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For the impersonalist and void philosophers the next world is senseless eternity and bliss. The void philosophers want to establish that ultimately everything is senseless, and the impersonalists want to establish that the next world is simply knowledge without any activities. In other words, less intelligent salvationists want to carry imperfect knowledge into the perfect sphere of spiritual activity. The impersonalist, having experienced a great disadvantage in material activity, wants to establish spiritual life without activity. He cannot understand the activities of devotional service. Spiritual activity in devotional service is not intelligeble to the void phiolsophers and impersonalists. The Vaishnava philosophers know perfectly well that the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, having the power of innumerable potencies, can never be impersonal or void. He can present Himself in multiple Forms with innumerable energies, and still He remains Himself as the Absolute Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is competent Himself to maintain His transcendental position in spite of His becoming expanded in multiple Forms and diffused by His innumerable multiple Forms of energy.
#$p#Thus Lord Chaitanya showed many defects in the Mayavadi philosophy, and although Bhattacharya wanted to establish himself with various juggleries of words and logic, Lord Chaitanya was able to maintain Himself from such attacks, and He established that the Vedic literature is meant for three things: to understand our relationship with the Absolute Supreme Personality of Godhead, to act according to that understanding, and at the end to achieve the highest perfection of life, love of Godhead. Anybody who wants to prove something other than the above-mentioned three purposes must be the victim of his own imagination.
#$p#The Lord then quoted some verses from the Puranas, by which He wanted to establish that Sankaracharya was meant to do his teaching by the Supreme order of the Personality of Godhead. He quoted a verse from Padma Purana in which it is stated that the Lord ordered Mahadeva Lord Shiva to present some imaginary interpretation of the Vedic literature, and thus try to distract persons from the actual position of the Veda. "By such activity you try to make them atheists, and after that they can be engaged in producing more population." In the same Padma Purana it is also said that Lord Shiva explained to his wife, Parvati, that in the Age of Kali, in the form of a Brahmin, he would preach the imperfect explanation of the Veda, known as Mayavadi, which is actually a second edition of the atheist philosophy of Buddha.
#$p#By such explanations of Lord Chaitanya, Bhattacharya was overwhelmed. And, hearing the explanation of Mayavadi philosophy from Lord Chaitanya, he could not speak, and simply remained silent for some time. Lord Chaitanya asked him, "My dear Bhattacharya, don't be hampered with this explanation. Please take it from Me that the devotional service of the Supreme Lord is the highest perfectional stage of human understanding. Devotional service of the Lord is so attractive that even persons who are already liberated become devotees of the Lord by the inconceivable potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." There are many instances of this in the Vedic literature, such as in the Srimad Bhagwatam, First Canto, Seventh Chapter: therein is the famous Atmarama verse for persons who are attached to self-realization, and liberated from all material attachment. Such liberated impersonalist sages become attracted to devotional service by the various activities of Lord Krishna. That is the transcendental Quality of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
#$p#Actually, the pure consciousness of the living- entity is to understand himself as the eternal servant of the Supreme Lord. Under the spell of illusion, a less intelligent person accepts the gross body and the subtle body as his self; such a conception is the basis of the doctrine of transference. Actually the part and parcel of the Supreme is not subjected eternally to such a false conception of gross and subtle bodily life. The covering of the living entity by the gross and subtle body is not his eternal form, but can be changed; or, the living entity can become free from such existence. While he is in the conception of the body and mind he has certainly transferred his position from spirit to matter. Mayavadi philosophers, of course, take advantage of this doctrine of transference: they say that the living entity under the wrong impression thinks himself as part and parcel, but he is the Supreme Himself This doctrine cannot be tenable.
#$p#Bhattacharya then asked Lord Chaitanya to explain the famous Atmarama verse, as he desired to hear it from the Lord, Lord Chaitanya replied to him that, first of all, he should explain the verse according to his own understanding, and then Lord Chaitanya would explain it by His own understanding. Bhattacharya then began to explain the Atmarama Sloka with his method of logic and grammar. He explained the Atmarama Sloka in nine different ways. The Lord appreciated his erudite scholarship in explaining the verse, and said: "My dear Bhattacharya, I know that you are personally a representation of the learned scholar, like Brihashpati, and you can explain any portion of the Shastras in such a nice way. And yet your explanation is more or less based on academic education only. But there is another explanation, beside the academic, scholarly explanation."
#$p#Then, at the request of Bhattacharya, Lord Chaitanya explained the Atmarama Sloka thus: On the basis of the analytical parts of the verse, the verse is explained as follows: 1. Atmarama, 2. Cha, 3. Munayah, 4. Nirgranthah, 5. Api, 6. Urukrama, 7. Kurvanti, 8. Ahaituki, 9. Bhaktim, 10. Itthambhutagunah, 11. Harih. (This verse is already explained in connection with the Lord's teachings to Sanatan Goswami). Lord Chaitanya did not touch the nine different explanations of Bhattacharya, but He explained on the basis of 11 analyses of the verse, and each analytical basis He divided into five and six and, in this way, He expounded a total of 61 different explanations of the Atmarama verse. It is summarized, then, that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is full of innumerable potencies: nobody can estimate how many transcendental qualities are possessed by Him. They are always inconceivable, and any process of self-relization generally inquires into these inconceivable potencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His energies, and His qualities. But those who are devotees at once accept this inconceivable pos1t1on of the Supreme Lord. He explained that even great liberated souls like the Kumaras and Sukadeva Goswami also become attracted to the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Lord.
#$p#Bhattacharya then appreciated the explanation of Lord Chaitanya, and he concluded that Lord Chaitanya is none other than Krishna Himself. And he began to deprecate his own position. He related that at first he had considered Lord Chaitanya as an ordinary human being, and therefore he felt that he had been offensive to the identity of Lord Chaitanya. He fell down at the Lotus Feet of Lord Chaitanya, deprecating his own position, and requested Lord Chaitanya to show His causeless mercy upon him. Lord Chaitanya appreciated the humbleness of such a great learned scholar. He therefore exhibited His own Form, first with four hands, and then the six-handed form called Sadabhuj. Sarbabhouma Bhattacharya then repeatedly fell down on the Lotus Feet of the Lord and began to pray with various kinds of prayers composed by himself. He was a great scholar undoubtedly, and after receiving the causeless mercy of the Lord he was empowered to explain the Lord's activities in different ways—such as being able to express the benefit of chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
#$p#It is said that Sarbabhouma Bhattacharya then composed 100 verses in appreciation of the Lord's activities, and those verses are so important that even Brihashpati, the learned scholar in the heavenly planet, could not compose such nice verses. The Lord was very much pleased by hearing his composition of 100 verses, and He embraced Bhattacharya. By His touching, Bhattacharya became overwhelmed with ecstasy, and practically became unconscious. He was crying, sometimes trembling, sometime; shivering, sometimes perspiring, sometimes dancing, sometimes singing, and in this way he fell at the Lotus Feet of Lord Chaitanya. His brother-in-law, Gopinath Acharya, and the devotees of the Lord, were surprised to see the condition of Bhattacharya as he was transformed into a great devotee.
#$p#Gopinath Acharya addressed the Lord and began to thank Him: "Sir, it is by Your grace only that Bhattacharya has been transformed from his stonelike position into such a devotee." Lord Chaitanya replied to Gopinath Acharya that, due to a devotee's favor upon others, a stonelike man can be transformed to a mild flower-like devotee. Actually, Gopinath Acharya, the brother-in-law of Bhattacharya, had sincerely desired that such a scholar as Bhattacharya should become a devotee of the Lord. He had sincerely desired that the Lord show favor to Bhattacharya, and was glad to see his desire fulfilled by Lord Chaitanya. In other words, a devotee of the Lord is more merciful than the Lord Himself When a devotee desires to show his mercy to a person, the Lord accepts, and by His grace such a person becomes a devotee.
#$p#Lord Chaitanya pacified Bhattacharya and asked him to go home. Bhattacharya again began to praise the Lord and said, "You have descended Yourself to deliver all the fallen souls of this material world. That project is not so difficult for You, but You have turned a stonehearted man like me, and that is Your wonderful act. I am very expert at logical arguments and grammatical explanations of the Vedic process. I am as hard as a lump of iron. But Your influence and temperature is so strong that You could melt away even hard iron like me."
#$p#Lord Chaitanya then returned to His place and Bhattacharya, through Gopinath Acharya, sent various kinds of Prasadam from Jagannath temple. The next day, the Lord went to see the temple of Jagannath early in the morning, which is called Mongalarati. The priests in the temple brought Him a garland from the deity and offered Him various kinds of Prasadam. The Lord was very much pleased to receive them, and He at once went to the house of Bhattacharya, taking the Prasadam and the flowers to present to Bhattacharya. It was early in the morning, and Bhattacharya understood that the Lord had come and was knocking on his door. He at once rose up from his bed and began to say Krishna, Krishna!, which was heard by Lord Chaitanya. And at once he came to the door and opened it and saw the Lord standing there. He was so pleased to see the Lord early in the morning, and wanted to receive Him with all care. He again offered Him a nice seat, and both of them sat there and Lord Chaitanya offered him the Prasadam which He had received in the temple of Jagannath. Bhattacharya was very glad to receive Prasadam from the hand of Lord Chaitanya, and without taking his bath and without performing his daily duties or washing his teeth he began immediately to eat the Prasadam. Actually, he was now freed from all contamination of material attachment; and he cited a verse from Padma Purana as he began to eat the Prasadam.
#$p#In the Padma Purana it is stated that when Prasadam is brought or is received even if it has become very dry or it is even very old or brought from a distant place, as soon as it is received it must be eaten immediately, without following any of the rules or duties of one's daily activities. It is enjoined in the Shastras that Prasadam should be immediately taken, and there is no restriction of time and space—that is the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, there are restrictions in accepting foodstuff from different kinds of people, but there are no such restrictions in accepting Prasadam from different kinds of people—neither a restriction as to time, place, or atmosphere. Prasadam is always transcendental, and it can be taken under any condition.
#$p#Lord Chaitanya was very much pleased to see that Bhattacharya, who always obeyed rules and regulations, could accept Prasadam without following any such rules and regulations. Being so pleased Himself, Lord Chaitanya embraced Bhattacharya. Both of Them began to dance in transcendental ecstasy. In that ecstasy, Lord Chaitanya explained: "My mission in Jagannath Puri is now fulfilled because I have converted a person like Sarbabhouma Bhattacharya."
#$p#The Lord continued: "I shall be able now to attain Vaikuntha without fail." The missionary activity of a devotee is to convert one person to become a pure devotee. Then admission to the Spiritual Kingdom is guaranteed. The Lord was so much pleased with Bhattacharya's philosophy that He began to bless him repeatedly: "Dear Bhattacharya, now you are a completely pure devotee of Lord Krishna, and Krishna is now very much pleased with you. From today you are free from the contamination of this material body, and from today you are free from any entanglement under the spell of material energy. You are now fit to go back to Godhead, back to Home." He then cited one nice verse from the Srimad Bhagwatam, Second Canto, Seventh Chapter: "Anyone who takes complete shelter of the Lotus Feet of the Supreme Lord is favored by the Supreme Lord, Who is known as Unlimited. And such a person gets permission to cross over the ocean of nescience. Anyone who is under the misconception that this material body is himself, cannot have appreciation or causeless mercy from the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
#$p#After this incident, Lord Chaitanya returned to His place, and Bhattacharya became a pure devotee without any faults. Since he was formerly an academic scholar, this conversion of Bhattacharya was possible only by the causeless mercy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. From that day forward he never explained any Vedic literature without an explanation of devotional service. Gopinath Acharya, his brother-in-law, was very much pleased to see the condition of Bhattacharya, and he began to dance in ecstasy, vibrating the transcendental sound, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
#$p#The next day, after visting Jagannath temple early in the morning, Bhattacharya came to the place of Lord Chaitanya and offered his respects by falling down before the Lord; and he began to explain his past undesirable behavior. He asked the Lord to say something about devotional service, and the Lord began to instruct him on the verses of Brihadnaradia Purana, in which is stated Harer Nama Harer Nama. Lord Chaitanya explained the meaning of this verse very explicitly. After hearing the explanation of the Harer Nama from Lord Chaitanya, Bhattacharya became more and more ecstatic. Seeing his condition, his brother-in-law, Gopinath Acharya, addressed him and said, "My dear Bhattacharya, what I stated before—'when he is favored by the Supreme Lord he will understand about the techniques of devotional service'—I am today seeing fulfilled."
#$p#Bhattacharya offered him his due respect and replied, "My dear Gopinath Acharya, it is through your mercy that I have the mercy of the Supreme Lord." The mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead can be achieved through the agency of the pure devotee. Lord Chaitanya's mercy was bestowed upon Bhattacharya because of Gopinath Acharya's endeavor.
#$p#Bhattacharya said to his brother-in-law: "You are a great devotee of the Lord, and I was simply blind with my academic education. So I have achieved the mercy of the Lord through your agency only." The Lord was very much pleased to hear from Bhattacharya that a man can achieve the mercy of the Lord through the agency of the devotee, and he appreciated the verses and embraced Bhattacharya, confirming his statement.
#$p#The Lord then requested Bhattacharya to go and see Jagannath temple. Bhattacharya then started out for Jagannath temple, accompanied by Jagadananda and Damodar, two principal associates of Lord Chaitanya. He returned to his home after seeing Jagannath temple, and brought with him much nice Prasadam purchased from the temple. He sent all this Prasadam to Lord Chaitanya through his Brahmin servant, and also dispatched two verses written by him on palm tree leaves, and requested Jagadananda to do this favor and deliver them. All of them again came back to Lord Chaitanya and offered Him the Prasadam and the verses on the palm leaf. But before reaching the Lord, Mukunda Datta, who also undertook the delivery of the written palm leaf, had noted the verses down in his book. Lord Chaitanya read those verses and tore them into pieces, because He never liked to be praised by anyone. But his devotees had the verses written by Sarbabhouma Bhattacharya, from the notes of Mukunda Datta.
#$p#The purport of the verses written by Sarbabhouma Bhattacharya was praise of the Lord, the Supreme Original Personality of Godhead. He—Lord Chaitanya—has descended to preach detachment and transcendental knowledge along with devotional service to the people in general. Lord Chaitanya is the Original Personality of Godhead, and is compared with the ocean of mercy. "Let me surrender unto that Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu." The other verse states, "The Lord, seeing that devotional service was absent, descended Himself in the Form of Lord Chaitanya to preach that devotional service. Let us all surrender unto His Lotus Feet to learn from Him what is actual devotional service." These two important verses are taken by the devotees of the Lord in disciplic succession, as the most important jewels, and Sarbabhouma Bhattacharya has become highest amongst the devotees because of these famous verses.
#$p#Sarbabhouma Bhattacharya was thus converted to become one of the important devotees of the Lord, and he had no other interest than to serve the Lord. His only concern was to think of Lord Chaitanya constantly, and this meditation and chanting became the main purpose of his life. One day Sarbabhouma Bhattacharya came before the Lord, and after offering his respects he began to read a verse from the Srimad Bhagwatam. This verse is stated in the Tenth Canto, Fourteenth Chapter, in connection with Lord Brahma's prayer to the Lord. Sarbabhouma Bhattacharya wanted to change two letters in the last portion of the verse, where the word Muktipade occurs. Sarbabhouma Bhattacharya wanted to change it into Bhakti. The purport of the verse is: A person who devotes his mind, body and speech to the service of the Lord, even in the midst of miserable life due to past misdeeds, is assured of liberation. And Bhattacharya wanted to change the Mukti, to Bhakti—devotional service.
#$p#The Lord inquired from Bhattacharya, "Why have you changed the original verse? The word is Mukti, and why have you changed it into Bhakti?" Bhattacharya replied that Mukti is not so valuable as Bhakti; and therefore Mukti is a sort of punishment for the pure devotee. He had therefore changed the word from Mukti to Bhakti. He began to explain his realization of Bhakti, and said, "Any person who does not accept the transcendental Personality of Godhead and His transcendental Form cannot know the Absolute Truth.
#$p#Anyone who does not understand the transcendental nature of the Body of Krishna becomes His enemy and decries or fights with Him. And for such enemies of the Lord, the destination is to merge into the Brahman effulgence of the Lord. Such kind of Mukti or liberation is never befitting the devotees of the Lord. Although there are five kinds of liberation, as, (1) getting admission to the same planet in which the Lord resides, (2) being able to associate with the Lord, (3) having a transcendental body like the Lord, (4) having opulence like the Lord, and (5) merging into the existence of the Lord, a devotee is satisfied being engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, without any particular interest for any one of the above mentioned kinds of state of liberation. Specifically, a devotee is most averse to merging into the existence of the Lord, and becoming without any individual identity. A devotee considers oneness with the Lord as worse than hell, even though he may accept one of the other four kinds of liberation in consideration of being engaged in the service of the Lord. Of the two possibilities for merging in the Transcendence, namely, (1) becoming one with the Impersonal Brahman effulgence, and (2) becoming one with the Personality of Godhead, the latter is still more abominable to a devotee. The devotee has no other aspiration than to be always engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. On hearing this, Lord Chaitanya informed Bhattacharya that there is another purport of the word Mukti. Muktipada means directly the Personality of Godhead. That is to say, the Personality of Godhead has innumerable liberated souls engaged in His transcendental loving service, or He is the ultimate Resort for the ninth subject, called liberation. So, in either of the above mentioned import, Krishna becomes the ultimate Shelter. Sarvabhouma replied, "In spite of such import, I prefer Bhakti to Mukti. Although according to You, there are two kinds of imports of the word Mukti, still, because this sound is equivocal, I shall prefer directly Bhakti to Mukti because by direct perception, Mukti refers to the context of becoming one with the Supreme. I therefore hate to utter the word Mukti, and I feel enthusiastic in uttering the word Bhakti." At this, Lord Chaitanya laughed very loudly, and embraced the Bhattacharya with great love.
#$p#Thus the same Bhattacharya who took pleasure in explaining Mayavadi philosophy became a staunch devotee, so much so that he hated to utter the word Mukti. This is only possible by the causeless mercy of Lord Sri Chaitanya, and by His Grace He can turn iron into gold, like a touchstone. After this incident, all persons marked a great change in the Bhattacharya and they concluded that this was possible only by the inconceivable power of Lord Chaitanya. And they took it for granted that Lord Chaitanya was none other than Lord Krishna Himself.
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For the impersonalist and voidist philosophers, the next world is a world of senseless eternity and bliss. The voidist philosophers want to establish that ultimately everything is senseless, and the impersonalists want to establish that in the next world there is simply knowledge without any activities. Thus less intelligent salvationists try to carry imperfect knowledge into the sphere of perfect spiritual activity. Because the impersonalist experiences material activity as miserable, he wants to establish spiritual life without activity. He cannot understand the activities of devotional service. Indeed, spiritual activity in devotional service is unintelligible to the voidist philosophers and impersonalists. The Vaiṣṇava philosophers know perfectly well that the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, can never be impersonal or void, because He possesses innumerable potencies. Through His innumerable energies, He can present Himself in multiple forms and still remain the Absolute Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus despite expanding Himself in multiple forms and diffusing His innumerable energies, He can maintain His transcendental position.
#$p#Thus Lord Caitanya exposed many defects in the Māyāvāda philosophy, and although the Bhaṭṭācārya tried to establish himself by logic and word jugglery, Lord Caitanya was able to defend Himself from his attacks. The Lord established that the Vedic literature is meant for three things: understanding our relationship with the Absolute Supreme Personality of Godhead, acting according to that understanding, and achieving the highest perfection of life, love of Godhead. Anyone who tries to prove that the Vedic literature aims at anything else must be a victim of his own imagination.
#$p#The Lord then quoted some verses from the #i#Purāṇas#/i# by which He established that Śaṅkarācārya was ordered to teach Māyāvāda philosophy by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He quoted a verse from the #i#Padma Purāṇa#/i# (#i#Uttara-khaṇḍa#/i# 62.31) in which it is stated that the Lord ordered Mahādeva, Lord Śiva, to present some imaginary interpretation of the Vedic literature to divert people from the actual purpose of the #i#Vedas#/i#. “In this way try to make them atheists,” the Lord said. “After that, they can be engaged in producing more population.” It is also stated in the #i#Padma Purāṇa#/i# (#i#Uttara-khaṇḍa#/i# 25.7) that Lord Śiva explained to his wife Pārvatī that in the Age of Kali he would come in the form of a #i#brāhmaṇa#/i# to preach an imperfect interpretation of the #i#Vedas#/i# known as Māyāvāda, which in actuality is but a second edition of atheistic Buddhist philosophy.
#$p#The Bhaṭṭācārya was overwhelmed by these explanations of Lord Caitanya. After hearing Māyāvāda philosophy explained by Lord Caitanya, he could not speak. After he had remained silent for some time, Lord Caitanya said to him, “My dear Bhaṭṭācārya, don’t be astonished by this explanation. Please take it from Me that the devotional service of the Supreme Lord is the highest perfectional stage of human understanding. Indeed, it is so attractive that even those who are already liberated become devotees by the inconceivable potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” There are many such conversions in the Vedic literature. For instance, in #i#Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam#/i# (1.7.10) the famous #i#ātmārāma#/i# verse describes how impersonalist sages who are absorbed in self-realization and liberated from all material attachments become attracted to devotional service by the various activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Such are the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
#$p#Actually, in pure consciousness the living entity understands himself as the eternal servant of the Supreme Lord. Under the spell of illusion, a person accepts the gross and subtle bodies as his self; such a conception is the basis of the doctrine of transference from spirit to matter. But the part and parcel of the Supreme is not eternally subjected to gross and subtle bodily life. The gross and subtle coverings do not comprise the living entity’s eternal form; they can be changed, or the living entity can be freed entirely from material existence. While the living entity is under the illusion that he is the body and mind, however, he has certainly transferred his position from spirit to matter. Māyāvādī philosophers, taking advantage of this doctrine of transference, say that the living entity is under the wrong impression when he thinks himself to be part and parcel of the Supreme. They maintain that the living entity is the Supreme Himself. This doctrine cannot be tenable.
#$p#The Bhaṭṭācārya then asked Lord Caitanya to explain the famous #i#ātmārāma#/i# verse, for he desired to hear it from the Lord Himself. Lord Caitanya replied that first of all the Bhaṭṭācārya should explain the verse according to his own understanding, and then Lord Caitanya would explain it. The Bhaṭṭācārya then began to explain the #i#ātmārāma śloka#/i#, using his methods of logic and grammar. Thus he explained the #i#ātmārāma śloka#/i# in nine different ways. The Lord appreciated his erudite scholarship in explaining the verse and said, “My dear Bhaṭṭācārya, I know that you are a personal manifestation of the learned scholar Bṛhaspati and can explain any portion of the #i#śāstras#/i# nicely. Yet your explanation is more or less based on academic education only. But there is another explanation beside the academic, scholarly one.”
#$p#Then, at the request of the Bhaṭṭācārya, Lord Caitanya explained the #i#ātmārāma śloka#/i#. The words of the verse were analyzed thus: (1) #i#ātmārāmāḥ#/i#, (2) #i#ca#/i#, (3) #i#munayaḥ#/i#, (4) #i#nirgranthāḥ#/i#, (5) #i#api#/i#, (6) #i#urukrame#/i#, (7) #i#kurvanti#/i#, (8) #i#ahaitukīm#/i#, (9) #i#bhaktim#/i#, (10) #i#ittham-bhūta-guṇaḥ#/i#, (11) #i#hariḥ#/i#. (This verse has already been explained in connection with the Lord’s teachings to Sanātana Gosvāmī.) Without mentioning the nine explanations of the Bhaṭṭācārya, Lord Caitanya explained the verse by analyzing these eleven words. In this way He expounded eighteen different explanations of the verse. In summary, He said that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is full of innumerable potencies; no one can estimate how many transcendental qualities He possesses. His qualities are always inconceivable, and all processes of self-realization inquire in a general way into the potencies and qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But the devotees of the Lord immediately accept the inconceivable position of the Lord. Lord Caitanya explained that even great liberated souls like the Kumāras and Śukadeva Gosvāmī were also attracted to the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Lord.
#$p#The Bhaṭṭācārya appreciated Lord Caitanya’s explanation, and he concluded that Lord Caitanya was none other than Kṛṣṇa Himself. The Bhaṭṭācārya then began to deprecate his own position, relating that he had at first considered Lord Caitanya to be an ordinary human being and therefore committed a great offense. He then fell down at the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya, deprecating himself, and requested the Lord to show His causeless mercy to him. Lord Caitanya appreciated the humility of this great scholar and therefore exhibited His own form, first with four hands, and then with six hands (#i#ṣaḍ-bhuja#/i#). Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya then repeatedly fell down at the Lord’s lotus feet and composed various prayers to Him. He was undoubtedly a great scholar, and after receiving the causeless mercy of the Lord, he was empowered to explain the Lord’s activities in different ways. For instance, he was able to express the benefit of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
#$p#It is said that at this time Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya composed a hundred verses in appreciation of the Lord’s activities, and that those verses were so great that they could not be surpassed even by Bṛhaspati, the greatest learned scholar in the heavenly planets. The Lord was very much pleased to hear these hundred verses, and He embraced the Bhaṭṭācārya. The Bhaṭṭācārya became overwhelmed with ecstasy by the Lord’s touch, and he practically fell unconscious. He cried, trembled, shivered and perspired, and sometimes he danced and sang and fell at the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya. The Bhaṭṭācārya’s brother-in-law, Gopīnātha Ācārya, and the devotees of the Lord were surprised to see the Bhaṭṭācārya transformed into a great devotee.
#$p#Gopīnātha Ācārya then began to thank the Lord: “It is by Your grace only that the Bhaṭṭācārya has been transformed from his stonelike position into such a devotee.” Lord Caitanya replied to Gopīnātha Ācārya that it was due to a devotee’s favor that a stonelike man could be transformed into a mild, flowerlike devotee. Actually, Gopīnātha Ācārya had sincerely wished that his brother-in-law, the Bhaṭṭācārya, would become a devotee of the Lord. He had sincerely desired that the Lord favor the Bhaṭṭācārya, and he was glad to see that his desire had been fulfilled by Lord Caitanya. In other words, a devotee of the Lord is more merciful than the Lord Himself. When a devotee desires to show his mercy to a person, the Lord accepts him, and by the Lord’s grace he becomes a devotee.
#$p#Lord Caitanya pacified the Bhaṭṭācārya and asked him to go home. The Bhaṭṭācārya again began to praise the Lord and said, “You have descended to deliver all the fallen souls of this material world. That project is not so difficult for You. But You have turned a stonehearted man like me into a devotee, and that is very wonderful indeed. Although I was very expert at logical arguments and grammatical explanations of the #i#Vedas#/i#, I was as hard as a lump of iron. But Your influence and temperature were so great that You could melt even a hard piece of iron like me.”
#$p#Lord Caitanya then returned to His place, and the Bhaṭṭācārya sent Gopīnātha Ācārya to Him with various kinds of #i#prasādam#/i# from the Jagannātha temple. The next day the Lord went to the temple of Jagannātha early in the morning to attend #i#maṅgala-ārati#/i#. The priests in the temple brought Him a garland from the Deity and also offered Him various kinds of #i#prasādam#/i#. The Lord was very much pleased to receive them, and He at once went to the house of the Bhaṭṭācārya, taking the #i#prasādam#/i# and flower garland to present to him. Although it was early in the morning, the Bhaṭṭācārya understood that the Lord had come and was knocking on his door. He at once rose from his bed and began to say, “Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa!” This was heard by Lord Caitanya. When the Bhaṭṭācārya opened the door, he saw the Lord standing there, and he was very much pleased to see Him early in the morning. Receiving Him with all care, the Bhaṭṭācārya offered Him a nice seat, and both of them sat there. Lord Caitanya then offered him the #i#prasādam#/i# He had received in the temple of Jagannātha, and the Bhaṭṭācārya was very glad to receive this #i#prasādam#/i# from the hands of Lord Caitanya Himself. Indeed, without taking his bath and without performing his daily duties or even cleansing his teeth, he immediately began to eat the #i#prasādam#/i#. In this way he was freed from all material contamination and attachment.
#$p#As the Bhaṭṭācārya began to eat the #i#prasādam#/i# he recited a verse from the #i#Padma Purāṇa#/i#. There it is stated that when #i#prasādam#/i# is received it must be eaten immediately, even if it has become very dry or old, or even if it is brought from a distant place, or even if one has not completed executing his daily duties. Since it is enjoined in the #i#śāstras#/i# that #i#prasādam#/i# should immediately be taken, there is no restriction of time, place or atmosphere; the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead must be followed. There are restrictions one must follow before accepting food from various people, but there are no restrictions on accepting #i#prasādam#/i# from all kinds of people. #i#Prasādam#/i# is always transcendental and can be taken under any condition.
#$p#Lord Caitanya was very much pleased to see that the Bhaṭṭācārya, who had always obeyed the rules and regulations strictly, accepted #i#prasādam#/i# without following any rules and regulations. Being so pleased, Lord Caitanya embraced the Bhaṭṭācārya, and they both began to dance in transcendental ecstasy. In that ecstasy Lord Caitanya exclaimed, “My mission in Jagannātha Purī is now fulfilled! I have converted a person like Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. I shall now be able to attain Vaikuṇṭha without fail.”
#$p#The missionary goal of a devotee is to convert simply one person into a pure devotee. Then the devotee’s admission to the spiritual kingdom is guaranteed. The Lord was so much pleased with the Bhaṭṭācārya that He began to bless him repeatedly: “Dear Bhaṭṭācārya, now you are a completely pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is now very much pleased with you. From today you are free from the contamination of this material body and the entanglement under the spell of the material energy. You are now fit to go back to Godhead, back home.” The Lord then cited a verse from #i#Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam#/i# (2.7.42):
#dl##dd##i#yeṣāṁ sa eṣa bhagavān dayayed anantaḥ#/i##/dd#
#dd##i#sarvātmanāśrita-pado yadi nirvyalīkam#/i##/dd#
#dd##i#te dustarām atitaranti ca deva-māyāṁ#/i##/dd#
#dd##i#naiṣāṁ mamāham iti dhīḥśva-śṛgāla-bhakṣye#/i##/dd##/dl#
“Whoever takes complete shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord is favored by the Supreme Lord, who is known to be unlimited. Such a person also receives permission to cross the ocean of nescience. However, one who is under the misconception that his material body is himself cannot receive the causeless mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
#$p#After this incident, Lord Caitanya returned to His place, and the Bhaṭṭācārya became a pure and faultless devotee. Since he had formerly been a great academic scholar, the Bhaṭṭācārya could only have been converted by the causeless mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. From that day forward the Bhaṭṭācārya never explained any Vedic literature without explaining devotional service. Gopīnātha Ācārya, his brother-in-law, was very much pleased to see the Bhaṭṭācārya’s condition, and he began to dance in ecstasy and vibrate the transcendental sound Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
#$p#The next day, after visiting the Jagannātha temple early in the morning, the Bhaṭṭācārya went to see Lord Caitanya, and he offered his respects by falling down before the Lord. He then began to explain his past undesirable behavior. When he asked the Lord to speak something about devotional service, the Lord began to elaborately explain the verse in the #i#Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa#/i# beginning #i#harer nāma harer nāma#/i#. While hearing this explanation, the Bhaṭṭācārya became more and more ecstatic. Seeing the condition of his brother-in-law, Gopīnātha Ācārya said, “My dear Bhaṭṭācārya, previously I had said that when one is favored by the Supreme Lord he will understand the techniques of devotional service. Today I am seeing this fulfilled.”
#$p#The Bhaṭṭācārya offered him his due respect and replied, “My dear Gopīnātha Ācārya, it is through your mercy that I have received the mercy of the Supreme Lord.” The mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead can be obtained by the mercy of a pure devotee. Lord Caitanya’s mercy was bestowed upon the Bhaṭṭācārya because of Gopīnātha Ācārya’s endeavor. “You are a great devotee of the Lord,” the Bhaṭṭācārya continued, “and I was simply blinded by my academic education. So it is only through your agency that I have obtained the mercy of the Lord.” Lord Caitanya was greatly pleased to hear the Bhaṭṭācārya say that a man can achieve the mercy of the Lord through the agency of a devotee. Lord Caitanya appreciated his words and embraced the Bhaṭṭācārya, confirming his statement.
#$p#The Lord then requested the Bhaṭṭācārya to go see Jagannātha in the temple, and the Bhaṭṭācārya started out for the temple accompanied by Jagadānanda and Dāmodara, two principal associates of Lord Caitanya. After seeing Jagannātha the Bhaṭṭācārya returned home, bringing with him much #i#prasādam#/i# purchased from the temple. He sent all this #i#prasādam#/i# to Lord Caitanya through his #i#brāhmaṇa#/i# servant.
#$p#The Bhaṭṭācārya also dispatched two verses written on a palm-tree leaf and requested Jagadānanda to do him a favor by delivering them to the Lord. Thus Lord Caitanya was offered the #i#prasādam#/i# and the verses on the palm leaf. But before reaching the Lord, Mukunda Datta, who had also undertaken the delivery of the verses, had copied the verses into his book. When Lord Caitanya read the verses on the palm leaf, He tore it to pieces, for He never liked to be praised by anyone. The verses only survive because they had been copied by Mukunda Datta.
#$p#The verses praised Lord Caitanya as the Supreme Original Personality of Godhead, declaring that He had descended as Lord Caitanya to preach to the people in general about detachment, transcendental knowledge and devotional service. Comparing Lord Caitanya to an ocean of mercy, the Bhaṭṭācārya wrote, “Let me surrender unto that Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The Lord, seeing that devotional service was absent, descended Himself in the form of Caitanya Mahāprabhu to preach devotional service. Let us all surrender unto His lotus feet and learn from Him what devotional service actually is.” These two important verses are considered the most valuable jewels by the devotees of the Lord in disciplic succession, and by virtue of these famous verses Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya has become known as the highest of devotees.
#$p#Thus Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was converted into one of the most important devotees of the Lord, and he had no other interest than to serve the Lord. His only concern was to think of Lord Caitanya constantly, and this meditation and chanting became the main purpose of his life.
#$p#One day Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya came before the Lord, offered his respects and began to recite one of Lord Brahmā’s prayers from #i#Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam#/i# (10.14.8). The Bhaṭṭācārya recited as follows:
#dl##dd##i#tat te ’nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo#/i##/dd#
#dd##i#bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam#/i##/dd#
#dd##i#hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te#/i##/dd#
#dd##i#jīveta yo bhakti-pade sa dāya-bhāk#/i##/dd##/dl#
In reciting the verse the Bhaṭṭācārya changed the original word #i#mukti#/i# (liberation) to #i#bhakti#/i# (devotional service) in the last line. The meaning of the original verse is “A person who devotes his mind, body and speech to the service of the Lord, even though in the midst of a miserable life caused by his past misdeeds, is assured of liberation.”
#$p#“Why have you changed the original verse?” the Lord asked the Bhaṭṭācārya. “The word is #i#mukti#/i#, and you have changed it to #i#bhakti#/i#.” The Bhaṭṭācārya replied that #i#mukti#/i# is not as valuable as #i#bhakti#/i# and that #i#mukti#/i# is actually a sort of punishment for the pure devotee. For this reason he changed the word #i#mukti#/i# to #i#bhakti#/i#. The Bhaṭṭācārya then began to explain his realization of #i#bhakti#/i#. “Anyone who does not accept the transcendental Personality of Godhead and His transcendental form cannot know the Absolute Truth. One who does not understand the transcendental nature of the body of Kṛṣṇa becomes His enemy and decries Him or fights with Him. The destination of such enemies is to merge into the Lord’s Brahman effulgence. Such #i#mukti#/i#, or liberation, is never desired by the Lord’s devotees. There are five kinds of liberation: (1) gaining admission to the planet where the Lord resides, (2) being able to associate with the Lord, (3) attaining a transcendental body like the Lord’s, (4) attaining opulence like the Lord’s, and (5) merging into the existence of the Lord. A devotee has no particular interest in any of these types of liberation. He is satisfied simply by being engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. A devotee is especially averse to merging into the existence of the Lord and losing his individual identity. Indeed, a devotee considers oneness with the Lord to be worse than hell. But he will accept one of the four other kinds of liberation if it enables him to be engaged in the service of the Lord. Out of the two possibilities of merging in transcendence—namely becoming one with the impersonal Brahman effulgence and becoming one with the Personality of Godhead—the latter is more abominable to the devotee. The devotee has no aspiration other than engaging in the transcendental loving service of the Lord.”
#$p#On hearing this, Lord Caitanya informed the Bhaṭṭācārya that there is another meaning to the word #i#mukti-pade#/i#. The word #i#mukti-pade#/i# directly indicates the Personality of Godhead. The Personality of Godhead has innumerable liberated souls engaged in His transcendental loving service, and He is the ultimate resort of liberation. In either case, Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate shelter.
#$p#“Despite this reading,” Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya replied, “I prefer #i#bhakti-pade#/i# to #i#mukti-pade#/i#. Although according to You there are two meanings to the word #i#mukti-pade#/i#, still, because this word is ambiguous, I prefer #i#bhakti-pade#/i# to #i#mukti-pade#/i# because when one hears the word #i#mukti#/i# he immediately thinks of becoming one with the Supreme. I therefore even hate to utter the word #i#mukti#/i#. But I am very enthusiastic to speak of #i#bhakti#/i#.”
#$p#At this, Lord Caitanya laughed very loudly and embraced the Bhaṭṭācārya with great love.
#$p#Thus the Bhaṭṭācārya, who had taken pleasure in explaining Māyāvāda philosophy, became such a staunch devotee that he hated even to utter the word #i#mukti#/i#. This is possible only by the causeless mercy of Lord Śrī Caitanya. The Lord is like a touchstone, for by His grace He can turn iron into gold. After the Bhaṭṭācārya’s conversion, everyone marked a great change in him, and they concluded that this change was made possible only by the inconceivable power of Lord Caitanya. Thus they took it for granted that Lord Caitanya was none other than Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself.
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