{"id":20604,"date":"2020-05-05T02:54:54","date_gmt":"2020-05-05T06:54:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/?p=20604"},"modified":"2022-02-09T01:53:29","modified_gmt":"2022-02-09T06:53:29","slug":"teachings-of-lord-caitanya-chapter-two-sanatana-gosvami","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/teachings-of-lord-caitanya-chapter-two-sanatana-gosvami\/","title":{"rendered":"Teachings of Lord Caitanya, CHAPTER TWO  San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"bb4798\" class=\"r r-title-small r-chapter selected\">\n<h1>CHAPTER TWO<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6241\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-chapter-title r-title\">\n<h1>San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6242\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-verse-text\"><em>vande \u2019nant\u0101dbhutai\u015bvarya\u1e41<br \/>\n<span class=\"hide\">\u2003\u2003<\/span>\u015br\u012b-caitanya-mah\u0101prabhum<br \/>\nn\u012bco \u2019pi yat-pras\u0101d\u0101t sy\u0101d<br \/>\n<span class=\"hide\">\u2003\u2003<\/span>bhakti-\u015b\u0101stra-pravartaka\u1e25<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6243\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p><em>I offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, by whose mercy even a person in the lowest status of life can find direction in transcendental devotional service to the Lord.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6244\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>After Lord Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu accepted the renounced order of life (<i>sanny\u0101sa<\/i>), He traveled all over India. During this period He went to Maldah, a district in Bengal. In that area there was a village named R\u0101makeli, where two government ministers of the Nawab Hussain Shah\u2019s regime lived. These two ministers, who were brothers, were named Dabira Kh\u0101sa and S\u0101kara Mallika; later they were renamed R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b and San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b, respectively. They had a chance to meet Lord Caitanya, and afterward they decided to retire from government service and join His <i>sa\u1e45k\u012brtana<\/i> movement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6245\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>Upon making this decision, the two brothers at once took steps to leave their material engagements, and they appointed two learned <i>br\u0101hma\u1e47as<\/i> to perform certain Vedic religious rituals that would enable them to achieve complete freedom for the devotional service of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. These preliminary ritualistic functions are known as <i>pura\u015bcary\u0101<\/i>. They require that three times a day one worship and offer respects to one\u2019s forefathers, offer oblations to a fire, and respectfully offer food to a learned <i>br\u0101hma\u1e47a<\/i>. Five items \u2013 the time, the worship, the offering of respect, the offering of oblations into the fire, and the offering of food to a <i>br\u0101hma\u1e47a<\/i> \u2013 constitute <i>pura\u015bcary\u0101<\/i>. These and other rituals are mentioned in the <i>Hari-bhakti-vil\u0101sa,<\/i> an authoritative book of directions for Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6246\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>After arranging for the performance of these religious rituals, the younger brother, Dabira Kh\u0101sa (R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b), returned home with an immense amount of money, which he had acquired during his government service. The silver and gold coins he brought back filled a large boat. After arriving home, he first divided the accumulated wealth in half and distributed one part to the <i>br\u0101hma\u1e47as<\/i> and Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas. Thus for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he distributed fifty percent of his accumulated wealth to persons engaged in the Supreme Lord\u2019s transcendental loving service. <i>Br\u0101hma\u1e47as <\/i>are meant to understand the Absolute Truth, and once they understand the Absolute Truth and actually engage in the loving service of the Lord, they are known as Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas. Both <i>br\u0101hma\u1e47as<\/i> and Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas are supposed to fully engage in transcendental service, and R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b, considering their important transcendental position, gave them fifty percent of his wealth. The balance he again divided in half: one part he distributed to his relatives and dependent family members, and the other he kept for personal emergencies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6247\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>Such distribution of personal wealth is very instructive for all who desire to be elevated in spiritual knowledge. Generally a person bequeaths all his accumulated wealth to his family members and then retires from family activities to make progress in spiritual knowledge. But here we find the behavior of R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b to be exemplary: he gave fifty percent of his wealth for spiritual purposes. This should serve as an example for everyone. The twenty-five percent of his accumulated wealth he kept for personal emergencies was deposited with a Bengali grocer, since in those days there were no banks. Ten thousand coins were deposited for expenditures to be incurred by his elder brother, San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6248\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>At this time R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b received information that Lord Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu was preparing to go to V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana from Jagann\u0101tha Pur\u012b. R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b sent two messengers to get actual information of the Lord\u2019s itinerary, and he made his own plans to go to Mathur\u0101 to meet the Lord. It appears that R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b got permission to join Lord Caitanya, but San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b did not. Therefore San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b entrusted the responsibilities of his government service to his immediate assistants, and he remained at home to study <i><a href=\"https:\/\/vedabase.io\/en\/library\/sb\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam<\/a><\/i>. He engaged ten or twenty learned <i>br\u0101hma\u1e47as<\/i> and began an intensive study of <i><a href=\"https:\/\/vedabase.io\/en\/library\/sb\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam<\/a><\/i> in their company. While he was thus engaged, he submitted sick-leave reports to his employer, the Nawab. But the ruler was so anxious for San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b\u2019s advice in government matters that one day he suddenly appeared at his house. When the Nawab entered the room where San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b and the <i>br\u0101hma\u1e47as<\/i> were assembled, out of respect they all stood up to receive him, and they offered him a place to sit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6249\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>\u201cYou have submitted sick reports,\u201d the Nawab told San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b, \u201cbut I sent my physician to see you, and he reported that you have no illness at all. Since I did not know why you were submitting sick reports and not attending to your service, I have personally come to see you. I am much perturbed by your behavior. As you know, I completely depend on you and your responsible work in government. I was free to act in other matters because I was depending on you, but if you do not join me, your past devotion will be spoiled. Now, what is your intention? Please tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6250\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>On hearing this, San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b replied that he was unable to work anymore and that it would be very kind of the Nawab to appoint someone else to execute the work that had been entrusted to him. At this the Nawab became very angry and said, \u201cYour elder brother lives like a hunter, and if you retire from the administration, everything will be finished.\u201d It was said that the Nawab used to treat San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b like a younger brother. Since the Nawab was principally engaged in conquering different parts of the country and also in hunting, he depended largely on San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b for government administration. Thus he pleaded with him: \u201cIf you retire from government service, how will the administration be run?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6251\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>\u201cYou are the governor of Gau\u1e0da,\u201d San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b replied very gravely, \u201cand you punish different kinds of criminals in different ways. So you are at liberty to punish anyone according to his activity.\u201d By this reply San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b indicated that since the governor was engaged in hunting animals and in killing men to expand his kingdom, let both of them suffer according to the acts they were performing. The Nawab, being intelligent, understood San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b\u2019s purport. He left the house in an angry mood, and shortly afterward he went off to conquer Orissa. He ordered the arrest of San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b and commanded that he be held until the Nawab returned.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6252\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>When R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b learned that the Nawab had arrested his elder brother San\u0101tana, R\u016bpa sent San\u0101tana a message that he could use the ten thousand coins in the care of the Bengali grocer to secure his release from the Nawab\u2019s detention. Having sent this message, R\u016bpa departed for V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana with his younger brother Vallabha to meet Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6253\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>After receiving R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b\u2019s message, San\u0101tana offered five thousand of the coins to the keeper of the jail in which he was being held in custody. He advised the jailkeeper to gladly accept the five thousand coins from him and let him go because by accepting the money he would not only be materially benefited but would also be acting very righteously by freeing San\u0101tana for spiritual purposes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6254\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>\u201cOf course I would like to let you go,\u201d the jailkeeper replied, \u201cfor you have done many services for me and you are in government service. But I\u2019m afraid of the Nawab. When he hears that you are free, I\u2019ll have to explain everything to him. How can I accept such a proposal?\u201d San\u0101tana then invented a story the jailkeeper might submit to the Nawab to explain how he had escaped, and he raised his offer to ten thousand coins. Anxious to get the money, the jailkeeper agreed to the proposition and let him go.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6255\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>San\u0101tana then departed to see the Lord. He did not travel on the open road but went through the jungles until he arrived at a place in Bihar called P\u0101ta\u1e0d\u0101. There he rested in a hotel, but the hotelkeeper was informed by an astrologer employed there that San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b had some gold coins with him. The hotelkeeper, wanting to steal the money, spoke to San\u0101tana with superficial respect: \u201cJust take your rest tonight, and in the morning I shall arrange for you to get out of this jungle trap.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6256\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>However, San\u0101tana was suspicious of his behavior, and he inquired from his servant \u012a\u015b\u0101na whether he had some money. \u012a\u015b\u0101na told him that he had seven gold coins. San\u0101tana did not like the idea of the servant carrying such money. He became angry with him and said, \u201cWhy do you carry this death knell on the road?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6257\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>San\u0101tana at once took the gold coins and offered them to the hotelkeeper. He then requested the hotelkeeper to help him through the jungle. San\u0101tana informed him that he was on a special journey for the government and that since he could not travel on the open road, it would be very kind of the hotelkeeper to help him through the jungle and over the hills.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6258\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>The hotelkeeper replied, \u201cI learned that you had eight coins with you, and I was thinking of killing you to take them. But I can understand that you are a very good man, and so you don\u2019t have to offer me the money. I will get you over this hilly tract of land.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6259\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>\u201cIf you don\u2019t accept these coins, then someone else will take them from me,\u201d San\u0101tana replied. \u201cSomeone will kill me for them, so it is better that you take them. I offer them to you.\u201d The hotelkeeper then gave him full assistance, and that very night he helped him get past the hills.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6260\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>When San\u0101tana emerged from the hills, he requested his servant to go home with the one coin he still had with him, for San\u0101tana decided he would go on alone. After the departure of his servant, San\u0101tana felt completely free. With torn clothing and with a waterpot in his hand, he proceeded toward Lord Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu. On the way he met his rich brother-in-law, who was also in the government service and who offered him an excellent blanket, which San\u0101tana accepted at his special request. Then he departed from him and went on alone to see Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu at Benares.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6261\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>When he reached Benares, San\u0101tana learned that the Lord was there, and he became overjoyed. He was informed by the people that the Lord was staying at the house of Candra\u015bekhara, and San\u0101tana went there. Although Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu was inside the house, He could understand that San\u0101tana had arrived at the door, and He asked Candra\u015bekhara to call in the man who was sitting there. \u201cHe is a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, a great devotee of the Lord,\u201d Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu said. Candra\u015bekhara came out to see the man, but he saw no Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava at the door. He saw only a man who appeared to be a Muslim mendicant. The Lord then asked to see the mendicant, and when San\u0101tana entered the courtyard, Lord Caitanya hurriedly came out to receive him and embrace him. When the Lord embraced him, San\u0101tana became overwhelmed with spiritual ecstasy, and he said, \u201cMy dear Lord, please do not touch me.\u201d But they embraced each other and began to cry. Seeing San\u0101tana and Lord Caitanya acting thus, Candra\u015bekhara was struck with wonder. Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu then asked San\u0101tana to sit down with Him on a bench. The Lord was touching the body of San\u0101tana with His hand, and again San\u0101tana asked Him, \u201cMy dear Lord, please do not touch me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6262\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>\u201cI am touching you just for My purification,\u201d the Lord replied, \u201cfor you are a great devotee. By your devotional service you can deliver the whole universe and enable everyone to go back to Godhead.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6263\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>The Lord then quoted a nice verse from the Vedic literature stating that a person who is a devotee of Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and is one hundred percent engaged in devotional service is far better than a <i>br\u0101hma\u1e47a<\/i> who is versed in all the Vedic literatures but who does not engage in the devotional service of the Lord. Because the devotee carries the Supreme Lord within his heart, he can purify every place and everything.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6264\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>The Vedic literature also states that the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not recognize a nondevotee who is very learned in all the divisions of the <i>Vedas<\/i> but He likes a devotee even if he was born in a low family. If one offers charity to a <i>br\u0101hma\u1e47a<\/i> who is not a devotee, the Lord does not accept it; but if something is offered to a devotee, the Lord accepts. In other words, whatever a person wishes to offer the Lord may be given to His devotees. Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu also quoted <i><a href=\"https:\/\/vedabase.io\/en\/library\/sb\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam<\/a><\/i> to the effect that even if a <i>br\u0101hma\u1e47a <\/i>was born in a high family and is qualified with the twelve brahminical qualities, he is lower than the lowest of the low if he is not a devotee of the Supreme Lord. Although a devotee may have been born in a <i>ca\u1e47\u1e0d\u0101la<\/i> (dog-eater) family, by devotional service he can purify his whole family for one hundred generations, past and future, whereas a proud <i>br\u0101hma\u1e47a<\/i> cannot purify even himself. Lord Caitanya then said to San\u0101tana, quoting the <i>Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya<\/i> (13.2):<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6265\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-verse-text\"><em>ak\u1e63no\u1e25 phala\u1e41 tv\u0101d\u1e5b\u015ba-dar\u015bana\u1e41 hi<br \/>\n<span class=\"hide\">\u2003\u2003<\/span>tano\u1e25 phala\u1e41 tv\u0101d\u1e5b\u015ba-g\u0101tra-sa\u1e45ga\u1e25<br \/>\njihv\u0101-phala\u1e41 tv\u0101d\u1e5b\u015ba-k\u012brtana\u1e41 hi<br \/>\n<span class=\"hide\">\u2003\u2003<\/span>su-durlabh\u0101 bh\u0101gavat\u0101 hi loke<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6266\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>\u201cO devotee of the Lord, to see you is the perfection of the eyes, to touch your body is the perfection of bodily activities, and to glorify your qualities is the perfection of the tongue, for it is very rare to find a pure devotee like you.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6267\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>Next the Lord told San\u0101tana, \u201cK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is very merciful and is the deliverer of fallen souls. He has saved you from Mah\u0101raurava.\u201d <i><a href=\"https:\/\/vedabase.io\/en\/library\/sb\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam<\/a><\/i> describes Mah\u0101raurava as a hell meant for persons engaged in killing animals, for it is stated there that butchers and animal eaters go to that hell.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6268\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>\u201cI do not know the mercy of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a,\u201d San\u0101tana replied, \u201cbut I can understand that Your mercy upon me is causeless. You have delivered me from the entanglement of material life.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6269\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>Then the Lord asked, \u201cHow did you get free from custody? I understand that you were arrested.\u201d San\u0101tana then narrated the whole story of his release. The Lord then informed him: \u201cI saw your two brothers and advised them to proceed toward V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6270\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>Lord Caitanya then introduced Candra\u015bekhara and Tapana Mi\u015bra to San\u0101tana, and Tapana Mi\u015bra pleasantly invited San\u0101tana to dine with him. The Lord requested Candra\u015bekhara to take San\u0101tana to a barber and make him \u201cgentle,\u201d for San\u0101tana had grown a long beard, which \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu did not like. He asked Candra\u015bekhara to provide San\u0101tana not only with a bath and clean shave but with a change of clothes as well.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6271\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>After San\u0101tana had bathed, Candra\u015bekhara offered him some good cloth. When Lord Caitanya was informed that San\u0101tana had not accepted the new garments but later accepted only some used garments from Tapana Mi\u015bra, He was very glad. The Lord went to Tapana Mi\u015bra\u2019s house for lunch and asked him to keep food for San\u0101tana. Tapana Mi\u015bra did not offer San\u0101tana food immediately, however, but after the Lord had finished eating there were some remnants of His food, and those remnants were offered to San\u0101tana while the Lord took His rest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6272\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>After resting, Lord Caitanya introduced a Maharashtriyan <i>br\u0101hma\u1e47a,<\/i> a devotee of His, to San\u0101tana, and that <i>br\u0101hma\u1e47a<\/i>invited San\u0101tana to accept lunch daily at his place as long as he remained in Benares.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6273\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>\u201cAs long as I remain in Benares, I will beg from door to door,\u201d San\u0101tana said. \u201cBut the Lord will be so good as to accept this invitation for daily lunch at your house.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6274\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>Lord Caitanya was very much pleased by this behavior of San\u0101tana\u2019s, but He noticed the valuable blanket that had been given to him by his brother-in-law while San\u0101tana was en route to Benares. Although Lord Caitanya did not say anything about the blanket, San\u0101tana understood that He did not approve of such a valuable garment on his body, and therefore San\u0101tana decided to get rid of it. He immediately went to the bank of the Ganges, and there he saw a mendicant washing an old quilt. When San\u0101tana asked him to trade the old quilt for the valuable blanket, the poor mendicant thought that San\u0101tana was joking with him. \u201cHow is this?\u201d the mendicant replied. \u201cYou appear to be a very nice gentleman, but you are mocking me in this unmannerly way.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6275\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>\u201cI am not joking with you,\u201d San\u0101tana informed him. \u201cI am very serious. Will you kindly exchange your torn quilt for this blanket?\u201d Finally the mendicant exchanged his torn quilt for the blanket, and San\u0101tana returned to the Lord.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6276\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>\u201cWhere is your valuable blanket?\u201d the Lord immediately inquired. San\u0101tana informed Him about the exchange, and the Lord loved him for this and thanked him. \u201cYou are intelligent enough, and you have now exhausted all your attraction for material wealth.\u201d In other words, the Lord accepts a person for devotional service only when he is completely free from all material possessions. The Lord then told San\u0101tana: \u201cIt would not look good for you to be a mendicant and beg from door to door with such a valuable blanket on your body. It is contradictory, and people would look on it with abhorrence.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6277\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>\u201cWhatever I am doing to become free from material attachment is all Your mercy,\u201d San\u0101tana replied. The Lord was very much pleased with him, and they discussed spiritual advancement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6278\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>Previous to this meeting between Lord Caitanya and San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b, the Lord had met a householder devotee named R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya. At that meeting, which is discussed in a later chapter, Lord Caitanya asked R\u0101m\u0101nanda R\u0101ya questions, and R\u0101m\u0101nanda replied as if he were the Lord\u2019s teacher. However, in this case San\u0101tana put questions to the Lord, and the Lord answered them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6279\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>The instructions of Lord Caitanya to San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b are very important for people in general. The Lord taught him the process of devotional service, which is the constitutional occupation of every living entity. Because this is so, it is every man\u2019s duty to advance in spiritual science. Many subjects were thoroughly discussed in the talks between Lord Caitanya and San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b. Due to the mercy of Lord Caitanya, San\u0101tana was able to put important questions before Him, and these questions were replied to properly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-text\">\n<div id=\"bb6280\" class=\"r r-lang-en r-paragraph\">\n<p>The meeting of San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b and Lord Caitanya teaches us that to understand spiritual subject matters one must approach a spiritual master like Lord Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu and make submissive inquiries. This is confirmed in the instructions of the <a href=\"https:\/\/vedabase.io\/en\/library\/bg\/4\/34\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><i>Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101<\/i> (4.34)<\/a>, where Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says that one should approach a man of authority and learn the spiritual science from him.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CHAPTER TWO San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b vande \u2019nant\u0101dbhutai\u015bvarya\u1e41 \u2003\u2003\u015br\u012b-caitanya-mah\u0101prabhum n\u012bco \u2019pi yat-pras\u0101d\u0101t sy\u0101d \u2003\u2003bhakti-\u015b\u0101stra-pravartaka\u1e25 I offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu, by whose mercy even a person in the lowest status of life can find direction &hellip; <a class=\"kt-excerpt-readmore\" href=\"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/teachings-of-lord-caitanya-chapter-two-sanatana-gosvami\/\" aria-label=\"Teachings of Lord Caitanya, CHAPTER TWO  San\u0101tana Gosv\u0101m\u012b\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20604","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-english"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-22 11:40:43","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20604","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/81"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20604"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20604\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20604"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20604"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20604"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}