Chaitanya's Life And Teachings

rsion of

of the Master and His transport of love. The hour of bhog arrived, yet the Master did not come to His senses. Sárvabhauma then thought of a plan, and had Him conveyed by his disciple the door-keeper to his house and laid Him down on a clean spot. But the Master showed no respiration, no heaving of the chest. The Bhattáchárya grew alarmed. He held a fine piece of cotton to the Master's nos

devotee and acquaintance of the Master. He knew Mukunda from before, and was surprised to see him there. Mukunda bowed, the Acharya embraced him and asked him news of the Master. Mukunda replied, "The Master has come here, and we with Him." The Acharya bowed to Nityánanda Goswámi, and again asked them all about the Master. Mukunda said, "After taking the monastic vow, the Master came to the Blue Moun

ently Sárvabhauma took the dust of His feet [to place it on his own head], and entreated Him, "Take your midday meal soon. I shall feed you to-day with Jagannath's mahá-prasád." The Master quickly came back from His bath in the sea, and feasted with His followers on the rice, broth and other kinds of prasád, which Sárvabhauma served to them from golden dishes. The Master said, "Help me with the hash of gourd (lau) and other vegetables, and serve these others with cakes and sweets." But the Bhattáchárya entreated Him with folded palms, "How has Jagannáth himself fed? Do you too taste all of these," and so made Him eat the cakes and sweets too. After the dinner, he helped the Master to wash, then took le

y have I come here, hoping that you will train me in all ways. You saved me in my great danger to-day." The Bhattáchárya said, "Never go to the temple alone, but always with me or one of my men." The Master replied, "I shall not enter the shrine, but gaze from the Garuda [pillar in the quadrangle]." Then Sárvabhauma addressed Gopinath Acharya, "You will be guide to this Goswami in visiting the temple. Lodge him in the house of my mother's sister, which is a quiet place, and look to all his needs." So he did. Next day Gopinath

in the full bloom of youth. How can He keep the monastic rules? However, I shall ceaselessly teach Him Vedánta, and lead Him on to the rank of a recluse of the

know not His greatness. The signs of divinity have reached their extreme limit in Him! He

disciples objected, saying, "It is by inference that God is recognized." But the Acharya answered, "No, God is not known by inference, but only by

blessed even with a particle of favour from Thy lotus-like feet. O Perfect Being! A man lacking Thy grace, m

n scholarship. But you have not gained God's grace, hence you cannot know God. I do not blame y

g by observing it. Our knowledge of the nature of a thing is proved by grace. On this sannyasi's person are all the marks of divinity. You yourself wi

ct standpoint of view of Shastra. Chaitanya Goswámi is [I admit] a great saint. But there is no incarnation of Vishnu in the Kal

Both of them assert that God will appear in the human form in the Kali era, and yet you maintain the contrary! As God will not appear in Kali for mere earthly exploits [b

i. 9, XI. v. 28, 29; Mahabharat, Anushas

His grace is on you, you will be convinced. Your disciple, who is plying me with all sorts of sophistic arg

, whose power of illusion raises endless controversies among logic

XI. xxii. 3, [Krishn

house. First feed them with prasád, and then give me lessons [in theology]!" The Acharya,

arya's reasoning, as he was inly grieved

oke ill of Sárvabhauma in a pained spirit. But the Master broke in with, "Say not so. The Bhattáchárya has really fa

hárya seated the Master first and began to teach Him Vedánta. With mingled tenderness and reverence he said, "It is a sannyasi's duty to he

tion." The Bhattáchárya retorted, "He who is conscious of his own ignorance asks for a second explanation. But you remain ever silent as you listen. I know not your mind's workings." The Master replied, "I understand the verses clearly enough. But it is your commentary that puzzles me. A commentary should elucidate the text, whereas your exposition conceals the text! You do not expound the plain meaning of the aphorisms, but cover them up

lf-evident. Fanciful interpretation only spoils the clear sense. The sense of Vyas's aphorisms is clear like the sun; you are only enveloping it with the cloud of your conjectural commentary. The Vedas and the Purans tell us how to discern Brahm

articularize God. When He desired to be many, He looked at [=employed] His natural powers. The physical mind and eye could not have then existed. Therefore, the Immaterial Brahma had an eye to see and a mind to will with. The terms Brahma means the Pe

nd other citizens of Mathura, whose frien

ishesha). It is only a fanciful interpretation as opposed to a direct one, that speaks of Brahma as abstract (nir-bishesha). How do you call that God formless who has the six q

ure]; the life power (jiba-shakti) appertains to Him only occasionally; máyá is entirely outside Him [i.e., affects creation only]. But all these three offer devotion in the form of love. The Lord's six powers are only manifestations of the chit power. And yet you have the presumption to deny such a power?

nse, and self-consciousness these eight

next verse

have already spoken to you, are inferior. Beyond them I h

not, behold not that slave of Death. The Buddhists are atheists from not respecting the Vedas. Atheism in a believer of the Vedas is a worse heresy than Buddhism.

y corruption. Objecting to this aphorism as an error of Vyas, you have set up the theory of bivarta by a fanciful interpretation [of it]. Error consists in a creature imagining I am one with the Creator. But creation is not unreal, it is only perishable. The great

His own view. The Vedas [he maintained] assert only three things about God, viz., our relation to Him, devotional exercises, and love (our need) as the fruit of devotion. All the rest [attributed to Him] is mere conjecture. The words of the Veda are se

Bhattáchárya! The supreme manhood consists in faith in God. Even those who directly commune with God (átmáram) adore Him, t

even mystical and passionless reclus

e determined the meaning of each of the eleven words contained in the verse, as taken separately; then He gave different explanations in connection with átmárám, laying emphasis on each of the eleven words in succession. The Lord, His powers, and His attributes, all three are incomprehensibly, unspeakably great! These three steal the heart of the devotee, to the neglect of all other forms of devotion. Sanak, Shukadev and others bear witness to this. His diverse expositions filled the Bhattáchárya with wonder, and the self-abasing belief that the Master was Krishna indeed. "Alas!" thought he, "He is Krishna incarnate, but I in my ignorance have grievously sinned by showing pride to H

"You are a devotee, your society has so wrought on him through the great grace of Jagannáth." Then He composed Bhattáchárya, who thereafter praised Him long, saying, "It was a light work to

ed the gifts to the hem of his garment, and hastened to Bhattáchárya's house. It was dawn; Bhattáchárya awoke just then and cried out "O Krishna! O Krishna!" to the delight of the Master. Coming out Bhattáchárya met the Master, bowed at His feet in a tumult of reverence, and seated H

ou get it, though it may be dry, stale or brought from a

prasád no rule of time or place should be observe

! To-day have I ascended Baikuntha! To-day all my wishes are realized! Because Sárvabhauma has shown faith in the mahá-prasád. To-day you have taken refuge in Krishna with all your heart. Krishna has taken pity on you without any reserve. To-day h

ir heart and without reserve, can conquer illusion. Then they no longer l

i. At his deep Vaishnavism, Gopinath Acharya danced, clapping his hands and crying Hari! Hari! Next day Bhattáchárya came to visit the Master, without having first gone to Jagannáth. He lay pros

the Kali era there is no other means of salvation

e has the Master favoured me." Pleased with his meekness, Chaitanya embraced him and then said, "Now go and see the god". Bhattáchárya, after visiting Jagannáth, came home with Jagadánanda and Damodar [two disciples of Chaitanya], and sent to Chaitanya many kinds of choice prasád with his own cook in their company, and also put two verses of his own written on a palm leaf

sness (bairágya) and devotion through faith (bhakti-yog). May my mind, like a bee, settle firmly on the lotus-feet of the Lord S

recite the name 'Shri Krishna-Chaitanya, the son of Shachi, the abode of virtues!' One day he came to the Master, b

in eager longing for the day of Thy grace passes his life worshipping Thee with all his m

nate Krishna, and he who blames and fights against that incarnation, both of them are punished by being merged in the Lord (Brahma sáyujya mukti). The devotee does not long for emancipation. There are five kinds of salvation, viz., sálokya (living in the same plane with God), sámipya (nearness to God), sárupya (assuming the same form as God), sárshti (equalling the glory of God) and sáyujya (absorption in th

bhaktipada, yet the former is objectionable as ambiguous. Though mukti has five connotations, yet its principal meaning is absorption in God. So, the word mukti fills me with fear and contempt, while bhakti kindles delight in the heart". At this the delighted Master smiled and clasped Bhattáchárya firmly to His bosom. It was a pure act of grace on Chaitanya's part that Bhattáchárya, who had been a student and teacher of the doctrine of i