CC Madhya 19 – Sanatana Gosvami Gives Up His Government Post

Giriraj Swami: 

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda jayādvaitacandra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
 

Reading Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, Chapter Nineteen, “Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.”

CHAPTER SUMMARY

A summary of this chapter is given by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya. Meeting Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in a village called Rāmakeli, two brothers, Rūpa and Sanātana, began to devise means to get out of their government service. They appointed some brāhmaṇas to perform puraścaraṇa ceremonies and chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī deposited ten thousand gold coins with a grocer, and the balance he brought in two boats to a place called Bāklā Candradvīpa. There he divided this money among the brāhmaṇas, Vaiṣṇavas and his relatives, and a portion he kept for emergency measures and personal needs. He was informed that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was going to Vṛndāvana from Jagannātha Purī through the forest of Jhārikhaṇḍa (Jharkhand); therefore he sent two people to Jagannātha Purī to find out when the Lord would leave for Vṛndāvana. In this way Rūpa Gosvāmī retired, but Sanātana Gosvāmī told the Nawab that he was sick and could not attend to his work. Giving this excuse, he sat at home and studied Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with learned brāhmaṇa scholars. The Nawab Hussain Shah first sent his personal physician to see what the real facts were; then he personally came to see why Sanātana was not attending to official business. Knowing that he wanted to resign his post, the Nawab had him arrested and imprisoned. The Nawab then went off to attack Orissa.

When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu started for Vṛndāvana through the forest of Jhārikhaṇḍa, Rūpa Gosvāmī left home and sent news to Sanātana that he was leaving with his younger brother (Anupama Mallika) to meet Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī finally reached Prayāga and met with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for ten successive days. During this time, Vallabha Bhaṭṭa extended an invitation to the Lord with great respect. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu introduced Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī to Vallabha Bhaṭṭa. After this, a brāhmaṇa scholar named Raghupati Upādhyāya arrived and discussed Kṛṣṇa consciousness with the Lord. Kavirāja Gosvāmī then extensively describes the living condition of Śrī Rūpa and Sanātana at Vṛndāvana. During the ten days at Prayāga, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī was instructed by the Lord, who gave him the basic principles of the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. The Lord then sent Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī to Vṛndāvana. The Lord Himself returned to Vārāṇasī and stayed at the home of Candraśekhara.

TEXT 1

vṛndāvanīyāṁ rasa-keli-vārtāṁ
kālena luptāṁ nija-śaktim utkaḥ
sañcārya rūpe vyatanot punaḥ sa
prabhur vidhau prāg iva loka-sṛṣṭim

TRANSLATION

Before the creation of this cosmic manifestation, the Lord enlightened the heart of Lord Brahmā with the details of the creation and manifested the Vedic knowledge. In exactly the same way, the Lord, being anxious to revive the Vṛndāvana pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa, impregnated the heart of Rūpa Gosvāmī with spiritual potency. By this potency, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī could revive the activities of Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, activities almost lost to memory. In this way, He spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness throughout the world.

TEXT 2

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda
jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

TRANSLATION

All glories to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityānanda! All glories to Advaitacandra! And all glories to all the devotees of the Lord!
And all glories to Krishnachandra prabhu! 

TEXT 3

śrī-rūpa-sanātana rahe rāmakeli-grāme
prabhure miliyā gelā āpana-bhavane

TRANSLATION

After meeting Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the village of Rāmakeli, the brothers Rūpa and Sanātana returned to their homes.

COMMENT

When we first arrived, we briefly described the meeting of Lord Chaitanya with Rupa and Sanatana at Ramakeli Gram. Lord Chaitanya remained there and performed hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, and then eventually He went to Kanai Nata Shala, and from there, He returned to Jagannatha Puri. Then Rupa and Sanatana were determined to join the mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and they began to devise plans how to resign from the government service.

TEXT 5

kṛṣṇa-mantre karāila dui puraścaraṇa
acirāt pāibāre caitanya-caraṇa

TRANSLATION

The brāhmaṇas performed religious ceremonies and chanted the holy name of Kṛṣṇa so that the two brothers might attain shelter at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu very soon.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

A puraścaraṇa is a ritualistic ceremony performed under the guidance of an expert spiritual master or a brāhmaṇa. It is performed for the fulfillment of certain desires. One rises early in the morning, chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, performs arcana by the ārati ceremony and worships the Deities. These activities are described in Madhya-līlā, fifteenth chapter, verse 108.

TEXT 6

śrī-rūpa-gosāñi tabe naukāte bhariyā
āpanāra ghare āilā bahu-dhana lañā

TRANSLATION

At this time, Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī returned home, taking with him large quantities of riches loaded in boats.

TEXT 7

brāhmaṇa-vaiṣṇave dilā tāra ardha-dhane
eka cauṭhi dhana dilā kuṭumba-bharaṇe

TRANSLATION

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī divided the wealth that he brought back home. He gave fifty percent in charity to brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas and twenty-five percent to his relatives.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

This is a practical example of how one should divide his money and retire from household life. Fifty percent of one’s money should be distributed to qualified and pure devotees of the Lord. Twenty-five percent may be given to family members, and twenty-five percent may be kept for personal use in case of emergency.

COMMENT

So Srila Rupa Gosvami had immense wealth. The Nawab Hussain Shah had heard about the intelligence of Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami, and he thought that they would be the best persons to become ministers. And to get them to serve as ministers, he not only threatened to wreak havoc in the Hindu community if they refused, but he actually gave them huge amounts of wealth in consideration of their service. So, being in such important positions, having so much opulence, to engage in the service of the Lord, and perhaps being fearful of the action that the Nawab would take if they were to retire, Rupa and Sanatana considered very deeply what to do.

There is a story that one night, there was a tremendous thunderstorm in the area of Ramakeli. And in the middle of the night, the Nawab called Rupa Gosvami to come to his palace to meet him. So the whole area of Ramakeli was flooded, and the rain was pouring down in torrents. Still, because of the call of the Nawab, Rupa Gosvami went out in the middle of the storm. As he was coming on the way to the palace of the Nawab, one couple was awake in the middle of the night, and they were living in a small hut. So they heard the sound outside in the storm, and Srila Rupa Gosvami overheard their conversation. And the husband and wife were discussing who would come out in the middle of such a night, in the middle of such a storm. And they concluded, only a dog or the servant of a rich man. So somehow, when Rupa Gosvami heard those words, he developed a complete sense of detachment from his position, his opulence. And he developed a strong resolve to give up the service of Hussein Shah.

So after he decided to retire, he divided his immense wealth and gave 50 percent to the devotees and brahmans. He gave 25 percent to his relatives, and he kept 25 percent for personal use in case of some future emergency. And Srila Prabhupada says that he showed the example how one should divide his wealth at the stage when he retires from household life. Srila Prabhupada comments that many rich men in India retire to go to live in Vrindavan, but they give practically all of their money to their families. And they expect also that if something happens to them, their family will support them, their family will provide. So they are not actually surrendering. Srila Prabhupada says they leave lakhs and crores of rupees with their family members and come to Krishna with their beads only. He said Krishna is not such a fool that He can be deluded by them. He knows very well that they are leaving lakhs and crores of rupees at home with their family and just coming to Him with their mala.

TEXT 8

daṇḍa-bandha lāgi’ cauṭhi sañcaya karilā
bhāla-bhāla vipra-sthāne sthāpya rākhilā

TRANSLATION

He kept one-fourth of his wealth with a respectable brāhmaṇa. He kept this for his personal safety because he was expecting some legal complications.

COMMENT

So the material world is so complicated that even great personalities like Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami, they also became involved in the complexities of material nature.

TEXT 9

gauḍe rākhila mudrā daśa-hājāre
sanātana vyaya kare, rākhe mudi-ghare

TRANSLATION

He deposited ten thousand coins, which were later spent by Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, in the custody of a local Bengali grocer.

TEXT 10

Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī heard that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had returned to Jagannātha Purī and was preparing to go to Vṛndāvana through the forest.

TEXT 11

Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī sent two people to Jagannātha Purī to find out when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would depart for Vṛndāvana.

TEXT 12

Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī told the two men, “You are to return quickly and let me know when He will depart. Then I shall make the proper arrangements.”

TEXT 13

While Sanātana Gosvāmī was in Gauḍa-deśa, he was thinking, “The Nawab is very pleased with me. I certainly have an obligation.

TEXT 14

“If the Nawab somehow or other becomes angry with me, I shall be greatly relieved. That is my conclusion.”

COMMENT

So Srila Sanatana Gosvami was a very intelligent diplomat, and he thought that, As long as the Nawab is pleased with me, I am obligated to him. But if he becomes displeased with me, then I can escape from his service. So he made some plan deliberately to displease the Nawab so that he could be relieved of the Nawab’s service.

TEXT 15

asvāsthyera chadma kari’ rahe nija-ghare
rāja-kārya chāḍilā, nā yāya rāja-dvāre

TRANSLATION

On the pretext of bad health, Sanātana Gosvāmī remained home. Thus he gave up government service and did not go to the royal court.

TEXT 16

lobhī kāyastha-gaṇa rāja-kārya kare
āpane svagṛhe kare śāstrera vicāre

TRANSLATION

The greedy masters of his clerical and secretarial staff performed the government duties while Sanātana personally remained home and discussed the revealed scriptures.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Sanātana Gosvāmī was the minister in charge of the government secretariat, and his assistants — the undersecretaries and clerks — all belonged to the kāyastha community. Formerly the kāyasthas belonged to the clerical and secretarial staff of the government, and later if one served in such a post, he was called a kāyastha. Eventually if a person could not identify himself as a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra, he used to introduce himself as a kāyastha to get a wealthy and honorable position. In Bengal it is said that if one cannot give the identity of his caste, he calls himself a kāyastha. On the whole, the kāyastha community is a mixture of all castes, and it especially includes those engaged in clerical or secretarial work. Materially such people are always busy occupying responsible government posts.

When Sanātana Gosvāmī was relaxing and feeling inclined to retire from government service, many kāyasthas on his secretarial staff were very eager to occupy his post. In this regard, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura states that when Sanātana Gosvāmī was a government minister and the kāyasthas who assisted him saw that he was reluctant to continue, they became very expert in their duties. Sanātana Gosvāmī was a brāhmaṇa belonging to the Sārasvata brāhmaṇa community. It is said that when he resigned, a subordinate named Purandara Khān, who was a kāyastha, occupied his post.

TEXT 17

bhaṭṭācārya paṇḍita biśa triśa lañā
bhāgavata vicāra karena sabhāte vasiyā

TRANSLATION

Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī used to discuss Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in an assembly of twenty or thirty learned brāhmaṇa scholars.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura gives the following commentary on the words bhāgavata vicāra. As confirmed in the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (1.1.4–5), there are two kinds of educational systems:

dve vidye veditavya iti, ha sma yad brahma-vido vadanti — parā caivāparā ca. tatrāparā ṛg-vedo yajur-vedaḥ sāma-vedo ‘tharva-vedaḥ śikṣā kalpo vyākaraṇaṁ niruktaṁ chando jyotiṣam iti. atha parā yayā tad akṣaram adhigamyate.

“There are two kinds of educational systems. One deals with transcendental knowledge [parā vidyā] and the other with material knowledge [aparā vidyā]. All the Vedas — the Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sāma Veda and Atharva Veda, along with their corollaries, known as śikṣā, kalpa, vyākaraṇa, nirukta, chanda and jyotiṣa — belong to the inferior system of material knowledge [aparā vidyā]. By parā vidyā one can understand the akṣara — Brahman or the Absolute Truth.”

COMMENT

So the Vedas belong to the system of aparā-vidyā or inferior knowledge. And therefore, in Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna, trai-guṇya-viṣayā-vedā nistrai-guṇyo bhavārjuna, that “The four Vedas deal mainly with the three modes of material nature, but you should rise above the three modes of nature, O Arjuna.” So there is one sect which claims to be followers of the Vedas. In fact, they say, they accept only the Vedas. So when we had the first big pandal program in Bombay, they actually printed leaflets which criticized Krishna consciousness. Actually, they criticized Bhagavad-gītā, quoting some verses where Lord Krishna declares that the Vedas belong to the inferior system of knowledge, and one should rise above the material modes. Therefore, they tried to make the case that Lord Krishna was blasphemous of the Vedas. So they are also described in Bhagavad-gītā, veda-vāda-ratāḥ, that although they claim to know the Vedas, actually they do not know the Vedas because the goal of the Vedas is to realize Krishna, to serve Krishna, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo. So they are veda-vāda-ratāḥ. They claim to be knowers of the Vedas and followers of the Vedas, but they do not know the real goal of the Vedas, which is Krishna. And in the name of being followers of the Vedas, they are actually blaspheming Lord Krishna, who is the knower of the Vedas and the goal of the Vedas.

PURPORT (continued)

As far as the Vedic literature is concerned, the Vedānta-sūtra is accepted as the parā vidyā. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is an explanation of that parā vidyā. Those who aspire for liberation (mukti or mokṣa) and introduce themselves as vaidāntika are also equal to those groups aspiring to improve religion (dharma), economic development (artha) and sense gratification (kāma). Dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa are called catur-varga. They are all within the system of inferior, material knowledge. 

COMMENT

So one may think that yes, dharma, artha, and kāma are material, aparā-vidyā. But what about moksha? But moksha is actually part of the same system of inferior knowledge. In Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Lord Chaitanya explains,

kṛṣṇa-bhakta — niṣkāma, ata eva ‘śānta’
bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī, sakali ‘aśānta’ 

That those who desire bhukti, material enjoyment; those who desire mukti, liberation; and those who desire siddhi, mystic perfections; sakali ‘aśānta, all of them are not peaceful or none of them is peaceful. kṛṣṇa-bhakta — niṣkāma, ata eva ‘śānta. Only Krishna’s devotee has no selfish desire, and therefore only he is peaceful. So the desire for bhukti, mukti, siddhi, or dharma, artha, kāma and moksha is selfish and inferior or material. Only the desire to serve Krishna, to glorify Krishna, is pure and spiritual. The Bhāgavatam begins, Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo ‘tra, that all cheating religion is kicked out from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And Srila Śrīdhara Swami, the great commentator on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, remarks that even the desire for liberation is in the category of kaitavo or cheating. And therefore, the desire for liberation is also kicked out from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. No other desire except Krishna and Krishna’s service.

PURPORT (continued)

Any literature giving information about the spiritual world, spiritual life, spiritual identity and the spirit soul is called parā vidyā. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam does not have anything to do with the materialistic way of life; it gives transcendental information to educate people in the superior system of parā vidyā. Sanātana Gosvāmī was engaged in discussing the bhāgavata-vidyā, which means he discussed transcendental superior knowledge. Those who are karmīs, jñānīs or yogīs are not actually fit to discuss Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Only Vaiṣṇavas, or pure devotees, are fit to discuss that literature. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam itself (12.13.18):

śrīmad-bhāgavataṁ purāṇam amalaṁ yad vaiṣṇavānāṁ priyaṁ
 yasmin pāramahaṁsyam ekam amalaṁ jñānaṁ paraṁ gīyate
yatra jñāna-virāga-bhakti-sahitaṁ naiṣkarmyam āviṣkṛtaṁ
 tac chṛṇvan supaṭhan vicāraṇa-paro bhaktyā vimucyen naraḥ

Although Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is counted among the Purāṇas, it is called the spotless Purāṇa. Because it does not discuss anything material, it is liked by transcendental Vaiṣṇava devotees. The subject matter found in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant for paramahaṁsas. As it is said, paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vedyam. A paramahaṁsa is one who does not live in the material world and who does not envy others. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, devotional service is discussed to arouse the living entity to the transcendental position of jñāna (knowledge) and vairāgya (renunciation). As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.12):

tac chraddadhānāḥ munayo jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā
paśyanty ātmani cātmānaṁ bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā

“The seriously inquisitive student or sage, well equipped with knowledge and detachment, realizes that Absolute Truth by rendering devotional service in terms of what he has heard from the Vedānta-śruti.”

This is not sentiment. Knowledge and renunciation can be obtained through devotional service (bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā), that is, by arousing one’s dormant devotional consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When Kṛṣṇa consciousness is aroused, it relieves one from fruitive activity, activity for economic improvement and material enjoyment (in other words, when Krishna consciousness is aroused one is relieved from dharma, artha, kāma and moksha.) This relief is technically called naiṣkarmya, and when one is relieved, he is no longer interested in working hard for sense gratification. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is Śrīla Vyāsadeva’s last, mature contribution, and one should read and hear it in an assembly of realized souls while engaging in devotional service. At such a time one can be liberated from all material bondage. This was the course taken by Sanātana Gosvāmī, who retired from government service to study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with learned scholars.

COMMENT

So in Srila Prabhupada’s last days, he was lying on his bed in Vrindavan. He was so weak he could hardly even lift his hand. But still, he wanted to translate Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So the devotees gathered around Srila Prabhupada’s bed, and one of the devotees held the microphone from the Dictaphone very close to Srila Prabhupada’s mouth because Srila Prabhupada would speak only with great difficulty and very softly. And one of the last purport Srila Prabhupada dictated was very similar to the present purport. Srila Prabhupada advised, “Discuss Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam daily as much as possible. The more you discuss Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the more the matter becomes clarified.” And then he said that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the mature work of Srila Vyasadeva, mahāmuni-kṛte, and that each and every word is transcendental.

So this is how we should pass our time as devotees, reading and discussing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Not indulging in prajalpaḥ. Idle talks or gossips or especially fault finding with Vaishnavas.

TEXT 18

āra dina gauḍeśvara, saṅge eka-jana
ācambite gosāñi-sabhāte kaila āgamana

TRANSLATION

While Sanātana Gosvāmī was studying Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the assembly of learned brāhmaṇas, one day the Nawab of Bengal and another person suddenly appeared.

COMMENT

One devotee may say, “Oh, I am too sick to come to maṅgala-ārati. I am too sick to come to class.” So suddenly, the authority may come in the room and see how sick is this devotee.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

The full name of the Nawab of Bengal (Hussain Shah) was Ālāuddīna Saiyada Husena Sāha Seripha Makkā, and he ruled Bengal for twenty-three years, from 1420 to 1443 Śakābda Era (A.D. 1498 to 1521). Sanātana Gosvāmī was studying Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with the scholars in the year 1424 (A.D. 1502).

TEXT 19

pātsāha dekhiyā sabe sambhrame uṭhilā
sambhrame āsana diyā rājāre vasāilā

TRANSLATION

As soon as all the brāhmaṇas and Sanātana Gosvāmī saw the Nawab appear, they all stood up and respectfully gave him a sitting place to honor him.

PURPORT Srila Prabhupada

Although Nawab Hussain Shah was a mleccha-yavana, he was nonetheless the governor of the country, and the learned scholars and Sanātana Gosvāmī offered him all the respect due a king or a governor. When a person occupies an exalted executive post, one should consider that he has acquired the grace of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gītā (10.41) Lord Kṛṣṇa says:

yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā
tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ mama tejo-’ṁśa-sambhavam

“Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.”

Whenever we see something exalted, we must consider it part of the power of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A powerful man (vibhūtimat sattvam) is one who has obtained the grace of the Lord or has derived some power from Him. In the Bhagavad-gītā (7.10) Kṛṣṇa says, tejas tejasvinām aham: “I am the power of the powerful.” The learned brāhmaṇa scholars showed respect to Nawab Hussain Shah because he represented a fraction of Kṛṣṇa’s power.

COMMENT

So this is very significant. Although Sanatana Gosvami and the Vaishnavas were most exalted, they still showed respect for a mleccha-yavana. Why? Because he was in the position of a king or a governor, and he was in that position by the grace of the Lord. So they showed respect that he has been placed in such a position by the grace of the Lord. So they showed respect, although from one point of view, he was most fallen. Once the devotees took Srila Prabhupada to the zoo in Bhuvneshwar. And they came to the cage of the lion, and one of the devotees in the group started rattling the bars of the cage to agitate the lion. And Srila Prabhupada stopped him and he said, “After all, he is a lion. And the lion is king of the jungle. He is not an ordinary creature. Circumstantially, he may be confined, but still he is a lion. So we should respect him.”

TEXT 20

rājā kahe, — tomāra sthāne vaidya pāṭhāiluṅ
vaidya kahe, — vyādhi nāhi, sustha ye dekhiluṅ

TRANSLATION

The Nawab said, “I sent my physician to you, and he has reported that you are not diseased. As far as he could see, you are completely healthy.

TEXT 21

“I am depending on you to carry out so many of my activities, but you have given up your governmental duties to sit here at home.

TEXT 22

“You have spoiled all my activities. What is your intention? Please tell me frankly.”

TEXT 23

sanātana kahe, — nahe āmā haite kāma
āra eka-jana diyā kara samādhāna

TRANSLATION

Sanātana Gosvāmī replied, “You can no longer expect any service from me. Please arrange for someone else to tend to the management.”

TEXT 24

Becoming angry with Sanātana Gosvāmī, the Nawab said, “Your elder brother is acting just like a plunderer.

TEXT 25

“By killing many living entities, your elder brother has destroyed all Bengal. Now here you are destroying all my plans.”

TEXT 26

Sanātana Gosvāmī said, “You are the supreme ruler of Bengal and are completely independent. Whenever someone commits a fault, you punish him accordingly.”

TEXT 27

Hearing this, the Nawab of Bengal stood up and returned to his home. He ordered the arrest of Sanātana Gosvāmī so that he would not be able to leave.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

It is said that the relationship between the Nawab of Bengal and Sanātana Gosvāmī was very intimate. The Nawab used to consider Sanātana Gosvāmī his younger brother, and when Sanātana Gosvāmī showed a very strong intention to resign, the Nawab, feeling familial affection, essentially said, “I am your elder brother, but I do not look after the state management. My only business is attacking other states with my soldiers and fighting everywhere as a plunderer. Because I am a meat-eater [yavana], I am used to hunting all kinds of living beings. In this way I am destroying all kinds of living entities in Bengal. While engaged in this destructive business, I am hoping that you will tend to the administration of the state. Since I, your elder brother, am engaged in such a destructive business, you, being my younger brother, should look after the state management. If you do not, how will things continue?” This talk was based on a family relationship, and Sanātana Gosvāmī also replied in an intimate and joking way. Essentially he told the Nawab, “My dear brother, you are the independent ruler of Bengal. You can act in whatever way you like, and if someone commits a fault, you can punish him accordingly.” In other words, Sanātana Gosvāmī was saying that since the Nawab was accustomed to acting like a plunderer, he should go ahead and take action. Since Sanātana was not showing much enthusiasm for performing his duty, the Nawab should dismiss him from his service. The Nawab could understand the intention of Sanātana Gosvāmī’s statement. He therefore left in an angry mood and ordered Sanātana Gosvāmī’s arrest.

TEXT 28

hena-kāle gela rājā uḍiyā mārite
sanātane kahe, — tumi cala mora sāthe

TRANSLATION

At this time the Nawab was going to attack the province of Orissa, and he told Sanātana Gosvāmī, “Come along with me.”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Hussain Shah attacked the neighboring province of Orissa in 1424 Śakābda Era (A.D. 1502). At that time he conquered the feudal princes there.

TEXT 29

teṅho kahe, — yābe tumi devatāya duḥkha dite
mora śakti nāhi, tomāra saṅge yāite

TRANSLATION

Sanātana Gosvāmī replied, “You are going to Orissa to give pain to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For this reason I am powerless to go with you.”

TEXT 30

The Nawab again arrested Sanātana Gosvāmī and kept him in prison. At this time, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu departed for Vṛndāvana from Jagannātha Purī.

TEXT 31

The two persons who went to Jagannātha Purī to inquire about the Lord’s departure returned and informed Rūpa Gosvāmī that the Lord had already departed for Vṛndāvana.

TEXT 32

Upon receiving this message from his two messengers, Rūpa Gosvāmī immediately wrote a letter to Sanātana Gosvāmī saying that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had departed for Vṛndāvana.

TEXT 33

In his letter to Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī wrote, “We two brothers are starting out to go see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You must also somehow or other get released and come meet us.”

PURPORT

The two brothers herein mentioned are Rūpa Gosvāmī and his younger brother, Anupama Mallika. Rūpa Gosvāmī was informing Sanātana Gosvāmī that he should join him and his younger brother.

COMMENT

So Sanatana Gosvami was in a very difficult situation because Lord Chaitanya had already left Jagannatha Puri for Vrindavan, and Rupa and Anupam were on their way to meet Him. So Rupa advised his older brother Sanatana Gosvami, “Please somehow or other get released and join us. We are going to meet Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.” So how Sanatana Gosvami was released using all of his diplomatic expertise and with the mercy of the Lord will be read in the next meeting. Hari Krishna.

Are there any questions or comments?

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:51:00]

Giriraj Swami: Why do you want to go back to Godhead? Do you consider the Supreme Personality of Godhead here?

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:51:55]

Giriraj Swami: Yes, okay. Now, what is the meaning of going back home, back to God?

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:52:15]

Giriraj Swami: So, do you have to go somewhere to be in the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and serve Him?

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:52:30]

Giriraj Swami: Yes. So, I accept your definition that going back to Godhead means to engage in pure devotional service to Krishna. But pure devotional service to Krishna does not depend on leaving the body and going somewhere else. We can be back to Godhead even in the present body. That is jīvan-mukta. We can be liberated even in the present body.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:53:10]

Giriraj Swami: So that he can go back to Godhead. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvam, whatever one remembers at the time of death, he will attain to that state. So, if we remember Krishna at the time of death, we can attain to the service of Krishna in the next life. Now, we did discuss the other day, that the desire to go back to Godhead is good, but it is not transcendental. The desire to serve Krishna is transcendental. The desire to go back to Godhead, in the sense of going to the abode of Krishna, is good. It is not bad, it is good. But the pure desire to serve Krishna is better. And therefore, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi, “but I simply want Your causeless of service birth after birth.” Mahajana Prabhu?

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:55:38]

Giriraj Swami: Yes.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:55:45]

Giriraj Swami: Mahajana Prabhu says that the Vedas are mentioned as inferior knowledge, but the purpose of the Vedas is to know Krishna. So how can we say that the Vedas are inferior knowledge?

Maybe persons who do not come to the proper conclusion of the Vedas are inferior persons, but the Vedas are not inferior. Well, yes, the purpose of the Vedas is to know Krishna, but there are many things in the Vedas which are not directly Krishna conscious. So if one understands that the purpose of the Vedas is to know Krishna, then he can bypass all the material aspects of the Vedic knowledge and go direct to Krishna consciousness, which is Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

There is one book by Srila Sanatana Gosvami called Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛta. And in the story, Gopa Kumar, he passes through various positions on the Earth planet, then the higher planets, Indraloka and higher Mahar-loka, Tapa-loka, Brahma-loka, then impersonal brahmajyoti, then Vishnu-loka. Shiva-loka, Vishnu-loka, then Ayodhya, then Dvaraka. So the ultimate goal is to reach Krishna in Goloka Vrindavan. But the description of the different places on the way to Krishna and the methods to attain them, which are mentioned in the Vedas like ritualistic ceremonies and Vedic sacrifices, do not belong to parā-vidyā. Although the ultimate goal is to reach Krishna, but by performing Vedic sacrifice, one can be elevated to higher planets, but one cannot reach Krishna. And much of the Vedas deals with ritualistic ceremonies to achieve heavenly pleasures.

Therefore, pure devotees like Narottam dasa Thakura say, karma-kāṇḍa jñāna-kāṇḍa sakalī viṣera bāṅdha, that the section of the Vedas that deal with karma-kāṇḍa and jñāna-kāṇḍa a are simply pots of poison because sense gratification is poison, even impersonal liberation is poison. And by reading about how to achieve, material elevation and impersonal liberation, is just like drinking poison from a pot. So it is true, the ultimate goal is Krishna, but karma-kāṇḍa is also in the Vedas, jñāna-kāṇḍa is also in the Vedas, and they are just poison from the point of view of a pure devotee, just like dharma, artha, kāma, and moksha. But we can say the ultimate goal is moksha, but definitely dharma, artha, and kāma are inferior activities, although the ultimate goal is moksha. But even higher than moksha is pure devotional service. So compared to pure devotional service, even moksha is inferior, although the ultimate goal is pure devotional service.

Any other questions or comments?

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:01:40]

Giriraj Swami: Well, we serve the Lord under regulative principles. But after serving the Lord under regulative principles for some time, we eventually hope to come to the platform of spontaneous devotional service. And from the platform of spontaneous devotional service, one goes to serve Krishna in Vrindavan. The ultimate goal is to serve Krishna in Vrindavan. But if we don’t follow the regulated principles and deity worships, we become offensive, become like sahajiyās, then we fall down.