Now, how to present himself before the spiritual master? He said that "Actually I am not learned, because I do not know my own position, what I am. But people say that 'You are pandita,' and I am puffed-up, and I think, 'Yes, I am pandita, I am learned.' " This is the situation of the world. Everyone who has no spiritual knowledge, who does not know what he is, still, he is very much proud that he's very learned. So such kind of learning may be praised materially, but spiritually it has no value. Spiritually it has no value, because this is temporary, temporary. Just like by force, so many people is posted on the king's position, but after five years, ten years, again he's a common man. So similarly, all this material acquisition, they have no permanent value. Therefore those who are actually learned, they don't give any importance to this material acquisition. So Sanatana prabhu is, by his personal behavior, he's presenting himself that "People say that I am very learned, but actually I am not learned." This should be the position. Jijnasuh sreya uttama. Now, "Because I am not learned, and very kindly You have delivered me from the maya of illusion, kindly now let me know what is my duty." This is the position. One should present himself to the spiritual master, not that... We have to first of all select spiritual master. The selection is required. Because as soon as you accept one spiritual master, you cannot say that "I don't agree with you." No. That you cannot say. Then it is useless, simply waste of time. First of all you have to select a person who is actually representative. Just like Sanatana Gosvami is representative of, I mean to say, Lord Caitanya. Just like Arjuna is representative of Krsna, because he's directly receiving instruction from Krsna, and he's assimilating it; therefore, he is representative. So this is the parampara system. So we have to select a person who is actually representative of the Supreme. Then we have to surrender, and then we can... Of course, before (indistinct) and do not understand, we must put our questions, then the procedure is nice.

So here, Sanatana Gosvami's asking that ke ami kene amaya jare tapa-traya. "Now I place myself that I do not know, but I request You to explain what I am." Now this "what I am..." Sanatana Goswami is such a learned man, he's asking from Caitanya Mahaprabhu, "What I am, I cannot know." If one thinks, "What I am?" I shall think myself that "There are so many foolish people, they're meditating, 'What I am? What I am?' 'What I am,' you are a foolish. You cannot know, 'What I am?' " Just like Arjuna did not know what he is. He thought that "I am this body, and these persons who are in relationship with my body, they're my own men, they're my kinsmen." That was his knowledge. So you cannot know, we cannot know "What I am." A superior authority will let you know what you are. You cannot know. This is the mistaken idea, that "I shall find out what I am." No. You cannot know. Just see. Sanatana Gosvami said that ke ami: "Kindly, as You have very kindly delivered me from this illusory position, now I am surrendered soul to You. Please let me know what I am." Ke ami kene amaya jare tapa-traya. Tapa-traya means three kinds of material miseries. Tapa means miseries; traya means three. So, "What I am, and why I am placed in this miserable condition of material nature?" This is called jijnasuh sreya uttamam. This inquiry should be in the human form of life. Then his life is perfect. Ke ami. In the Brahma Sutra it is called athato brahma jijnasa, and in Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said, tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam: [SB 11.3.21] "One who is inquisitive to inquire, to understand about his real position, he should accept a spiritual master." Not a formality.

So Caitanya Mahaprabhu is being asked, ke ami kene amaya jare tapa-traya. Tapa-traya means threefold miseries. What are these threefold miseries? They are miseries pertaining to this body and mind; miseries pertaining to the, I mean to say, disturbance of material nature; and miseries pertaining to the other living entities. We are always under threefold miseries. We may accept or not accept; that is our position. I am in miserable condition due to others' arrangementmy enemies, other animals or other enemies. And I am in miserable condition due to material disturbances, nature's disturbances. And I am always under miseries due to my bodily and mental conditions. These called, these are called threefold miseries. So out of these three... We are always under three kinds of miseries, but sometimes one is slackened, other is greater, in this way, but we are always under miserable condition. When a sane man comes to this understanding, he is eligible for spiritual evolution. And one is dull, who cannot understand what are these miseries, then he has no need of approaching a spiritual master or inquiring about transcendental subject. Just like a man who is not, I mean to say, aware of his disease, he does not go to a physician. He thinks, "I'm all right." Just like the drunkards in the Bowery Street. They think that "We...," they're all right. There, there is nothing miserable condition for them. But what do they know about miserable...? They are so much accustomed to this miserable condition that they cannot understand what is meaning of his miserable condition. Yes.

So when people are in this lowest stage of ignorance, they cannot understand what is needed. But when they are elevated, just like Sanatana Gosvami, they..., he goes to a bona fide spiritual master like Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His representative and asks, "What are the causes of my miseries, and what I am? What is my position?"

So Caitanya Mahaprabhu appreciated his humbleness, because actually he was a very learned and very man of position in the society, so as a matter of reciprocation, exchange of, I mean to say, etiquette, he also accepted, "No, you are not fallen. You don't be discouraged. Simply it is the duty of any learned man to place himself like that. But you are not fool." Krsna sakti dhara tumi: [Cc. Madhya 20.105] "Because you are already devotee." Before retirement, and before coming to Caitanya Mahaprabhu, these Gosvamis, as I told you, they're very learned Sanskrit scholar. They used to read Bhagavata. When he gave false report to the Nawab Shah, that "I am not well. I cannot attend office," then Nawab Shah went to his house one day personally, that "This gentleman is not attending office and simply submitting sick report. What is that?" So when he approached and Nawab Shah saw that he's engaged with learned panditas reading Srimad-Bhagavatam, then he understood, "Oh, this is your disease. You are now taken to the Srimad-Bhagavatam." So actually he was very learned, but out of his humble behavior he is submitting himself to Lord Caitanya in this gentle way.

So Caitanya Mahaprabhu says,

Now, Lord Caitanya says that "Yes. I will have to give you instruction." Actually, this Sanatana Gosvami is eternal associated, associate of Lord Caitanya. Just like Arjuna, he's also eternal associate of Krsna. Now, he placed himself as an ordinary man, and as if he was in illusion of this relationship of this body. Actually he was not so, but by the energy of Krsna he was so-called illusion. Otherwise he would not place himself in that condition, would not question Krsna, then Bhagavad-gita would not come. That is the purpose. Just like playing. He is similarly the sum of the associates of Lord Krsna. When Lord Krsna, His incarnation comes on this earth, His associates are also present there without. So some of the associates, they play like this, a fool, a personality like this ordinary man, and they question to the Lord, and the answer is there for the benefit of us. Just like Lord Caitanya, He's supposed to be Krsna Himself. Because people derided at Him when He was actually present as Krsnaavajananti mam mudha: [Bg. 9.11] "Foolish persons deride at Me because I am playing just like a man"so He came again as a devotee, Lord Caitanya, how to teach, how to grasp Krsna bhakti, devotional service. So He practically demonstrated. So He is eternal as Sanatana Gosvami is also, he is eternal associate. So as if he is taking lesson, representing ourself, he is taking lesson from the Lord. The Lord is confirming that,

Now the first question was, of Sanatana Gosvami, that is, that should be the first question of everyone: "What I am?" Because if I do not know what I am, there is no question of my duties and my destination, everything. Everything will depend first to know what I am. Just like in the Bhagavad-gita Arjuna did not know what he was; therefore Krsna first of all taught him that "You are not this body. You are not this body." That was the first instruction. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yau... [Bg. 2.13]. "You are so much absorbed in bodily conception of life, and you are thinking that you are a learned man. That is your foolishness." In the Bhagavad-gita you'll find the first instruction of Lord Krsna is there, asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase: [Bg. 2.11] "You are thinking, you are talking with Me just like a very learned man. You are arguing with me. But from your behavior I can understand you are a fool number one." Because such kind of talk is never, I mean to say, placed by a learned man. So indirectly He said that "You are a fool." And "Why you are fool?" He said that "You are not this body. You are changing every moment your body. Why don't you think that you are not this body? Why you are identifying yourself as with the body?" Dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara: [Bg. 2.13] "You are changing your body at every moment. From the mother's womb up to the death point, you are changing every body. Then why you are thinking that you are body? But you are the same. In spite of all changes, you are the same." I think, my childhood, I think that I am the same. I forget that I am so much grown-up. That is my position. So the first lesson, the inquiry of Sri Caitanya, of Sanatana Gosvami, is that "What I am? What I am?" Arjuna did not place himself "What I am?" but here, because the instruction which is given in the Caitanya-caritamrta is practically higher than Bhagavad-gitait is postgraduate study, higher than Bhagavad-gita. In the Bhagavad-gita the, Arjuna, he did not question "What I am?" He was perplexed with this bodily conception. Now here, Sanatana Gosvami he, he thinks that "I'm not..., I do not know what I am." So he's advanced than Arjuna. He accepts that "I do not know."

So because he inquired that ke ami-ke ami means "What I am?"therefore Lord Caitanya directly informs him first that jivera svarupa haya krsnera nitya dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108]. Jiva, the living entity, is eternally a servitor of the Supreme Lord. Eternal. He gets, He says, jivera svarupa haya krsnera nitya dasa. That is his identity. So he refused all nonsensical ideas that "I am God, I am equal with God." In the first beginning, he refused this idea, that "This is wrong. You are living entity. Your position is that you are eternally servitor of Krsna, or the Supreme Lord."

Now we shall continue tomorrow. Any questions? (end)