After hearing all these statements, the Maharashtriyan brāhmaṇa very jubilantly went to inform Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (59) When the Maharashtriyan brāhmaṇa went to see Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Lord was going to the temple of Bindu Mādhava after bathing in the waters of the Pañca- nada. (60) While the Lord was on His way, the Maharashtriyan brāhmaṇa informed Him about the incident that took place in the camp of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. Hearing this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu smiled happily. (61) Upon reaching the temple of Bindu Mādhava, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, seeing the beauty of Lord Bindu Mādhava, became overwhelmed in ecstatic love. He then began to dance in the courtyard of the temple. (62) There were four people accompanying Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and these were Candraśekhara, Paramānanda Purī, Tapana Miśra and Sanātana Gosvāmī. They were all chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā- mantra in the following way. (63)
They chanted, “Haraye namaḥ kṛṣṇa yādavāya namaḥ, gopāla govinda rāma śrī- madhusūdana.” (64) In all directions, hundreds of thousands of people began to chant, “Hari! Hari!” Thus there arose a tumultuous and auspicious sound filling the entire universe. (65) When Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, who was staying nearby, heard this tumultuous chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā- mantra, he and his disciples immediately came to see the Lord. (66) When Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī saw the Lord, he and his disciples also joined the chanting with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī was charmed by the Lord’s dancing and ecstatic love and by the transcendental beauty of His body. (67) Ecstatic spiritual transformations began to take place in the Lord’s body. His body trembled, and His voice faltered. He perspired, turned pale and wept a constant flow of tears, which wet all the people standing there. The eruptions on the Lord’s body appeared like kadamba flowers. (68) All the people were astonished to see the Lord’s jubilation and humility and to hear Him talk in ecstasy. Indeed, all the residents of Benares [Kāśī] saw the bodily transformations and were astonished. (69)
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu regained His external consciousness, He saw that many Māyāvādī sannyāsīs and other people were gathered there. He therefore suspended His dancing for the time being. (70) After stopping the kīrtana, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is a great example of humility, offered prayers unto the feet of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. At this, Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī immediately came forward and clasped the Lord’s lotus feet. (71) When Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī caught hold of the Lord’s lotus feet, the Lord said, “My dear sir, you are the spiritual master of the whole world; therefore you are most worshipable. As far as I am concerned, I am not even on the level of the disciple of your disciple.” (72) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “You are a great, spiritually advanced personality, and therefore you cannot worship a person like Me. I am far inferior. If you do so, My spiritual power will be diminished, for you are as good as the impersonal Brahman. (73) “My dear sir, for you everyone is on the level of impersonal Brahman, but for the enlightenment of people in general you should not behave in that way.” (74) Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī replied, “Formerly I committed many offenses against You by blaspheming You, but now the effects of my offenses are counteracted by my touching Your lotus feet. (75)
“‘If a person considered liberated in this life commits offenses against the reservoir of inconceivable potencies, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he will again fall down and desire the material atmosphere for material enjoyment.’ (76) “‘Being touched by the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, that serpent was immediately freed from the reactions of his sinful life. Thus the serpent gave up his body and assumed the body of a beautiful Vidyādhara demigod.’” (77) When Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī supported himself by quoting the verse from Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately protested by uttering the holy name of Lord Viṣṇu. The Lord then presented Himself as a most fallen living entity, and He said, “If someone accepts a fallen conditioned soul as Viṣṇu, Bhagavān, or an incarnation, he commits a great offense.” (78) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “To say nothing of ordinary living entities, even Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva cannot be considered on the level of Viṣṇu or Nārāyaṇa. If one considers them as such, he is immediately considered an offender and atheist. (79)
“‘A person who considers demigods like Brahmā and Śiva to be on an equal level with Nārāyaṇa is to be considered an offender, a pāṣaṇḍī.’” (80) Prakāśānanda replied, “You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa Himself. Nonetheless, You are considering Yourself His eternal servant. (81) “My dear Lord, You are the Supreme Lord, and although You consider Yourself the Lord’s servant, You are nonetheless worshipable. You are much greater than I am; therefore all my spiritual achievements have been lost because I have blasphemed You. (82) “‘O great sage, out of many millions of materially liberated people who are free from ignorance, and out of many millions of siddhas who have nearly attained perfection, there is hardly one pure devotee of Nārāyaṇa. Only such a devotee is actually completely satisfied and peaceful.’ (83) “‘When a person mistreats great souls, his life span, opulence, reputation, religion, possessions and good fortune are all destroyed.’ (84) “‘Unless human society accepts the dust of the lotus feet of great mahātmās—devotees who have nothing to do with material possessions—mankind cannot turn its attention to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Those lotus feet vanquish all the unwanted, miserable conditions of material life.’ (85)
“Henceforward I shall certainly develop devotional service unto Your lotus feet. For this reason I have come to You and have fallen down at Your lotus feet.” (86) After saying this, Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī sat down with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and began to question the Lord as follows. (87) Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī said, “We can understand the faults You have pointed out in the Māyāvāda philosophy. All the explanations given by Śaṅkarācārya are imaginary. (88) “My dear Lord, whatever direct meaning You have given when explaining the Brahma- sūtra is certainly very wonderful to all of us. (89) “You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore You have inconceivable energies. I wish to hear from You briefly about the Brahma- sūtra.” (90) Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “I am an ordinary living being, and therefore my knowledge is very insignificant. However, the meaning of the Brahma- sūtra is very grave because its author, Vyāsadeva, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. (91) “The purport of the Vedānta- sūtra is very difficult for an ordinary person to understand, but Vyāsadeva, out of his causeless mercy, has personally explained the meaning. (92)
“If the Vedānta- sūtra is explained by Vyāsadeva himself, who has written it, its original meaning can be understood by the people in general. (93) “The meaning of the sound vibration oṁkāra is present in the Gāyatrī mantra. The same is elaborately explained in the four ślokas of Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam known as the catuḥ- ślokī. (94) “Whatever was spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to Lord Brahmā in those four verses of Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam was also explained to Nārada by Lord Brahmā. (95) “Whatever Lord Brahmā told Nārada Muni was again explained by Nārada Muni to Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva later considered these instructions in his mind. (96) “Śrīla Vyāsadeva considered that whatever he had received from Nārada Muni as an explanation of oṁkāra he would elaborately explain in his book Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam as a commentary on the Brahma- sūtra. (97)
“Vyāsadeva collected whatever Vedic conclusions were in the four Vedas and 108 Upaniṣads and placed them in the aphorisms of the Vedānta- sūtra. (98) “In the Vedānta- sūtra, the purport of all Vedic knowledge is explained, and in Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam the same purport has been explained in eighteen thousand verses. (99) “Therefore it is to be concluded that the Brahma- sūtra is explained vividly in Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam. Also, what is explained in the verses of Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam has the same purport as what is explained in the Upaniṣads. (100) “‘Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things for himself that are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.’ (101)
“The essence of Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam—our relationship with the Supreme Lord, our activities in that connection and the goal of life—is manifest in the four verses of Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam known as the catuḥ- ślokī. Everything is explained in those verses. (102) “[Lord Kṛṣṇa says:] ‘I am the center of all relationships. Knowledge of Me and the practical application of that knowledge is actual knowledge. Approaching Me for devotional service is called abhidheya. (103) “‘By rendering devotional service, one gradually rises to the platform of love of Godhead. That is the chief goal of life. On the platform of love of Godhead, one is eternally engaged in the service of the Lord. (104) ‘Please hear attentively what I shall speak to you, for transcendental knowledge about Me is not only scientific but full of mysteries. (105)
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