rasa there is no spiritual activity, but on the platform of dasya-rasa, service begins. Thus in the dasya-rasa the quality of the santa-rasa is exhibited, and, in addition, there is consciousness of the transcendental taste of service.

   Transcendental qualities are certainly present in the santa-rasa and dasya-rasa, but beyond these there is another quality, confidential attachment, which is pure transcendental love. This loving confidence in the Supreme Personality is technically known as visrambha. On the platform of visrambha, fraternity, there is no sense of awe or veneration towards the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus in the transcendental fraternal relationship known as sakhya-rasa, there are three transcendental characteristics: the sense of greatness, the sense of service, and the sense of intimacy without awe or veneration. Thus in the sakhya-rasa, the relationship of fraternity, the transcendental qualities are further increased.

   Similarly, on the platform of paternal affection (vatsalya-rasa) there are four qualities. In addition to the three qualities already mentioned, there is the sense that the Supreme Lord is dependent on the mercy of the devotee. As a parent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the devotee sometimes chastises the Lord and considers himself to be the Lord's maintainer. This transcendental sense of being the maintainer of the supreme maintainer is very pleasing both to the devotee and to the Supreme Lord.

   The Lord instructed Srila Rupa Gosvami to write the transcendental literature named Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, the science of devotional service, and indicate therein the substance of these five transcendental relationships. It is explained in that great literature how the transcendental relationship of santa-rasa, taking the shape of unflinching faith in Krsna, is further developed into dasya-rasa with the spirit of service, and then to sakhya-rasa or undeterred fraternity, and further to the transcendental platform of paternal love, wherein one feels himself to be maintaining the Lord. All these relationships culminate on the highest platform of conjugal love (madhura-rasa), wherein all these transcendental relationships exist simultaneously.

 

                             Chapter Two

                           Sanatana Gosvami

 

                      vande 'nantadbhutaisvaryam

                       sri-caitanya-mahaprabhum

                      nico 'pi yat-prasadat syad

                      bhakti-sastra-pravartakah

 

   I offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, by whose mercy even a person in the lowest form of life can find direction in transcendental devotional service to the Lord.

   After Lord Caitanya accepted the renounced order of life (sannyasa), He traveled all over India. During this period He went to Maldah, a district in Bengal. In that area there was a village named Ramakeli, where two government ministers of the Nawab Hussain Shah's regime lived. These two ministers were named Dabira Khasa and Sakara Mallika, and they were later to be renamed Sanatana Gosvami and Rupa Gosvami. Being inspired by Lord Caitanya, they decided to retire from government service and join His sankirtana movement.

   Upon making this decision, the two brothers at once took steps to leave their material engagements, and they appointed two learned brahmanas to perform certain Vedic religious rituals that would enable them to achieve complete freedom for the devotional service of Krsna. These preliminary activities are known as purascarya. These ritualistic functions demand that three times a day one worships and offers respects to his forefathers, offers oblations to a fire, and respectfully offers food to a learned brahmana. Five items--time, worship, offering of respect, offering of oblation into the fire and offering of food to a brahmana--comprise purascarya. This and other rituals are mentioned in the hari-bhakti-vilasa, the authoritative book of directions.

   After performing these religious rituals, the younger brother, Sakara Mallika (Rupa Gosvami), returned home with an immense amount of money which he had acquired during his government service. Indeed, the silver and gold coins he brought back filled a large boat. After arriving home, he divided the accumulated wealth first in twain and distributed one part to the brahmanas and Vaisnavas. Thus for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he distributed fifty percent of his accumulated wealth to persons engaged in the Supreme Lord's transcendental loving service. Brahmanas are meant to understand the Absolute Truth, and once they understand the truth and actually engage in the loving service of the Lord, they can be called Vaisnavas. Both brahmanas and Vaisnavas are supposed to be fully engaged in transcendental service, and Rupa Gosvami, considering their important transcendental position, gave them fifty percent of his wealth. The remaining fifty percent was again divided in twain--he distributed one part to his relatives and dependent family members, and the other he kept for personal emergencies.

   Such distribution of personal wealth is very instructive for all who desire to be elevated in spiritual knowledge. Generally a person bequeaths all his accumulated wealth to his family members and then retires from family activities in order to make progress in spiritual knowledge. Here, however, we find the behavior of Rupa Gosvami to be exemplary; he gave fifty percent of his wealth for spiritual purposes. This should serve as an example for everyone. The twenty-five percent of his accumulated wealth which he kept for personal emergencies was deposited with a good business firm, since in those days there were no banks. Ten thousand coins were deposited for expenditures incurred by his elder brother, Sanatana Gosvami.

   At this time Rupa Gosvami received information that Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was preparing to proceed to Vrndavana from Jagannatha Puri. Rupa Gosvami sent two messengers to get actual information of the Lord's itinerary, and he made his own plans to go to Mathura to meet the Lord. It appears that Rupa Gosvami got permission to join Lord Caitanya, but Sanatana Gosvami did not. Therefore Sanatana Gosvami entrusted the responsibilities of his government service to his immediate assistants, and he remained home to study Srimad-Bhagavatam. In fact, he even engaged some ten or twenty learned brahmanas and began an intensive study of Srimad-Bhagavatam in their company. While he was thus engaged, he submitted sick-leave reports to his employer, the Nawab. However, the ruler was so anxious for Sanatana Gosvami's advice in government matters that he suddenly appeared at his house. When the Nawab entered the house where Sanatana Gosvami and the brahmanas were assembled, they all stood up to receive him respectfully, and they offered him a place to sit.

   "You have submitted sick reports," the Nawab told Sanatana Gosvami: "But I sent my physician to see you, and he reported that you have no illness at all. Since I did not know why you were submitting sick reports and not attending to your service, I have personally come to see you. Frankly, I am much perturbed by your behavior. As you know, I completely depend on you and your responsible work in government. I was free to act in other matters because I was depending on you, but if you do not join me, your past devotion will be spoiled. Now, what is your intention? Please tell me."

   On hearing this, Sanatana Gosvami replied that he was unable to continue work and that it would be very kind of the Nawab to appoint someone else to execute the work that was entrusted to him. Upon hearing this, the Nawab became very angry and said, "Your elder brother lives like a hunter, and if you also retire from the administration, everything will be finished." It was said that the Nawab used to treat Sanatana Gosvami like a younger brother. Since the Nawab was principally engaged in conquering different parts of the country and also in hunting, he depended largely on Sanatana Gosvami for government administration. Thus he pleaded with him: "If you also retire from government service, how will the administration carry on?"

   "You are the governor of Gauda," Sanatana Gosvami replied very gravely, "and you punish different kinds of criminals in different ways. So you are at liberty to punish anyone according to his activity." By this reply Sanatana Gosvami was indicating that since the governor was engaged in hunting animals and in killing men to expand his kingdom, let both of them suffer according to the acts they were performing.

   The Nawab was intelligent, and he understood Sanatana Gosvami's purpose. He left the house in an angry mood, and shortly afterward he went off to conquer Orissa. He ordered the arrest of Sanatana Gosvami and commanded that he be held until he returned. Upon learning that his elder brother had been arrested by the Nawab, Rupa Gosvami sent information that ten thousand coins were being held in the custody of a grocer in Gauda (Bengal) and that this money could be used as ransom for his brother. Sanatana also offered five thousand coins to the keeper of the jail in which he was being held in custody. He advised the jailkeeper to gladly accept the five thousand coins from him and let him go because by accepting the money he would not only be materially benefited but would also be acting very righteously by freeing Sanatana for spiritual purposes.

   "Of course I can let you go," the jailkeeper replied, "for you have done many services for me, and you are in government service. However, l'm afraid of the Nawab. What will he do when he hears that you are free? l'll have to explain everything to him. How can I accept such a proposal?" Sanatana then invented a story which the jailkeeper might submit to the Nawab--as to how he had escaped--and he raised his offer to ten thousand coins. Greedy to get the money, the jailkeeper agreed to the proposition and let him go. In the meantime, Rupa Gosvami, with his younger brother Sri Vallabha, had started for Vrndavana to meet Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

   Sanatana then proceeded to go to see the Lord. He did not travel on the open road but went through the jungles until he arrived at a place in Bihar called Patada. There he rested in a hotel, but the hotelkeeper was informed by an astrologer employed there that Sanatana Gosvami had some gold coins with him. The hotelkeeper, desiring to get the money, spoke to Sanatana with seeming respect.

   "Just take your rest tonight," he told him, "and in the morning I shall arrange for you to get out of this jungle trap." However, Sanatana was suspicious of his behavior, and he inquired from his servant Isana whether he had money, and Isana told him that he had seven gold coins. Sanatana did not like the idea of the servant carrying such money. He became angry with him and said, "Why do you carry this death knell on the road?"

   Sanatana at once took the gold coins and offered them to the hotelkeeper. He then requested that the hotelkeeper help him through the jungle. He informed him that he was on a special journey for the government and that since he could not travel on the open road, it would be very kind if the hotelkeeper would help him through the jungles and over the mountains.

   "I understood that you had eight coins with you, and I was thinking of killing you to take them," the hotelkeeper confessed. "But I can understand that you are such a good man that you don't have to offer me the money."

   "If you don't accept these coins, then someone else will take them from me," Sanatana replied. "Someone will kill me for them, so it is better that you take them. I offer them to you." The hotelkeeper then gave him all assistance, and that very night he helped him get past the hills.

   When Sanatana emerged from the hills, he requested that his servant go home with the one coin that he still had with him, for Sanatana decided that he would go on alone. After the departure of his servant, Sanatana felt completely free. With torn clothing and a waterpot in hand, he began to proceed toward Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. On the way, he met his rich brother-in-law who was also in the government service and who offered him an excellent blanket, which Sanatana accepted at his special request. Then he parted from him and went on alone to see Caitanya Mahaprabhu at Benares.

   When he reached Benares, he understood that the Lord was there, and he became overjoyed. He was informed by the people that the Lord was staying at the house of Candrasekhara Acarya, and Sanatana went there. Although Caitanya Mahaprabhu was inside the house, He could understand that Sanatana had arrived at the door, and He asked Candrasekhara to call the man who was sitting there. "He is a Vaisnava, a great devotee of the Lord," Caitanya Mahaprabhu said. Candrasekhara came out to see the man, but he saw no Vaisnava at the door. He saw only a man who appeared to be a mendicant. The Lord then asked to see the mendicant, and when Sanatana entered the courtyard, Lord Caitanya hurriedly came to see and embrace him. When the Lord embraced him, Sanatana became overwhelmed with spiritual ecstasy, and he said, "My dear Lord, please do not touch me." But both of them embraced each other and began to cry. Seeing Sanatana and Lord Caitanya acting thus, Candrasekhara was struck with wonder. At length, Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked Sanatana to sit down with Him on a bench. He was touching the body of Sanatana with His hand, and Sanatana asked Him again, "My dear Lord, please do not touch me."

   "I am touching you just for My purification," the Lord replied, "for you are a great devotee. By your devotional service you can deliver the whole universe and enable everyone to go back to Godhead."

   The Lord proceeded to quote a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam to the effect that a person who is a devotee of Lord Krsna and is one hundred percent engaged in devotional service is far better than a brahmana who is versed in all the Vedic literatures but who does not engage in the devotional service of the Lord. Because he is carrying the Supreme Lord within his heart, the devotee can purify everyplace and everything.

   In the Vedic literatures it is also stated that the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not recognize a person who is very learned in all the divisions of the Vedas, but, rather, He likes a person who is a devotee, even though he may be born in a low family. If one offers charity to a brahmana who is not a devotee, the Lord does not accept; but if something is offered to a devotee, the Lord accepts. In other words, whatever a person wishes to offer the Lord may be given to His devotees. Caitanya Mahaprabhu also quoted Srimad-Bhagavatam to the effect that if a brahmana is not a devotee of the Supreme Lord, then he is lower than the lowest of the low, even though he may be qualified with the twelve brahminical qualities and born in a high family. A devotee, although born in a candala (dog-eater) family, can purify his whole family for one hundred generations, past and future, by devotional service, whereas a proud brahmana cannot even purify himself. It is said in the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya (13.2):

 

                  aksnoh phalam tvadrsa-darsanam hi

                  tanoh phalam tvadrsa-gatra-sangah

                   jihva-phalam tvadrsa-kirtanam hi

                     sudurlabha bhagavata hi loke

 

   "O devotee of the Lord, to see you is the perfection of the eyes, to touch your body is the perfection of bodily activities, and to glorify your qualities is the perfection of the tongue, for it is very rare to find a pure devotee like you."

   The Lord then told Sanatana that Krsna is very merciful and is the deliverer of fallen souls. "He has saved you from Maharaurava," the Lord said. This Maharaurava, or hell, is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam as a place meant for persons who are engaged in killing animals, for it is stated there that butchers or animal eaters go to that hell.

   "I do not know the mercy of Krsna," Sanatana replied, "but I can understand that Your mercy upon me is causeless. You have delivered me from the entanglement of material life."

   Then the Lord inquired: "How did you get free from your custody? I understand that you were arrested." Sanatana then narrated the whole story of his release. "I have seen your two brothers," the Lord then informed him, "and I have advised them to proceed toward Vrndavana."

   Lord Caitanya then introduced Candrasekhara and Tapana Misra to Sanatana, and Tapana Misra pleasantly invited Sanatana to dine with him. The Lord requested Candrasekhara to take Sanatana to a barber and make him "gentle," for Sanatana had grown a long beard which Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not like. He not only asked Candrasekhara to provide Sanatana with a bath and clean shave but with a change of clothes as well.

   After bathing, Candrasekhara gave him some good cloth. When Lord Caitanya was informed that Sanatana did not accept new garments but later accepted only some used garments from Tapana Misra, He was very glad. The Lord went to Tapana Misra's house for lunch and asked him to keep food for Sanatana. Tapana Misra did not offer Sanatana food immediately, however, but after the Lord finished His eating there were some remnants of His foodstuff, and that was offered to Sanatana while the Lord took His rest.

   After resting, Lord Caitanya introduced one Maharastriya brahmana, a devotee of His, to Sanatana, and that Maharastriya brahmana invited Sanatana to accept lunch daily at his place as long as he remained in Benares.

   "As long as I remain in Benares, I will beg from door to door," Sanatana said. "But the Lord will be so good as to accept this invitation for daily lunch at your house."

   Lord Caitanya was very much pleased by this behavior of Sanatana, but He noticed the valuable blanket that was given to him by his brother-in-law while en route to Benares. Although Lord Caitanya was overlooking the blanket, Sanatana understood that He did not approve of such a valuable garment on his body, and therefore Sanatana decided to get rid of it. He immediately went to the bank of the Ganges, and there he saw a mendicant washing an old quilt. When Sanatana asked him to trade the old quilt for the valuable blanket, the poor mendicant thought that Sanatana was joking with him. "How is this?" the mendicant upbraided him. "You appear to be a very nice gentleman, but you are mocking me in this unmannerly way.

   "I am not joking with you," Sanatana informed him. "I am very serious. Will you kindly exchange that torn quilt for this blanket?" Finally the mendicant exchanged his torn quilt for the blanket, and Sanatana returned to the Lord.

   "Where is your valuable blanket?" the Lord immediately inquired. Sanatana informed Him about the exchange, and the Lord loved him for this and thanked him. "You are intelligent enough, and you have now exhausted all your attraction for material wealth." In other words, the Lord accepts a person for devotional service only when he is completely free from all materialistic possessions. The Lord then told Sanatana: "It would not look good for you to be a mendicant and beg from door to door with such a valuable blanket on your body. It is contradictory and people would look on it with abhorrence."

   "Whatever I am doing to become free from material attachment is all Your mercy," Sanatana replied. The Lord was very much pleased with him, and both of them discussed spiritual advancement.

   Previous to this meeting between Lord Caitanya and Sanatana Gosvami, the Lord met a householder devotee named Ramananda Raya. At that meeting, which is discussed in a later chapter, Lord Caitanya asked Ramananda Raya questions, and Ramananda replied as if he were the teacher of the Lord. However, in this case Sanatana put questions to the Lord, and the Lord answered them Himself.

   The instructions and teachings of Lord Caitanya are very important for people in general. He teaches the process of devotional service, which is the constitutional occupation of every living entity, for it is every man's duty to advance in spiritual science. Many subjects were thoroughly discussed in the talks between Lord Caitanya and Sanatana Gosvami. Due to the mercy of Lord Caitanya, Sanatana was able to put important questions before Him, and these questions were replied to properly.

   By the meeting of Sanatana and Lord Caitanya, we learn that in order to understand spiritual subject matters, one must approach a spiritual master like Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and make submissive inquiries. It is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (Bg. 4.34) that one should approach a man of authority and learn the science of spiritual life from him.

 

                            Chapter Three

                    Teachings to Sanatana Gosvami

 

   From the instructions of Lord Caitanya to Sanatana Gosvami we can understand the science of God as it relates to God's transcendental form, His opulences, and His devotional service. Indeed, everything is being explained to Sanatana Gosvami by the Lord Himself. At that time, Sanatana fell at the feet of the Lord and with great humility asked about his own real identity. "I am born of a lower family," Sanatana said. "My associations are all abominable, and I am fallen, the most wretched of mankind. I was suffering in the dark well of material enjoyment, and I never knew the actual goal of my life. Indeed, I do not even know what is beneficial for me. Although I am what is known in the world as a great learned man, I am in fact so much of a fool that I myself even think that I am learned. You have accepted me as Your servant, and You have delivered me from the entanglement of material life. Now please tell me what my duty is in this liberated state."

   By this plea, we can understand that liberation is not the final word in perfection. There must be activities in liberation. Sanatana clearly says, "You have saved me from the material existence. Now, after liberation, what is my duty?" Sanatana further inquired, "Who am I? Why are the threefold miseries always giving me trouble? And finally, tell me how I can be relieved from this material entanglement? I do not know how to question You about the advancement of spiritual life, but I beg that You kindly, mercifully, let me know everything that I need know."

   This is the process of accepting a spiritual master. One should approach a spiritual master, humbly submit to him and then inquire from him about one's spiritual progress.

   The Lord was pleased by Sanatana's submissive behavior, and He replied, "You have already received benediction from Lord Krsna, and therefore you know everything and are free from all the miseries of material existence." The Lord further pointed out that because Sanatana was in Krsna consciousness, he was naturally, by the grace of Krsna, already conversant with everything. "Because you are a humble devotee," the Lord continued, "you are asking Me to confirm what you already know. This is very nice." These are the characteristics of a true devotee. In the Narada-bhakti-sutra it is said that one who is very serious about developing Krsna consciousness has his desire to understand Krsna fulfilled very soon by the grace of the Lord.

   "You are a suitable person to protect the devotional service of the Lord," Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued. "Therefore it is My duty to instruct you in the science of God, and I will explain everything to you step by step."

   It is the duty of a disciple approaching a spiritual master to inquire about his constitutional position. In conformity to that spiritual process, Sanatana has already asked, "What am l, and why am I suffering from the threefold miseries?" The threefold miseries are called adhyatmika, adhibhautika, and adhidaivika. The word adhyatmika refers to those miseries caused by the mind and body. Sometimes the living entity suffers bodily, and sometimes he is distressed mentally. Both are adhyatmika miseries. We experience these miseries even in the womb of our mother. As we well know, there are many types of miseries that take advantage of the delicate human body and give us pain. Miseries inflicted by other living entities are called adhibhautika. These living entities need not even be large, for there are many--such as bugs--that can make us miserable even while we are sleeping in bed. There are many insignificant living entities, like cockroaches, that sometimes give us pain, and there are also other living entities who are born on different kinds of planets and who give us miseries. As far as the adhidaivika miseries are concerned, these are natural disasters that originate with the demigods of the higher planets. For instance, we sometimes suffer from severe cold or hot weather, from a thunderbolt, or from earthquakes, tornadoes, droughts and many natural disasters. In any case, we are always suffering from either one or a combination of these three kinds of miseries.

   Sanatana's inquiry was therefore an intelligent one. "What is the position of the living entities?" he asked. "Why are they always undergoing these three kinds of miseries?" Sanatana had admitted his weakness. Although he was known by the masses of people as a greatly learned man (and actually he was a highly learned Sanskrit scholar), and although he accepted this designation, he did not actually know what his constitutional position really was and just why he was subjected to the threefold miseries.

   Approaching a spiritual master is not just a fashion but is a necessity for one who is seriously conscious of the material miseries and who wants to be free of them. It is the duty of such a person to approach a spiritual master. In this regard, we should note similar circumstances in Bhagavad-gita. When Arjuna was perplexed by so many problems involving whether to fight or not, he accepted Lord Krsna as his spiritual master. It was also a case of the supreme spiritual master instructing Arjuna about the constitutional position of the living entity.

   In Bhagavad-gita we are informed that the constitutional nature of the individual entity is spirit soul. He is not matter. As spirit soul, he is part and parcel of the supreme soul, the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead. We also learn that it is the duty of the spirit soul to surrender, for only then can he be happy. The last instruction of Bhagavad-gita is that the spirit soul surrender completely unto the supreme soul, Krsna, and in that way realize happiness.

   Here also, Lord Caitanya, answering the questions of Sanatana, repeats the same truth. There is a difference, however. Here Lord Caitanya does not give the information about the spirit soul that is already described in Bhagavad-gita. Rather, He begins from the point where Krsna ended His instruction. It is accepted by great devotees that Lord Caitanya is Krsna Himself, and from this point of view He begins His instruction to Sanatana from the point where He ended His instructions to Arjuna in Bhagavad-gita.

   "Your constitutional position is that you are pure living soul," the Lord told Sanatana. "This material body cannot be identified with your real self; nor is your mind your real identity, nor your intelligence, nor false ego. Your identity is that of eternal servitor of the Supreme Lord Krsna. Your position is that you're transcendental. The superior energy of Krsna is spiritual in constitution, and the inferior external energy is material. Since you are between the material energy and the spiritual energy, your position is marginal. Belonging to the marginal potency of Krsna, you are simultaneously one with and different from Krsna. Because you are spirit, you are not different from Krsna, and because you are only a minute particle of Krsna, you are different from Him."

   This simultaneous oneness and difference always exists in the relationship between the living entities and the Supreme Lord. From the marginal position of the living entities, this conception of "simultaneously one and different" can be understood. The living entity is just like a molecular particle of sunshine, whereas Krsna may be compared to the blazing, shining sun itself. Lord Caitanya compared the living entities to blazing sparks from a fire and the Supreme Lord to the blazing fire of the sun. In this connection, the Lord cites a verse from Visnu purana (1.22.52):

 

                        eka-desa-sthitasyagner

                       jyotsna vistarini yatha

                       parasya brahmanah saktis

                        tathedam akhilam jagat

 

   "Everything that is manifested within this cosmic world is but the energy of the Supreme Lord. As fire emanating from one place diffuses its illumination and heat all around, so the Lord, although situated in one place in the spiritual world, manifests His different energies everywhere. Indeed, the whole cosmic creation is composed of different manifestations of His energy."

   The energy of the Supreme Lord is transcendental and spiritual, and the living entities are part and parcel of that energy. There is another energy, however, called material energy, which is covered by the cloud of ignorance. This energy, which is material nature, is divided into three modes, or gunas (goodness, passion and ignorance). Lord Caitanya quoted from Visnu purana (1.3.2) to the effect that all inconceivable energies reside in the Supreme Personality of the Lord and that the whole cosmic manifestation acts due to the Lord's inconceivable energy.

   The Lord also said that the living entities are known as ksetrajna, or "knowers of the field of activities." In the Thirteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, the body is described as the field of activities, and the living entity as ksetrajna, the knower of that field. Although the living entity is constitutionally conversant with spiritual energy, or has the potency to understand spiritual energy, he is covered by the material energy and consequently identifies the body with the self. This false identification is called "false ego." Deluded by this false ego, the bewildered living entity in material existence changes his different bodies and suffers various kinds of miseries. Knowledge of the living entity's true position is possessed to different extents by different types of living entities.

   In other words, it is to be understood that the living entity is part and parcel of the spiritual energy of the Supreme Lord. Because the material energy is inferior, man has the ability to get uncovered from this material energy and utilize the spiritual energy. It is stated in Bhagavad-gita that the superior energy is covered by the inferior energy. Due to this covering, the living entity is subjected to the miseries of the material world, and, in proportion to the different degrees of passion and ignorance, he suffers material miseries. Those who are a little enlightened suffer less, but on the whole everyone is subjected to material miseries due to being covered by the material energy.

   Caitanya Mahaprabhu also quoted from the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gita in which it is stated that earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and ego all combine together to form the inferior energy of the Supreme Lord. The superior energy, however, is the real identity of the living being, and it is because of that energy that the whole material world functions. The cosmic manifestation, which is made of material elements, has no power to act unless it is moved by the superior energy, the living entity. It can actually be said that the conditioned life of the living entity is due to forgetfulness of his relationship with the Supreme Lord in the superior energy. When that relationship is forgotten, conditional life is the result. Only when man revives his real identity, that of eternal servitor to the Lord, does he become liberated.

 

                             Chapter Four

                             The Wise Man

 

   Since no one can trace the history of the living entity's entanglement in material energy, the Lord says that it is beginningless. By beginningless it is meant that conditional life exists prior to the creation; it is simply manifested during and after the creation. Due to forgetfulness of his nature, the living entity, although spirit, suffers all kinds of miseries in material existence. It should be understood that there are also living entities who are not entangled in this material energy but are situated in the spiritual world. They are called liberated souls and are always engaged in Krsna consciousness, devotional service.

   The activities of those who are conditioned by material nature are taken into account, and in their next life, according to these activities, they are offered different types of material bodies. In the material world the conditioned spirit soul is subjected to various rewards and punishments. When he is rewarded for his righteous activities, he is elevated to the higher planets where he becomes one of the many demigods, and when he is punished for his abominable activities, he is thrown into hellish planets where he suffers the miseries of material existence more acutely. Caitanya Mahaprabhu gives a very nice example of this punishment. Formerly a king used to punish a criminal by dunking him in the river, raising him up again for breath and then again dunking him in the water. Material nature punishes and rewards the individual entity in just the same way. When he is punished, he is dunked in the water of material miseries, and when he is rewarded, he is taken out of it for some time. Elevation to the higher planets or to a higher life status is never permanent. One must again come down to be submerged in the water. All this is constantly going on in this material existence; sometimes one is elevated to higher planetary systems, and sometimes one is thrown into the hellish condition of material life.

   In this regard Caitanya Mahaprabhu recites a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam taken from the instructions of Narada Muni to Vasudeva, the father of Krsna (Bhag. 11.2.37):

 

                   bhayam dvitiyabhinivesatah syad

                   isad apetasya viparyayo 'smrtih

                    tan-mayayato budha abhajet tam

                    bhaktyaikayesam guru-devatatma

 

   In this quotation from the nine sages who were instructing Maharaja Nimi, maya is defined as "forgetfulness of one's relationship with Krsna." Actually, maya means "that which is not." It has no existence. Thus it is false to think that the living entity has no connection with the Supreme Lord. He may not believe in the existence of God, or he may think that he has no relationship with God, but these are all "illusions," or maya. Due to absorption in this false conception of life, man is always fearful and full of anxieties. In other words, a godless concept of life is maya. One who is actually learned in the Vedic literatures surrenders unto the Supreme Lord with great devotion and accepts Him as the supreme goal. When a living entity forgets the constitutional nature of his relationship with God, he is at once overwhelmed by the external energy. This is the cause of his false ego, his false identification of the body with the self. Indeed, his whole conception of the material universe arises from this false identification with the body, for he becomes attached to the body and its by-products. To escape this entanglement, he has only to perform his duty and to surrender unto the Supreme Lord with intelligence and devotion and with sincere Krsna consciousness.

   A conditioned soul falsely thinks himself happy in the material world, but if he is favored by the instructions of an unalloyed devotee, he gives up his desire for material enjoyment and becomes enlightened in Krsna consciousness. As soon as one enters into Krsna consciousness, his desire for material enjoyment is at once vanquished, and he gradually becomes free from material entanglement. There is no question of darkness where there is light, and Krsna consciousness is the light that dispels the darkness of material sense enjoyment.

   A Krsna conscious person is never under the false conception that he is one with God. Knowing that he would not be happy by working for himself, he engages all his energies in the service of the Supreme Lord and thereby gains release from the clutches of illusory material energy. In this connection, Caitanya Mahaprabhu quotes the following verse from Bhagavad-gita:

 

                        daivi hy esa guna-mayi

                         mama maya duratyaya

                        mam eva ye prapadyante

                        mayam etam taranti te

 

   "The divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it." (Bg. 7.14)

   Caitanya Mahaprabhu went on to teach that for each and every moment he is engaged in some fruitive activity, the conditioned soul forgets his real identity. Sometimes when he is fatigued, when he is tired of material activities, he wants liberation and hankers to become one with the Supreme Lord, but at other times he thinks that by working hard to gratify his senses he will be happy. In either case, he is covered by material energy. For the enlightenment of such bewildered conditioned souls, the Supreme Lord has presented voluminous Vedic literatures such as the Vedas, the puranas and the Vedanta-sutra. These are all intended to guide the human being back to Godhead. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given further instructions by explaining that when a conditioned soul is accepted by the mercy of the spiritual master and is guided by the Supersoul and the various Vedic scriptures, he becomes enlightened and makes progress in spiritual realization. It is because Lord Krsna is always merciful upon His devotees that He has presented all these Vedic literatures by which one can understand his relationship with Him and can act on the basis of that relationship. In this way one is gifted with the ultimate goal of life.

   Actually every living entity is destined to reach the Supreme Lord. Indeed, it is possible for everyone to understand his relationship with the Supreme. The execution of duties to attain perfection is known as devotional service, and in maturity such devotional service becomes love of God, the factual goal of life for every living being. Actually the living entity is not intended to achieve success in religious rituals, economic development or sense enjoyment. The living entity should not even desire success in liberation, what to speak of success in religion, economics and sense enjoyment. One's real desire should only be to achieve the stage of loving transcendental service to the Lord. The all-attractive features of Lord Krsna help one in attaining this transcendental service, and it is by such service in Krsna consciousness that one can realize the relationship between Krsna and himself.

   Concerning man's search for the ultimate goal of life, Caitanya Mahaprabhu relates a story from the commentary of Madhva which occurs in the Fifth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam (Madhva-bhasya) Sarvajna to a poor man who came to him to have his future told. When Sarvajna saw the horoscope of the man, he was at once astonished that the man was so poor, and he said to him, "Why are you so unhappy? From your horoscope I can see that you have a hidden treasure left to you by your father. However, the horoscope indicates that your father could not disclose this to you because he died in a foreign place, but now you can search out this treasure and be happy." This story is cited because the living entity is suffering due to his ignorance of the hidden treasure of his Supreme Father, Krsna. That treasure is love of Godhead, and in every Vedic scripture the conditioned soul is advised to find it. As stated in Bhagavad-gita, although the conditioned soul is the son of the wealthiest personality--the Personality of Godhead--he does not realize it. Therefore Vedic literatures are given to him to help him search out his father and his paternal property.

   The astrologer Sarvajna further advised the poor man: "Don't dig on the southern side of your house to find the treasure, for if you do so you will be attacked by a poisonous wasp and will be baffled. The search should be conducted on the eastern side where there is actual light, which is called devotional service or Krsna consciousness. On the southern side there are Vedic rituals, and on the western side there is mental speculation, and on the northern side there is meditational yoga."

   Sarvajna's advice should be carefully noted by everyone. If one searches for the ultimate goal by the ritualistic process, he will surely be baffled. Such a process involves the performance of rituals under the guidance of a priest who takes money in exchange for service. A man may think he will be happy by performing such rituals, but actually if he does gain some result from them, it is only temporary. His material distresses will continue. Thus he will never become truly happy by following the ritualistic process. Instead, he will simply increase his material pangs more and more. The same may be said for digging on the northern side, or searching for the treasure by means of the meditational yoga process. By this process a person thinks of becoming one with the Supreme Lord, but this merging into the Supreme is like being swallowed by a large serpent. Sometimes a large serpent swallows a smaller one, and merging into the spiritual existence of the Supreme is analogous. While the small serpent is searching after perfection, he is swallowed. Obviously there is no solution here. On the western side there is also an impediment in the form of a yaksa, an evil spirit who protects the treasure. The idea is that a hidden treasure can never be found by one who asks the favor of a yaksa in order to attain it. The result is that one will simply be killed. This yaksa is the speculative mind, and in this case the speculative process of self-realization, or the jnana process, is also suicidal.

   The only possibility then is to search for the hidden treasure on the eastern side by the process of devotional service in full Krsna consciousness. Indeed, that process of devotional service is the perpetual hidden treasure, and when one attains to it, he becomes perpetually rich. One who is poor in devotional service to Krsna is always in need of material gain. Sometimes he suffers the bites of poisonous creatures, and sometimes he is baffled; sometimes he follows the philosophy of monism and thereby loses his identity, and sometimes he is swallowed by a large serpent. It is only by abandoning all this and becoming fixed in Krsna consciousness, devotional service to the Lord, that one can actually achieve the perfection of life.

 

                             Chapter Five

                         How to Approach God

 

   Actually all Vedic literature directs the human being toward the perfect stage of devotion. The paths of fruitive activities, speculative knowledge and meditation do not lead one to the perfectional stage, but by the process of devotional service the Lord actually becomes approachable. Therefore all Vedic literature recommends that one accept this process. In this regard, Caitanya Mahaprabhu quoted from the Lord's instructions to Uddhava in Srimad-Bhagavatam:

 

                        na sadhayati mam yogo

                      na sankhyam dharma uddhava

                      na svadhyayas tapas tyago

                       yatha bhaktir mamorjita

 

   "My dear Uddhava, neither philosophical speculation, nor meditational yoga, nor penances can give Me such pleasure as devotional service practiced by the living entities." (Bhag. 11.14.20) Krsna is dear only to the devotees, and He can only be achieved by devotional service. If a lowly born person is a devotee, he automatically becomes free from all contamination. Devotional service is the only path by which one can achieve the Supreme Person. This is the only perfection accepted by all Vedic literature. Just as a poor man becomes happy upon receiving some treasure, when one attains to devotional service, his material pains are automatically vanquished. As one advances in devotional service, he attains love of Godhead, and as he advances in this love, he becomes free from all material bondage. One should not think, however, that the disappearance of poverty and liberation from bondage are the end results of love of Krsna. It is in relishing the reciprocation of loving service that love of Krsna exists. In all Vedic literatures we find that the attainment of this loving relationship between the Supreme Lord and the living entities is the function of devotional service. Our actual function is devotional service, and our ultimate goal is love of Godhead. In all Vedic literatures it can be found that Krsna is the ultimate center, for through knowledge of Krsna all problems of life are solved.

   Caitanya Mahaprabhu pointed out that although (according to Padma Purana) there are different scriptures for worshiping different types of demigods, such instructions only bewilder people into thinking that the demigods are supreme. Yet if one carefully scrutinizes and studies the Puranas, he will find that Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the only object of worship. For instance, in the Markandeya Purana there is mention of Devi worship, or worship of the goddess Durga or Kali, but in this same candika it is also stated that all the demigods--even in the shape of Durga or Kali--are but different energies of the Supreme Visnu. Thus study of the Puranas reveals Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to be the only object of worship. The conclusion is that directly or indirectly, all types of worship are more or less directed to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. In Bhagavad-gita it is confirmed that one who worships the demigods is in fact only worshiping Krsna because the demigods are but different parts of the body of Visnu, or Krsna. That such worship of demigods is irregular is also stated in Bhagavad-gita (Bg. 7.20-23, 9.23). Srimad-Bhagavatam confirms this irregularity by asking the question: "What is the object of worshiping the different types of demigods?" In Vedic literature there are various divisions of ritualistic activities; one is karma-kanda, or purely ritualistic activities, and another is jnana-kanda, or speculation on the Supreme Absolute Truth. What then is the purpose of the ritualistic sections of Vedic literatures, and what is the purpose of different mantras or hymns that indicate worship of various demigods? And what is the purpose of philosophical speculation on the subject of the Absolute Truth? Srimad-Bhagavatam replies that in actuality all of these methods defined in the Vedas indicate the worship of the Supreme Lord Visnu. In other words, they are all indirect ways of worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sacrifices contained in the ritualistic portions of these literatures are meant for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord Visnu. Indeed, because yajna, sacrifice, is specifically meant to satisfy Visnu, another name for Visnu is Yajnesvara, or Lord of sacrifices.

   Since neophytes are not all on the same transcendental level, they are advised to worship different types of demigods according to their situation in the different modes of material nature. The idea is that gradually such neophytes may rise to the transcendental plane and engage in the service of Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For instance, some neophytes who are attached to flesh eating are advised by the puranas to eat flesh after offering it to the deity Kali.

   The philosophical sections of the Vedic hymns are intended to enable one to distinguish the Supreme Lord from maya. After one understands the position of maya, he can approach the Supreme Lord in pure devotional service. That is the actual purpose of philosophical speculation, and this is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita:

 

                        bahunam janmanam ante

                       jnanavan mam prapadyate

                         vasudevah sarvam iti

                        sa mahatma sudurlabhah

 

   "After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare." (Bg. 7.19)

   It can thus be seen that all Vedic rituals and different types of worship and philosophical speculation ultimately aim at Krsna.

   Caitanya Mahaprabhu then told Sanatana Gosvami about Krsna's multiforms and His unlimited opulence. He also described the nature of the spiritual manifestation, the material manifestation, and the manifestation of the living entity. He also informed Sanatana Gosvami that the planets in the spiritual sky, known as Vaikunthas, and the universes of the material manifestation are actually different types of manifestations, for they are the created manifestations of two different types of energy--the material and the spiritual energy. As far as Krsna Himself is concerned, He is directly situated in His spiritual energy, or specifically in His internal potency. To help us understand the difference between the spiritual and material energies, there is a clear analysis of the two in the Second Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Sridhara Svami also gives a clear analytical study in his commentary on the first verse of the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Sridhara Svami was accepted by Lord Caitanya as an authorized commentator on Srimad-Bhagavatam, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu quoted his writings and explained that in the Tenth Canto of Bhagavatam the life and activities of Krsna are described because Krsna is the shelter of all manifestations. Knowing this, Sridhara Svami worshiped and offered his obeisances unto Krsna as the shelter of everything.

   In this world there are two principles operating: One principle is the origin or shelter of everything, and the other principle is deduced from this original principle. The Supreme Truth is the shelter of all manifestations and is called asraya. All other principles, which remain under the control of the asraya-tattva, or the Absolute Truth, are called asrita, or subordinate corollaries and reactions. The purpose of the material manifestation is to give the conditioned soul a chance to attain liberation and return to the asraya-tattva, or the Absolute Truth. Since everything in the cosmic creation is dependent on the asraya-tattva--the creative manifestation or Visnu manifestation--the various demigods an? manifestations of energy, the living entities and all material elements are dependent on Krsna, for Krsna is the Supreme Truth. Thus Srimad-Bhagavatam indicates that everything is sheltered by Krsna directly and indirectly. Consequently perfect knowledge can be had only by an analytical study of Krsna, as confirmed by Bhagavad-gita.

   Lord Caitanya then described the different features of Krsna and requested that Sanatana Gosvami listen attentively. He then informed him that Krsna, the son of Nanda Maharaja, is the Absolute Supreme Truth, the cause of all causes and the origin of all emanations and incarnations. Yet in Vraja, or Goloka Vrndavana, He is just like a young boy and is the son of Nanda Maharaja. His form, however, is eternal, full of bliss, and full of knowledge absolute. He is both the shelter of everything and the proprietor as well.

   Caitanya Mahaprabhu also gives evidence from Brahma-samhita of the transcendental properties of Lord Krsna's body:

 

                        isvarah paramah krsnah

                       sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah

                         anadir adir govindah

                         sarva-karana-karanam

 

   "Krsna, who is known as Govinda, is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal, blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, and He is the prime cause of all causes." (Brahma-samhita 5.1). In this way, Caitanya Mahaprabhu gives evidence that Krsna is the original Personality of Godhead, full in all six opulences. It is Sri Krsna whose abode, known as Goloka Vrndavana, is the highest planetary system in the spiritual sky.

   In addition, Lord Caitanya also quotes a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhag. 1.3.28):

 

                        ete camsa-kalah pumsah

                      krsnas tu bhagavan svayam

                        indrari-vyakulam lokam

                         mrdayanti yuge yuge

 

   All incarnations are either direct expansions of Krsna or, indirectly, expansions of the expansions of Krsna. However, the name of Krsna indicates the original Personality of Godhead. It is He who appears on this earth, in this universe or in any other universe, when there is a disturbance created by the demons, who are always trying to disrupt the administration of the demigods.

   There are three different processes by which Krsna can be understood: the empiric process of philosophical speculation, the process of meditation according to the mystic yoga system, and the process of Krsna consciousness, or devotional service. By the method of philosophical speculation, the impersonal Brahman feature of Krsna is understood. By the process of meditation or mystic yoga, the feature of the Supersoul, the all-pervading expansion of Krsna, is understood. And by devotional service in full Krsna consciousness, the original Personality of Godhead is realized. Lord Caitanya also quotes this verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhag. 1.2.11):

 

                       vadanti tat tattva-vidas

                      tattvam yaj jnanam advayam

                         brahmeti paramatmeti

                        bhaga van iti sabdyate

 

   "Those who are knowers of the Absolute Truth describe the Absolute Truth in three features as impersonal Brahman, localized all-pervading Supersoul, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna." In other words, Brahman, the impersonal manifestation, Paramatma, the localized manifestation, and Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are one and the same. However, according to the process adopted, He is realized as Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan.

   By realizing the impersonal Brahman, one simply realizes the effulgence emanating from the transcendental body of Krsna. This effulgence is compared to the sunshine. There is the sun-god, the sun itself and the sunshine which is the shining effulgence of that original sun-god. Similarly, the spiritual effulgence (brahmajyoti), impersonal Brahman, is nothing but the personal effulgence of Krsna. To support this analysis, Lord Caitanya quotes one important verse from Brahma-samhita in which Lord Brahma says:

 

               yasya prabha prabhavato jagadanda-koti-

                kotisv asesa-vasudhadi-vibhuti-bhinnam

               tad-brahma niskalam anantam asesa-bhutam

                govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

 

   "I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by whose personal effulgence the unlimited brahmajyoti is manifested. In that brahmajyoti there are innumerable universes, and each is filled with innumerable planets." (Brahma-samhita 5.40)

   Lord Caitanya further points out that the Paramatma, the all-pervading feature situated in everyone's body, is but a partial manifestation or expansion of Krsna, but because Krsna is the soul of all souls, He is called Paramatma, the Supreme Self. In this regard, Caitanya quoted another verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam concerning the talks between Maharaja Pariksit and Sukadeva Gosvami. While hearing of the transcendental pastimes of Krsna in Vrndavana, Maharaja Pariksit inquired from his spiritual master, Sukadeva Gosvami, as to why the inhabitants of Vrndavana were so much attached to Krsna. To this question Sukadeva Gosvami answered:

 

                        krsnam enam avehi tvam

                         atmanam akhilatmanam

                       jagaddhitaya so 'py atra

                          dehivabhati mayaya

 

   "Krsna should be known as the soul of all souls, for He is the soul of all individual souls and the soul of the localized Paramatma as well. At Vrndavana He was acting just like a human being to attract people and to show that He is not formless." (Bhag. 10.14.55)

   The Supreme Lord is as much an individual as other living beings, but He is different in that He is the Supreme and all other living beings are subordinate to Him. All other living beings can also enjoy spiritual bliss, eternal life and full knowledge in His association. Lord Caitanya quotes a verse from Bhagavad-gita in which Krsna, telling Arjuna of His different opulences, points out that He Himself enters this universe by one of His plenary portions, Garbhodakasayi Visnu, and also enters into each universe as the Ksirodakasayi Visnu, and then expands Himself as the Supersoul in everyone's heart. Lord Krsna Himself indicates that if anyone wants to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth in perfection, he must take to the process of devotional service in full Krsna consciousness. Then it will be possible for him to understand the last word of the Absolute Truth.

 

                             Chapter Six

                    His Forms Are One and the Same

 

   By devotional service one can understand that Krsna first of all manifests Himself as svayam-rupa, His personal form, then as tadekatma-rupa, and then as avesa-rupa. It is in these three features that He manifests Himself in His transcendental form. The feature of svayam-rupa is the form by which Krsna can be understood by one who may not understand His other features. In other words, the form by which Krsna is directly understood is called svayam-rupa, or His personal form. The tadekatma-rupa is that form which most resembles the svayam-rupa, but there are some differences in the bodily features. The tadekatma-rupa is divided into two manifestations--the personal expansion (svamsa) and the pastime expansion (vilasa). As far as the avesa-rupa is concerned, when Krsna empowers some suitable living entity to represent Him, that living entity is called avesa-rupa, or saktyavesa-avatara.

   The personal form of Krsna can be divided into two: svayam-rupa and svayam-prakasa. As far as His svayam-rupa (or pastime form) is concerned, it is in that form that He remains always in Vrndavana with the inhabitants of Vrndavana. This personal form (svayam-rupa) can be further divided into the prabhava and vaibhava forms. For instance, Krsna expanded Himself in multiple forms during the rasa dance in order to dance with each and every gopi who took part in forms in order to accommodate His 16,108 wives. There are some instances of great mystics' also expanding their bodily features in different ways, but Krsna did not expand Himself by any yoga process. Each expansion of Krsna was a separate individual. In Vedic history, Saubhari Rsi, a sage, expanded himself into eight forms by the yoga process, but Saubhari Rsi remained one. As far as Krsna is concerned, when He manifested Himself in different forms, each and every one of them was a separate individual. When Narada Muni visited Krsna at different palaces at Dvaraka, he was astonished at this, and yet Narada is never astonished to see expansions of a yogi's body, since he knows the trick himself. Yet in Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that Narada was actually astonished to see the expansions of Krsna. He wondered how the Lord was present with His queens in each and every one of His 16,108 palaces. With each queen, Krsna Himself was in a different form, and He was acting in different ways. In one form He was engaged in playing with His children, and in yet another form He was performing some household work. These different activities are conducted by the Lord when He is in His "emotional" forms, which are known as vaibhava-prakasa expansions. Similarly, there are other unlimited expansions of the forms of Krsna, but even when they are divided or expanded without limit, they are still one and the same. There is no difference between one form and another. That is the absolute nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

   In Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that when Akrura was accompanying both Krsna and Balarama from Gokula to Mathura, he entered into the waters of the Yamuna River and could see in the waters all the planets in the spiritual sky. He also saw there the Lord in His Visnu form as well as Narada and the four Kumaras, who were worshiping Him. As stated in the Bhagavata purana (Bhag. 10.40.7):

 

                        anye ca samskrtatmano

                         vidhinabhihitena te

                     yajanti tvan-mayas tvam vai

                        bahumurty-ekamurtikam

 

   There are many worshipers who are purified by different processes of worship--such as the Vaisnavas or the Aryans--who also worship the Supreme Lord according to their convictions and spiritual understanding. Each process of worship involves understanding different forms of the Lord, as mentioned in scriptures, but the ultimate idea is to worship the Supreme Lord Himself.

   In His vaibhava-prakasa feature, the Lord manifests Himself as Balarama. The Balarama feature is as good as Krsna Himself, the only difference being that the bodily hue of Krsna is dark and that of Balarama is fair. The vaibhava-prakasa form was also displayed when Krsna appeared before His Mother Devaki in the four-handed form of Narayana, just when He entered the world. At the request of His parents, however, He transformed Himself into a two-handed form. Thus He sometimes manifests four hands and sometimes two. The two-handed form is actually vaibhava-prakasa, and the four-handed form is prabhava-prakasa. In His personal form, Krsna is just like a cowherd boy, and He thinks of Himself in that way. But when He is in the Vasudeva form, He thinks of Himself as the son of a ksatriya and acts as a princely administrator.

   In the two-handed form, as the cowherd son of Nanda Maharaja, Krsna fully exhibits His opulence, form, beauty, wealth, attractiveness and pastimes. Indeed, in some of the Vaisnava literatures it is found that sometimes, in His form as Vasudeva, He becomes attracted to the form of Govinda in Vrndavana. Thus as Vasudeva He sometimes desires to enjoy as the cowherd boy Govinda does, although the Govinda form and the Vasudeva form are one and the same. In this regard, there is a passage in the Fourth Chapter of the Lalita-madhava (4.19), in which Krsna addresses Uddhava as follows: "My dear friend, the form of Govinda, the cowherd boy, attracts Me. Indeed, I wish to be like the damsels of Vraja, who are also attracted by this form of Govinda." Similarly, in the Eighth Chapter, Krsna says: "O how wonderful it is! Who is this person? After seeing Him, I am so attracted that I am now desiring to embrace Him just like Radhika."

   There are also forms of Krsna which are a little different, and these are called tadekatma-rupa forms. These may be further divided into the vilasa and svamsa forms, which in turn have many different features and can be divided into prabhava and vaibhava forms. As far as the vilasa forms are concerned, there are innumerable prabhava-vilasas by which Krsna expands Himself as Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha. Sometimes the Lord thinks of Himself as a cowherd boy, and sometimes He thinks of Himself as the son of Vasudeva, a ksatriya prince, and this "thinking" of Krsna is called His "pastimes." Actually He is in the same form in His vaibhava-prakasa and prabhava-vilasa, but He appears differently as Balarama and Krsna. His expansions as Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha are in the original catur-vyuha, or four-handed forms.

   There are innumerable four-handed manifestations in different planets and different places, and they are manifested in Dvaraka and Mathura eternally. From the four principal four-handed forms (Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha) there are manifest the principal twenty-four forms called vaibhava-vilasa, and they are named differently according to the placement of different symbols (conch, mace, lotus and disc) in their hands. The four principal manifestations of Krsna are found in each planet in the spiritual sky, and these planets are called Narayanaloka or Vaikunthaloka. In the Vaikunthaloka He is manifested in the four-handed form of Narayana. From each Narayana the forms of Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha are manifested. Thus Narayana is the center, and the four forms of Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha surround the Narayana form. Each of these four forms again expand into three, and these all have different names, beginning with Kesava. These forms are twelve in all, and they are known by different names according to the placement of symbols in their hands.

   As far as the Vasudeva form is concerned, the three expansions manifested from Him are Kesava, Narayana and Madhava. The three forms of Sankarsana are known as Govinda, Visnu and Sri Madhusudana. (It should be noted, however, that this Govinda form is not the same Govinda form that is manifested in Vrndavana as the son of Nanda Maharaja.) Similarly, Pradyumna is also divided into three forms known as Trivikrama, Vamana and Sridhara; and the three forms of Aniruddha are known as Hrsikesa, Padmanabha and Damodara.

 

                            Chapter Seven

                      Unlimited Forms of Godhead

 

   According to the Vaisnava almanac, the twelve months of the year are named according to the twelve Vaikuntha forms of Lord Krsna, and these forms are known as the predominating Deities for the twelve months. This calendar begins with the month of Margasirsa, which is equivalent to late October and early November. The remainder of November is known by Vaisnavas as Kesava. December is called Narayana, January is called Madhava, February is Govinda, March is Visnu, April Sri Madhusudana, May Trivikrama, June Vamana, July Sridhara, August Hrsikesa, September Padmanabha, and early October is known as Damodara. (The name Damodara was given to Krsna when He was bound by ropes by His mother, but the Damodara form in the month of October is a different manifestation). Just as the months of the year are known according to the twelve different names of the Supreme Lord, the Vaisnava community marks twelve parts of the body according to these names. For instance, the tilaka mark on the forehead is called Kesava, and on the stomach, breast and arms the other names are also given. These are the same names as those given the months.

   The four forms (Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha) are also expanded in the vilasa-murti. These are eight in number, and their names are Purusottama, Acyuta, Nrsimha, Janardana, Hari, Krsna, Adhoksaja and Upendra. Out of these eight, Adhoksaja and Purusottama are the vilasa forms of Vasudeva. Similarly, Upendra and Acyuta are the forms of Sankarsana; Nrsimha and Janardana are the forms of Pradyumna, and Hari and Krsna are the vilasa forms of Aniruddha. (This Krsna is different from the original Krsna.)

   These twenty-four forms are known as the vilasa manifestation of the prabhava (four-handed) form, and they are named differently according to the position of the symbolic representations (mace, disc, lotus flower and conch shell). Out of these twenty-four forms there are vilasa and vaibhava forms. Names mentioned herein, such as Pradyumna, Trivikrama, Vamana, Hari and Krsna, are also different in features. Then, coming to the prabhava-vilasa of Krsna (including Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha), there are a total of twenty further variations. All of these have Vaikuntha planets in the spiritual sky and are situated in eight different directions. Although each of them is eternally in the spiritual sky, some of them are nonetheless manifest in the material world also.

   In the spiritual sky all the planets dominated by the Narayana feature are eternal. The topmost planet in the spiritual sky is called Krsnaloka and is divided into three different portions: Gokula, Mathura and Dvaraka. In the Mathura portion, the form of Kesava is always situated. He is also represented on this earthly planet. In Mathura, India, the Kesava murti is worshiped, and similarly there is a Purusottama form in Jagannatha Puri in Orissa. In Anandaranya there is the form of Visnu, and in Mayapur, the birthplace of Lord Caitanya, there is the form of Hari. Many other forms are also situated in various places on the earth. Not only in this universe but in all other universes as well the forms of Krsna are distributed everywhere. It is indicated that this earth is divided into seven islands, which are the seven continents, and it is understood that on each and every island there are similar forms, but at the present moment these are found only in India. Although from Vedic literatures we can understand that there are forms in other parts of the world, at present there is no information of their location.

   The different forms of Krsna are distributed throughout the universe to give pleasure to the devotees. It is not that devotees are born only in India. There are devotees in all parts of the world, but they have simply forgotten their identity. These forms incarnate not only to give pleasure to the devotee but to reestablish devotional service and perform other activities which vitally concern the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Some of these forms are incarnations mentioned in the scriptures, such as the Visnu incarnation, Trivikrama incarnation, Nrsimha incarnation and Vamana incarnation.

   In the Siddhartha-samhita, there is a description of the twenty-four forms of Visnu, and these forms are named according to the position of the symbolic representations in Their four hands. When one describes the positions of objects in the hands of the Visnu murti, one should begin with the lower right hand then move to the upper right hand, upper left hand and, finally, to the lower left hand. In this way, Vasudeva may be described as being represented by mace, conch shell, disc and lotus flower. Sankarsana is represented by mace, conch shell, lotus flower and disc. Similarly, Pradyumna is represented by disc, conch shell, mace and lotus flower. Aniruddha is represented by disc, mace, conch shell and lotus flower. In the spiritual sky the representations of Narayana are twenty in number and are described as follows: Sri Kesava (flower, conch shell, disc, mace), Narayana (conch, flower, mace and disc), Sri Madhava (mace, disc, conch and flower), Sri Govinda (disc, mace, flower and conch), Visnu-murti (mace, flower, conch and disc), Madhusudana (disc, conch, flower and mace), Trivikrama (flower, mace, disc and shell), Sri Vamana (conch, disc, mace and flower), Sridhara (flower, disc, mace and shell), Hrsikesa (mace, disc, flower and conch), Padmanabha (shell, flower, disc and mace), Damodara (flower, disc, mace and shell), Purusottama (disc, flower, shell and mace), Acyuta (mace, flower, disc and shell), Nrsimha (disc, flower, mace and shell), Janardana (flower, disc, shell and mace), Sri Hari (shell, disc, flower and mace), Sri Krsna (shell, mace, flower and disc), Adhoksaja (flower, mace, shell and disc), and Upendra (shell, mace, disc and flower).

   According to the Hayasirsa-pancaratra, there are sixteen forms, and these forms are named differently according to the situations of the disc and mace. The conclusion is that the Supreme Original Personality of Godhead is Krsna. He is called lila-purusottama, and He resides principally in Vrndavana as the son of Nanda. It is also learned from the Hayasirsa-pancaratra that there are nine forms protecting each of the two Puris known as the Mathura Puri and the Dvaraka Puri: Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha protect one, and Narayana, Nrsimha, Hayagriva, Varaha and Brahma--protect the other. These are different manifestations of the prakasa and vilasa forms of Lord Krsna.

   Lord Caitanya also informs Sanatana Gosvami that there are different forms of svamsa as well, and these are divided into the Sankarsana division and the incarnation division. From the first division come the three purusa-avataras--the Karanodakasayi Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi Visnu--and from the other division come the lila-avataras, such as the Lord's incarnations as a fish, tortoise, etc.

   There are six kinds of incarnations: (1) the purusa-avatara, (2) the lila-avatara, (3) the guna-avatara, (4) the manvantara-avatara, (5) the yuga-avatara, and (6) the saktyavesa-avatara. Out of the six vilasa manifestations of Krsna, there are two divisions based on His age, and these are called balya and pauganda. As the son of Nanda Maharaja, Krsna in His original form enjoys both of these childhood aspects--namely balya and pauganda.

   It is thus safe to conclude that there is no end to the expansions and incarnations of Krsna. Lord Caitanya explains some of them to Sanatana just to give him an idea of how the Lord expands and enjoys. These conclusions are also confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.3.26). There it is said that there is no limit to the incarnations of the Supreme Lord, just as there is no limit to the waves of the ocean.

   Krsna first incarnates as the three purusa-avataras, namely the Maha-Visnu or Karanodakasayi avatara, the Garbhodakasayi avatara and the Ksirodakasayi avatara. This is confirmed in the Satvata-tantra. Krsna's energies can also be divided into three: His energy of thinking feeling and acting. When He exhibits His thinking energy, He is the Supreme Lord; when He exhibits His feeling energy, He is Lord Vasudeva; when He exhibits His acting energy, He is Sankarsana Balarama. Without His thinking, feeling and acting, there would be no possibility of creation. Although there is no creation in the spiritual world--for there the planets are beginningless--there is creation in the material world. In either case, however, both the spiritual and material worlds are manifestations of the energy of acting, in which Krsna acts in the form of Sankarsana and Balarama.

   The spiritual world of the Vaikuntha planets and Krsnaloka, the supreme planet, is situated in His energy of thinking. Although there is no creation in the spiritual world, which is eternal, it is still to be understood that the Vaikuntha planets depend on the thinking energy of the Supreme Lord. This thinking energy is described in Brahma-samhita (5.2), where it is said that the supreme abode, known as Goloka, is manifested like a lotus flower with hundreds of petals. Everything there is manifested by Ananta, the Balarama or Sankarsana form. The material cosmic manifestation and its different universes are manifest through maya, or material energy. However, one should not think that material nature or material energy is the cause of this cosmic manifestation. Rather, it is caused by the Supreme Lord, who uses His different expansions through material nature. In other words, there is no possibility of any creation without the superintendence of the Supreme Lord. The form by which the energy of material nature works to bring about creation is called the Sankarsana form, and it is understood that this cosmic manifestation is created under the superintendence of the Supreme Lord.

   In Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.46.31) it is said that Balarama and Krsna are the origin of all living entities and that these two personalities enter into everything. A list of incarnations is given in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.3), and they are as follows: (1) Kumaras, (2) Narada, (3) Varaha, (4) Matsya, (5) Yajna, (6) Nara-narayana, (7) Kardami Kapila, (8) Dattatreya, (9) Hayasirsa, (10) Hamsa, (1 1) Dhruvapriya or Prsnigarbha, (12) Rsabha, (13) Prthu, (14) Nrsimha, (15) Kurma, (16) Dhanvantari, (17) Mohini, (18) Vamana, (19) Bhargava (Parasurama), (20) Raghavendra, (21) Vyasa, (22) Pralambari Balarama, (23) Krsna, (24) Buddha (25) Kalki. Because almost all of these twenty-five lila-avataras appear in one day of Brahma, which is called a kalpa, they are sometimes called kalpa-avataras. Out of these, the incarnation of Hamsa and Mohini are not permanent, but Kapila, Dattatreya, Rsabha, Dhanvantari and Vyasa are five eternal forms, and they are more celebrated. The incarnations of the tortoise Kurma, the fish Matsya, Nara-narayana, Varaha, Hayasirsa, Prsnigarbha, and Balarama are considered to be incarnations of vaibhava. Similarly, there are three guna-avataras, or incarnations of the qualitative modes of nature, and these are Brahma, Visnu and Siva.

   Of the manvantara-avataras, there are fourteen: (1) Yajna, (2) Vibhu, (3) Satyasena, (4) Hari, (5) Vaikuntha, (6) Ajita, (7) Vamana, (8) Sarvabhauma, (9) Rsabha, (10) Visvaksena, (11) Dharmasetu, (12) Sudhama, (13) Yogesvara, (14) Brhadbhanu. Out of these fourteen manvantara-avataras, Yajna and Vamana are also lila-avataras, and the rest are manvantara-avataras. These fourteen manvantara-avataras are also known as vaibhava-avataras.

   The four yuga-avataras are also described in Srimad-Bhagavatam. In the Satya-yuga, the incarnation of God is white; in the Treta-yuga He is red; in the Dvapara-yuga, He is blackish; and in the Kali-yuga He is also blackish, but sometimes, in a special Kali-yuga, His color is yellowish (as in the case of Caitanya Mahaprabhu). As far as the saktyavesa-avataras are concerned, they include Kapila and Rsabha, Ananta, Brahma (sometimes the Lord Himself becomes Brahma), Catuhsana (the incarnation of knowledge), Narada (the incarnation of devotional service), King Prthu (the incarnation of administrative power), and Parasurama (the incarnation who subdues evil principles).

 

                            Chapter Eight

                             The Avataras

 

   Lord Caitanya continued to explain to Sanatana Gosvami that the expansions of Lord Krsna who come to the material creation are called avataras, or incarnations. The word avatara means "One who descends," and in this case the word specifically refers to one who descends from the spiritual sky. In the spiritual sky there are innumerable Vaikuntha planets, and from these planets the expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead come into this universe.

   The first descent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead from the expansion of Sankarsana is the purusa incarnation, Maha-Visnu. It is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.3.1) that when the Supreme Personality of Godhead descends as the first purusa incarnation of the material creation, He immediately manifests sixteen elementary energies. Known as the Maha-Visnu, He lies within the Causal Ocean, and it is He who is the original incarnation in the material world. He is the Lord of time, nature, cause and effect, mind, ego, the five elements, the three modes of nature, the senses and the universal form. Although He is master of all objects movable and immovable in the material world, He is totally independent.

   The influence of material nature cannot reach beyond the Viraja, or Causal Ocean, as confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.9.10). The modes of material nature (goodness, passion and ignorance), as well as material time, have no influence on the Vaikuntha planets. On those planets the liberated associates of Krsna live eternally, and they are worshiped both by the demigods and the demons.

   Material nature acts in two capacities as maya and pradhana. Maya is the direct cause, and pradhana refers to the elements of the material manifestation. When the first purusa-avatara, Maha-Visnu, glances over the material nature, material nature becomes agitated, and the purusa-avatara thus impregnates matter with living entities. Simply by the glance of the Maha-Visnu, consciousness is created, and this consciousness is known as mahat-tattva, The predominating Deity of the mahat-tattva is Vasudeva. This created consciousness is then divided into three departmental activities according to the three gunas, or modes of material nature. Consciousness in the mode of goodness is described in the Eleventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. The predominating Deity of the mode of goodness is called Aniruddha. Consciousness in the mode of material passion produces intelligence, and the predominating Deity in this case is Pradyumna. He is the master of the senses. Consciousness in the mode of ignorance causes the production of ether, the sky and the sense of hearing. The cosmic manifestation is a combination of all these modes, and in this way innumerable universes are created. No one can count the number of universes.

   These innumerable universes are produced from the pores of the Maha-Visnu's body. As innumerable particles of dust pass through the tiny holes in a screen, similarly from the pores of the Maha-Visnu's body innumerable universes emanate. As He breathes out, innumerable universes are produced, and as He inhales, they are annihilated. All of the energies of the Maha-Visnu are spiritual, and they have nothing to do with the material energy. In Brahma-samhita (5.48) it is stated that the predominating deity of each universe, Brahma, lives only during one breath of the Maha-Visnu. Thus Maha-Visnu is the original Supersoul of all the universes and the master of all universes as well.

   The second Visnu incarnation, the Garbhodakasayi Visnu, enters each and every universe, spreads water from His body, and lies down on that water. From His navel, the stem of a lotus flower grows, and on that lotus flower the first creature, Brahma, is born. Within the stem of that lotus flower are fourteen divisions of planetary systems, which are created by Brahma. Within each universe the Lord is present as the Garbhodakasayi Visnu, and He maintains each universe and tends to its needs. Although He is within each material universe, the influence of material energy cannot touch Him. When it is required, this very same Visnu takes the form of Lord Siva and annihilates the cosmic creation. The three secondary incarnations--Brahma, Visnu and Siva--are the predominating deities of the three modes of material nature. The master of the universe, however, is the Garbhodakasayi Visnu, who is worshiped as the Hiranyagarbha Supersoul. The Vedic hymns describe Him as having thousands of heads. Although He is within the material nature, He is not touched by it.

   The third incarnation of Visnu, Ksirodakasayi Visnu, is also an incarnation of the mode of goodness. He is also the Supersoul of all living entities, and He resides on the ocean of milk within the universe. Thus Caitanya Mahaprabhu described the purusa-avataras.

   Lord Caitanya next described the lila-avataras, or "pastime" avataras, and of these the Lord points out that there is no limit. However, He describes some of them--for example, Matsya, Kurma, Raghunatha, Nrsimha, Vamana and Varaha.

   As far as the guna-avataras, or qualitative incarnations of Visnu, are concerned, they are three--Brahma, Visnu and Siva. Brahma is one of the living entities, but due to his devotional service he is very powerful. This primal living entity, master of the mode of material passion, is directly empowered by the Garbhodakasayi Visnu to create innumerable living entities. In Brahma-samhita (5.49) Brahma is likened to valuable jewels influenced by the rays of the sun, and the sun is likened to the Supreme Lord Garbhodakasayi Visnu. If in some kalpa there is no suitable living entity capable of acting in Brahma's capacity, Garbhodakasayi Visnu Himself manifests as Brahma and acts accordingly.

   Similarly, by expanding Himself as Lord Siva, the Supreme Lord is engaged when there is a need to annihilate the universe. Lord Siva, in association with maya, has many forms, which are generally numbered at eleven. Lord Siva is not one of the living entities; he is, more or less, Krsna Himself. The example of milk and yogurt is often given in this regard--yogurt is a preparation of milk, but still yogurt cannot be used as milk. Similarly, Lord Siva is an expansion of Krsna, but he cannot act as Krsna, nor can we derive the spiritual restoration from Lord Siva that we derive from Krsna. The essential difference is that Lord Siva has a connection with material nature, but Visnu or Lord Krsna has nothing to do with material nature. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.88.3) it is stated that Lord Siva is a combination of three kinds of transformed consciousness known as vaikarika, taijasa and tamasa.

   The Visnu incarnation, although master of the modes of goodness within each universe, is in no way in touch with the influence of material nature. Although Visnu is equal to Krsna, Krsna is the original source. Visnu is a part, but Krsna is the whole. This is the version given by Vedic literatures. In Brahma-samhita the example is given of an original candle which lights a second candle. Although both candles are of equal power, one is accepted as the original, and the other is said to be kindled from the original. The Visnu expansion is like the second candle. He is as powerful as Krsna, but the original Visnu is Krsna. Brahma and Lord Siva are obedient servants of the Supreme Lord, and the Supreme Lord as Visnu is an expansion of Krsna.

   After describing the Lila and guna-avataras, Lord Caitanya explains the manvantara-avataras to Sanatana Gosvami. He first states that there is no possibility of counting the manvantara-avataras. In one kalpa, or one day of Brahma, fourteen Manus are manifest. One day of Brahma is calculated at 4 billion 320 million years, and Brahma lives for one hundred years on this scale. Thus if fourteen Manus appear in one day of Brahma, there are 420 Manus during one month of Brahma, and during one year of Brahma there are 5,040 Manus. Since Brahma lives for one hundred of his years, it is calculated that there are 504,000 Manus manifest during the lifetime of one Brahma. Since there are innumerable universes, no one can imagine the totality of the manvantara incarnations. Because all the universes are produced simultaneously by the exhalation of the Maha-Visnu, no one can begin to calculate how many Manus are manifest at one time. Each Manu, however, is called by a different name. The first Manu is called Svayambhuva, and he is the son of Brahma. The second Manu, Svarocisa, is the son of the predominating deity of fire. The third Manu is Uttama, and he is the son of King Priyavrata. The fourth Manu, Tamasa, is the brother of Uttama. The fifth Manu, called Raivata, and the sixth Manu, Caksusa, are both brothers of Tamasa, but Caksusa is the son of Caksu. The seventh Manu is called Vaivasvata, and he is the son of the sun-god. The eighth Manu is called Savarni, and he is also a son of the sun-god, born of a wife named Chaya. The ninth Manu, Daksasavarni, is the son of Varuna. The tenth Manu, Brahmasavarni, is the son of Upasloka. Four other Manus are known as Rudrasavarni, Dharmasavarni, Devasavarni and Indrasavarni.

   After describing the Manu incarnations, Lord Caitanya explained the yuga-avataras to Sanatana Gosvami. There are four yugas, or millennia--Satya, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali--and in each millennium the Supreme Lord incarnates, and each incarnation has a different color according to the yuga. In the Satya-yuga the color of the principal incarnation is white. In the Treta-yuga the color is red, in the Dvapara-yuga the color is blackish (Krsna), and in the Kali-yuga the color of the principal incarnation is yellow (Caitanya Mahaprabhu). This is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.8.13) by the astrologer Gargamuni, who calculated Krsna's horoscope in the house of Nanda Maharaja.

   In the Satya-yuga the process of self-realization was meditation, and this process is taught by the white incarnation of God. This incarnation gave a benediction to the sage Kardama by which he could have an incarnation of the Personality of Godhead as his son. In the Satya-yuga, everyone meditated on Krsna, and each and every living entity was in full knowledge. In this present age, Kali-yuga, people who are not in full knowledge are still attempting this meditative process which was recommended for a previous age. The process for self-realization recommended in the Treta millennium was the performance of sacrifice, and this was taught by the red incarnation of God. In the Dvapara millennium, Krsna was personally present, and He was worshiped by everyone by the mantra:

 

                         namas te vasudevaya

                          namah sankarsanaya

                        pradyumnayaniruddhaya

                       tubhyam bhagavate namah

 

   "Let me offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha." This was the process of self-realization for the Dvapara age. In the next millennium--this present age of Kali-yuga--the Lord incarnates to preach the chanting of the holy name of Krsna. In this age the Lord is yellow (Caitanya Mahaprabhu), and He teaches people love of God by chanting the names of Krsna. This teaching is carried out personally by Krsna, and He exhibits love of Godhead by chanting, singing and dancing with thousands of people following Him. This particular incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is foretold in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.32):

 

                       krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam

                       sangopangastra-parsadam

                      yajnaih sankirtana-prayair

                        yajanti hi sumedhasah

 

   "In the age of Kali the Lord incarnates as a devotee, yellowish in color, and is always chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Although He is Krsna, His complexion is not blackish like Krsna's in Dvapara-yuga but is golden. It is in Kali-yuga that the Lord engages in preaching love of Godhead through the sankirtana movement, and those living entities who are intelligent adopt this process of self-realization." It is also stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.3.52):

 

                       krte yad dhyayato visnum

                       tretayam yajato makhaih

                         dvapare paricaryayam

                       kalau taddhari-kirtanat

 

   "The self-realization which was achieved in the Satya millennium by meditation, in the Treta millennium by the performance of different sacrifices, and in the Dvapara millennium by worship of Lord Krsna, can be achieved in the age of Kali simply by chanting the holy names, Hare Krsna." This is also confirmed in Visnu purana (6.2.17) where it is stated:.

 

                      dhyayan krte yajan yajnais

                       tretayam dvapare 'rcayan

                        yad apnoti tad apnoti

                       kalau sankirtya kesavam

 

   "In this age there is no use in meditation, sacrifice and temple worship. Simply by chanting the holy name of Krsna--Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare--one can achieve perfect self-realization."

   When Lord Caitanya described the incarnation for this age of Kali, Sanatana Gosvami, who had been a government minister and was perfectly capable of drawing conclusions, directly asked of the Lord, "How can one understand the advent of an incarnation?" By the description of the incarnation for the Kali millennium, Sanatana Gosvami could understand that Lord Caitanya was indeed that incarnation of Krsna, and he could also understand that in the future there would be many people who would try to imitate Lord Caitanya because the Lord played as an ordinary brahmana, despite the fact that His devotees accepted Him as an incarnation. Since Sanatana knew that there would be many pretenders, he asked the Lord, "How can one understand the symptoms of an incarnation?"

   "As one can understand the different incarnations for different millenniums by referring to Vedic literatures,"the Lord replied, "one can similarly understand who is actually the incarnation of Godhead in this age of Kali." In this way the Lord especially stressed reference to authoritative scriptures. In other words, one should not whimsically accept a person as an incarnation but should try to understand the characteristics of an incarnation by referring to scriptures. An incarnation of the Supreme Lord never declares Himself to be an incarnation, but His followers must ascertain who is an incarnation and who is a pretender by referring to authoritative scriptures.

   Any intelligent person can understand the characteristics of an avatara by understanding two features--the principal feature, called personality, and the marginal features. In the scriptures there are descriptions of the characteristics of the body and the activities of an incarnation, and the description of the body is the principal feature by which an incarnation can be identified. The activities of the incarnation are the marginal features. This is confirmed in the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.1.1) where the features of an avatara are nicely described. In that verse, the two terms param and satyam are used, and Lord Caitanya indicates that these words reveal Krsna's principal feature. The other marginal features indicate that He taught Vedic knowledge to Brahma and incarnated as the purusa-avatara to create the cosmic manifestation. These are occasional features manifest for some special purposes. One should be able to understand and distinguish the principal and marginal features of an avatara. No one can declare himself an incarnation without referring to these two features. An intelligent man will not accept anyone as an avatara without studying the principal and marginal features. When Sanatana Gosvami tried to confirm Lord Caitanya's personal characteristics as being those of the incarnation of this age, Lord Caitanya Himself indirectly made the confirmation by simply saying, "Let us leave aside all these discussions and continue with a description of the saktyavesa-avataras."

   The Lord then pointed out that there is no limit to the saktyavesa-avataras and that they cannot be counted. However, some can be mentioned as examples. The saktyavesa incarnations are of two kinds--direct and indirect. When the Lord Himself comes, He is called saksat, or a direct saktyavesa-avatara, and when He empowers some living entity to represent Him that living entity is called an indirect or avesa incarnation. Examples of indirect avataras are the four Kumaras, Narada, Prthu and Parasurama. These are actually living entities, but there is specific power given to them by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When a specific opulence of the Supreme Lord is invested in specific entities, they are called avesa-avataras. The four Kumaras specifically represent the Supreme Lord's opulence of knowledge. Narada represents the devotional service of the Supreme Lord. Devotional service is also represented by Lord Caitanya, who is considered to be the full representation of devotional service. In Brahma the opulence of creative power is invested, and in King Prthu the power for maintaining the living entities is invested. Similarly, in Parasurama the power for killing evil elements is invested. As far as vibhati, or the special favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is concerned, it is described in the Tenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita that a living entity who appears to be especially powerful or beautiful should be known to be especially favored by the Supreme Lord.

   Examples of direct or saksad-avataras are the Sesa incarnation and the Ananta incarnation. In Ananta the power for sustaining all planets is invested, and in the Sesa incarnation the power for serving the Supreme Lord is invested.

   After describing the saktyavesa incarnations, Caitanya Mahaprabhu began to speak about the age of the Supreme Lord. He said that the Supreme Lord Krsna is always like a sixteen-year-old boy, and when He desires to descend on this universe, He first of all sends His father and mother, who are His devotees, and then He advents Himself as an incarnation, or He comes personally. All His activities--beginning with the killing of the Putana demon--are displayed in innumerable universes, and there is no limit to them. Indeed, at every moment, at every second, His manifestations and various pastimes are seen in different universes (brahmandas). Thus His activities are just like the waves of the Ganges River. Just as there is no limit to the flowing of the waves of the Ganges, there is no cessation of Lord Krsna's incarnations in different universes. From childhood He displays many pastimes, and ultimately He exhibits the rasa dance.

   It is said that all the pastimes of Krsna are eternal, and this is confirmed in every scripture. Generally people cannot understand how Krsna performs His pastimes, but Lord Caitanya clarified this by comparing His pastimes to the orbit of the earth about the sun. According to Vedic astrological calculations, the twenty-four hours of a day and night are divided into sixty dandas. The days are again divided into 3,600 palas. The sun disc can be perceived in every sixty palas, and that time constitutes a danda. Eight dandas make one prahara, and the sun rises and sets with in four praharas. Similarly, four praharas constitute one night, and after that the sun rises. Similarly, all the pastimes of Krsna can be seen in any of the universes, just as the sun can be seen in its movement through 3,600 palas.

   Lord Krsna remains in this universe for only 125 years, but all the pastimes of that period are exhibited in each and every universe. These pastimes include His appearance, His boyhood activities, His youth and His later pastimes up to those pastimes at Dvaraka. Since all these pastimes are present in one or another of the myriad universes at any given time, they are called eternal. The sun is eternally existing, although we see it rise and set, appear and disappear, according to our position on the planet. Similarly, the Lord's pastimes are going on, although we can see them manifest in this particular universe only at certain intervals. His abode is the supreme planet known as Goloka Vrndavana, and by His will, this Goloka Vrndavana is manifested in this universe and in other universes as well. Thus the Lord is always in His supreme abode, Goloka Vrndavana, and by His supreme will His activities there are also manifested in innumerable universes. When He appears, He appears in those particular places, and in every manifestation His six opulences are displayed.

 

                             Chapter Nine

                        The Opulences of Krsna

 

   Since Lord Caitanya is especially merciful to innocent, unsophisticated persons, His name is also Patitapavana, the deliverer of the most fallen conditioned souls. Although a conditioned soul may be fallen to the lowest position, it is possible for him to advance in spiritual science if he is innocent. Sanatana Gosvami was considered to be fallen according to the Hindu social system because he was in the service of the Mohammedan government. Indeed, he had even been excommunicated from brahminical society due to his employment. But because he was a sincere soul, Lord Caitanya showed him special favor by granting him a wealth of spiritual information.

   The Lord next explained the situation of different spiritual planets in the spiritual sky. The spiritual planets are also known as Vaikuntha planets. The universes of the material creation have a limited length and breadth, but as far as the Vaikuntha planets are concerned, there is no limitation to their dimensions because they are spiritual. Lord Caitanya informed Sanatana Gosvami that the length and breadth of each and every Vaikuntha planet is millions and billions of miles. Each of these planets is unlimitedly expanded, and in each and every one of them there are residents who are full in all six opulences--wealth, strength, knowledge, beauty, fame and renunciation. In each and every one of these Vaikuntha planets an expansion of Krsna has His eternal abode, and Krsna Himself has His original, eternal abode called Krsnaloka or Goloka Vrndavana.

   In this universe even the largest planet lies in one corner of outer space. Although the sun is thousands of times larger than the earth, it still lies in one corner of outer space. Similarly, each of the infinite planets, although unlimited in length and breadth, lies in a corner of the spiritual sky known as the brahmajyoti. In the Brahma-samhita this brahmajyoti is described as niskalam anantam asesa-bhutam, or undivided and unlimited and without a trace of the material modes of nature. All the Vaikuntha planets are like petals of a lotus flower, and the principal part of that lotus, called Krsnaloka or Goloka Vrndavana, is the center of all the Vaikunthas. Thus the expansions of Krsna in various forms, as described herein, as well as His various abodes on the spiritual planets in the spiritual sky, are unlimited. Even demigods like Brahma and Siva cannot see or even estimate the extent of the Vaikuntha planets. This is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.21): "No one can estimate the length and breadth of all the Vaikuntha planets." It is also stated there that not only demigods like Brahma and Siva are unable to make such an estimate, but even Ananta, the very incarnation of the Lord's opulence of strength, cannot ascertain any limit to the Lord's potency or to the area of the different Vaikuntha planets.

   The prayers of Brahma, mentioned in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.21), are very convincing in this connection, for therein Lord Brahma says:

 

                  ko vetti bhuman bhagavan paratman

                   yogesvarotir bhavatas tri-lokyam

                   kva va katham va kati va kadeti

                    vistarayan kridasi yoga-mayam

 

   "O my dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, O Supersoul, O master of all mystic powers, no one can know or explain Your expansions, which You manifest by Your yogamaya energy. These expansions extend throughout the three worlds." Brahma also says in his prayers:

 

                   gunatmanas te 'pi gunan vimatum

                     hitavatirnasya ka isire 'sya

                   kalena yair va vimitah sukalpair

                  bhu-pamsavah khe mihika dyubhasah

 

   "Scientists and learned men cannot even estimate the atomic constitution of a single planet. Even if they could count the molecules of snow in the sky or the number of stars in space, they cannot estimate how it is You descend on this earth or in this universe with Your innumerable transcendental potencies, energies and qualities." (Bhag. 10.14.7) Lord Brahma informed Narada that none of the great sages, including himself, could estimate the potential strength and energy of the Supreme Lord. He admitted that even if Ananta with His thousands of tongues tried to estimate the Lord's energies, He would fail. Therefore the Personified Vedas also prayed:

 

              dyupataya eva te na yayur antam anantataya

             tvam api yad antaranda-nicaya nanu savaranah

           kha iva rajamsi vanti vayasa saha yac chrutayas

           tvayi hi phalanty atannirasanena bhavan-nidhanah

 

   "My Lord, You are unlimited, and no one has estimated the extent of Your potencies. I think that even You do not know the range of Your potential energies. Unlimited planets float in the sky just like atoms, and great Vedantists, who are engaged in research to find You, discover that everything is different from You. Thus they finally decide that You are everything." (Bhag. 10.87.41)

   When Lord Krsna was within this universe, Brahma played a trick on Him in order to confirm that the cowherd boy in Vrndavana was actually Krsna Himself. By his mystic power, Brahma stole all the cows, calves and cowherd friends of Krsna and hid them. However, when he returned to see what Krsna was doing alone, he saw that Krsna was still playing with the same cows, calves and cowherd boys. In other words, by His Vaikuntha potency, Lord Krsna had expanded all the stolen cows, calves and friends. Indeed, Brahma saw millions and billions of them, and he also saw millions and billions of tons of sugarcane and fruit, lotus flowers and horns. The cowherd boys were decorated with various clothes and ornaments, and no one could count their vast numbers. Indeed, Brahma saw that each of the cowherd boys had become a four-handed Narayana like the predominating Deity of each brahmanda, and he also saw that innumerable Brahmas were engaged in offering obeisances to the Lord. He saw that all of them were emanating from the body of Krsna and, after a second, also entering into His body. Lord Brahma became struck with wonder and in his prayer admitted that although anyone and everyone could say that they knew about Krsna, as far as he was concerned, he did not know anything about Him. "My dear Lord," he said, "the potencies and opulences which You have exhibited just now are beyond the ability of my mind to understand."

   Lord Caitanya further explained that not only Krsnaloka but even Vrndavana, Lord Krsna's abode on this planet, cannot be estimated as far as potency is concerned. From one point of view, Vrndavana is estimated to be thirty-two square miles in area, yet in one part of this Vrndavana all the Vaikunthas exist. The area of the present Vrndavana miles in area, and Vrndavana City is estimated to be about sixteen krosas, or thirty-two miles. How it is all the Vaikunthas exist there is beyond material calculation. Thus Caitanya Mahaprabhu proclaimed the potencies and opulences of Krsna to be unlimited. Whatever He told Sanatana Gosvami was only partial, but by such a partial presentation one can try to imagine the whole.

   While Lord Caitanya was speaking to Sanatana Gosvami about the opulences of Krsna, He was deep in ecstasy, and in that transcendental state He cited a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.2.21) in which Uddhava, after the disappearance of Krsna, told Vidura:

 

                  svayam tv asamyatisayas tryadhisah

                  svarajya-laksmyapta-samasta-kamah

                   balim haradbhis cira-lokapalaih

                     kirita-kotyedita-padapithah

 

   "Krsna is the master of all demigods, including Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and the expansion of Visnu within this universe. Therefore no one is equal to or greater than Him, and He is full in six opulences. All the demigods engaged in the administration of each universe [brahmanda] offer their respectful obeisances unto Him. Indeed, the helmets on their heads are beautiful because they are decorated with the imprints of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord." It is similarly stated in Brahma-samhita (5.1) that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and no one can be equal to or greater than Him. Although masters of each and every universe, Brahma, Siva and Visnu are servants of the Supreme Lord Krsna. That is the conclusion. As the cause of all causes, Lord Krsna is the cause of the Maha-Visnu, the first incarnation and controller of this material creation. From the Maha-Visnu, the Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi Visnu come; thus Krsna is master of the Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi Visnu, and He is also the Supersoul within every living entity in the universe. In Brahma-samhita (5.48) it is stated that by the Maha-Visnu's breathing, innumerable universes are produced, and in each universe there are innumerable Visnu-tattvas, but it should be understood that Lord Krsna is the master of them all, and they are but partial plenary expansions of Krsna.

   From revealed scriptures it is understood that Krsna lives in three transcendental places. The most confidential residence of Krsna is Goloka Vrndavana. It is there that He stays with His father, mother and friends, exhibits His transcendental relationships and bestows His mercy amongst His eternal entourage. There yogamaya acts as His maidservant in the rasa-lila dance. The residents of Vrajabhumi think, "The Lord is glorified by particles of His transcendental mercy and affection, and we, the residents of Vrndavana, have not the slightest anxiety due to His merciful existence." As stated in Brahma-samhita (5.43), all the Vaikuntha planets in the spiritual sky (known as Visnuloka) are situated in the planet known as Krsnaloka, Goloka Vrndavana. In that supreme planet the Lord enjoys His transcendental bliss in multiple forms, and all the opulences of the Vaikunthas are fully displayed in that one planet. The associates of Krsna are also full with six opulences. In the Padmottara-khanda (225.57) it is stated that the material energy and the spiritual energy are separated by water known as the Viraja River. That river flows from the perspiration of the first purusa incarnation. On one bank of the Viraja is the eternal nature, unlimited and all-blissful, called the spiritual sky, and this is the spiritual kingdom, or the kingdom of God. The spiritual planets are called Vaikunthas because there is no lamentation or fear there; everything is eternal. The spiritual world has been calculated to comprise three-fourths of the energies of the Supreme Lord, and the material world is said to comprise one-fourth of His energy, but no one can understand what this three-fourths is, since even this material universe, which comprises only one-fourth of His energy, cannot be described. Trying to convey to Sanatana Gosvami something of the extent of one-fourth of Krsna's energy, Caitanya Mahaprabhu cited an incident from Srimad-Bhagavatam in which Brahma, the lord of the universe, came to see Krsna at Dvaraka. When Brahma approached Krsna, the doorman informed Krsna that Brahma had arrived to see Him. Upon hearing this, Krsna inquired as to which Brahma had come, and the doorman returned to Brahma and asked, "Which Brahma are you? Krsna has asked."

   Brahma was struck with wonder. Why did Krsna ask such a question? He informed the doorman, "Please tell Him that Brahma, who is the father of the four Kumaras and who has four heads, has come to see Him."

   The doorman informed Krsna and then asked Brahma inside. Brahma offered his obeisances unto the lotus feet of Krsna, and after receiving him with all honor, Krsna inquired about the purpose of his visit.

   "I shall tell You of my purpose in coming here," Lord Brahma replied, "but first I have a doubt which I ask You to kindly remove. Your doorman told me that You asked which Brahma has come to see You. May I inquire if there are other Brahmas besides me?"

   Upon hearing this, Krsna smiled and at once called for many Brahmas from many universes. The four-headed Brahma then saw many other Brahmas coming to see Krsna and to offer their respects. Some of them had ten heads, some had twenty, some had a hundred and some even had a million heads. Indeed, the four-headed Brahma could not even count the Brahmas who were coming to offer their obeisances to Krsna. Krsna then called many other demigods from various universes, and they all came to offer their respects to the Lord. Upon seeing this wonderful exhibition, the four-headed Brahma became nervous and began to think of himself as no more than a mosquito in the midst of many elephants. Since so many demigods were offering obeisances unto the lotus feet of Krsna, Brahma concluded that the unlimited potency of Krsna could not be estimated. All the helmets of the various demigods and Brahmas shone brightly in the great assembly, and the prayers of the demigods made a great sound.

   "Dear Lord," the demigods said, "it is Your great mercy that You have called us to see You. Is there any particular order? If so, we will carry it out at once."

   "There is nothing especially required of you," Lord Krsna replied. "I only wanted to see you together at one time. I offer My blessing to you. Don't fear the demons."

   "By Your mercy, everything is all right," they all replied. "There are no disturbances at present, for by Your incarnation everything inauspicious is vanquished."

   As each of the Brahmas saw Krsna, each thought that He was only within his universe. After this incident, Krsna wished all the Brahmas farewell, and after offering respects to Him, they returned to their respective universes. Upon seeing this, the four-headed Brahma at once fell down at the feet of Krsna and said, "What I thought about You at first was all nonsensical. Everyone may say that they know You in perfection, but as far as I am concerned, I cannot begin to conceive how great You are. You are beyond my conception and understanding."

   "This particular universe is only four thousand million miles broad," Krsna then informed him, "but there are many millions and billions of universes which are far, far greater than this one. Some of these are many trillions of miles broad, and all these universes require strong Brahmas, not just four-headed." Krsna further informed Brahma, "This material creation is only a quarter manifestation of My creative potency. Three quarters of My creative potency is in the spiritual kingdom."

   After offering obeisances, the four-headed Brahma parted from Krsna, and he could understand the meaning of the Lord's "three-quarters energy."

   The Lord is therefore known as Tryadhisvara, a name indicating His principal abodes--Gokula, Mathura and Dvaraka. These three abodes are full of opulences, and Lord Krsna is the master of them all. Situated in His transcendental potency, Lord Krsna is master of all transcendental energies, and He is full with six opulences. Because He is master of all opulences, all Vedic literatures acclaim Krsna to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

   Lord Caitanya then sang a nice song about the opulences of Krsna, and Sanatana Gosvami listened. "All the pastimes of Krsna are exactly like the activities of human beings," the Lord sang. "Therefore it is to be understood that His form is like that of a human being. Indeed, a human being is but an imitation of His form. Krsna's dress is just like that of a cowherd boy's. He has a flute in His hand, and He seems to be just like a newly grown youth. He is always playful, and He plays just like an ordinary boy." Lord Caitanya then told Sanatana Gosvami about the beautiful aspects of Krsna. He said that one who understands these beautiful qualities enjoys an ocean of nectar. The yogamaya potency of Krsna is transcendental and beyond the material energy, but the Lord exhibits His transcendental potency even within this material world just to satisfy His confidential devotees. Thus He appears in the material world to satisfy His devotees, and His qualities are so attractive that Krsna Himself becomes eager to understand Himself. When He is fully decorated and stands with His body curved in three ways--His eyebrows always moving and His eyes so attractive--the gopis become enchanted. His spiritual abode is at the top of the spiritual sky, and He resides there with His associates, the cowherd boys, the gopis, and all the goddesses of fortune. It is there that He is known as Madana-mohana.

   There are many different pastimes of Krsna--such as His pastimes in the forms of Vasudeva and Sankarsana--and in the material sky His pastimes are carried on as the first purusa incarnation, the creator of the material world. There are also pastimes in which He incarnates as a fish or a tortoise, and there are pastimes in which He takes the forms of Lord Brahma and Lord Siva, as incarnations of the material qualities. In His pastimes as an empowered incarnation, He takes the form of King Prthu, and He also carries on His pastimes as the Supersoul in everyone's heart and as the impersonal Brahman as well. Although He has innumerable pastimes, the most important is that of Krsna in human form frolicking in Vrndavana, dancing with the gopis, playing with the Pandavas on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra and playing in Mathura and Dvaraka. Of His important pastimes in human form, the most important are those pastimes in which He appears as a cowherd boy, a newly grown youth who plays a flute. It is to be understood that a mere partial manifestation of His pastimes in Goloka, Mathura and Dvaravati, or Dvaraka, can overflood the whole universe with love of Godhead. Every living entity can be attracted by the beautiful qualities of Krsna.

   The manifestation of His internal potency is not even exhibited in the kingdom of God or on the planets of Vaikuntha, but He does exhibit that internal potency within the universe when, through His inconceivable mercy, He descends from His personal abode. Krsna is so wonderful and attractive that He Himself becomes attracted by His own beauty, and this is proof that He is full of all inconceivable potencies. As far as Krsna's ornaments are concerned, when they decorate His body it appears that they do not beautify Him, but the ornaments themselves become beautiful simply by being on His body. When He stands in a three-curved way, He attracts all living entities, including the demigods. Indeed, He even attracts the Narayana form which presides in each and every Vaikuntha planet.

 

                             Chapter Ten

                         The Beauty of Krsna

 

   Krsna is known as Madana-mohana because He conquers the mind of Cupid. He is also known as Madana-mohana due to His accepting the devotional service of the damsels of Vraja and rendering favors unto them. After conquering Cupid's pride, the Lord engages in the rasa dance as the new Cupid. He is also known as Madana-mohana because of His ability to conquer the minds of women with His five arrows called form, taste, smell, sound and touch. The pearls of the necklace which hangs about the neck of Krsna are as white as ducks, and the peacock feather which decorates His head is colored like a rainbow. His yellow garment is like lightning in the sky, and Krsna Himself is like the newly arrived clouds. The gopis are like footbells on His feet, and when the cloud pours rain on the grains in the field, it appears that Krsna is nourishing the hearts of the gopis by calling down His pastime rain of mercy. Indeed, ducks fly in the sky during the rainy season, and rainbows can also be seen at that time. Krsna freely moves amongst His friends as a cowherd boy in Vrndavana, and when He plays His flute, all living creatures, mobile and immobile, become overwhelmed with ecstasy. They quiver, and tears flow from their eyes. Of Krsna's various opulences, His conjugal love is the summit. He is the master of all riches, all strength, all fame, all beauty, all knowledge and all renunciation, and out of these, His perfect beauty is His conjugal attraction. The form of Krsna, the conjugal beauty, is eternally existent in Krsna alone, whereas His other opulences are present in His Narayana form.

   When Lord Caitanya described the superexcellence of Krsna's conjugal attraction, He felt transcendental ecstasy, and, catching the hands of Sanatana Gosvami, He began to proclaim how fortunate the damsels of Vraja were, reciting a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.44.14):

 

               gopyas tapah kim acaran yad amusya rupam

              lavanya-saram asamordh vam ananya-siddham

               drgbhih pibanty anusavabhinavam durapam

                ekanta-dhama yasasah sriya aisvarasya

 

   "What great penance and austerities the damsels of Vrndavana must have undergone, for they are able to drink the nectar of Krsna, who is all beauty, all strength, all riches, all fame and whose bodily luster is the center of all beauty."

   The body of Krsna, the ocean of the eternal beauty of youth, can be seen to move in waves of beauty. There is a whirlwind at the sound of His flute, and those waves and that whirlwind make the hearts of the gopis flutter like dry leaves on trees, and when those leaves fall down at Krsna's lotus feet, they can never rise up again. There is no beauty to compare with Krsna's, for no one possesses beauty greater than or equal to His. Since He is the origin of all incarnations, including the form of Narayana, the goddess of fortune, who is a constant companion of Narayana, gives up Narayana's association and engages herself in penance in order to gain the association of Krsna. Such is the greatness of the superexcellent beauty of Krsna, the everlasting mine of all beauty. It is from that beauty that all beautiful things emanate.

   The attitude of the gopis is like a mirror upon which the reflection of Krsna's beauty develops at every moment. Both Krsna and the gopis increase their transcendental beauty at every moment, and there is always transcendental competition between them. No one can appreciate the beauty of Krsna by properly discharging his occupational duty, or by austerities, mystic yoga, cultivation of knowledge or by prayers. Only those who are on the transcendental platform of love of God, who out of love engage in devotional service, can appreciate the transcendental beauty of Krsna. Such beauty is the essence of all opulences and is only appreciated in Goloka Vrndavana and nowhere else. In the form of Narayana the beauties of mercy, fame, etc., are all established by Krsna, but Krsna's gentleness and magnanimity do not exist in Narayana. They are found only in Krsna.

   Lord Caitanya, greatly relishing all the verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam which He was explaining to Sanatana, quoted another verse (Bhag. 9.24.65):

 

                yasyananam makara-kundala-caru-karna-

                bhrajat-kapola-subhagam savllasa-hasam

               nityotsavam na tatrpur drsibhih pibantyo

                naryo naras ca muditah kupita nimes ca

 

   "The gopis used to relish the beauty of Krsna as a ceremony of perpetual enjoyment. They enjoyed the beautiful face of Krsna, His beautiful ears with earrings, His broad forehead and His smile, and when enjoying this sight of Krsna's beauty, they used to criticize the creator Brahma for causing their vision of Krsna to be momentarily impeded by the blinking of their eyelids."

   The Vedic hymn known as kama-gayatri describes the face of Krsna as the king of all moons. In metaphorical language, there are many different moons, but they are all one in Krsna. There is the moon of His mouth, the moon of His cheeks, the moonspots of sandalwood pulp on His body, the moons of the fingertips of His hands and the moons of the tips of His toes. In this way there are twenty-four and a half moons, and Krsna is the central figure of all of them.

   The dancing movement of Krsna's earrings, eyes and eyebrows is very attractive to the damsels of Vraja. Activities in devotional service increase the sense of devotional service. What else is there for two eyes to see beyond the face of Krsna? Since one cannot adequately see Krsna with only two eyes, one feels incapable and thus becomes bereaved. Such bereavement is slightly reduced when one criticizes the creative power of the creator. The unsatiated seer of Krsna's face nonetheless laments: "I do not have thousands of eyes, but only two, and these are disturbed by the movements of my eyelids. Therefore it is to be understood that the creator of this body is not very intelligent. He is not conversant in the art of ecstasy but is simply a prosaic creator. He does not know how to arrange things properly so one can see only Krsna."

   The gopis' minds are always engaged in relishing the sweetness of Krsna's body. He is the ocean of beauty, and His beautiful face and smile and the luster of His body are all-attractive to the minds of the gopis. In krsna-karnamrta, His face, smile and bodily luster have been described as sweet, sweeter and sweetest. A perfect devotee of Krsna is overwhelmed by seeing the beauty of Krsna's bodily luster, His face and smile, and he bathes in the ocean of transcendental convulsions. Before Krsna's beauty, these convulsions often continue without treatment, just as ordinary convulsions which a physician will allow to continue, not even allowing a drink of water for relief.

   The devotee increasingly feels the absence of Krsna, for without Him one cannot drink the nectar of His beauty. When the transcendental sound of Krsna's flute is heard, the devotee's anxiety to continue to hear that flute enables him to penetrate the covering of the material world and enter into the spiritual sky, where the transcendental sound of the flute enters into the ears of the followers of the gopis. The sound of Krsna's flute always resides within the ears of the gopis and increases their ecstasy. When it is heard, no other sound can enter into their ears, and amongst their family they are not able to reply to questions properly, for all these beautiful sounds are vibrating in their ears.

   Thus Lord Caitanya explained the transcendental constitution of Krsna, His expansions, His bodily luster and everything connected with Him. In short, Lord Caitanya explained Krsna as He is, as well as the process by which one can approach Him. In this regard, Caitanya Mahaprabhu pointed out that devotional service to Krsna is the only process by which He can be approached. This is the verdict of Vedic literature. As the sages declare: "If someone inquires into Vedic literature to determine the process of transcendental realization, or if someone consults the Puranas (which are considered sister literatures), one will find that in all of them the conclusion is that the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna is the only object of worship."

   Krsna is the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He is situated in His internal potency, which is known as svarupa-sakti or atma-sakti, as described in Bhagavad-gita. He expands Himself in various multiple forms, and some of these are known as His personal forms and some as His separated forms. Thus He enjoys Himself in all the spiritual planets, as well as in the material universes. The expansions of His separated forms are called living entities, and these living entities are classified according to the energies of the Lord. They are divided into two classes--eternally liberated and eternally conditioned. Eternally liberated living entities never come into contact with material nature, and therefore they do not have any experience of material life. They are eternally engaged in Krsna consciousness, or devotional service to the Lord, and they are counted among the associates of Krsna. Their pleasure, the only enjoyment of their life, is derived from rendering transcendental loving service to Krsna. On the other hand, those who are eternally conditioned are always divorced from the transcendental loving service of Krsna and are thus subjected to the threefold miseries of material existence. Due to the conditioned soul's eternal attitude of separation from Krsna, the spell of material energy awards him two kinds of bodily existence--the gross body consisting of five elements, and the subtle body consisting of mind, intelligence and ego. Being covered by these two bodies, the conditioned soul eternally suffers the pangs of material existence known as the threefold miseries. He is also subjected to six enemies (such as lust, anger, etc.). Such is the everlasting disease of the conditioned soul.

   Diseased and conditioned, the living entity transmigrates throughout the universe. Sometimes he is situated in the upper planetary system and sometimes in the lower system. In this way he leads his diseased life. His disease can be cured only when he meets and follows the expert physician, the bona fide spiritual master. When the conditioned soul faithfully follows the instructions of a bona fide spiritual master, his material disease is cured, he is promoted to the liberated stage, and he again attains to the devotional service of Krsna and goes back home, back to Krsna. A conditioned living entity should become aware of his real position and should pray to the Lord, "How much longer will I be under the rule of all these bodily functions such as lust and anger?" As masters of the conditioned soul, lust and anger are never merciful. Indeed the conditioned soul will never cease rendering service to such bad masters. However, when he comes to his real consciousness, or Krsna consciousness, he abandons these bad masters and approaches Krsna with a frank and open heart to achieve His shelter. At such a time he prays to Krsna to be engaged in His transcendental loving service.

   In Vedic literatures sometimes fruitive activities, mystic yoga and the speculative search for knowledge are praised as different ways to self-realization, yet despite such praise, in all literatures the path of devotional service is accepted as the foremost. In other words, devotional service to Lord Krsna is the highest perfectional path to self-realization, and it is recommended that it be performed directly. Fruitive activity, mystic meditation and philosophical speculation are not direct methods of self-realization. They are indirect because without devotional service they cannot lead to the highest perfection of self-realization. Indeed, all paths to self-realization ultimately depend on the path of devotional service.

 

                            Chapter Eleven

                         Service to the Lord

 

   When Vyasadeva was not satisfied even after compiling heaps of books of Vedic knowledge, Narada Muni, his spiritual master, explained that there is no path to self-realization that can be successful without being mixed with devotional service. At the time, Vyasadeva was sitting by the banks of the River Sarasvati, and he was in a state of depression when Narada Muni arrived. Upon seeing Vyasa so dejected, Narada explained why the various books he compiled were deficient.

   "Even pure knowledge is insufficient if it is devoid of transcendental devotional service," Narada said. "And what to speak of fruitive activities when they are devoid of devotional service? How can they be of any benefit to their performer?"

   There are many sages who are expert in performing austerities; there are many men who give much in charity; there are many famous men, scholars and thinkers, and there are those who are very expert in reciting Vedic hymns. Although these are all auspicious, unless one utilizes his resources and performs his activities to attain devotional service to the Lord, he cannot attain the desired results. Therefore in Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhag. 2.4.17) Sukadeva Gosvami offered his respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord as the only person who can award success.

   It is accepted by all types of philosophers and transcendentalists that one who lacks knowledge cannot be liberated from material entanglement. Yet knowledge without devotional service cannot possibly award liberation. In other words, when jnana, or the cultivation of knowledge, opens onto the path of devotional service, it can give one liberation, but not otherwise. This is also stated by Brahma in Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhag. 10.14.4):

 

                sreyah-srutim bhaktim udasya te vibho

                  klisyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye

                    tesam asau klesala eva sisyate

                  nanyad yatha sthula-tusavaghatinam

 

   "My dear Lord, devotional service unto You is the best path for self-realization. If someone gives up that path and engages in the cultivation of knowledge or in speculation, he will simply undergo a troublesome process and will not achieve his desired results. A person who beats an empty husk of wheat cannot get grain, and one who engages simply in speculative knowledge cannot achieve the desired result of self realization. The only gain is trouble."

   In Bhagavad-gita it is stated (Bg. 7.14) that material nature is so strong that it cannot be surmounted by an ordinary living entity. Only those who surrender unto the lotus feet of Krsna can cross the ocean of material existence. The living entity forgets that he is eternally the servitor of Krsna, and his forgetfulness causes his bondage in conditional life and his attraction for material energy. Indeed, that attraction is the shackle of material energy. Since it is very difficult for a person to become free as long as he desires to dominate material nature, it is recommended that he approach a spiritual master who can train him in devotional service and enable him to get out of the clutches of material nature and achieve the lotus feet of Krsna.

   There are eight divisions of human society created to facilitate the execution of duty (the brahmanas, or intellectuals; the ksatriyas, or administrators; the vaisyas, or businessmen and farmers; and the sudras, or laborers--as well as the four asramas: the brahmacari, or student; the grhastha, or householder; the vanaprastha, or retired person; and the sannyasi, or the person in renounced life), but if a person is lacking in devotion or Krsna consciousness, he cannot be released from material bondage, even if he executes his prescribed duty. On the contrary, even by discharging his prescribed duty he will glide down into hell due to material consciousness. Therefore whoever is engaged in his occupational duty must simultaneously cultivate Krsna consciousness in devotional service if he wants liberation from material clutches.

   In this regard, Lord Caitanya recited a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam which was delivered by Narada Muni to indicate the path of bhagavata cultivation. Narada Muni pointed out that the four divisions of human society, as well as the four orders of life, are born out of the gigantic form of the Lord. The brahmanas are born from the mouth of the universal form of the Lord, the ksatriyas are born out of the arms, the vaisyas out of the waist, and the sudras out of the legs. As such, they are qualified in the different modes of material nature within the form of the virat-purusa. If a person is not engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, he falls from his position, regardless of whether he executes his prescribed occupational duty or not.

   Lord Caitanya further points out that those who belong to the Mayavadi or impersonalist school consider themselves to be one with God, or liberated, but according to Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself and Srimad-Bhagavatam, they are not actually liberated. In this regard Caitanya Mahaprabhu again quotes Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.2.32):

 

                 ye 'nye 'ravindaksa vimukta-maninas

                tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayah

                  aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah

                patanty adho 'nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah

 

   "Those who think that they are liberated according to Mayavadi philosophy, but who do not take to the devotional service of the Lord, fall down for want of devotional service, even after they undergo the severest types of penances and austerities and even after they sometimes approach the supreme position."

   Caitanya Mahaprabhu explains that Krsna is just like the sun, and maya, the illusory material energy, is just like darkness. One who is constantly in the sunshine of Krsna cannot possibly be deluded by the darkness of material energy. This is very clearly explained in the four principal verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam and is also confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhag. 2.5.13), wherein it is stated: "The illusory energy, or maya, is ashamed to stand before the Lord." Nonetheless, the living entities are constantly being bewildered by this very illusory energy. In his conditioned state, the living entity discovers many forms of word jugglery in order to get apparent liberation from the clutches of maya, but if he sincerely surrenders unto Krsna by simply saying once, "My dear Lord Krsna, from this day I am Yours," he at once gets out of the clutches of material energy. This is also confirmed in the Ramayana, Lanka-kanda (18.33), wherein the Lord says:

 

                        sakrdeva prapanno yas

                         tavasmiti ca yacate

                        abhayam sarvada tasmai

                       dadamy etad vratam mama

 

   "It is My promise and duty to give all protection to one who surrenders unto Me without reservation." One may enjoy fruitive activities, liberation, jnana, or the perfection of the yoga system, but if one becomes very intelligent he will give up all these paths and engage himself in sincere devotional service to the Lord. The Srimad-Bhagavatam also confirms (2.3.10) that even if a person desires material enjoyment or liberation, he should engage in devotional service. Those who are ambitious to derive material benefit from devotional service are not pure devotees, but because they are engaged in devotional service they are considered fortunate. They do not know that the result of devotional service is not material benediction, but because they engage themselves in the devotional service of the Lord they ultimately come to understand that material enjoyment is not the goal of devotional service. Krsna Himself says that persons who want some material benefit in exchange for devotional service are certainly foolish because they want something which is poisonous for them. The real goal of devotional service is love of Godhead, and although a person may desire material benefits from Krsna, the Lord, being all-powerful, considers the person's position and gradually liberates him from a materially ambitious life and engages him more in devotional service. When one is actually engaged in devotional service, he forgets his material ambitions and desires. This is also confirmed by Srimad-Bhagavatam (5.19.27):

 

                 satyam disaty arthitam arthito nrnam

                 naivarthado yat punar arthita yatah

                 svayam vidhatte bhajatam anicchatam

                  iccha-pidhanam nija-pada-pallavam

 

   "Lord Krsna certainly fulfills the desires of His devotees who come to Him in devotional service, but He does not fulfill desires that would again cause miseries. In spite of being materially ambitious, such devotees, by rendering transcendental service, are gradually purified of desires for material enjoyment, and they come to desire the pleasure of devotional service."

   Generally people come into the association of devotees in order to mitigate some material wants, but the influence of a pure devotee frees a man from all material desires so that he eventually comes to relish the taste of devotional service. Devotional service is so nice and pure that it purifies the devotee, and he forgets all material ambitions as soon as he engages fully in the transcendental loving service of Krsna. A practical example is Dhruva Maharaja, who wanted something material from Krsna and therefore engaged in devotional service. When the Lord appeared as four-handed Visnu before Dhruva, Dhruva told the Lord: "My dear Lord, because I engaged myself in Your devotional service with great austerity and penances, I am now seeing You. Even great demigods and great sages have difficulty in seeing You. Now I am pleased, and all my desires are satisfied. I do not want anything else. I was searching for some broken glass, but instead I have found a great and valuable gem." Thus Dhruva Maharaja was fully satisfied, and he refused to ask anything of the Lord.

   The living entity, transmigrating through 8,400,000 species of life, is sometimes likened to a log which is gliding down a river. Sometimes, by chance, a log washes upon shore and is thus saved from being forced to drift further downstream. There is a verse in Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhag. 10.38.5) which encourages every conditioned soul in this way: "No one should be depressed by thinking that he will never be out of the clutches of matter, for there is every possibility of being rescued, exactly as it is possible for a log, which is floating down a river, to come to rest on the bank." This fortunate opportunity is also discussed by Lord Caitanya. Such fortunate incidents are considered the beginning of the decline of one's conditional life, and they occur if there is association with the pure devotees of the Lord. By associating with pure devotees, one actually develops attraction for Krsna. There are various types of rituals and activities, and some of them develop into material enjoyment and some into material liberation, but if a living entity takes to those ritualistic activities by which pure devotional service to the Lord is developed in the association of pure devotees, then one's mind naturally becomes attracted to devotional service. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.51.54) it is stated by Mucukunda:

 

                  bhavapavargo bhramato yada bhavej

                  janasya tarhy acyuta sat-samagamah

                 sat-sangamo yarhi tadaiva sad-gatau

                    paravarese tvayi jayate matih

 

   "My dear Lord, while traveling in this material world through different species of life, a living entity may progress toward liberation. But if, by chance, he comes in contact with a pure devotee, he becomes actually liberated from the clutches of material energy and becomes a devotee of Yourself, the Personality of Godhead."

   When a conditioned soul becomes a devotee of Krsna, the Lord, by His causeless mercy, trains him in two ways: He trains him from without through the spiritual master, and He trains him from within through the Supersoul. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.29.6): "My dear Lord, even if someone attains a life as long as Brahma's, he would still be unable to express his gratitude for the benefits derived from remembering You. Out of Your causeless mercy You drive away all inauspicious conditions, expressing Yourself from outside as the spiritual master and from inside as the Supersoul."

   Somehow or other if one gets in touch with a pure devotee and thus develops a desire to render devotional service to Krsna, he gradually rises to the platform of love of Godhead and is thus freed from the clutches of material energy. This is also explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.20.8) where the Lord Himself says: "For one who is attracted by My activities out of his own accord--being neither lured nor repelled by material activities--the path of devotional service leading to the perfection of love of God becomes possible." However, it is not possible to achieve the stage of perfection without the favor of a pure devotee, or a mahatma, a great soul. Without the mercy of a great soul, one cannot even be liberated from the material clutches, and what to speak of rising to the platform of love of Godhead. This is also confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (5.12.12) in a conversation between King Rahugana of the Sind province in Siberia with King Bharata. When King Rahugana expressed surprise upon seeing King Bharata's spiritual achievements, Bharata replied:

 

                     rahuganaitat tapasa na yati

                    na cejyaya nirvapanad grhad va

                  na cchandasa naiva jalagni-suryair

                    vina mahat-pada-rajo 'bhisekam

 

   "My dear Rahugana, no one can attain the perfected stage of devotional service without being favored by a great soul or a pure devotee. No one can attain the perfectional stages simply by following the regulative principles of scriptures, or by accepting the renounced order of life, or by prosecuting the prescribed duties of householder life, or by becoming a great student of spiritual science, or by accepting severe austerity and penances for realization." Similarly, when the atheist father Hiranyakasipu asked his son Prahlada Maharaja how it was he became attracted to devotional service, the boy replied, "As long as one is not favored by the dust of the feet of pure devotees, he cannot even touch the path of devotional service, which is the solution to all the problems of material life." (Bhag. 7.5.32)

   Thus Lord Caitanya told Sanatana Gosvami that all scriptures stress association with pure devotees of the Godhead. The opportunity to associate with a pure devotee of the Supreme Lord is the beginning of one's complete perfection. This is also confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.18.13) where it is said that the facilities and benedictions which one achieves by association with a pure devotee are incomparable. They cannot be compared to anything--neither elevation to the heavenly kingdom nor liberation from material energy. Lord Krsna also confirms this in the most confidential instruction in Bhagavad-gita, wherein He tells Arjuna:

 

                      man-mana bhava mad-bhakto

                        mad-yaji mam namaskuru

                       mam evaisyasi satyam te

                        pratijane priyo 'si me

 

   "Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend." (Bg. 18.65)

   Such a direct instruction from Krsna is more important than any Vedic instruction or even regulative service. There are certainly many Vedic injunctions, ritualistic and sacrificial performances, regulative duties, meditative techniques and speculative processes to attain knowledge, but Krsna's direct order--"Always think of Me and become My devotee"--should be taken as the final order of the Lord and should be followed. If one is simply convinced of this order and comes to His devotional service, giving up all other engagements, one will undoubtedly attain success. To confirm this statement, Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.20.9) says that one should follow other paths to self-realization only as long as one is not convinced of the direct order of the Lord Sri Krsna. It is the conclusion of Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita that the direct order of the Lord is to give up everything and engage in devotional service.

   Firm conviction to execute the order of the Lord is known as faith. If one has faith he is firmly convinced that simply by rendering devotional service to Lord Krsna all other activities are automatically performed--including ritualistic duties, sacrifices, yoga and the speculative pursuit of knowledge. If one is convinced that devotional service to the Lord includes everything, no other activity is required. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (4.31.14):

 

                     yatha taror mula-nisecanena

                  trpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopasakhah

                    pranopaharac ca yathendriyanam

                    tathaiva sarvarhanam acyutejya

 

   "By watering the root of a tree, one automatically nourishes the branches, twigs and fruits, and by supplying food to the stomach, all the senses are satisfied. Similarly, by rendering devotional service to Krsna, one automatically satisfies the requirements for all other forms of worship." One who is faithful and firmly convinced of this is eligible to be elevated as a pure devotee.

   There are three classes of devotees according to the degree of conviction. The first-class devotee is conversant with all kinds of Vedic literature and at the same time has the firm conviction mentioned above. He can deliver all others from the pangs of material miseries. The second-class devotee is firmly convinced and has strong faith, but he has no power to cite evidence from revealed scriptures. The third-class devotee is one whose faith is not very strong, but, by the gradual cultivation of devotional service, he will eventually be eligible for promotion to the second or first-class position. It is said in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.2.45-47) that the first class devotee always sees the Supreme Lord as the soul of all living entities. Thus in seeing all living entities, he sees Krsna and nothing but Krsna. The second-class devotee places his full faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, makes friends with the pure devotees, favors innocent persons and avoids those who are atheistic or opposed to devotional service. The third-class devotee engages in devotional service according to the directions of the spiritual master, or engages out of family tradition, and worships the Deity of the Lord, but he is not cultivated in knowledge of devotional service, and he does not know a devotee from a nondevotee. Such a third-class devotee cannot actually be considered a pure devotee; he is almost in the devotional line, but his position is not very secure.

   One can thus conclude that when a person shows love for God and friendship for devotees, displays mercy towards the innocent and is reluctant to associate with nondevotees, he may be considered a pure devotee. By developing devotional service, such a person can perceive that every living entity is part and parcel of the Supreme. In each and every living entity he can see the Supreme Person, and therefore he becomes highly developed in Krsna consciousness. At this stage he does not distinguish between the devotee and the nondevotee, for he sees everyone in the service of the Lord. He continues to develop all great qualities while engaged in Krsna consciousness and devotional service. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (5.18.12):

 

                 yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana

                 sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah

                   harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna

                    mano-rathenasati dhavato bahih

 

   "One who attains pure unalloyed devotional service to the Supreme Lord develops all the good qualities of the demigods, whereas a person who doesn't develop such service, despite all material qualifications, is sure to go astray, for he hovers on the mental platform." Thus material qualifications are valueless without devotional service.

 

                            Chapter Twelve

                             The Devotee

 

   A person in Krsna consciousness who is fully devoted to the transcendental loving service of the Lord develops all the godly qualities of the demigods. There are many divine qualities, but Lord Caitanya describes only some of them to Sanatana Gosvami. A devotee of the Lord is always kind to everyone, and he does not pick quarrels. His interest is in the essence of life, which is spiritual. He is equal to everyone, and no one can find fault in him. His magnanimous mind is always fresh and clean and devoid of material obsessions. He is a benefactor to all living entities and is peaceful and always surrendered to Krsna. He has no material desires. He is very humble and is fixed in his purpose. He is victorious over the six material qualities such as lust and anger, and he does not eat more than he needs. He is always sane and is respectful to others, but he does not require respect for himself. He is grave, merciful, friendly, poetic, expert and silent.

   There is also a description of the devotee of the Lord in Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.25.21) wherein he is said to be always tolerant and merciful. A friend to all living entities, he has no enemies. He is peaceful, and he possesses all good qualities. These are but a few of the characteristics of a person in Krsna consciousness.

   It is also said in Srimad-Bhagavatam that if one gets an opportunity to serve a great soul--a mahatma--his path to liberation is open. However, those who are attached to materialistic persons are on the path of darkness. Those who are actually holy are transcendental, composed, peaceful, friendly to all living entities and not subject to anger. Simply by association with such holy men one can become a Krsna conscious devotee. Indeed, to develop love of Godhead, the association of holy devotees is needed. The path of advancement in spiritual life opens for anyone who comes in contact with a holy man, and by following the path of the devotee, one is sure to develop Krsna consciousness in full devotional service.

   In Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.2.28), Vasudeva, the father of Krsna, asks Narada Muni about the welfare of all living entities, and in reply Narada Muni quotes a passage from Maharaja Nimi's discussion with the nine sages. "O holy sages," King Nimi said, "I am just trying to find the path of well-being for all living entities. A moment of association with holy men is the most valuable thing in life, for that moment opens the path of advancement in spiritual life." This is also confirmed elsewhere in Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.25.25). By associating with holy persons and discussing transcendental subject matters with them, one becomes convinced of the value of spiritual life. Very soon, hearing of Krsna becomes pleasing to the ear and begins to satisfy one's heart. After receiving such spiritual messages from holy persons or pure devotees, if one tries to apply them in his own life, the path of Krsna consciousness naturally develops in faith, attachment and devotional service.

   The Lord then informed Sanatana Gosvami about the behavior of a devotee. Here the main point is that one should always stay aloof from unholy association. That is the sum and substance of a devotee's behavior. And what is unholy association? It is association with one who is too much attached to women and with one who is not a devotee of Lord Krsna. These are unholy persons. One is advised to associate with the holy devotees of the Lord and carefully avoid the association of unholy nondevotees. Those who are pure devotees of Krsna are very careful to keep aloof from the two types of nondevotees. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.31.33-35) it is said that one should give up all association with a person who is a playmate for women, for by associating with such an unholy person one becomes bereft of all good qualities, such as truthfulness, cleanliness, mercy, gravity, intelligence, shyness, beauty, fame, forgiveness, control of the mind and senses and all the opulences that are automatically obtained by a devotee. A man is never so degraded as when he associates with persons who are too much attached to women.

   In this regard, Lord Caitanya also quotes a verse from Katyayana-samhita: "One should rather tolerate the miseries of being locked in a cage filled with fire than associate with those who are not devotees of the Lord."One is also advised not to even look at the faces of persons who are irreligious or who are devoid of devotion to the Supreme Lord. Lord Caitanya recommends that one should scrupulously renounce the association of unwanted persons and completely take shelter of the Supreme Lord Krsna. This same instruction is given to Arjuna in the last verses of Bhagavad-gita in which Krsna says:"Just give up everything and surrender unto Me. I will take care of you and protect you from all the reactions to sinful activities." (Bg. 18.66) The Lord is very kind to His devotees, and He is very grateful, able and magnanimous. It is our duty to believe His words, and if we are intelligent and educated enough, we will follow His instructions without hesitation. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.48.26) Akrura tells Krsna:

 

               kah panditas tvad aparam saranam samiyad

              bhakta-priyad rta-girah suhrdah krta-jnat

                sarvan dadati suhrdo bhajato 'bhikaman

                 atmanam apy upacayapacayau na yasya

 

   "Who can surrender to anyone other than Yourself? Who is as dear, truthful, friendly and grateful as You? You are so perfect and complete that even though You give Yourself to Your devotee, You are still full and perfect. You can satisfy all the desires of Your devotee and even deliver Yourself unto him." A person who is intelligent and able to understand the philosophy of Krsna consciousness naturally gives up everything and takes to the shelter of Krsna. In this regard, Lord Caitanya recites a verse spoken by Uddhava in Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.2.23): "How can one take shelter of anyone but Krsna? He is so kind. Even though Bakasura's sister planned to kill Krsna when He was an infant by applying poison to her breast and offering it to Krsna to suck and thus die, still that heinous woman received salvation and was elevated to the same platform as Krsna's own mother." This verse refers to the time when Putana planned to kill Krsna. Krsna accepted the poisonous breasts of that demonic woman, and when He sucked the milk from her, He sucked out her life also. Nonetheless Putana was elevated to the same position as Krsna's own mother.

   There is no essential difference between a fully surrendered soul and a person in the renounced order of life. The only difference is that a fully surrendered soul is completely dependent upon Krsna. There are six basic guidelines for surrender. The first is that one should accept everything that is favorable for the discharge of devotional service, and one should be determined to accept the process. The second is that one should give up everything that is unfavorable to the discharge of devotional service, and one should be determined to give it all up. Thirdly, one should be convinced that only Krsna can protect him and should have full faith that the Lord will give that protection. An impersonalist thinks that his actual identity is in being one with Krsna, but a devotee does not destroy his identity in this way. He lives with full faith that Krsna will kindly protect him in all respects. Fourthly, a devotee should always accept Krsna as his maintainer. Those who are interested in the fruits of activities generally expect protection from the demigods, but a devotee of Krsna does not look to any demigod for protection. He is fully convinced that Krsna will protect him from all unfavorable circumstances. Fifth, a devotee is always conscious that his desires are not independent; unless Krsna fulfills them, they cannot be fulfilled. Lastly, one should always think of himself as the most fallen among souls so that Krsna will take care of him.

   Such a surrendered soul should take shelter of a holy place like Vrndavana, Mathura, Dvaraka, Mayapur, etc., and should surrender himself unto the Lord, saying, "My Lord, from today I am Yours. You can protect me or kill me as You like." A pure devotee takes shelter of Krsna in such a way, and Krsna is so grateful that He accepts him and gives him all kinds of protection. This is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.29.34) where it is said that if a person who is about to die takes full shelter of the Supreme Lord and places himself fully under His care, he actually attains immortality and becomes eligible to associate with the Supreme Lord and enjoy transcendental bliss.

   The Lord then explained to Sanatana Gosvami the various types and symptoms of practical devotional service. When devotional service is performed with our present senses, it is called practical devotional service. Actually devotional service is the eternal life of the living entity and is lying dormant in everyone's heart. The practice which invokes that dormant devotional service is called practical devotional service. The purport is that the living entity is constitutionally part and parcel of the Supreme Lord; the Lord can be compared to the sun, and the living entities can be compared to molecules of sunshine. Under the spell of illusory energy, the spiritual spark is almost extinguished, but by practical devotional service one can revive his natural constitutional position. When one practices devotional service, it should be understood that he is returning to his original and normal liberated position. Devotional service can be practiced with one's senses under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master.

   One begins spiritual activities for advancement in Krsna consciousness by hearing. Hearing is the most important method for advancement, and one should be very eager to hear favorably about Krsna. Giving up all speculation and fruitive activity, one should simply worship and desire to attain to love of God. That love of God is eternally existing within everyone; it simply has to be evoked by the process of hearing. Hearing and chanting are the principal methods of devotional service.

   Devotional service may be regulative or affectionate. One who has not developed transcendental affection for Krsna should conduct his life according to the directions and regulations of the scriptures and the spiritual master. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.1.5) Sukadeva Gosvami advises Maharaja Pariksit:

 

                       tasmad bharata sarvatma

                        bhagavan isvaro harih

                       srotavyah kirtitavyas ca

                      smartavyas cecchatabhayam

 

   "O best of the Bharatas, it is the prime duty of persons who want to become fearless to hear about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, and to chant about Him and always remember Him. Lord Visnu is always to be remembered; indeed, He is not to be forgotten for even a moment. He is the sum and substance of all regulative principles." The conclusion is that when all the rules, regulations, recommended and prohibited activities revealed in scriptures are taken together, the remembrance of the Supreme Lord is invariably the essence of everything. Remembrance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead within one's heart is the goal of devotional service. When devotional service is performed purely and affectionately, there is no question of regulative principles. There are no do's and don't's.

   However, one should generally accept the following principles to properly execute devotional service: (1) take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master, (2) receive initiation from the spiritual master, (3) serve the spiritual master, (4) inquire and learn love from the spiritual master, (5) follow in the footsteps of holy persons devoted to the transcendental loving service of the Lord, (6) prepare to give up all kinds of enjoyment and miseries for the satisfaction of Krsna, (7) live in a place where Krsna had His pastimes, (8) be satisfied by whatever is sent by Krsna for the maintenance of the body and hanker for no more, (9) observe fasting on Ekadasi day (this occurs on the eleventh day after the full moon and the eleventh day after the new moon. On such days no grains, cereals or beans are eaten; simply vegetables and milk are moderately taken, and chanting Hare Krsna and reading scriptures are increased.), (10) show respect to devotees, cows and sacred trees like the banyan tree.

   It is essential for a neophyte devotee who is beginning to follow the path of devotional service to observe these ten principles. One should also try to avoid offenses in serving the Lord and in chanting His holy names. There are ten kinds of offenses which one can commit while chanting the holy name, and they should be avoided. These offenses are: (1) blaspheming a devotee of the Lord, (2) considering the Lord and the demigods on the same level or thinking that there are many gods, (3) neglecting the orders of the spiritual master, (4) minimizing the authority of the scriptures (the Vedas), (5) interpreting the holy names of God, (6) committing sins on the strength of chanting, (7) instructing the glories of the Lord's names to the unfaithful, (8) comparing the holy name with material piety, (9) being inattentive while chanting the holy name, (10) remaining attached to material things in spite of chanting the holy names. Ten additional regulations are as follows: (1) one should try to avoid offenses in the service of the Lord and in chanting the holy names of the Lord; (2) one should avoid the association of unholy nondevotees; (3) one should not attempt to have many disciples; (4) one should not take the trouble to understand many books or to understand partially any particular book, and one should avoid discussing different doctrines; (5) one should be composed both in gain and in loss; (6) one should not be subject to any kind of lamentation; (7) one should not disrespect the demigods or other scriptures; (8) one should not tolerate blasphemy against the Supreme Lord and His devotees; (9) one should avoid ordinary topics of novels and fiction, but there is no injunction that one should avoid hearing ordinary news; (10) one should not give any trouble to any living creature, including a small bug.

   In Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu compiled by Sri Rupa Gosvami it is said that one should be very liberal in behavior and should avoid any undesirable activities. The most important affirmative points are that one should accept the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master, be initiated by him and serve him.

   In addition to these, there are thirty-five items of devotional service, and they can be analyzed as follows: (1) hearing, (2) chanting, (3) remembering, (4) worshiping, (5) praying, (6) serving, (7) engaging as a servitor, (8) being friendly, (9) offering everything, (10) dancing before the Deity, (11) singing, (12) informing, (13) offering obeisances, (14) standing up to show respect to the devotees, (15) following a devotee when he gets up to go to the door, (16) entering the temple of the Lord, (17) circumambulating the temple of the Lord, (18) reading prayers, (19) vibrating hymns, (20) performing sankirtana, or congregational chanting, (21) smelling the incense and flowers offered to the Deity, (22) accepting prasada (food offered to Krsna), (23) attending the aratrika ceremony, (24) seeing the Deity, (25) offering palatable foodstuffs to the Lord, (26) meditating, (27) offering water to the tulasi tree, (28) offering respect to the Vaisnavas or advanced devotees, (29) living in Mathura or Vrndavana, (30) understanding Srimad-Bhagavatam, (31) trying one's utmost to attain Krsna, (32) expecting the mercy of Krsna, (33) performing ceremonial functions with the devotees of Krsna, (34) surrendering in all respects, (35) observing different ceremonial functions. To these thirty-five items, another four can be added: (1) marking one's body with sandalwood pulp to show that one is a Vaisnava, (2) painting one's body with the holy names of the Lord, (3) covering one's body with the remnants of the Deity covers, (4) accepting caranamrta, the water which washes the Deity. These four additional items make thirty-nine items for devotional service in all, and out of all of these the following five are most important: (1) to associate with devotees, (2) to chant the holy name of the Lord, (3) to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam, (4) to live in a holy place such as Mathura or Vrndavana, (5) to serve the Deity with great devotion. These items are especially mentioned by Rupa Gosvami in his book Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. The thirty-nine items above, plus these five items, total forty-four items. Add to these the twenty preliminary occupations and there are a total of sixty-four different items for conducting devotional service. One can adopt the sixty-four items with his body, mind and senses and thus gradually purify his devotional service. Some of the items are completely different, some are identical, and others appear to be mixed.

   Srila Rupa Gosvami has recommended that one live in the association of those who are of the same mentality; therefore it is necessary to form some association for Krsna consciousness and live together for the cultivation of knowledge of Krsna and devotional service. The most important item for living in that association is the mutual understanding of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. When faith and devotion are developed, they become transformed into the worship of the Deity, chanting of the holy name and living in a holy place like Mathura and Vrndavana.

   The last five items--mentioned after the first thirty-nine--are very important and essential. If one can simply discharge these five items, he can be elevated to the highest perfectional stage, even if he does not execute them perfectly. One may be able to perform one item or many items, according to one's capacity, but it is the principal factor of complete attachment to devotional service that makes one advance on the path. There are many devotees in history who have attained perfection in devotional service simply by discharging the duties of one item, and there are many other devotees, like Maharaja Ambarisa, who executed all the items. Some individual devotees who attained perfection in devotional service by executing only one item are: Maharaja Pariksit, who was liberated and fully perfected simply by hearing; Sukadeva Gosvami, who became liberated and attained perfection in devotional service simply by chanting; Prahlada Maharaja, who attained perfection by remembering; Laksmi, who attained perfection by serving the lotus feet of the Lord; King Prthu, who attained perfection simply by worshiping; Akrura, who attained perfection simply by praying; Hanuman, who attained perfection simply by becoming the servant of Lord Rama; Arjuna, who attained perfection simply by being a friend of Krsna's; and Bali Maharaja who attained perfection simply by offering whatever he had in his possession. As far as Maharaja Ambarisa is concerned, he actually performed all the items of devotional service. He first of all engaged his mind upon the lotus feet of Krsna. He engaged his words, his power of speaking, in describing the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He engaged his hands in washing the temple of the Deity, his ears in hearing the words of Krsna and his eyes in beholding the Deity. He engaged his sense of touch by rendering service to the devotees, and he engaged his sense of smell by relishing the fragrance of the flowers offered to Krsna. He engaged his tongue in tasting the tulasi leaves offered to the lotus feet of Krsna, his legs in going to the temple of Krsna, and his head in offering obeisances to the Deity of Krsna. Because all his desires and ambitions were thus engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, Maharaja Ambarisa is considered the leader in discharging devotional service in all kinds of ways.

   Whoever engages in the devotional service of the Lord in full Krsna consciousness becomes freed of all debts to the sages, demigods and forefathers, to whom everyone is generally indebted. This is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.41):

 

                    devarsi-bhutapta-nrnam pitrnam

                    na kinkaro nayam rni ca rajan

                   sarvatmana yah saranam saranyam

                    gato mukundam parihrtya kartam

 

   "Whoever fully engages himself in the service of the Lord, O King, is no longer indebted to the demigods, the sages, other living entities, his relatives, the forefathers or to any man." Every man, just after his birth, immediately becomes indebted to so many people, and one is expected to discharge many kinds of ritualistic functions because of this indebtedness. However, if one is fully surrendered unto Krsna, there is no obligation. One becomes free from all debts.

   It should be carefully noted, however, that when a person gives up all other duties and simply takes to the transcendental service of Krsna, he has no desire and is not subjected to or likely to perform sinful activities. If, however, he performs sinful activities (not willfully but by chance), Krsna gives him all protection. It is not necessary for him to purify himself by any other method, and this is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.42): "A devotee who is fully engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord is protected by the Supreme Person, but in case he unintentionally commits some sinful activity or is obliged to act sinfully under certain circumstances, God, situated within his heart, gives him all protection."

   The processes of speculative knowledge and renunciation are not actually the chief items for elevation in devotional service. One does not have to take to the principles of nonviolence and sense control, although there are rules and regulations for acquiring these qualities in the other processes. Without even practicing these processes a devotee develops all good qualities simply by discharging devotional service to the Lord. In the Eleventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.20.31), the Lord Himself says that there is no necessity to cultivate speculative knowledge and renunciation if one is actually engaged in the devotional service of the Lord.

 

                           Chapter Thirteen

                   Devotional Service in Attachment

 

   Out of sheer misunderstanding, some transcendentalists think that knowledge and renunciation are necessary for rising to the platform of devotional service. This is not so. The cultivation of knowledge and the renunciation of fruitive activities may be necessary to understand one's spiritual existence in relation to the material conception of life, but they are not part and parcel of devotional service. The results of knowledge and fruitive activities are liberation and material sense gratification respectively. Consequently, they cannot be part and parcel of devotional service; rather, they have no intrinsic value in the discharge of devotional service. When one is freed from bondage to the results of knowledge and fruitive activities, he can attain to devotional service. Since a devotee of Lord Krsna is by nature nonviolent, and since his mind and senses are controlled, he does not have to make a special effort to acquire the good qualities which result from cultivating knowledge and performing fruitive activities.

   When Uddhava was asking Krsna about rules and regulations according to Vedic injunctions, he asked, "Why is it that the Vedic hymns encourage one in material enjoyment, while at the same time the Vedic instructions also free one from all illusion and encourage one toward liberation?" The Vedic rules are supposed to be ordained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but apparently there are contradictions, and Uddhava was anxious to know how one could be freed from these contradictions. In reply, Lord Krsna informed him of the superexcellence of devotional service.

   "It is neither practical nor necessary for one who is already engaged in devotional service to Me and whose mind is fixed on Me to endeavor for the cultivation of knowledge and renunciation." Thus the Lord's conclusion is that devotional service is independent of any other process. The cultivation of knowledge, renunciation or meditation may be a little helpful in the beginning, but they cannot be considered necessary for the discharge of devotional service. In other words, devotional service can be discharged independently of the cultivation of knowledge and renunciation. In this regard, there is also a verse from Skanda purana in which Parvata Muni told a hunter tribesman: "O hunter, the qualifications which you have just now acquired--such as nonviolence and others--are not astonishing, because one who is engaged in devotional service to the Supreme Lord cannot be a source of trouble for anyone under any circumstance."

   After discussing these points, Lord Caitanya told Sanatana Gosvami, "Thus far I have explained devotional service according to the regulative principles. Now I shall explain devotional service to you in terms of transcendental attachment."

   The inhabitants of Vrndavana, Vrajavasis, are living examples of devotional service. Theirs is ideal devotional service with attachment, and such devotion can be found only in Vrajabhumi, Vrndavana. If one develops devotional service and attachment by following in the footsteps of the Vrajavasis, he attains raga-marga-bhakti, or devotional service in attachment to the Lord. According to Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.270), "Devotional service with ecstatic attachment for that service, which becomes natural for the devotee, is called raga, or transcendental attachment." Devotional service discharged with such attachment is called ragatmika, and deep attachment with deep absorption in the object of love is called ragatmika. Examples of these can be seen in the activities of the residents of Vrajabhumi. One who becomes attracted to Krsna by hearing of such attachment is certainly very fortunate. When one becomes deeply affected by the devotion of the residents of Vrajabhumi and tries to follow in their footsteps, he does not care for the restrictions or regulations of the revealed scriptures. This is the characteristic of one discharging raga-bhakti.

   Devotional service with attachment is natural, and one who has been attracted by it does not argue with those who oppose him, even though others may argue by presenting scriptural injunctions. The natural inclination to devotional service is also based on scriptural injunction, and one who has attachment for such devotional service is not required to give it up simply on the strength of scriptural argument. In this connection it should be noted that a class of so-called devotees (known as prakrta-sahajiya) follow their own concocted ideas and, representing themselves as Krsna and Radha, indulge in debauchery. Such devotional service and attachment are false, and those so engaged are actually gliding down a hellish path. This is not the standard of ragatmika, or devotion. The prakrta-sahajiya community is actually cheated and very unfortunate.

   Devotional service with attachment can be executed in two ways--externally and internally. Externally the devotee strictly follows the regulative principles beginning with chanting and hearing, while internally he thinks of the attachment which attracts him to serve the Supreme Lord. Indeed, he always thinks of his special devotional service and attachment. Such attachment does not violate the regulative principles of devotional service, and a real devotee adheres to these principles strictly; yet he always thinks of his particular attachment.

   Since ali the inhabitants of Vrajabhumi, Vrndavana, are very dear to Krsna, a devotee selects one of the inhabitants and follows in his footsteps in order to be successful in his own devotional service. A pure devotee who is attached to the Lord always follows in the footsteps of a personality of Vrajabhumi. It is advised in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.294) that a pure devotee attached to devotional service should always remember the activities of a particular inhabitant of Vraja, even though he is not able to live in Vrajabhumi or Vrndavana. In this way he can always think of Vrajabhumi and Vrndavana.

   The confidential devotees attached to the service of the Lord are divided into several categories: some of them are servants, some are friends, some are parents, and some are conjugal lovers. In devotional service with attachment, one has to follow a particular type of devotee of Vrajabhumi. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.25.38) the Lord says:

 

                   na karhicin mat-parah santa-rupe

                 nanksyanti no me 'nimiso ledhi hetih

                    yesam aham priya atma sutas ca

                   sakha guruh suhrdo daivam istam

 

   "The word mat-para is only used to refer to persons who are satisfied with the idea of becoming My adherents alone. They consider that I am their soul, I am their friend, I am their son, I am their master, I am their well-wisher, I am their God, and I am their supreme goal. My dear mother, time does not act on such devotees." In Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.308), Rupa Gosvami offers his respectful obeisances to those who always think of Krsna as He is, and His relation as son, well-wisher, brother, father, friend, etc. Whoever follows the principles of devotional service with attachment and follows a particular devotee of Vrajabhumi certainly attains the highest perfection of love of Godhead in that spirit.

   There are two characteristics by which the seeds of love of Godhead can develop, and these are known as rati, or attachment, and bhava, the condition immediately preceding love of Godhead. It is by such attachment and bhava that the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna is conquered by His devotees. These two characteristics are present before any symptoms of love of Godhead are manifest. This was all explained to Sanatana Gosvami by Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya told him that since there is really no end to describing the system of devotional service with attachment, He is simply trying to offer a sampling. Lord Caitanya then described the ultimate goal of devotional service, which is meant for one who wants to attain perfection. When one's attachment to Krsna becomes very deep, one attains the condition called love of Godhead. Such a state of existence is considered a permanent situation for a devotee. In this regard, Kaviraja Gosvami offered his respectful obeisances to Lord Caitanya for His sublime teachings of love of Godhead. As stated in Caitanya-caritamrta, (Madhya 23.1): "O Supreme Personality of Godhead, who but You has ever awarded such pure devotional service? O most magnanimous incarnation of the Personality of Godhead, for my part I offer my respectful obeisances to this incarnation known as Gaurakrsna."

   In Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.3.1) the state of being in love with the Godhead is compared to the sunshine emanating from the sun; this shining makes the devotee's heart more and more lovely. The heart of such a devotee is situated in a transcendental position beyond even the mode of goodness. The process for making the heart even more sterilized by the sunshine of love is called bhava. A description of bhava is given by Rupa Gosvami. Bhava is called the permanent characteristic of the living entity, and the crucial point of progress for bhava is called the marginal state of love of Godhead. When the bhava state becomes deeper and deeper, learned devotees call it love of Godhead. As stated in the Narada-pancaratra:

 

                         ananya-mamata visnau

                         mamata prema-sangata

                      bhaktir ity ucyate bhisma-

                       prahladoddhava-naradaih

 

   "When one is firmly convinced that Visnu is the only object of love and worship and that there is no one else--not even a demigod--worthy of receiving devotional service, one feels intimacy in his love relationship with God, and this is approved by such personalities as Bhisma, Prahlada, Uddhava and Narada."

   If, due to some righteous activities which provoke devotional service, one is influenced by the service attitude and takes shelter of the good association of pure devotees, he develops attachment for hearing and chanting. By developing chanting and hearing, one can advance further and further in regulative devotional service to the Supreme Lord. As one so advances, his misgivings about devotional service and his attraction for the material world proportionately diminish. By advancing in hearing and chanting, a devotee becomes more firmly fixed in his faith, and gradually his initial faith develops into a taste for devotional service, and that taste gradually develops into attachment. When attachment becomes pure, it exhibits the two characteristics of bhava and rati. When rati increases, it is called love of Godhead, and love of Godhead is the ultimate goal of human life.

   This process is summarized by Rupa Gosvami in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.4.15-16): The first requirement is faith; it is due to faith that one associates with pure devotees, and, by such association, develops devotional service. As devotional service develops, one's misgivings diminish. Then one is situated in firm conviction, and from that conviction he develops a taste for devotional service and advances to the stage of attachment, whereby he follows the regulative principles of devotional service. After that point, after one makes further progress, he attains the state called bhava, which is permanent. When such love of God increases, it reaches the highest stage of love of Godhead."

   In Sanskrit this highest stage is called prema, prema can be defined as love of God without any expectation of exchange or return. Actually the words prema and love are not synonymous, yet one can say that prema is the highest stage of love. One who has attained prema is the most perfect human being. Srimad-Bhagavatam also confirms this statement (Bhag. 3.25.25): Only by the association of pure devotees can one develop a taste for Krsna consciousness, and when he tries to apply Krsna consciousness in his life, he can achieve everything up to the stage of bhava and prema.

   Lord Caitanya, describing the symptoms of a person who has developed from faith to the stage of bhava, states that such a person is never agitated even if there are causes for agitation. Nor does such a person waste his time even for a moment; he is always anxious to do something for Krsna. Even if he has no engagement, he will find some work to do for Krsna's satisfaction. Nor does such a person like anything which is not connected with Krsna. Although he is situated in the best position, he does not hanker after honor or personal respect. He is confident in his work, and he is never under the impression that he is not making progress toward the supreme goal of life--going back to Godhead. Since he is fully convinced of his progress, he is always confident and keeps himself busy to achieve the highest goal. He is very much attached to gratifying the Lord and in chanting or hearing about the Lord, and he is always attached to describing the transcendental qualities of the Lord. He also prefers to live in holy places like Mathura, Vrndavana or Dvaraka. Such characteristics are visible in one who has developed to the stage of bhava.

   King Pariksit affords a good example of bhava. When sitting on the banks of the Ganges waiting to meet his death, he said: "All the brahmanas present here, as well as Mother Ganges, should know that I am a soul completely surrendered to Krsna. I do not mind if I am immediately bitten by the snake sent by the brahmana boy's curse. Let the snake bite me as it likes. I shall be pleased if all of you present here will go on chanting the message of Krsna." Such a devotee is always anxious to see that his time is not wasted in anything which is not connected with Krsna. Consequently he does not like the benefits derived from fruitive activity, yogic meditation or the cultivation of knowledge. His attachment is to discourses which are favorably related to Krsna. Such pure devotees of the Lord always pray to the Supreme Lord with tears in their eyes; their minds are always engaged in recollecting the activities of the Lord, and their bodies are always engaged in offering obeisances. In this way they are satisfied. Any devotee who is acting in devotional service dedicates his life and body for the purpose of the Lord.

   King Bharata--after whom India is called Bharata-varsa--was also a pure devotee, and at an early age he left his household life, his devoted beautiful wife, his son, friends and kingdom just as if they were stool. This is typical of a person who has developed bhava in devotional service. Such a person thinks of himself as the most wretched, and his only satisfaction is in thinking that some day or other Krsna will be kind enough to favor him by engaging him in devotional service. In the padma purana another instance of pure devotion is found. There it is recorded that the king, although the most elevated of human beings, was begging from door to door and was even praying to the candalas, the lowest members of human society.

   It was Sanatana Gosvami who later composed this verse:

 

        na prema sravanadi-bhaktir api va yogo 'thava vaisnavo

       jnanam va subha-karma va kiyad aho saj-jatir apy asti va

        hinarthadhika-sadhake tvayi tathapy acchedya-mula sati

          he gopijanavallabha vyathayate ha ha madasaiva mam

 

   "I am poor in love of Godhead, and I have no asset for hearing about devotional service. Nor do I have any understanding of the science of devotional service, nor any cultivation of knowledge, nor any righteous activities to my credit. I am not even born in a high family. Nonetheless, O darling of the damsels of Vraja, I still maintain hopes of achieving You, and these hopes are always disturbing me." Such a devotee, being touched deeply by such strong desires, always chants Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

   In this regard, the following verse by Bilvamangala appears in the krsna-karnamrta (32):

 

             tvac chaisavam tri-bhuvanadbhutam ity avehi

               mac capalam ca tava va mama vadhigamyam

                 tat kim karomi viralam muralivilasi

              mugdhah mukhambujam udiksitum iksanabhyam

 

   "O Krsna, O wonderful flute player, the beauty of Your boyhood activities is very wonderful in this world. You know the agitation of my mind, and I know what You are. No one knows how confidential our relationship is. Although my eyes are anxious to see You and Your face, I cannot see You. Please let me know what I shall do." A similar passage appears in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.3.38) in which Rupa Gosvami states:

 

                     rodana-bindu-maranda-syandi-

                        drgindivaradya govinda

                      tava madhura-svara-kanthi

                        gayati namavalim bala

 

   "O Govinda! This young girl with tears in her eyes is crying in a sweet voice, chanting Your glories." Such pure devotees are always anxious to describe the glories of Krsna and to live in a place where He exhibited His pastimes. A similar verse appears again in krsna-karnamrta (92): "The body of Krsna is so nice, and His face is so beautiful. Everything about Him is sweet and fragrant." And in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.156): "O lotus-eyed one, when will I be able to always chant Your holy name, and being inspired by that chanting, when will I be able to dance on the banks of the Yamuna?"

   All these descriptions of the bhava stage of devotional service were quoted by Lord Caitanya to Sanatana Gosvami. Lord Caitanya next proceeded to describe the symptoms of actual love for Krsna. He informed Sanatana Gosvami that no one can understand the person who has developed love of Krsna. No one can understand his words, his activities or his symptoms. Even if one is very learned, it is very difficult for him to understand a pure devotee who is in love with the Lord. This is also confirmed in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu.

   A person engaged in devotional service becomes heartsick when singing the glories of the Supreme Lord. Because the Lord is very dear to him, when he glorifies the Lord's name, fame and so on, he becomes almost like an insane man, and in that condition he sometimes laughs, sometimes cries and sometimes dances. He continues in this way without even considering his situation. By gradually developing his love of Godhead, he increases his affection, his emotion and his ecstasy. Such attachment, mahabhava, is the highest stage of devotional love. It may be likened to sugar candy, which is the most powerful form of sugar. Love of Godhead can gradually develop in such a way that transcendental pleasure is increased to the highest stage for the real devotee.

 

                           Chapter Fourteen

               The Ecstasy of the Lord and His Devotees

 

   The symptoms of highly developed devotional service, which are exhibited by the pure devotees, are sometimes imitated by those who are not actually pure devotees. This is described in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. Without devotional service to Krsna, one may have some motive in exhibiting such symptoms, but it should be known that the symptoms are not actual. Sometimes those who are not conversant with the science of devotional service are captivated by the exhibition of ecstatic symptoms, but those who are in knowledge of the science of devotional service do not accept such symptoms as the all in all. These symptoms only mark the beginning of devotional service. That is accepted by learned devotees.

   According to the various divisions and gradations of devotees, permanent devotional situations can be divided into five categories: (1) peacefulness, (2) service to Krsna, (3) friendship with Krsna, (4) parental affection toward Krsna, and (5) conjugal love for Krsna. Each division has its own different taste and relish, and a devotee situated in a particular division is happy in that position. Characteristic symptoms exhibited by a pure devotee are generally laughing and crying; when emotions are favorable, a pure devotee laughs, and when emotions are not favorable, he cries.

   Situated above these two emotions is permanent love, which is called sthayibhava. In other words, attachment to Krsna is permanent. That permanent loving attitude is sometimes mixed with different kinds of taste, called vibhava, anubhava and vyabhicari. Vibhava is a particular taste for attachment to Krsna, and it can be divided into two further categories--alambana and uddipana. In the Agni Purana and other authoritative scriptures, that which increases one's love of Krsna is said to be vibhava, and when Krsna is the objective, vibhava is increased as alambana. Uddipana is induced by Krsna's transcendental qualities, His activities, His beautiful smiling face and the aroma of His body, the sound of His flute, the sound of His conchshell, the marks on the bottoms of His feet, His dwelling place and His paraphernalia of devotional service (such as tulasi leaves, devotees, ceremonial performances and Ekadasi). Anubhava occurs when feelings and emotions within oneself are exhibited. In the attitude of anubhava, one dances and sometimes falls down, sometimes sings loudly, shows convulsions, yawns, and sometimes breathes very heavily--all without concern for circumstances.

   The external features exhibited on the bodies of devotees are called udbhasvara. The vyabhicari symptoms are thirty-three in number, and they primarily involve words uttered by the devotee and different bodily features. These different bodily features--such as dancing trembling and laughing--when mixed with the vyabhicari symptoms are called sancari. When bhava, anubhava and vyabhicari symptoms are combined, they make the devotee dive into the ocean of immortality. That ocean is called the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, the ocean of the pure nectar of devotional service, and one who is merged in that ocean is always rapt in transcendental pleasure on the waves and sounds of that ocean. The particular rasas (flavors or tastes) of the devotees who merge into that ocean of bhakti-rasamrta are known as neutrality, servitorship, friendship, parenthood and conjugal love. Conjugal love is very prominent, and it is symptomized by the devotee's decorating his body to attract Krsna. The flavor of servitorship increases to include affection, anger, fraternity and attachment. The flavor of friendship increases to include affection, anger, fraternity, attachment and devotion, and in parenthood the attachment increases to include affection, anger, fraternity, attachment, and devotion. There are also special flavors experienced in friendship with the Supreme Lord, and these are manifested by friends such as Subala, whose devotion increases up to the point of bhava. The different rasas are also divided into two kinds of ecstasy, called yoga and viyoga, or meeting and separation. In friendship and parenthood, the feelings of meeting and separation are various.

   The situations known as rudha and adhirudha are possible in the conjugal love relationship. Conjugal love exhibited by the queens at Dvaraka is called rudha, and conjugal love exhibited at Vrndavana by the damsels of Vraja is called adhirudha. The highest perfection of adhirudha affection in conjugal love involve meeting (madana) and separation (mohana). In the ecstasy of madana, meeting, there is kissing, and in the ecstasy of mohana, separation, there is udghurna and citrajalpa. As far as citrajalpa is concerned, in Srimad-Bhagavatam, there is a portion known as Bhramara-gita in which various kinds of citra jalpa are mentioned. Udghurna is a symptom of separation, and there is also a symptom called transcendental insanity. In that transcendental insanity one thinks that he himself has become the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In such an ecstasy, he imitates the symptoms of Krsna in different ways.

   There are two kinds of dresses worn in that relationship of conjugal love, and they are called sambhoga and vipralambha. On the sambhoga platform, the dresses are unlimited, and on the vipralambha they are four in number. The ecstasy exhibited before the lover and beloved meet, the ecstasy experienced between them after meeting, the state of mind experienced by not meeting, and the state of mind experienced after meeting fearing separation are called vipralambha. That vipralambha serves as a nourishing element for future meetings. When the lover and beloved meet all of a sudden and embrace one another, they feel an ecstasy of happiness, and the state of mind they experience in that ecstasy is called sambhoga. According to the situation, sambhoga ecstasy is also known by four names: (1) sanksipta, (2) sankirna, (3) sampanna, (4) samrddhiman. Such symptoms are also visible during dreams.

   The mental state experienced before meeting is called purvaraga. The obstacles which sometimes impede the meeting between lover and beloved are called mana, or anger. When the lover and beloved are separated, the mental state experienced is called pravasa. Feelings of separation which are present under certain conditions even when the lovers meet are called love anxieties (prema-vaicittya). Such love anxieties are exhibited in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.90.15) by the princesses who kept awake nights and watched Krsna sleep. They were afraid of being separated from Krsna, and they always talked amongst themselves about how they had been affected by Krsna's beautiful eyes and His smile.

   The supreme lover is Krsna, and He is situated in Vrndavana, and the supreme beloved is Radharani. Krsna has sixty-four important qualifications, and His devotee takes transcendental pleasure in hearing of them. As explained in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, the characteristics are as follows: (1) His body is well constructed; (2) His body has all auspicious symptoms; (3) His body is beautiful; (4) His body is very glorious; (5) His body is very strong; (6) He always looks like a boy of sixteen; (7) He is well versed in various languages; (8) He is truthful; (9) He is decorated with pleasing words; (10) He is expert in speaking; (11) He is very learned; (12) He is very intelligent; (13) He is influential; (14) He is joyful; (15) He is cunning; (16) He is expert; (17) He is grateful; (18) He is firmly convinced; (19) He knows how to deal with different circumstances; (20) He is always conversant with scriptural injunctions; (21) He is clean; (22) He is controlled by His devotees; (23) He is steady; (24) He is self-controlled; (25) He is forgiving; (26) He is grave; (27) He is speculative; (28) He is fair in His dealings; (29) He is magnanimous; (30) He is religious; (31) He is a great hero; (32) He is merciful; (33) He is respectful; (34) He is competent; (35) He is gentle; (36) He is modest; (37) He is the protector of the souls surrendered unto Him; (38) He is the deliverer; (39) He is the friend of the devotees; (40) He is submissive to love; (41) He is all-auspicious; (42) He is most powerful; (43) He is famous; (44) He is devoted to all living entities; (45) He is worshipable by everyone; (46) He is very attractive to all women; (47) He is partial to His devotees; (48) He is full of all opulence; (49) He is the supreme controller; (50) He possesses all honor.

   These fifty qualities or characteristics are fragmentally present in every living entity. When they are completely spiritually free and situated in their original condition, all these qualities can be perceived in human life in minute quantity. In Krsna, however, they exist in totality. There are five other transcendental qualities (mentioned below) which can be seen in Visnu, the Supreme Lord, and partially in Lord Siva also, but they are not visible in ordinary living entities. These characteristics are as follows: (1) He is always situated in His original condition; (2) He is omniscient; (3) He is evergreen or always fresh; (4) He is eternally blissful; (5) He is conversant and is the master of all perfection. Besides these five transcendental characteristics, there are five others which can be seen in the spiritual sky, especially in the Vaikuntha planets where Narayana is the predominating Deity. These are: (1) He has inconceivable qualities; (2) He is able to sustain innumerable universes; (3) He is the seed of all incarnations; (4) He grants the highest perfection to those enemies whom He kills; (5) He is the most attractive of self-realized persons.

   The above-mentioned qualities and characteristics, which total sixty in number, are visible up to the platform of Narayana. However, Krsna has four special qualities, which are: (1) He is able to manifest wonderful pastimes; (2) He is expert at transcendental flute playing; (3) He is surrounded by loving devotees; (4) He possesses unparalleled personal beauty.

   Thus Krsna has sixty-four transcendental qualities. Srimati Radharani has twenty-five transcendental qualities, but She can control even Krsna by them. Her transcendental qualities are as follows: (1) She is sweetness personified; (2) She is a fresh young girl; (3) Her eyes are always moving; (4) She is always brightly smiling; (5) She possesses all auspicious marks on Her body; (6) She can agitate Krsna by the flavor of Her person; (7) She is expert in the art of singing; (8) She can speak very nicely and sweetly; (9) She is expert in presenting feminine attractions; (10) She is modest and gentle; (11) She is always very merciful; (12) She is transcendentally cunning; (13) She knows how to dress nicely; (14) She is always shy; (15) She is always respectful; (16) She is always patient; (17) She is very grave; (18) She is enjoyed by Krsna; (19) She is always situated on the highest devotional platform; (20) She is the abode of love of the residents of Gokula; (21) She can give shelter to all kinds of devotees; (22) She is always affectionate to superiors and inferiors; (23) She is always obliged by the dealings of Her associates, (24) She is the greatest amongst Krsna's girl friends; (25) She always keeps Krsna under Her control.

   Thus Krsna and Radharani are both transcendentally qualified, and both of Them attract one another. Yet in that transcendental attraction, Radharani is greater than Krsna, for the attractiveness of Radharani is the transcendental taste in conjugal love. Similarly, there are transcendental tastes in servitude, friendship and other relationships with Krsna. These can be described with reference to the context of Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu.

   Persons who have been thoroughly cleansed by devotional service and are always joyful, being situated in elevated consciousness, who are very much attached to the stud ies of Srimad-Bhagavatam, who are always cheerful in the association of devotees, who have accepted the lotus feet of Krsna as the ultimate shelter of their lives, and who are pleased to perform all details of devotional service, have in their pure hearts the transcendental ecstasy of attachment. When that ecstatic state of being is enriched with love of Krsna and the transcendental experience, one gradually attains to the mature oneness of spiritual life. Such spiritual life is not possible for those who are not situated in Krsna consciousness and devotional service. This fact is further corroborated in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu wherein it is said: "It is very difficult for the nondevotee to understand the taste of devotional service. Only one who has completely taken shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna and whose life is merged in the ocean of devotional service can understand this transcendental pleasure."

   Lord Caitanya thus explained briefly the transcendental situation and spiritual enjoyment of life, and He taught that the first stage of perfection is to become a religious man in the ordinary sense, as known in the material world. The second stage of perfection is to become materially rich. The third stage of material perfection is the attainment of complete sense enjoyment, and in the fourth stage there is knowledge of liberation. Above this platform are those on the fifth stage who are already liberated and who are established in Krsna consciousness or devotional service to the Lord. In the highest perfection of devotional service in Krsna consciousness, one experiences the taste of the ecstasy of spiritual relish.

   The Lord then told Sanatana Gosvami that He had previously taught his younger brother, Rupa Gosvami, at Prayaga (Allahabad). The Lord assured Sanatana Gosvami that He had empowered Rupa Gosvami to spread the knowledge He had given him. The Lord then similarly ordered Sanatana Gosvami to write books on the transcendental loving service of the Lord, and He authorized him to excavate the different sites of Krsna's pastimes in the district of Mathura. Sanatana Gosvami was also advised to construct temples in Vrndavana and to write books on the principles of Vaisnavism, as authorized by Lord Caitanya Himself. Sanatana Gosvami executed all these desires of the Lord--he constructed the temple of Madana-mohana at Vrndavana, and he wrote books on the principles of devotional service, such as Hari-bhakti-vilasa. Lord Caitanya further taught Sanatana Gosvami how one can live in the material world while being in a complete relationship with Krsna, and He also taught him that there is no necessity for dry renunciation. The purport of these instructions is that in the present age there are many persons who accept the renounced order of life but who are not spiritually advanced. Lord Caitanya did not approve of one's accepting sannyasa without having perfect knowledge of Krsna consciousness. Actually it is found that there are many so-called sannyasis whose actions are below those of ordinary men but who pass themselves off as being in the renounced order of life. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not accept such hypocrisy. He taught Sanatana Gosvami to write elaborately on the subject of devotional service in his different books.

   The perfectional stage of spiritual life which one can experience even while being in the material world is described in the Twelfth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita as follows: "One who is not envious but who is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor, who is free from false ego and equal both in happiness and distress, who is always satisfied and engaged in devotional service with determination and whose mind and intelligence are in agreement with Me--he is very dear to Me. He for whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anxiety, who is steady in happiness and distress, is very dear to Me. A devotee who is not dependent on the ordinary course of activities, who is pure, expert, without cares, free from all pains, and who does not strive for some result, is very dear to Me. One who grasps neither pleasure or grief who neither laments nor desires, and who renounces both auspicious and inauspicious things, is very dear to Me. One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equipoised in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from contamination, always silent and satisfied with anything, who doesn't care for any residence, who is fixed in knowledge and engaged in devotional service, is very dear to Me. He who follows this imperishable path of devotional service and who completely engages himself with faith, making Me the supreme goal, is very, very dear to Me." (Bg. 12.13-20)

   Even if one is not situated in such a transcendental position, if he simply approves of such a transcendental life, he also becomes very dear to Krsna. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.2.5) it is stated that a devotee should always remain dependent on the mercy of the Supreme Lord and that as far as his material necessities are concerned, he should be satisfied with whatever is obtained without endeavor. In this regard, Sukadeva Gosvami advised that a devotee should never approach a materialistic person for any kind of help. As far as one's bodily necessities are concerned, one can pick up torn clothing out of the street, can take fruits offered by trees, can drink water which flows from rivers, and can live in a cave constructed by nature herself. Even if one is unable to do all these things, he should nonetheless completely depend on the Supreme Lord, understanding that the Supreme Lord provides everyone with food and shelter. One should understand that the Lord will never fail to care for His devotees who are fully surrendered unto Him. In any case, the devotee is always protected, and therefore he should not be at all anxious for his maintenance.

   Sanatana Gosvami thus inquired into all phases of devotional service, and Lord Caitanya taught him most confidentially from authoritative scriptures like Srimad-Bhagavatam. The Lord referred also to the Vedic literature known as Harivamsa, which gives information about the transcendental abode of Krsna. This information was disclosed by Indra when he offered his prayers after being defeated upon challenging the potency of Krsna. In the Harivamsa it is stated that although birds and airplanes can fly, they cannot reach the higher planetary systems. The higher planetary systems begin with the sun planet, which is situated in the middle of the universe. Beyond the sun there are other planetary systems where persons who are elevated by great austerities and penances are situated. The entire material universe is called Devidhama, and above it there is Sivadhama, where Lord Siva and his wife Parvati eternally reside. Above that planetary system is the spiritual sky where innumerable spiritual planets, known as Vaikunthas, are situated. Above these Vaikuntha planets there is Krsna's planet known as Goloka Vrndavana. The word goloka means "planet of the cows." Because Krsna is very fond of cows, His abode is known as Goloka. Goloka Vrndavana is larger than all the material and spiritual planets put together. In the prayer contained in the Harivamsa, Indra admitted that he could not understand the situation of Goloka even by asking Brahma. Those who are devotees of the Narayana expansion of Krsna attain the Vaikuntha planets, but it is very difficult to reach Goloka Vrndavana. Indeed, that planet can be reached only by persons who are devotees of Lord Caitanya or Lord Sri Krsna. It was Indra who admitted to Lord Krsna: "You have descended from that Goloka planet in the spiritual world, and the disturbance which I have created was all due to my foolishness." Therefore Indra begged Lord Krsna to excuse him.

   The last phase of the pastimes of Lord Krsna is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam as mausala-lila. This includes the mystery of Krsna's disappearance from this material world. In that pastime the Lord played the part of being killed by a hunter. There are many improper explanations of the last portion of Lord Krsna's pastimes (such as descriptions of the incarnation of Krsna's hair), but Lord Caitanya properly described these pastimes and gave them the right interpretation. As far as the incarnation of Krsna's hair is concerned, there is mention in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the Visnu Purana, and the Mahabharata. It is stated there that the Lord snatched a gray hair and a black hair from His head and that these two hairs entered into the wombs of two queens of the Yadu dynasty, namely Rohini and Devaki. It is also stated that Lord Krsna descends to the material world in order to vanquish all the demons, but some say that Krsna is the incarnation of Visnu who lies in the ocean of milk within this universe. Srila Rupa Gosvami in his Laghu-bhagavatamrta and his commentator, Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana, have discussed these points fully and have established the exact truth. Sri Jiva Gosvami also discussed these points in the Krsna-sandarbha.

   When Lord Caitanya finished His instructions to Sri Sanatana Gosvami, Sanatana, being empowered and enlightened, was so transcendentally pleased that he at once fell at the feet of Lord Caitanya and said: "I am born of a very low family, and I have always associated with lowly people; therefore I am the lowest of sinners. Yet You are so kind that You have taught me lessons which are not even understood by Lord Brahma, the greatest being in this universe. By Your grace I have appreciated the conclusions which You have taught me, but I am so low that I cannot even touch a drop of the ocean of Your instructions. Thus if You want me, who am nothing but a lame man, to dance, then please give me Your benediction by placing Your feet on my head."

   Thus Sanatana Gosvami prayed for the Lord's confirmation that His teachings would actually evolve in his heart by His grace. Otherwise Sanatana knew that there was no possibility of his being able to describe the Lord's teachings. The purport of this is that the acaryas (spiritual masters) are authorized by higher authorities. Instruction alone cannot make one an expert. Unless one is blessed by the spiritual master, or the acarya, such teachings cannot become fully manifest. Therefore one should seek the mercy of the spiritual master so that the instructions of the spiritual master can develop within oneself. After receiving the prayers of Sanatana Gosvami, Lord Caitanya placed His feet on the head of Sanatana and gave him His benedictions so that all His instructions would develop fully.

   Thus the Lord described the ultimate stage of love of Godhead. Lord Caitanya said that such a description cannot be given very elaborately but that He had informed him as far as possible. The conclusion is that anyone who attentively hears these discourses and instructions of Lord Caitanya to Sanatana Gosvami very soon attains to Krsna consciousness and engages in devotional service to the Lord.

 

                           Chapter Fifteen

        Explanation of the Atmarama Verse in Srimad Bhagavatam

 

   Lord Caitanya next explained a very famous verse known as the Atmarama verse, which appears in Srimad-Bhagavatam as follows:

 

                         atmaramas ca munayo

                       nirgrantha apy urukrame

                      kurvanty ahaitukim bhaktim

                       ittham-bhuta-guno harih

 

   This verse indicates that those who are liberated souls and are fully self-satisfied will eventually become devotees of the Lord. This injunction is especially meant for the impersonalists, for the impersonalists have no information of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They try to remain satisfied with the impersonal Brahman, but Krsna is so attractive and so strong that He attracts their minds. This is the purport of this verse.

   This verse had been previously explained to a great Vedantist known as Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. After taking lessons from Lord Caitanya, Sanatana Gosvami referred to this incident and prayed to the Lord to again explain the Atmarama verse. Kaviraja Gosvami, the author of Caitanya-caritamrta, appreciating the Lord's explanation of the Atmarama verse, has also glorified Lord Caitanya in his prayers. Falling flat at the feet of Lord Caitanya, Sanatana Gosvami requested Him to explain the verse as He had formerly explained it to Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. Sanatana explained his eagerness to hear the same explanation in order that he might be enlightened. Being thus requested by Sanatana, the Lord replied: "I do not understand why Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya so much appreciated My explanation. As far as I am concerned, I don't even remember what I said to him. But because you are asking this of Me, I shall, with the help of your association, try to explain whatever I can remember." Thus the speaker and the audience are very intimately connected; the speaker is enlightened by the presence of the audience. The speaker, or master, can speak very nicely on transcendental subject matters before an understanding audience; therefore Lord Caitanya said that He did not know how to explain the Sanskrit verse but that since He was in the association of Sanatana He would try to explain it.

   The Lord then went on to point out that there are eleven items in the Atmarama verse: (1) atmaramah, (2) ca, (3) munayah, (4) nirgranthah, (5) api, (6) urukrame, (7) kurvanti, (8) ahaitukim, (9) bhaktim, (10) ittham-bhuta-gunah, (11) harih. The Lord then began to explain each and every one of these items. As far as the word atmarama is concerned, the Lord explained that the word atma is used to indicate: (1) the Supreme Absolute Truth, (2) the body, (3) the mind, (4) endeavor, (5) conviction, (6) intelligence, and (7) nature. The word arama means enjoyer; therefore anyone who takes pleasure in the cultivation of the knowledge of these seven items is known as atmarama. The Lord then explained about the different kinds of atmaramas, or transcendentalists. As for the word munayah, or muni, those who are great thinkers are called munis. Sometimes the word muni is also applied to a person who is very grave. Great sages, great austere persons, great mystics and learned scholars are also called munis.

   The next word, nirgrantha, indicates freedom from the bondage of illusion. Nirgrantha also means "One who has no connection with spiritual injunctions." Grantha means revealed scriptures, and nir is an affix which is used to mean "no connection," "constructing," and also "prohibiting." There are many instructions for spiritual realization, but persons who have no connection with such scriptural injunctions are also known as nirgrantha. There are many people who are foolish, low-born and misbehaved and who have no entrance into the revealed scriptures and injunctions, and therefore they are called nirgrantha. Because grantha is also used for the purpose of collecting riches, the word nirgrantha also indicates a poor man, bereft of all riches, who is attempting to collect riches.

   The word urukrama is used to indicate a highly powerful person. The word krama is used to indicate the act of stepping, and the word urukrama indicates one who can step forward very far. The greatest step forward was taken by Lord Vamanadeva, who covered the whole universe in two steps. Thus the word urukrama indicates the Supreme Lord Vamanadeva. This extraordinary feature of Lord Vamanadeva is thus explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.7.40).

 

               visnor nu virya-gananam katamo 'rhatiha

               yah parthivany api kavir vimame rajamsi

            caskambha yah sva-ramhasaskhalata tri-prstham

               yasmat tri-samya-sadanad uru-kampayanam

 

   "No one can estimate the inconceivable potencies of Lord Visnu. Even if one can count the number of atomic combinations in this material world, he still cannot count the different energies of the Supreme Lord. As Vamanadeva, the Lord was so powerful that simply by stepping forward He covered the whole universe from Brahmaloka down to Patalaloka."

   The inconceivable energies of the Lord are spread throughout the creation. He is all-pervading, and by His energy He sustains all planetary systems, yet through His pleasure potency He remains situated in His personal abode known as Goloka. By the expansion of His opulence, He is present in all the Vaikuntha planets as Narayana. By expanding His material energy, He creates innumerable universes with innumerable planets within them. Thus no one can estimate the wonderful activities of the Supreme Lord, and therefore the Supreme Lord is known as urukrama, the wonderful actor. In the Visvaprakasa dictionary, the word krama is defined as "an expert display of energies," as well as "stepping forward very quickly."

   The word kurvanti is used to mean "working for others." There is another word similar to this which is used when one's activities are done for one's own personal sense gratification, but the word kurvanti is used when activities are performed for the satisfaction of the Supreme. Thus in this verse the word can only indicate the rendering of transcendental service to the Lord.

   The word hetu is used to indicate the reason or cause. Generally people are engaged in transcendental activities for three reasons: some want material happiness, some want mystic perfection and some want liberation from material bondage. As far as material enjoyment is concerned, there are so many varieties that no one can enumerate them. As far as perfections in mystic power are concerned, there are eighteen, and as far as types of liberation from material bondage are concerned, there are five. The state of being where all these varieties of enjoyment are conspicuous by their absence is called ahaituki. The ahaituki qualification is especially mentioned because by the ahaituki service of the Lord, one can achieve the favor of the Lord.

   The word bhakti can be used in ten different ways. Out of these ten, there is sadhana-bhakti, or occupational devotional service. The other nine are called prema-bhakti, love of Godhead. Those who are situated in the neutral position attain perfection up to love of Godhead. Similarly, those who are situated in the relationship of master and servant attain love of Godhead to the stage of attachment. Those who are related in friendship attain love of God to the point of fraternity. Those who are in love with God as His parents are elevated to the point of transcendental emotion. But only those who are related with the Supreme in conjugal love can experience the highest of ecstasies. Thus there are different meanings for the word bhakti.

   The Lord next explained the different meanings of ittham-bhuta-guna. Ittham bhuta indicates fully transcendental pleasure before which the transcendental pleasure known as brahmananda becomes like straw. In the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya (14.36), a devotee says:

 

                       tvat-saksat-karanahlada-

                       visuddhabdhisthitasya me

                         sukhani gospadayante

                       brahmany api jagad guro

 

   "My Lord, O Supreme, simply by understanding You or seeing You, the pleasure which we derive is so great that the pleasure of brahmananda becomes insignificant." In other words, the pleasure derived by understanding Krsna as He is--as the all-attractive reservoir of all pleasures and the reservoir of all pleasure-giving tastes with all transcendental qualifications--attracts one to become His devotee. By virtue of such attraction, one can give up fruitive activities and all endeavors for liberation and can even abandon the intense desire to achieve success in yoga mystic power. The attraction of Krsna is so intense that one can lose respect for all other means of self-realization and simply surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

   The Lord also explained the word guna in all its different meanings. Guna indicates the unlimited transcendental qualities of Krsna, primarily His sac-cid-ananda form. In His transcendental blissful knowledge and eternity, He is fully perfect, and His perfection is increased when He is controlled by the attention of His devotee. God is so kind and merciful that He can give Himself in exchange for the devotional service of the devotee. His transcendental qualities are such that the perfection of His beauty, His perfect reciprocation of love between Himself and His devotees, and the flavor of His transcendental qualities attract different kinds of transcendentalists and liberated souls. For example, He attracted the mind of Sanaka Kumara simply by the aroma emanating from the flowers offered to Him. The mind of Sukadeva Gosvami was attracted by the transcendental pastimes of Lord Krsna, and the minds of the damsels of Vrndavana were attracted by His personal beauty. Rukmini's attention was attracted by His bodily features and transcendental qualities, and the mind of the goddess of fortune was attracted by His flute playing and other transcendental features. Lord Krsna attracts the minds of all young girls and elderly ladies by His childlike activities. He also attracts the minds of His friends by His friendly activities. When He appeared in Vrndavana, He even attracted the birds, beasts, trees and plants. Indeed, everyone became attracted in love and affection for Krsna.

   The word hari has different meanings, of which two are foremost. Hari means that He takes away all inauspicious things from the devotee's life and that He attracts the mind of the devotee by awarding him transcendental love of Godhead. Krsna is so attractive that anyone who can remember Him in some way or another becomes freed from the four kinds of material miseries. The Lord gives special attention to His devotee and banishes the devotee's various sinful activities, which are stumbling blocks for the advancement of devotional service. This is called routing the influence of ignorance. Simply by hearing about Him, one develops love for Him. That is the gift of the Lord. On one side He takes away inauspicious things, and on the other side He awards the most auspicious things. That is the meaning of hari. When a person is developed in love of Godhead, his body, mind and everything else are attracted by the transcendental qualities of the Lord. Such is the power of Krsna's merciful activities and transcendental qualities. He is so attractive that out of transcendental attachment, a devotee will abandon all four principles of spiritual life--religiosity, economic development, regulation of sense gratification and salvation.

   The words api and ca are adverbs and can be used for virtually any purpose. The word ca, or "and," can render seven different readings to the whole construction.

   The Lord thus established the import of the eleven words in the Atmarama verse, and then He began to explain the import of each item as follows. The word brahman indicates the greatest in all respects. The Lord is the greatest in all opulences. No one can excel Him in wealth, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge and renunciation. Thus the word brahman indicates the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. In the Visnu Purana (1.12.57) the word brahman is given to indicate the greatest of all; the Supreme Lord is the greatest, and there is no limit to His expanding as the greatest. One may conceive of Brahman's greatness, yet this greatness grows in such a way that no one can estimate how great He actually is.

   The Supreme Personality of Godhead is realized in three aspects, but they are all one and the same. The Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality, Krsna, is everlasting. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.9.33) it is said that He exists before the manifestation of this cosmic world, that He exists during its continuance, and that He continues to exist after its annihilation. Therefore He is the soul of everything great. He is all-pervading and all-witnessing, and He is the supreme form of everything.

   There are three different kinds of transcendental processes mentioned in Vedic literature by which one can understand and achieve that supreme perfection of the Absolute Truth. They are called the process of knowledge, the process of mystic yoga, and the process of devotional service. The followers of these three processes realize the Absolute Truth in three different aspects. Those who follow the process of knowledge realize Him as impersonal Brahman; those who follow the process of yoga realize Him as the localized Supersoul; and those who follow the process of devotional service realize Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna. In other words, although the word Brahman indicates Krsna and nothing else, still, according to the process that is followed, the Lord is realized in three different aspects.

   As far as devotional service is concerned, there are two divisions. In the beginning there is vidhi-bhakti, or devotional service with regulative principles. In the higher stage there is raga-bhakti, or devotional service in pure love.

   The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Absolute Truth, but He is manifested by the expansions of His different energies also. Those who follow the regulative principles of devotional service ultimately attain the Vaikuntha planets in the spiritual world, but one who follows the principles of love in devotional service attains to the supreme abode, the highest planet in the spiritual world known as Krsnaloka or Goloka Vrndavana.

   Transcendentalists can also be divided into three categories. The word akama refers to one who does not have any material desires. Moksa-kama refers to one who seeks liberation from material miseries, and sarva-kama refers to one who has the material desire to enjoy. The most intelligent transcendentalist gives up all other processes and engages himself in the devotional service of the Lord, even though he may have many desires. It is not by any kind of transcendental activity--neither fruitive action, nor the cultivation of knowledge, nor cultivation of mystic yoga--that a person can achieve the highest perfection without adding a tinge of devotional service. But for devotional service, all other transcendental processes are just like nipples on the neck of a goat. The nipples on a goat's neck may be squeezed, but they do not supply milk. If one is to derive actual perfection from his process, he must take to the devotional service of Krsna. In Bhagavad-gita it is stated:.

 

                       catur-vidha bhajante mam

                        janah sukrtino 'rjuna

                       arto jijnasur artharthi

                        jnani ca bharatarsabha

 

   "O best among the Bharatas [Arjuna], four kinds of pious men render devotional service unto Me--the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute." (Bg. 7.16)

   When these four types of people amass righteous activities, they come to the devotional service of the Lord. Out of these four, those who are distressed and those who desire wealth are called devotees with desires, whereas the other two, the inquisitive and the searcher for wisdom, are seekers of liberation. Because they worship Krsna, they are all considered to be very fortunate. In due course of time, if they give up all desires and become pure devotees of the Supreme Lord, they can be considered most fortunate. Such fortunate beginners can develop only in the association of pure devotees of Lord Krsna. When one associates with pure devotees, he becomes a pure devotee himself. This is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.10.11):

 

                      sat-sangan mukta-duhsango

                        hatum notsahate budhah

                        kirtyamanam yaso yasya

                        sakrd akarnya rocanam

 

   "A person who is actually intelligent is able--by association of pure devotees--to hear about Lord Krsna and His activities." These activities are so attractive that when one hears of them, he does not give up his association with the Lord.

   But for the association of pure devotees, all other association is kaitava, or cheating. This is confirmed in the First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam wherein it is stated that all cheating processes which obstruct transcendental realization are to be thrown off. By Srimad-Bhagavatam one can understand reality as it is, and such understanding helps one transcend the three kinds of material miseries. Srimad-Bhagavatam is compiled by the greatest sage, Vyasadeva, and it is a work coming out of his mature experience. By understanding Srimad-Bhagavatam and rendering devotional service, one can immediately capture the Supreme Lord within his heart.

   Lord Caitanya then explained that the word projjhita means"desire for liberation." One great commentator explained that desire for liberation is the most obstructive stumbling block on the path of God realization. Somehow or other, if one comes to Krsna and begins to hear about Him, Krsna is so kind that He awards him His lotus feet as a center. Having such a focal point, a devotee or transcendentalist forgets everything and engages himself in the devotional service of the Lord. When one comes to the Lord in devotional service, or in full Krsna consciousness, the reward is the Supreme Himself. Once engaged for the Supreme, one no longer asks for anything, as do the distressed man and he who desires material possessions. The method of devotional service, the service itself, association of pure devotees and the causeless mercy of the Lord all act so wonderfully that one can give up all activities and become absorbed in Krsna, even if he is distressed, in want of material possessions, inquisitive or is actually a wise man cultivating knowledge.

   In summary, Krsna is the meaning behind all the words in the Atmarama verse. Up to this point Lord Caitanya spoke only of the introduction to the Atmarama verse. Next He explains its real position.

   In the cultivation of knowledge there are two kinds of transcendentalists. One of them worships the impersonal Brahman, and the other desires liberation. Since monists worship the impersonal feature of Brahman, they are therefore called worshipers of Brahman. These Brahman worshipers are further divided into three categories: the neophyte, one who is absorbed in Brahman realization, and one who has actually realized himself as Brahman. If devotional service is added, the knower of Brahman can then become liberated; otherwise there is no possibility of liberation. Anyone who is fully engaged in devotional service in Krsna consciousness is understood to be already realized in Brahman. Devotional service is so strong that one is attracted to Krsna even from the platform of Brahman worship. The Lord awards the devotee the perfection of a spiritual body, and he eternally engages in the transcendental service of Krsna. It is when the devotee understands and becomes attracted by Krsna's transcendental qualities that he wholeheartedly engages in devotional service. For instance, the four Kumaras and Sukadeva Gosvami were liberated from the beginning, yet in their later life they became attracted to the pastimes of Krsna and became devotees. Sanaka Kumara was attracted by the aroma of the flowers offered to Krsna, and the other Kumaras were attracted by the transcendental qualities of the Lord and thus engaged in His devotional service. The nine mystics mentioned in the Eleventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam are understood to have been transcendentalists from birth by virtue of hearing of the transcendental qualities of Krsna from Brahma, Lord Siva and Narada.

   Sometimes one becomes attracted to Krsna and His transcendental qualities simply by looking upon the beautiful features of His transcendental body, in which case one abandons the desire for liberation and engages in His devotional service. The devotee regrets his loss of time in the so-called cultivation of knowledge and becomes a pure devotee of the Lord.

   There are two kinds of liberated souls having material bodies: the soul liberated by devotional service and the soul liberated by the cultivation of knowledge. The liberated soul in devotional service, attracted by the transcendental qualities of Krsna, becomes more and more elevated, whereas those who engage in dry speculation and simply cultivate knowledge without devotion fall due to their many offenses. This is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.2.32) where it is stated:

 

                 ye 'nye 'ravindaksa vimukta-maninas

                tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayah

                  aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah

                patanty adho 'nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah

 

   "O Lord, the intelligence of those who think themselves liberated but who have no devotion is not pure. Even though they rise to the highest point of liberation by dint of severe penances and austerity, they are sure to fall down again into this material existence, for they do not take shelter at Your lotus feet." This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gita:

 

                      brahma-bhutah prasannatma

                        na socati na kanksati

                        samah sarvesu bhutesu

                      mad-bhaktim labhate param

 

   "One who is transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state, he attains pure devotional service unto Me." (Bg. 18.54)

   Thus one who is actually situated in Brahman realization has no reason to lament or desire. He is equal to everyone and is thus eligible for devotional service. This was also accepted by Bilvamangala Thakura, who, in his later life, lamented: "I was situated as a monist in order to become one with the Supreme, but somehow or other I contacted a naughty boy and became His eternal servitor." In other words, those who attain self-realization by the execution of devotional service attain a transcendental body, and, being attracted to the transcendental qualities of Krsna, engage fully in pure devotional service.

   Anyone who is not attracted to Krsna is understood to be still under the spell of the illusory energy (maya), but one who is attempting to be liberated by the process of devotional service is actually liberated from the spell of maya. In the Eleventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam there are many instances recorded of devotees who became liberated in this life simply by engaging in devotional service.

 

                           Chapter Sixteen

             Conclusion of Teachings to Sanatana Gosvami

 

   There are those who simply desire liberation, those who are liberated already, even while in this material existence, and those who are actually self-realized. There are many persons in this world who desire liberation, and sometimes they engage in devotional service for this purpose. It is corroborated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.26) that those who actually desire liberation abandon worship of the demigods, and, without envy, concentrate their minds in the worship of Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When such persons come in contact with a pure devotee, they engage in the devotional service of Krsna and abandon the idea of liberation. In the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya it is stated:

 

                     aho mahatman bahu-dosa-dusto

                   'py ekena bhaty esa bhavo gunena

                    sat-sangam akhyena sukhabahena

                     krtadya no yena krsa mumuksa

 

   "O great soul, although there are many flaws within this miserable life, there is yet one glory--the association of pure devotees. Cultivate such association. By it our desire for liberation diminishes."

   In Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.2.37) it is stated that man's fear is due to his material conception of life and to his forgetting his eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord. Consequently he finds himself having only perverted memories. This occurs due to the spell of material energy. One who has sufficient intelligence will engage himself in full devotional service and regard the Supreme Lord as his spiritual master and worshipable God. The conclusion is that no one can attain a revolution in consciousness without engaging in devotional service to the Lord. When one is actually free from material contamination, he can fully engage himself in Krsna consciousness.

   In Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.4) it is again clearly said that one who engages in spiritual life to understand things as they are but who lacks all intentions of engaging in Krsna consciousness, simply achieves trouble for his undertaking. There is no substance to his life. Every living entity is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, and therefore it is the duty of every living entity to serve that supreme whole. Without such service, the living entity falls into material contamination.

   Lord Caitanya concluded His teachings to Sanatana Gosvami by pointing out that the six kinds of atmaramas engage in some kind of devotional service to Krsna. In other words, at some time or another all the transcendentalists ultimately come to understand the necessity of rendering devotional service to Krsna and become fully Krsna conscious. Even if one is very learned or extravagant, he can still engage in the devotional service of the Lord.

   The transcendentalists can be categorized into six basic types: the neophyte transcendentalist, the absorbed transcendentalist, one who is actually situated in transcendence, one who actually desires liberation, one who is actually liberated, and one who is actually engaged in activities in his constitutional position. All of these are called atmarama. When a person becomes atmarama, or a great thinker in Krsna consciousness, he fully engages in devotional service. According to the grammatical rules, there are many atmaramas, but one sense of the word is sufficient to represent the others. In the collective sense, all the atmaramas are inclined to worship the Supreme Lord Krsna.

   The mystic who worships the Supersoul within himself is also called atmarama. The atmarama yogis are of two kinds: sagarbha and nigarbha, It is stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.2.8): "Some yogis meditate within their heart on the localized Visnu, who is four-handed and who holds four symbols: conch, disc, mace and lotus." The yogi who thinks of the four-handed Visnu becomes absorbed in devotional ecstasy and evinces the symptoms of that state. Sometimes he cries, and sometimes he feels separation. In this way he merges in transcendental bliss. The result of all this is that he becomes entrapped like a fish.

   The sagarbha and nigarbha yogis can be further divided into three categories: the beginner, the ascendent, and he who has already attained perfection. These yogis are described in the Sixth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita. Those who are trying to ascend on the path of mystic yoga are called aruruksu. In aruruksu yoga, various sitting postures are practiced, and the mind is concentrated. But when one has already ascended to the path of yoga, meditation and detachment are the goals, and when one is no longer attached to working for sense gratification, he gradually becomes free. At that time he also attains a state of ecstasy called yoga arudha. If these mystic yogis somehow or other come in contact with a saintly person, they become devotees of Krsna. The word urukrama indicates the Supreme Lord. All the atmaramas are engaged in devotional service to Urukrama. Before engaging in devotional service, such transcendentalists are called santas, or pacified devotees. The word atma, or self, is sometimes translated as "mind." Sometimes mental speculators present philosophical theories in different ways, but when they come in contact with saintly persons engaged in devotional service, they also become devotees.

   Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.87.18) describes the two classes of yogis (sagarbha and nigarbha) as follows: "The yogis begin their practice of yoga by worshiping the abdomen, and they try to concentrate their attention on their intestines. Gradually their meditation rises to the heart and concentrates on the mind and the heart. Then their attention rises to the top of the head, and one who can rise to that position is understood to have become perfect and to be no longer subjected to birth and death." Even if such yogis come in contact with pure devotees, they also render causeless devotional service to the Lord.

   The word atma also means "to endeavor." In every practice there is some endeavor, and the ultimate endeavor is the endeavor to reach the highest perfectional stage of devotional service. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.5.18) it is stated that one should try to attain the highest goal, which cannot be attained either in the higher or lower planetary systems. The idea is that material happiness and misery are available in all planetary systems in the course of time, but the highest achievement, devotional service, cannot be attained anywhere without endeavor. Therefore in the Brhan-naradiya Purana it is said that one who is serious about understanding the highest perfectional stage of devotional service can become successful in everything simply by his endeavor. One cannot attain the highest perfectional stage of devotional service without personal endeavor. As Krsna states in Bhagavad-gita:

 

                        tesam satata-yuktanam

                       bhajatam priti-purvakam

                       dadami buddhi-yogam tam

                         yena mam upayanti te

 

   "To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me." (Bg. 10.10)

   The word atma also means patience and perseverance. By patience and perseverance one can achieve the highest stage of devotional service.

   As far as the word muni is concerned, there are additional meanings. The word also refers to a bird and a large black bee. Another meaning of the word nirgrantha is "a foolish person." Thus even birds, bees and foolish people engage in the service of the Supreme Lord when they are favored by the pure devotee. Indeed, it is stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.21.14) that the birds are devoted to the service of the Supreme Lord. It is also stated there (10.15.6) that black bees always follow Krsna and Balarama. Concerning this, Sri Krsna even described the devotional service which the bees and wasps were rendering unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Krsna said:

 

               ete 'linas tava yaso 'khila-loka-tirtham

                  gayanta adi purusanupadam bhajante

                 prayo ami muni-gana bhavadiya-mukhya

              gudham vane 'pi na jahaty anaghatma-daivam

 

   "O supremely virtuous one, O Personality of Godhead [Balarama], just see how these bees and wasps are following You, glorifying Your transcendental fame and worshiping You. Actually these wasps and bees are not as they appear; they are great sages who are taking this opportunity to worship the supreme soul. Although You are not known by ordinary persons, they know You, and they are following and glorifying You." There is a similar verse in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.15.7) which describes the reception given to Balarama and Krsna by the peacocks of Vrndavana. "O worshipable one, just see how the peacocks that are returning to their nests are receiving You with full pleasure. These peacocks are just like the damsels of Vraja. The cuckoos on the branches of the trees are also receiving You in their own way. The residents of Vrndavana are so glorious that everyone is prepared to render devotional service to the Lord." It is stated in another verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.35.11): "O just see how the cranes and swans on the water are singing the glories of the Lord! Indeed, they are standing in the water meditating and worshiping Him." It is stated elsewhere in Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.4.18): "Even the aborigines and uncivilized human beings like Kiratas, Hunas, Andhra, Pulinda, Pulkasa, Abhira, Sumbha, Yavana and Khasa, as well as many other human beings in the lower species, can all be purified simply by taking shelter of the pure devotees." Therefore Sukadeva Gosvami offered his respectful obeisances unto Lord Visnu, whose devotees can work so wonderfully.

   Another meaning of the word dhrti is "to realize oneself as elevated." When one realizes his own elevation, he feels that he is free from all miseries and is elevated to the highest platform of life. All devotees of Krsna in full Krsna consciousness are free from all kinds of material pleasures and miseries. They are fully absorbed in the service of the Lord, and they are always jolly by virtue of their engagement in His transcendental service. They are experienced men of happiness. Indeed, they are so happy that they do not even wish to be promoted to the spiritual planets, for they are happy in every sphere of life. Being full in the transcendental service of the Lord, they desire neither material objects or material sense pleasures. As stated by the Gosvamis: "Persons whose senses are fixed in the service of the Supreme Lord can be called peaceful."

   Thus the word atmarama indicates that even birds, beasts and fools--in short, everyone--can become attracted by the transcendental qualities of Krsna, engage in His service and become liberated.

   Still another meaning of atma is "intelligence." One who has special intelligence is also called atmarama. The atmaramas with special intelligence are of two kinds. One is the learned sage, and the other is the fool without book knowledge. Both of these can have an opportunity to associate with the pure devotee. Even the foolish atmaramas can give up everything and engage themselves in Krsna consciousness in pure devotional service. In Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that the Lord is the origin of everything and that everything emanates from Him. Anyone who is actually intelligent can understand that the Supreme Lord Krsna is the source of everything and thus engage in His service. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.7.46): "What to speak of persons who are intelligent enough to study the Vedas--even less intelligent persons like women, laborers, the Huna, Sabara, and the birds and beasts can achieve the highest perfectional stage of life." As previously quoted, Bhagavad-gita (10.10) also indicates that when a person becomes highly intelligent and engages in Krsna consciousness, Krsna reciprocates by giving him the intelligence by which he can be promoted to the abode of the Supreme Lord.

   The Lord then told Sanatana Gosvami that the association of good devotees, engagement in the transcendental service of the Lord, the understanding of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, and residence in a holy place like Vrndavana or Mathura are all very important for elevation to the transcendental plane. One need not attain all five of these items; if one is expert in just one of them, he will, without fail, be elevated to the stage of love of Godhead. One who is actually intelligent gives up all material desires and engages in the transcendental service of Krsna. The influence of devotional service is such that when a person engages in it, he gives up all material desires and becomes fully attached to Krsna, being inspired by the transcendental qualities of the Lord. Such is the beauty of the Lord in the eyes of His devotee.

   Another meaning of the word atma is "nature." In this case the word atmarama indicates that everyone is enjoying the particular nature he has acquired. However, the ultimate nature, or the perpetual eternal nature of the living entity, is to serve the Supreme Lord. One who attains to the perfection of understanding his real nature--as eternal servant of the Lord--gives up his designative (material, or bodily) conception of life. That is real knowledge. Those who are in pursuit of knowledge and who get the opportunity to associate with a pure devotee also engage in the devotional service of the Lord. Sages like the four Kumaras, as well as fools and birds, can engage in the Lord's transcendental service. By being favored with Krsna's causeless mercy, anyone and everyone can be elevated to the platform of Krsna consciousness.

   When one becomes attracted by the transcendental qualities of Krsna, he begins devotional service. Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.15.8) glorifies the land of Vrndavana in this way:

 

              dhanyeyam adya dharani trna-virudhas tvat-

                pada-sprso druma-latah karajabhimrstah

               nadyo 'drayah khaga-mrgah sadayavalokair

              gopyo 'ntarena bhujayor api yat-sprha srih

 

   "This land of Vrajabhumi is glorified by the touch of Your feet. Being touched by Your fingers, the creepers also glorify You. When You look on the hills, rivers and lower animals, they are all glorified, and the gopis, being embraced by Your transcendental arms, are also glorified." The gopis (cowherd girls) glorified Vrndavana in the following words: "Dear friends, all these inhabitants of Vrajabhumi--including birds, beasts, and trees--are glorified when they see Lord Krsna going to the pasturing ground with His friends and Balarama."

   The word atma also means "this body." The yogis who practice bodily exercises, considering the body to be the self, are also elevated to the transcendental service of the Lord if they associate with pure devotees. There are many people who believe the body to be the self, and they are engaged in many fruitive activities, including bathing rituals and ordinary worldly activities. However, when they come in contact with a pure devotee, they also engage in the transcendental service of the Lord.

   In Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.18.12) it is stated: "O my dear Suta Gosvami, even though we have become darkened by the sacrificial smoke of fruitive activities, you have given us the nectar of Krsna's lotus feet." It is also stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (4.21.31): "The waters of the Ganges flow from the tip of the lotus feet of Krsna, and by bathing in that water, everyone--including fruitive actors and all sages--can wash dirty things from the mind.

   Even those who believe that the body is the self, or those who are full of material desires, are also, in a sense, atmarama. When they associate with the pure devotees of the Lord, they give up their material desires and become perfect in the service of the Lord. The best example of this is found in the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya (7.28), wherein Dhruva Maharaja said:

 

                   sthanabhilasi tapasi sthito 'ham

                 tvam praptavan deva-munindra-guhyam

                   kacam vicinvann api divya-ratnam

                  svamin krtartho 'smi varam na yace

 

   "My dear Lord, I came to worship You because I desired some land on this earth, but fortunately I have attained You, who are beyond even the perception of great sages and saintly persons. I came to search out some particles of colored glass, but instead I found a very valuable gem like You. I am satisfied, and I do not desire to ask anything of You."

   There is also another meaning to the word nirgrantha. The word can also mean "foolish hunter," or "wretched poor man." There is one instance of a hunter who attained salvation and engaged himself in the devotional service of the Lord simply by associating with the pure devotee Narada. Indeed, Lord Caitanya told Sanatana Gosvami the following story of the hunter's meeting with Narada.

   Once there was a hunter in the forest of Prayaga who was fortunate enough to meet Narada Muni when the great sage was returning from Vaikuntha after visiting Lord Narayana. Narada came to Prayaga to bathe in the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna. While passing through the forest, Narada saw a bird lying on the ground. The bird was half-killed, being pierced by an arrow, and it was chirping pitifully. Further on, Narada saw a deer flopping about in agony. Further, he saw that a boar was also suffering, and, in another place, he saw a rabbit twitching in pain. All this made him very compassionate, and he began to think, "Who is the foolish man who has committed such sins?" Devotees of the Lord are generally compassionate upon the miseries of living entities, and what to speak of the great sage Narada? He became very much aggrieved by this scene, and after proceeding a few steps, he saw the hunter engaged in hunting with bow and arrows. The hunter's complexion was very dark, and his eyes were red. It appeared to be dangerous just to see him standing there with his bow and arrows, looking just like an associate of Yamaraja, death. Seeing him, Narada Muni entered deeper into the forest to approach him. As Narada Muni passed through the forest, all the animals who were caught in the hunter's traps fled away. The hunter became very angry at this, and he was just about to call Narada vile names, but, due to the influence of saintly Narada, the hunter could not utter such blasphemies. Rather, with gentle behavior, he asked Narada: "My dear sir, why have you come here while I am hunting? Have you strayed from the general path? Because you have come here, all the animals in my traps have fled."

   "Yes, I am sorry," Narada replied. "I have come to you to find my own path and to inquire from you. I have seen that there are many boars, deer and rabbits on the path. They are lying on the forest floor half-dead and flopping about. Who has committed these sinful acts?"

   "What you have seen is all right," the hunter replied. "It was done by me."

   "If you are hunting all these poor animals, why don't you kill them at once?" Narada asked. "You half-kill them, and they are suffering in their death pangs. This is a great sin. If you want to kill an animal, why don't you kill it completely? Why do you leave it half-killed and allow it to die flopping around?"

   "My dear Lord," the hunter replied. "My name is Mrgari, enemy of animals. I am simply following the teachings of my father who taught me to half-kill animals and leave them flopping about. When a half-dead animals suffers, I take great pleasure in it."

   "I beg one thing from you only," Narada implored. "Please accept it."

   "Oh, yes sir, I shall give you whatever you like," the hunter said. "If you want some animal skins, come to my house. I have many skins of animals, including tigers and deer. I shall give you whatever you like."

   "I do not want such things," Narada replied. "However, I do want something else. If you kindly grant it to me, I shall tell you. Please, henceforth from tomorrow, whenever you kill an animal, please kill it completely. Don't leave it half-dead."

   "My dear sir, what are you asking of me? What is the difference between half-killing an animal and killing it completely?"

   "If you half-kill the animals, they suffer great pain," Narada explained. "And if you give too much pain to other living entities, you commit great sin. There is a great offense committed when you kill an animal completely, but the offense is much greater when you half-kill it. Indeed, the pain which you give half-dead animals will have to be accepted by you in a future birth."

   Although the hunter was very sinful, his heart became softened, and he became afraid of his sins by virtue of his association with a great devotee like Narada. Those who are grossly sinful are not at all afraid of committing sins, but here we can see that because his purification began in the association of a great devotee like Narada, the hunter became afraid of his sinful activities. The hunter therefore replied: "My dear sir, from my very childhood I have been taught to kill animals in this way. Please tell me how I can get rid of all the offenses and sinful activities which I have accumulated. I am surrendering unto your feet. Please save me from all the reactions of my sinful activities which I have committed in the past, and please direct me to the proper path so that I can be free."

   "If you actually want to follow my directions, I can tell you the real path by which you can be freed from sinful reactions."

   "I shall follow whatever you say without hesitation," the hunter agreed.

   Narada then told him to first break his bow; only then would he disclose the path of liberation.

   "You are asking me to break my bow," the hunter protested, "but if I break it, what will be the means of my livelihood?"

   "Don't worry about your livelihood," Narada said. "I shall send you sufficient grains in order to live.',

   The hunter then broke his bow and fell down at the feet of Narada. Narada got him to stand up, and he instructed him: "Just go to your home and distribute whatever money and valuables you have to the devotees and the brahmanas. Then just come out and follow me wearing only one cloth. Construct a small thatched house on the river bank and sow a tulasi plant by that house. Just circumambulate the tulasi tree, and every day taste one fallen leaf. Above all, always chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare.Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. As far as your livelihood is concerned, I shall send you grains, but you will only accept as much grain as you require for yourself and your wife."

   Narada then relieved the half-dead animals, and, getting freed from their dreadful condition, they fled away. Upon seeing Narada execute this miracle, the dark hunter was struck with wonder. After taking Narada to his home, he bowed down again at his feet.

   Narada returned to his place, and the hunter, after returning home, began to execute the instructions Narada had given him. In the meantime, news spread amongst all the villages that the hunter had become a devotee. Consequently the residents of the villages came to see the new Vaisnava. It is the Vedic custom to bring grains and fruits whenever one goes to see a saintly person, and since all the villagers saw that the hunter had turned into a great devotee, they brought eatables with them. Thus every day he was offered grains and fruit, so much so that no less than ten to twenty people could have eaten there. According to Narada's instructions, he did not accept anything more than what he and his wife required for sustenance.

   After some days had passed, Narada told his friend Parvata Muni: "I have a disciple. Let us go to see him and see if he is doing well."

   When the two sages, Narada and Parvata, went to the hunter's home, the hunter saw his spiritual master coming from the distance, and he began to approach him with great respect. On his way to greet the great sages, the hunter saw that there were ants on the ground before him and that they were hindering his passage. When he reached the sages, he tried to bow down before them, but he saw that there were so many ants that he could not bow down without crushing them. Thus he slowly cleared away the ants with his cloth. When Narada saw that the hunter was trying to save the lives of the ants in this way, he was reminded of a verse from the Skanda Purana: "Is it not wonderful that a devotee of the Lord is not inclined to give any sort of pain to anyone, not even to an ant?"

   Although the hunter formerly took great pleasure in half-killing animals, since he became a great devotee of the Lord, he was not prepared to give pain even to an ant. The hunter received the two great sages at his home and offered them a sitting place, brought water, washed their feet, took water to them to drink, and finally both he and his wife touched the water with their heads. After this, they began to feel ecstasy and began to dance and sing Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare.Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. They raised their hands and danced with their clothes flying. When the two great sages saw this ecstasy of love of Godhead manifest in the body of the hunter, Parvata Muni told Narada: "You are a touchstone, for by your association even a great hunter has turned into a great devotee."

   There is a verse in the Skanda Purana which states: "My dear Devarsi [Narada], you are glorious, and by your mercy, even the lowest creature, a hunter of animals, also became elevated to the path of devotion and attained transcendental attachment for Krsna."

   At length, Narada inquired of the hunter-devotee: "Are you getting your foodstuff regularly?"

   "You send so many people," the hunter replied, "and they bring so many eatables that we cannot begin to eat them."

   "That's all right," Narada replied. "Whatever you are getting is all right. Now just continue your devotional service in that way."

   After Narada had spoken this, both Narada and Parvata Muni disappeared from the hunter's home. Lord Caitanya recited this story in order to show that even a hunter can engage in the devotional service of Krsna by the influence of pure devotees.

   Continuing to explain the Atmarama verse, Lord Caitanya pointed out that the word atma also indicated all varieties of the Personality of Godhead. Generally the Personality of Godhead Himself, Krsna, and His different expansions are all known as the Personality of Godhead.

   Anyone who is engaged in the devotional service of any form or extension of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is also called atmarama. All such devotees engage themselves either in the regulative principles of devotional service or in devotional service in transcendental love. These devotees are also divided into three categories: the associates, those perfected in devotional service, and those newly engaged in devotional service. Newly engaged devotees can be divided into two: those who have already attained attachment for the Lord and those who have not attained such attachment. When considered according to the two divisions of devotional service (namely regulative--and attachment in transcendental love) these classes of devotees become eight in number. By following the regulative principles of devotion, the perfect associates of the Lord are further divided into four classes: the servants, the friends, the parental superiors and the fiancees.

   Just as some devotees are perfected by the execution of devotional service, so some of them are eternally perfect. Of those following the regulative principles of devotional service, there are the advanced and the beginners; and in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, there are sixteen types of devotees. Thus the atmaramas can be considered to exist in thirty-two divisions. If the words muni, nirgrantha, ca and api are applied to the thirty-two classes, then there are fifty-eight different types of devotees. All these devotees can be described by one word: atmarama. There may be many different kinds of trees standing in the forest, but the word "tree" describes them all.

   Thus the Lord gave sixty different meanings to the word atmarama. In addition, He said that atma means "the living entity, beginning from the first living creature, Brahma, down to the ant." He cited a verse from the Sixth Chapter of Visnu Purana in which it is stated that all the energies of the Lord are spiritual. Although this is the case, the energy which is known as the source of the living entity is called spiritual, but the other energy, which is full of ignorance and is manifested in material activities, is called material nature. Even in the material creation, the living entities are innumerable. If by chance a living entity in the material world can associate with a pure devotee, he can engage in the pure devotional service of Krsna. "Formerly I thought of sixty different meanings for the word atmarama," the Lord told Sanatana Gosvami, "but here another meaning comes to My mind by your association."

   After hearing the different explanations of the word atmarama, Sanatana Gosvami was struck with wonder, and he fell down in devotion at the feet of Lord Caitanya. "I understand that You are personally the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna," Sanatana said, "and with Your breathing there are many manifestations of Vedic literature. You are the teacher of Srimad-Bhagavatam, and You best know the meanings of the verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam. It is not possible for others to understand the confidential meanings of Srimad-Bhagavatam without Your mercy."

   "Do not try to praise Me in that way," the Lord told Sanatana. "Just try to understand the real nature of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Srimad-Bhagavatam is the sound representation of the Supreme Lord Krsna; therefore Srimad-Bhagavatam is not different from Krsna. Krsna is unlimited, and similarly, each word and letter of Srimad-Bhagavatam has unlimited meanings. One can understand these meanings through the association of devotees. Don't, then, say that Bhagavatam is simply a collection of answers to questions."

   There were six questions put by the sages of Naimisaranya to Suta Gosvami, and Suta Gosvami explained or answered the six questions in Srimad-Bhagavatam. There is a verse in the Vedic literature in which Lord Siva says, "As far as Bhagavatam is concerned, I may know it, or Sukadeva or Vyasadeva may know it, or we may not know it--but actually Bhagavatam is to be understood by devotional service and from a devotee, and not by one's own intelligence or by academic commentaries." At the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.1.23) the sages of Naimisaranya asked,

 

                        bruhi yogesvare krsne

                       brahmanye dharma-varmani

                       svam kastham adhunopete

                      dharmah kam saranam gatah

 

   "My dear Sir, kindly tell us whether the principles of religion have gone with the Lord, after His departure for His own abode. How can we find such principles after His departure?"

   The reply was (1.3.43):

 

                        krsne sva-dhamopagate

                       dharma-jnanadibhih saha

                        kalau nasta-drsam esa

                        puranarko 'dhunoditah

 

   "After Krsna departed to His abode with all religious principles, His representative, the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the Maha-purana, remains as the blazing, illuminating sun."

   Lord Caitanya then told Sanatana Gosvami: "I was just like a madman in describing this Atmarama verse in so many ways. Do not mind if I have said something mad. But if someone becomes a madman like Me, he can understand the real meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam as I have explained it."

   Then Sanatana Gosvami, with folded hands, fell at the feet of Lord Caitanya and prayed. "My dear Lord," he said, "You have asked me to prepare the regulative principles of devotional service, but I belong to the lowest caste. I have no knowledge. I do not know how such an important task can be finished by me. If You will kindly give me some hints about the preparation of such a book on devotional service, it may be that I shall be qualified to write it."

   The Lord then blessed him saying, "Whatever you write, by the grace of Krsna, will come out of your heart and will be accepted as you have requested. I will also give you some notes that you can take down. The first and foremost point is that one should accept a bona fide spiritual master. That is the beginning of spiritual life." Lord Caitanya then requested Sanatana Gosvami to write down the symptoms of a true guru and the symptoms of a true devotee. The symptoms of a devotee are described in the Padma Purana: A person who is a qualified brahmana and at the same time has all the symptoms of a devotee can become a spiritual master for all classes of men. Such a devotee and spiritual master must be respected as God Himself. Even though a person may be born in a very respectable brahmana family, he cannot become a bona fide spiritual master if he is nota devotee of the Lord. One should not mistakenly think that a bona fide spiritual master has to be born in a so-called brahmana family. The idea is that a spiritual master must be a qualified brahmana; that is, he must be qualified by his activities.

   This is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam when Narada speaks of the different symptoms characterizing the four divisions of social life. Narada therein summarizes that brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras should be selected by their individual qualifications. In his commentary, Sridhara Svami has noted that birth in a family of brahmanas does not necessarily mean that one is a brahmana. One must be qualified with the symptoms of a brahmana, as the symptoms are described in the sastras. In the disciplic succession of the Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya, there are two great acaryas (Thakura Narottama and Syamananda Gosvami) who were not born in brahmana families but were accepted as spiritual masters by many brahmanas of fame, including Ganganarayana, Ramakrsna, etc.

   In this way there are symptoms which the prospective devotee evinces, and both the disciple and the spiritual master must see whether each other is eligible to become either a bona fide spiritual master or a bona fide student. One should then know that the only worshipable object is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and one should learn the various mantras and sacred songs.

   The Lord then instructed Sanatana to describe the symptoms of those persons who are eligible to accept the mantras and to describe how the mantras should be understood and perfected by ritualistic performances. Then the Lord described initiation, morning duties and duties of cleanliness--washing the face and brushing the teeth--the process of work and the prayers to be recited both in the morning and the evening. The Lord also described how one should worship the spiritual master and mark one's body with gopi-candana. He also described how one should collect the tulasi leaves and wash the room and temple of the Lord, and He also described how one should awaken Krsna from His sleep. Lord Caitanya also described different methods for worshiping the Lord, which are the methods of the fivefold paraphernalia and fifty-fold paraphernalia. He described how one should worship the Lord by offering Him arati five times a day, and He described how one should offer food to Krsna and lay Him down on the bed. Lord Caitanya also spoke of the effect of going to holy places where there are different temples of the Lord and seeing the form of God in the temple. He also spoke of the glorification of the transcendental name of the Lord and the different offenses which one can commit while worshiping. In the worship of the Lord certain paraphernalia is used, such as conchshell, water, fragrant flowers, prayers and hymns, and there is circumambulation and the offering of obeisances as well. One should follow the regulative principles of purascarana and accept Krsna prasada, rejecting foodstuff which is not offered to Krsna. Lord Caitanya also cautioned that one should not indulge in defaming a devotee who has the actual symptoms of a devotee.

   Lord Caitanya also explained the symptoms of a holy man and the process of satisfying the sage and rejecting the society of undesirable persons. The Lord also advised that one should hear Srimad-Bhagavatam constantly. Also to be followed are duties of the day and duties of the fortnight, as well as fasting on Ekadasi day. One must also follow the duties of the month and observe ceremonies like the birthday of the Lord, the three specific dates of fasting Ekadasi, Janmastami, Vamanadvadasi, Sri Ramanavami and Nrsimhacaturdasi. When the fast days overlap with other days (viddha), they are helpful in the advancement of devotional service. Lord Caitanya further instructed Sanatana Gosvami to give documentary evidence from the puranas in every step. He also mentioned how to establish temples of the Lord, and He described the general behavior, symptoms, and duties and occupation of a Vaisnava. Thus the Lord explained in summary all the details one need know in writing a book on Vaisnava regulative principles.

   Sanatana Gosvami was a great devotee of the Lord, and he was directly instructed to spread the cult of bhakti by writing many books. There is a description of Sanatana in Caitanya-candrodaya, and it is mentioned there that Sanatana Gosvami was one of the most important personalities in the government of Nawab Hussain. His brother, Rupa Gosvami, was also a minister in the government, but both of them gave up their lucrative government posts to become mendicants and serve the Supreme Lord. Externally the brothers became just like ordinary mendicants, but their hearts were filled with transcendental loving service and a great love for the cowherd boy of Vrndavana. Indeed, Sanatana Gosvami was dear to all pure devotees of his time.

 

                          Chapter Seventeen

          Lord Caitanya, the Original Personality of Godhead

 

   Following the footsteps of Kaviraja Krsnadasa Gosvami, we offer our respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya.

   Lord Caitanya is described as follows: He is the only shelter for the forlorn, for the most fallen, and He is the only hope for those who are completely devoid of spiritual knowledge. Let us try to discuss His great contribution of devotional service.

   The supremely powerful Lord Krsna is manifest in five different potencies. Although He is one without a second, in order to serve five specific spiritual purposes, He is manifest in five ways. Such diversity is eternal and blissful, in contrast to the conception of monotonous oneness. From Vedic literatures we can understand that the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, eternally exists with His diverse energies. Lord Caitanya appeared with full diverse energies, and they are five in number; therefore Lord Caitanya is said to be Krsna with diverse energies.

   There is no difference between the energy and the energetic in regard to the Lord's appearance as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His four associates--Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, Gadadhara, and Srivasa. Amongst these five diverse manifestations of the Supreme Lord (as the Lord Himself and His incarnation, expansion and energies) there is no spiritual difference. They are five in one Absolute Truth. For the sake of relishing transcendental flavors in the Absolute Truth, there are five diverse manifestations. These are called the form of a devotee, the identity of a devotee, the incarnation of a devotee, the pure devotee and devotional energy.

   Out of the five diversities in the Absolute Truth, the form of Lord Caitanya is that of the original Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Lord Nityananda is the manifestation of the first expansion of the Supreme Lord. Similarly, Advaita Prabhu is an incarnation of the Supreme Lord. These three--Caitanya, Nityananda and Advaita--belong to the category of Visnu-tattva, or the Supreme Absolute Truth. Srivasa represents the pure devotee, and Gadadhara represents the internal energy of the Lord for the advancement of pure devotion. Therefore Gadadhara and Srivasa, although included in Visnu-tattva, are dependent, diverse energies of the Supreme Lord. In other words, they are not different from the energetic, but they are manifest diversely for the sake of relishing transcendental relationships. The whole process of devotional service involves a transcendental reciprocation in the relationship between the worshiper and the worshiped. Without such a diverse exchange of transcendental flavors, devotional service has no meaning.

   In the Vedic literature (Katha Upanisad) it is stated that the Supreme Lord is the supreme living entity amongst all living entities. There are innumerable living entities, but there is one living entity who is the Supreme Absolute Godhead. The difference between the singular living entity and the plural living entities is that the singular living entity is the Lord of all. Lord Caitanya is that supreme living entity, and He descended to reclaim the innumerable fallen living entities. In other words, the specific purpose of Lord Caitanya's advent was to establish the Vedic fact that there is one Supreme Personality of Godhead predominating over and maintaining the innumerable personalities of all living entities. Because the impersonalist (Mayavadi) philosophers cannot understand this, Lord Caitanya advented Himself to enlighten the people in general about the real nature of the relationship between the Supreme and the many entities.

   In Bhagavad-gita Krsna's last instructions were that everyone should give up all other engagements and render devotional service unto Him. However, after Krsna's disappearance, less intelligent people misunderstood Him. They became contaminated with the Mayavadi philosophy, which produced so many mental speculators that people forgot the actual position of the Absolute Truth and the living entity. Therefore Lord Sri Krsna Himself, as Lord Caitanya, again appeared to teach the fallen souls of this material world the way to approach Lord Krsna. The Bhagavad-gita teaches that one should give up everything and be done with this world of material attachment. A pure devotee of Lord Krsna and one who follows the philosophy of Lord Caitanya are one and the same. Caitanya's philosophy is that one should give up everything and worship God, Krsna. Krsna, as the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, spoke the same words, indicating Himself as the Supreme Lord. However, the Mayavadi philosophers misunderstood Him. Therefore Lord Caitanya, to clarify the situation, reiterated Lord Krsna's message: One should not declare himself to be as good as Krsna but should worship Krsna as the Supreme Lord.

   We make a great mistake if we accept Lord Caitanya as a conditioned soul. He is to be understood as the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna Himself. It is therefore said of Lord Caitanya in Caitanya-caritamrta: "Krsna is now present in His five diverse manifestations." Unless one is situated in uncontaminated goodness, it is very difficult to understand Lord Caitanya as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. Thus in order to understand Lord Caitanya, one has to follow the direct disciples of Lord Caitanya--the six Gosvamis--and especially the path chalked out by Srila Jiva Gosvami.

   The most astonishing fact is that Lord Caitanya, although the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, never displayed Himself as Krsna. Rather, whenever He was detected by intelligent devotees as Lord Krsna and was addressed as Lord Krsna, He denied it. Indeed, He sometimes placed His hands over His ears, protesting that one should not be addressed as the Supreme Lord. Indirectly, He was teaching the Mayavadi philosophers that one should not falsely pose himself as the Supreme Lord and thereby misguide people. Nor should followers be foolish enough to accept anyone and everyone as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One should test by consulting scriptures and by seeing the activities of the person in question. One should not, however, mistake Lord Caitanya and His five diverse manifestations as ordinary human beings. Lord Caitanya is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna Himself. The beauty of Lord Caitanya is that although He is the Supreme Lord, He came as a great devotee to teach all conditioned souls how devotional service should be rendered. Conditioned souls who are interested in devotional service should follow in the exemplary footsteps of Lord Caitanya in order to learn how Krsna can be achieved by devotional service. Thus the Supreme Lord Himself teaches the conditioned soul how He should be approached in devotional service.

   By analytically studying the five diverse manifestations of the Supreme Lord, we can come to know that Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Absolute and that Lord Nityananda is an immediate expansion of the Supreme Absolute Truth. We can also come to understand that Advaita Prabhu is also in the category of the Supreme Personality of Godhead but is subordinate to Lord Caitanya and Nityananda Prabhu. The Supreme Personality of Godhead and His immediate subordinate expansions are worshipable by the other two--namely the representation of the internal potency and the representation of the marginal potency. The representation of the internal potency, Gadadhara, represents the confidential devotee, and the representation of the marginal potency is the pure devotee. Both of these are worshipers of the other three categories, but all of them are engaged in the transcendental service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

   There is a specific difference between the pure devotee and the confidential devotee. Different potencies of the Lord are engaged in serving the Supreme Lord in different transcendental relationships. They are situated in conjugal love, in parental affection, in friendship and in servitude. By impartially judging, one can find that the internal potencies of the Supreme Lord who are engaged in conjugal love with the Lord are the best of all devotees. Thus both internal devotees and confidential devotees are attracted by the conjugal love of the Supreme Absolute Truth. These are the most confidential devotees of Lord Caitanya. Other pure devotees, who are more or less attached to Sri Nityananda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu, are attracted by other transcendental relationships, such as parental affection, friendship and servitorship. When such devotees are attached to the activities of Lord Caitanya, they at once become confidential devotees in conjugal love with the Supreme Lord.

   There is a very nice song sung by Sri Narottama dasa Thakura, a great devotee and acarya in the disciplic succession from Lord Caitanya. Narottama dasa sings: "When will there be transcendental vibrations all over my body simply by my hearing the name of Gauranga? When will tears incessantly flow from my eyes simply by my uttering the names of the Lord? When will Lord Nityananda have mercy upon me, and when will all my desires for material enjoyment become insignificant? When shall I be purified by giving up all contaminations of material enjoyment? And when shall I be able to see the transcendental abode, Vrndavana? When shall I be eager to accept the six Gosvamis as my prime guidance? And when will I be able to understand the conjugal love of Krsna?" No one should be eager to understand the conjugal love of Krsna without undergoing disciplinary training under the six Gosvamis of Vrndavana.

   The sankirtana movement inaugurated by Lord Caitanya is a transcendental pastime of the Lord. "By it I live simultaneously to preach and popularize this movement in the material world." In that sankirtana movement of Lord Caitanya, Nityananda and Advaita are His expansions, and Gadadhara and Srivasa are His internal and marginal potencies. The living entities are also called marginal potency because they have, potentially, two attitudes--namely the tendency to surrender unto Krsna and the tendency to become independent of Him. Due to the propensity for material enjoyment, the living entity becomes contaminated by the material world. When a living entity is dominated by a desire for material enjoyment and becomes entangled in material life, he is subjected to the threefold miseries of material existence. He is just like a seed sown in the earth. If a seed is overpowered by too much water, there is no possibility of its fructifying. Similarly, if a man is captivated by material enjoyment, and even if the seed of such enjoyment is within the heart of the conditioned soul, he can be overpowered by a flood of transcendental activities performed in love of God. In this way his potential seed cannot fructify into a conditional life of material existence. The conditioned living entities in the material world, especially in the present age of Kali, are overpowered by the flood of love of God inaugurated by Lord Caitanya and His associates.

   In this connection there is a verse written by His Holiness Prabodhananda Sarasvati in his book Sri Caitanya-candramrta which states that materialistic persons are very enthusiastic to maintain their family members, wife and children, and that there are also many mystic speculators who are engaged in speculating about liberation from the miseries of material life and who therefore undergo various austerities and penances. But those who have discovered the greatest transcendental flavor in the movement of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu no longer have a taste for such activities.

   Those who are under the impression that there is material contamination in the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and in His devotional service are called Mayavadi. According to their imperfect speculation, the impersonal Brahman is considered to be the only existence in the cosmic manifestation. As soon as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is introduced, they consider that His personality arises from maya, or the external material energy. Such persons consider all incarnations of the Supreme Lord to be contaminated by this material nature. According to them, the material body and the activities of matter which identify the living entity are all material manifestations. According to them, liberation means the end of individual identification, or of the pure living entity. In other words, the Mayavadis maintain that when a living entity is liberated, he becomes one with the supreme impersonal Brahman. According to such Mayavadi philosophy, the Personality of Godhead, His abode, His devotional service and His emotional devotees are all under the spell of maya and are consequently subjected to the material condition. Those who forget the transcendental nature of the Supreme Lord