Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.100-108 – November 9, 1975, Bombay

How to Accept the Lord's Instruction

Prabhupada: [aside:] [Transl. Doctor sahib, you kindly come forward.] Give him seat.

So read. You have no other book?

So, last Sunday we were discussing about Sanatana Gosvami's meeting with Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sanatana Gosvami was the finance minister of Nawab Hussain Shah, the then Pathan government of Bengal. So he resigned his office. The Nawab was reluctant to give him release. He was arrested, but somehow or other he released himself by bribing the superintendent of jail, and he met Caitanya Mahaprabhu at Benares, or Varanasi. And for two months He gave him instruction how to spread Krsna consciousness.

So approaching the guru, Sanatana Gosvami, his submission was that "People in general, they talk of me as very learned scholar." He was very good scholar in Sanskrit, in Arabic and Persian language, because he was minister, very responsible post. So... And he was born in brahmana family, Sarasvata brahmana family. So naturally he was supposed to be very learned scholar, panḍita, brahmana-panḍita. Still we address a brahmana as panḍitji. Never we address a brahmana as mūrkhaji. So that is the etiquette. Brahmana means he must be very learned scholar and a very advanced devotee. Brahmana-panḍita, brahmana Vaisnava. These are the qualification of brahmana. So naturally he was addressed as panḍitji, but he denied to accept that he is actually panḍita.

So he submitted that,

That "People, they address me as panḍita, but I am such a panḍita that I do not know what I am." This is the position of everyone. Everyone is very much proud of his learning, scientific knowledge and so on, so on. But if you ask him, "What you are?" "I am Indian," "I am brahmana," "I am ksatriya," "I am American." This is the answer you'll get. But that is, I am not. I am not this body. This is the beginning of panḍitaya. [learning] This is the beginning. Bhagavad-gita teaches in the beginning this primary lesson, that "You are not this body."

So this is the problem, dehatma-buddhi, identifying oneself with this body. That is condemned in the sastra. Yasyatma-buddhiḥ kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhiḥ kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhiḥ, sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13]: "Anyone who is identifying himself with this body, he is no better than the cows and the asses, animal." This is... The whole Vedic civilization is based on this principle, that one has to learn first of all that he is not this body. Then further advancement. If one keeps himself under this misidentification that "I am this body," he remains an animal.

So Sanatana Gosvami submitted to his guru. This is the actually necessity of approaching a guru, not that guru should be approached for some material gains, for some medical help: "Guru Maharaja, I am suffering from this disease. Give me your blessing," and he gives some powder and you are cured. So for this purpose there is no necessity of guru. You can go to a medical man, then he can help you. Why should you search out a guru? But that has become a fashion. For some material gain they would go to guru. And if the guru can manufacture gold, then what to speak of? This is going on. But sastra does not say that you should approach a guru for some material benefit. No. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuḥ sreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21].

You should approach a guru-what purpose? Jijnasuḥ, if you are inquisitive, jijnasuḥ. What is that jijnasuḥ? Athato brahma-jijnasa. This is the Vedanta. Jijnasa, enquiry, means not for any other purpose, any political, social or this..., so many things are there in this material world. But real jijnasa is brahma-jijnasa. That is, the Vedanta-sūtra begins.

So the same thing is confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, because Srimad-Bhagavatam is the natural comment on Vedanta-sūtra. When Vyasadeva was not satisfied even after giving the Vedanta-sūtras, Brahma-sūtras, then his spiritual master advised him that "You write something simply on the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; otherwise you cannot be satisfied." Then he, on the basis of Vedanta-sūtra, he wrote a commentary, bhasyam brahma-sūtranam. Therefore in each end of chapter of Bhagavatam you'll find, brahma-sūtrasya bhasyayam. So the Srimad-Bhagavatam is the natural comment on Vedanta-sūtra by the author himself. So the Vedanta-sūtra says, athato brahma-jijnasa. Unless one is inquisitive to understand about Brahman or the supreme spirit or the basic principle of our life...

Brahman means... Generally we are identified with this body. Body means the senses. We take prominent the senses. Whole world is going on on the sense perception, sense gratification. So indriyani parany ahuḥ. The indriyas are very prominent in materialistic way of life. Indriyebhyaḥ param manaḥ. Then, above the indriyas, there is the mind. Just like philosopher, psychologist or scientist, who are thoughtful, thinking, they are also on the mental platform. The ordinary men, they are on the bodily platform like animal, sense gratification. And little higher than that-indriyani parany ahuḥ indriyebhyaḥ param manaḥ-those who are on the mental platform. But mental platform will not help us. It is said, mano-rathena asato dhavato bahiḥ. Mano-rathena. If one is on the mental platform, naturally he has no higher information. He'll glide down again to the material platform. Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna manorathena asato dhavato bahiḥ [SB 5.18.12].

So simply mental speculation, the whole world, the scientists... They are working on the mental platform. Therefore today they fix up, "This is the conclusion," and tomorrow, another conclusion, another conclusion, because it is mental platform. So above the mental platform, intellectual platform; and above the intellectual platform is the spiritual platform, and that is called Brahman platform. So athato brahma-jijnasa. One should be inquisitive on the spiritual platform. That is success of life.

Therefore Sanatana Gosvami is submitting that "Actually they address me as panḍita, but I am not panḍita, because I am on the mental platform and the sensual platform, not even intellectual platform." And above that intellectual platform is the spiritual platform. So the sastra says that one should be inquisitive on the spiritual platform. Athato brahma-jijnasa. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuḥ sreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21].

Uttamam means spiritual. Tama means material, and jyoti means spiritual. So Vedic instruction is tamasi ma jyotir gamaḥ: "Don't remain in the dark, material platform. You just approach a spiritual platform." [Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad 1.3.28] These are the Vedic civilization. One should be inquisitive about... Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuḥ sreya uttamam. Ut means udgatam, transcendental. There is no tama, there is no darkness. So uttamam, that is uttamam. This word uttama, uttama means not of this material world: beyond this material world. That is called uttama.

So if one is inquisitive about the spiritual world, jivasya tattva jijnasa, that is tattva. [SB 1.2.10]

Everything is there, and we are trying to present them in our so many books. Unfortunately, we are not interested. That is another thing. Anyway, so a guru is necessary for him, not for some asirvada, for curing some material disease or getting some gold. No. He has no necessity for guru. Guru is necessary for that person who is inquisitive about understanding Brahman. Jivasya tattva-jijnasa. So the Sanatana Gosvami came to Caitanya Mahaprabhu, accepted Him as guru, not for any material benefit. Because he was minister... Tyaktva tūrnam asesa-manḍala-pati-srenim sada tucchavat. [Sri Sri Saḍ Gosvamy Astaka 4]

He gave up his position, very high position. What is that? Asesa-manḍala-pati-srenim. Because he was minister, his associates, his friends, his, I mean to say, business was with big, big men of the state, manḍala-pati, big zamindars, big kings, big ministers, big so on. Everyone is big. But he preferred to give them up, tyaktva tūrnam asesa-manḍala-pati-srenim sada tucchavat, that "What is the use of this association?" Sada tucchavat. Bhūtva dina-ganesakau karunaya kaupina-kanthasritau. And he preferred to do something beneficial to the public, bhūtva dina-ganesakau, in the public, general public. Nana-sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau. [Sri Saḍ Gosvamy Astaka 2] This was the business, not that he was very busy while he was minister, and when he retired he became a dull and sat down in one place. No. Nana-sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau. He was studying different types of literatures and scriptures. Why? Sad-dharma-samsthapakau: just to establish real purpose of religiosity. Sad-dharma-samsthapakau. These are the qualifications of six Gosvamis.

So these Gosvamis, Sanatana Gosvami and Rūpa Gosvami, they were the principal disciples of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, six Gosvami. Sri rūpa sanatana bhatta raghunatha, sri jiva gopala bhatta dasa raghunatha. [Nama-sahkirtana 1.4] All of them were very, very big, stalwart scholars, ministers, rich men, zamindars. They all joined Caitanya Mahaprabhu just to help Him to spread Krsna consciousness. It is not a sentimental movement. It is meant for the learned scholars and highly situated person. Bhagavad-gita is also that. Krsna says, imam rajarsayo viduḥ [Bg 4.2].

The Bhagavad-gita was not meant for any third-class man. Rajarsi. Rajarsi, great kings, at the same time saintly. Not kings of the present day. Saintly kings, rajarsi. So these Vedic literatures, they are meant for the high-class men, brahmanas, ksatriyas, but Caitanya Mahaprabhu is so kind, so merciful, that He has made a process that anyone can take it. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mercy. Therefore His name is Patita-pavana. In this age everyone is fallen, everyone is fallen, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu is called "the deliverer of the fallen," patita-pavana.

This is the approach. One should approach Caitanya Mahaprabhu very humbly. Caitanya Mahaprabhu also instructed, to advance in spiritual consciousness one should be very humble, meek. That is the instruction of all scripture. One should not be falsely puffed up. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us,

One should be tolerant. So anyway, this Sanatana Gosvami, he is approaching Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu very humbly and tolerantly, putting himself that he is fool number one. Yes. Gramya-vyavahare kahaye panḍita: "These general people, they do not know what is a panḍita, but they call me panḍitji. But actually I know what kind of panḍita I am: I do not know what I am." Gramya-vyavahare panḍita satya kari mani. So his first proposal is, ke ami kene amaya jare tapa-traya: "What is my position? What I am? I do not want to suffer, but in this material world, three kinds of suffering are always there, and they are giving me trouble." This consciousness is not there. People have become so dull-headed that they are always suffering by three kinds of suffering: adhyatmika, adhibhautika and adhidaivika; still, they are thinking they are very happy. This is called maya.

This morning we were discussing avaranatmika-sakti. [Paramatma-sandarbha 54] Maya has got a covering power so that everyone, even he's a cat and dog, he's thinking that he is very happy. This is maya. Nobody can be happy in this material world. That is the fact. Why? Krsna says. The creator of this world, He says, duḥkhalayam asasvatam [Bg 8.15]:

"It is the place for suffering." How you can be happy? It is meant for suffering. But people are thinking they are happy or, if they make this plan executed, then they will be happy. You see. Nobody is happy. Big, big politician, they plan so many things. Unfortunately they never become happy, and we have got many examples-we do not wish to discuss-but it is a fact that this place is duḥkhalayam asasvatam. The great authority, Krsna, says. And here is a realized soul, Sanatana Gosvami. He said that "Why I am subjected to so many miserable condition?" This is a fact. Duḥkhalayam. This alayam, this place, is for suffering, duḥkhalayam, and asasvatam, and you cannot stay here for long time. Even if you think that it is very happy place, you'll not be allowed. Duḥkhalayam asasvatam [Bg 8.15].

So actually it is not the place for enjoyment, but under the spell of maya we are thinking that this is a place for happiness. And what is that happiness? Yan-maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45]. The happiness is based on sex life, maithunadi. That's all. This is the material happiness. Therefore everyone within the universe, you'll find the plan of happiness on the sex life. I try to enjoy on sex life. Then, on account of sex life, there are children. So I try to make them happy-the same sex life. The grandchildren-the same sex life. Because we do not know anything else. Yan-maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham kanḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham. So that is not happiness. Happiness is different thing. Sukham atyantikam yat tad atindriya grahyam [Bg 6.21]. If you want happiness, that is spiritual happiness, not material happiness.

So when he submitted that "Why I am suffering from these threefold miseries, adhyatmika, adhibhautika?" so that is real approaching of the spiritual master, that "Why I am suffering?" not that "Give me some mantra and medicine. I become happy. " No. The question should be... Just like if a person is serious to consult a physician, not that "Immediately give me some tablet, I become happy." No. The root disease must be treated. That is the relationship between the patient and... So Sanatana Gosvami is intelligent person, most intelligent person. He was minister. Without being very intelligent, one cannot be minister. So he said that "Why I am suffering? What is my position? What I am?" Then Caitanya Mahaprabhu says directly,

Now Caitanya Mahaprabhu is beginning the identification of the living entity from the end of Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita, Krsna is demanding at the last instruction, "The most confidential part of knowledge I am giving you, My dear Arjuna, because you are My dear friend." So what is that? Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg 18.66]. This is the most confidential part. It is not understood by general public, but this is the only knowledge, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. Krsna came, appeared on this planet, for dharma-samsthapanarthaya [Bg 4.8].

He did not come to establish the conception of Hindu religion and Muslim religion or Christian religion or this religion. No. Real religion. Real religion. What is that real religion? To surrender unto the Supreme Lord. That is real religion. So just like our real citizens means..., citizenship means that we surrender to the government regulation, similarly, dharma means dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. You cannot manufacture dharma as you cannot manufacture law at home. That is not. Now they are manufacturing, and it is being supported, yata mata tata patha. [as many opinions as many ways] Whatever...

[break] ...manufacture, it is all right. It cannot be all right. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is the Supreme. Mayadhyaksena prakrtiḥ sūyate sa-caracaram [Bg 9.10]. Everything is being conducted under His instruction. The sun is rising exactly at time. Yasyajnaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakro. These are description in the Vedic literature.

The sun, the most powerful planet within this universe, the eyes of the universe... Yac-caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam. Without sunrise, however expert you may be in science, you cannot see even. Therefore real eye-the sun. Any sane man will admit. Now it is darkness at night. Have any scientists any instrument to show that everything is visible? No. That is not possible. The real eyes. This is subsequent, secondary eyes. We are very much proud of our eyes, that "Can you show me God?" Are you able to see God? What is the value of your eyes? As soon as there is darkness, your eyes are finished. And you are so much proud, oh. Therefore Vedic injunction-sastra-caksusat: "You must be seeing everything through the sastra, not with your these rascal eyes." It has no value. Sastra-caksusat. Tasmad sastra-vidhan uktam, [Bg 16.24] Krsna said. Yaḥ sastra-vidhim utsrjya. [Bg 16.23] The direction is the sastra. You should see through the sastra what is what. Then you'll be benefited. If you simply believe on your senses... The whole world, philosophers, scientists, they are going on on their own imperfect senses. Therefore everything is rascaldom. It is imperfect. It is not real knowledge. Sastra-caksusat. You should know things through the sastra, guru. Sadhu-sastra-guru-vakya, tinete kariya aikya. [Sri Prema-bhakti-candrika 2.6] This is... If you want to know something, then it must be confirmed by sadhu, sastra and guru. Then it is complete. And if you speculate, if you establish something under speculation, then it is not right; it is wrong.

Therefore Krsna, when He appeared on this planet, He, last instruction was that sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam [Bg 18.66]: "You just surrender to Me, and after giving up all your mental speculation, so-called religious system..." This is real religious system. So He left behind Him the Bhagavad-gita to open our eyes, but we did not take much care of it. Therefore five hundred years ago Lord Caitanya appeared. He is Krsna. He practically taught how to accept instruction of Krsna.

He also appeared as devotee of Krsna. Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He can command, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg 18.66], but here Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared as a devotee, ideal devotee of Krsna, Krsna Caitanya.

The Rūpa Gosvami offered his first prayer to Caitanya Mahaprabhu that "You are the maha-vadanyavatara, most munificent incarnation." Why? Krsna-prema-pradaya te: "Even Krsna could not convince people about His supremacy, but You are so kind that You are giving love of Krsna." Love of Krsna. Krsna-prema-pradaya te. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's gift.

So the same Caitanya Mahaprabhu is instructing Sanatana Gosvami what is the position, actual constitutional position of us. He says directly same thing: jivera svarūpa haya krsnera nitya-dasa [Cc Madhya 20.108]. That is the real identification, that every living entity, jiva-we are jivas-we are eternally servant of Krsna. This is our position. But artificially we are trying to become Krsna. A servant is trying to become master. They are misinterpreting the Vedic instruction, so 'ham, aham brahmasmi. Yes. So 'ham, aham brahmasmi, these are Vedic instruction. It is all right. So so 'ham does not mean that you are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You are the same quality as Supreme, nitya krsna dasa. Just like a servant of a very big man, the king, he is not ordinary thing. Suppose a king... He is in the same palace, he is sitting by the side of the king, he is eating the same foodstuff, but still there is relationship, the servant and the master, although he is living in the same place, same eating, same everything. Sometimes he is honored most, he is honored better than the master. So so 'ham means that "I am the same spiritual self," but not as powerful as the supreme master. Krsna dasa. He is... A living entity must always know that "I am servant of God." And without becoming God, nobody can become servant of God. Without becoming fire, you cannot serve fire. That is the principle. But not that... Just like great fire and a small fire. The small spark fire is within the great fire. You cannot remain in the great fire, but the spark, even if it is very small, he can remain. So the fiery quality of the big fire and the small fire is the same, but there is distinction of dimension or energy.

Therefore here it is said, jivera svarūpa haya [Cc Madhya 20.108]. We must... This is our constitutional position. Artificially we should not think that "Now I have become God." That is false. That is the last snare of maya, because maya... In this material world everyone is trying to become the chief man. Everyone. Everyone is trying to become minister. Everyone is trying to become a Birla. Everyone is trying to become a big doctor or a big financier-everyone. This is the struggle for existence here. Everyone. At last, when failed in everything, then he thinks of him, "I am God." This is the disease, material disease. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in the very beginning He impresses that "You are not the master; you are the servant. If you don't serve Krsna, then you'll serve maya. That is your position." That is the position of everyone here in this material world. They are serving the maya.

He is foolishly thinking that he is master. But he is always... Twenty-four hours, he is being kicked by the laws of nature. But the foolish man cannot understand. Therefore they have been called mūḍha. Na mam duskrtino mūḍhaḥ prapadyante naradhamaḥ [Bg 7.15]. They... He does not come to the sense that "Where I am master? I am servant of the dictation of maya, the rules and regulation of material nature. Where is my mastership?" This intelligence does not come. He is thinking still he is master, he can control the nature, he can control everything, he is God, he is this, he is that. That is the misconception.

So Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in the very beginning of His instruction He is saying to Sanatana Gosvami that "You inquired from Me what is your position," ke ami, " 'What I am?' You are servant of Krsna." This is the first impression.

This is the great, I mean, philosophy. Acintya-bhedabheda. Just like... I have already explained now. So 'ham, aham brahmasmi. This is bhedabheda-prakasa. I am the same quality of Krsna, I am the same Brahman also, but I am not the Para-brahman. Para-brahman is Krsna. When Arjuna... He is Brahman. When he realized Krsna, he addressed Him, param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg 10.12]. He never claimed equal with Krsna. That is not knowledge. That is ignorance. So in this way, Sanatana Gosvami will understand his position, relationship with Krsna, and Sanatana Gosvami we shall understand. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu is describing in this Caitanya-caritamrta; therefore we shall discuss later on further.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. [end]