All glories to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who acted as the eastern horizon where the sun of the ātmārāma verse rose. He manifested its rays in the form of different meanings and thus eradicated the darkness of the material world. May He protect the universe. (1) All glories to Lord Caitanya! All glories to Lord Nityānanda! All glories to Advaitacandra! And all glories to all the devotees of Lord Caitanya! (2) Thereafter, Sanātana Gosvāmī clasped the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and humbly submitted the following petition. (3) Sanātana Gosvāmī said, “My Lord, I have heard that previously, at the home of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, You explained the ātmārāma verse in eighteen different ways. (4)
“‘Those who are self- satisfied and unattracted by external material desires are also attracted to the loving service of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose qualities are transcendental and whose activities are wonderful. Hari, the Personality of Godhead, is called Kṛṣṇa because He has such transcendentally attractive features.’ (5) “I have heard this wonderful story and am therefore very inquisitive to hear Your explanation again. If You would kindly repeat it, I would be very pleased to hear.” (6) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “I am one madman, and Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya is another. Therefore he took My words to be the truth. (7) “I do not recall what I spoke in that connection, but if something comes to My mind due to association with you, I shall explain it. (8)
“Generally by Myself I cannot give an explanation, but by the strength of your association something may manifest itself. (9) “There are eleven clear words in this verse, but when they are studied separately, various meanings glitter from each word. (10) “The seven different meanings of the word ‘ātmā’ are the Absolute Truth, the body, the mind, endeavor, firmness, intelligence and nature. (11) “‘The following are synonyms of the word “ātmā”: the body, mind, Absolute Truth, natural characteristics, firmness, intelligence and endeavor.’ (12) “The word ‘ātmārāma’ refers to one who enjoys these seven items [the Absolute Truth, body, mind and so on]. Later, I shall enumerate the ātmārāmas. (13) “My dear Sanātana, first hear the meanings of the other words, beginning with the word ‘muni.’ I shall first explain their separate meanings, then combine them. (14)
“The word ‘muni’ refers to one who is thoughtful, one who is grave or silent, an ascetic, one who keeps great vows, one in the renounced order and a saint. These are the different meanings of the word ‘muni.’ (15) “The word ‘nirgrantha’ refers to one who is liberated from the material knots of ignorance. It also refers to one who is devoid of all regulative principles enjoined in the Vedic literature. It also refers to one who does not have knowledge. (16) “‘Nirgrantha’ also refers to one who is illiterate, lowborn, misbehaved, unregulated and devoid of respect for the Vedic literature. The word also refers to one who is a capitalist and to one who has no riches. (17) “‘The prefix “niḥ” may be used for a sense of ascertainment, gradation, construction or forbidding. The word “grantha” means “riches,” “thesis” and “composition.”’ (18) “The word ‘urukrama’ refers to one whose krama [step] is great. The word ‘krama’ means ‘throwing the foot forward,’ that is, ‘stepping.’ (19) “‘Krama’ also means ‘power,’ ‘trembling,’ ‘a systematic method,’ ‘argument’ and ‘a forcible attack by stepping forward.’ Thus Vāmana caused the three worlds to tremble. (20)
“‘Even if a learned man is able to count all the minute atoms in this material world, he still cannot count the potencies of Lord Viṣṇu. In the form of the Vāmana incarnation, Lord Viṣṇu, without hindrance, captured all the planets, extending from the root of the material world up to Satyaloka. Indeed, He caused every planetary system to tremble by the force of His steps.’ (21) “Through His all- pervasive feature, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has expanded the entire creation. He is holding and maintaining this creation by His extraordinary potency. By His conjugal potency, He maintains the planetary system known as Goloka Vṛndāvana. Through His six opulences, He maintains many Vaikuṇṭha planets. (22) “The word ‘urukrama’ indicates the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who, by His external potency, has perfectly created innumerable universes. (23) “‘These are the different meanings of the word “krama.” It is used in the sense of potency, systematic arrangement, step, moving or trembling.’ (24)
“The word ‘kurvanti’ means ‘they do something for others,’ since it is a form of the verb ‘to do’ indicating things done for others. It is used in connection with devotional service, which must be executed for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. That is the purport of the word ‘kurvanti.’ (25) “‘The terminations of the ātmane- pada are employed when the fruit of the action accrues to the agent of verbs having an indicatory ñ or a svarita accent.’ (26) “The word ‘hetu’ [‘cause’] means that a thing is done for some motive. There can be three motives. One may act to enjoy the result personally, to achieve some material perfection, or to attain liberation. (27) “First we take the word ‘bhukti’ [‘material enjoyment’], which is of unlimited variety. We may also take the word ‘siddhi’ [‘perfection’], which has eighteen varieties. Similarly, the word ‘mukti’ has five varieties. (28) “Causeless devotional service is unmotivated by sense enjoyment, perfection or liberation. When one is freed from all these contaminations, he can bring Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is very funny, under control. (29)
“There are ten meanings for the word ‘bhakti’ [‘devotional service’]. One is sādhana- bhakti, execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles, and the other nine are varieties of prema- bhakti, ecstatic love of Godhead. (30) “Next are explained the symptoms of love of Godhead, which can be divided into nine varieties, beginning with attraction and extending up to ecstatic love and finally up to the topmost ecstatic love [mahābhāva]. (31) “The attraction to Kṛṣṇa of devotees on the platform of neutrality increases up to love of Godhead [prema], and the attraction of devotees on the platform of servitorship increases to spontaneous attachment [rāga]. (32) “Devotees in Vṛndāvana who are friends of the Lord can increase their ecstatic love to the point of anurāga. Parental affectionate lovers, Kṛṣṇa’s father and mother, can increase their love of Godhead up to the end of anurāga. (33)
“The gopīs of Vṛndāvana who are attached to Kṛṣṇa in conjugal love can increase their ecstatic love up to the point of mahābhāva, the greatest ecstatic love. These are some of the glorious meanings of the word ‘bhakti.’ (34) “Please hear the meaning of the word ‘ittham- bhūta- guṇa,’ which is found in the ātmārāma verse. ‘Ittham- bhūta’ has different meanings, and ‘guṇa’ has other meanings. (35) “The word ‘ittham- bhūta’ is transcendentally exalted because it means ‘full of transcendental bliss.’ Before this transcendental bliss, the bliss derived from merging into the existence of the Absolute [brahmānanda] becomes like a piece of straw in comparison. (36) “‘My dear Lord, O master of the universe, since I have directly seen You, my transcendental bliss has taken the shape of a great ocean. Being situated in that ocean, I now realize all other so- called happiness to be like the water contained in the hoofprint of a calf.’ (37)
“Lord Kṛṣṇa is so exalted that He is more attractive than anything else and more pleasing than anything else. He is the most sublime abode of bliss. By His own strength, He causes one to forget all other ecstasies. (38) “Pure devotional service is so sublime that one can very easily forget the happiness derived from material enjoyment, material liberation and mystic or yogic perfection. Thus the devotee is bound by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy and His uncommon power and qualities. (39) “When one is attracted to Kṛṣṇa on the transcendental platform, there is no longer any logical argument on the basis of revealed scripture, nor are there considerations of such conclusions. This is His transcendental quality that is the essence of all transcendental sweetness. (40) “The word ‘guṇa’ means ‘quality.’ The qualities of Kṛṣṇa are transcendentally situated and are unlimited in quantity. All of the spiritual qualities are full of transcendental bliss. (41)
“Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental qualities of opulence, sweetness and mercy are perfect and full. As far as Kṛṣṇa’s affectionate leaning toward His devotees is concerned, He is so magnanimous that He can give Himself to His devotees. (42) “Kṛṣṇa has unlimited qualities. The devotees are attracted by His uncommon beauty, mellows and fragrance. Thus they are differently situated in the different transcendental mellows. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is called all- attractive. (43) “The minds of the four boy sages [Sanaka, Sanātana, Sanandana and Sanat- kumāra] were attracted to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa by the aroma of the tulasī that had been offered to the Lord. (44) “‘When the breeze carrying the aroma of tulasī leaves and saffron from the lotus feet of the lotus- eyed Personality of Godhead entered through the nostrils into the hearts of those sages [the Kumāras], they experienced a change in both body and mind, even though they were attached to the impersonal Brahman understanding.’ (45) “Śukadeva’s mind was carried away by hearing the pastimes of the Lord. (46)
“[Śukadeva Gosvāmī addressed Parīkṣit Mahārāja:] ‘My dear King, although I was fully situated in the transcendental position, I was nonetheless attracted to the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Therefore I studied Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam from my father.’ (47) “‘I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of Vyāsadeva and the destroyer of all sinful reactions. Being full in self- realization and bliss, he had no material desire. Still, he was attracted by the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and out of compassion for the people he described the transcendental historical literature called Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam. This is compared to the light of the Absolute Truth.’ (48) “Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa attracts the minds of all the gopīs with His beautiful, transcendental bodily features. (49)
“‘Dear Kṛṣṇa, we have simply surrendered ourselves as Your maidservants, for we have seen Your beautiful face decorated with tresses of hair, Your earrings falling upon Your cheeks, the nectar of Your lips, and the beauty of Your smile. Indeed, because we have also been embraced by Your arms, which give us courage, and seen Your chest, which is beautiful and broad, we have surrendered ourselves.’ (50) “The queens in Dvārakā, headed by Rukmiṇī, are also attracted to Kṛṣṇa simply by hearing about His transcendental beauty and qualities. (51) “‘O most beautiful Kṛṣṇa, I have heard about Your transcendental qualities from others, and therefore all my bodily miseries are relieved. If someone sees Your transcendental beauty, his eyes have attained everything profitable in life. O infallible one, I have become shameless after hearing of Your qualities, and I have become attracted to You.’ (52)
“Lord Kṛṣṇa even attracts the mind of the goddess of fortune simply by vibrating His transcendental flute. (53) “‘O Lord, we do not know how the serpent Kāliya attained such an opportunity to be touched by the dust of Your lotus feet. For this end, the goddess of fortune performed austerities for centuries, giving up all other desires and taking austere vows. Indeed, we do not know how this serpent Kāliya got such an opportunity.’ (54) “Kṛṣṇa attracts not only the minds of the gopīs and the goddesses of fortune but the minds of all the young girls in the three worlds as well. (55) “‘My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, where is that woman within the three worlds who would not be captivated by the rhythms of the sweet songs coming from Your wonderful flute? Who would not fall down from the path of chastity in this way? Your beauty is the most sublime within the three worlds. Upon seeing Your beauty, even cows, birds, animals and trees in the forest become stunned in jubilation.’ (56)
“The women of Vṛndāvana who are on the level of superior guardians are attracted to Lord Kṛṣṇa maternally. The men of Vṛndāvana are attracted as servants, friends and fathers. (57) “The qualities of Kṛṣṇa captivate and attract everything, living and nonliving. Even birds, animals and trees are attracted to Kṛṣṇa’s qualities. (58) “Although the word ‘hari’ has many different meanings, two of them are foremost. One meaning is that the Lord takes away all inauspicious things from His devotee, and the second meaning is that He attracts the mind by ecstatic love for God. (59) “When the devotee somehow or other always remembers the Supreme Personality of Godhead anywhere and everywhere, Lord Hari takes away life’s four miserable conditions. (60)
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