The Career and Teachings of the Supreme Lord Sree Krishna—Chaitanya

by Sri Narayan Das Bhakti Sadhukar
CHAPTER VII

GROWING BOY—(Continued)

Sree Gaursundar pursued His studies at the Academy of Gangadas Pandit with great zeal. He soon acquired a great proficiency in the sutra, panji and tika of Vyakarana. One day the Lord, making obeisance to the feet of His mother, begged for a boon from her. Having made mother promise to give Him whatever boon He desired, the Lord said that she was to promise that she would not eat cooked grain (annam) on the Lord's Day (ekadasi). Sachi agreed to follow His advice, and from that day, observed the ekadasi fast.

In this manner Sree Gaursundar continued to manifest Himself in various ways under the guise of childhood pastimes. He was extremely turbulent and restless and paid no heed to the expostulations of His mother who tried to teach Him to be quiet. The warnings and entreaties of His mother seemed only to increase His waywardness. He used to break whatever article of the house He could lay His hands on. The parents, for fear of further mischief, gave up all attempt to oppose Him, to the great joy of the Child, Who was thereby afforded an opportunity of unrestrained play. Nimai soon ceased to be afraid of all persons, including His parents. The only person, whom He still feared, was His elder brother, Viswarup, Whose very sight made Him exceedingly meek.

So a person's entire lifestyle can be dovetailed with his deep purpose in life. Such a person is the controller of his body, not a slave of his senses. Most people are servants of their senses and minds—they are godas (go means "senses"; das means "servant"). A bhakti yogi, however, strives to be a goswami (swami means "master," and so goswami means "master of the senses"). A goswami is not dragged around by his senses, but instead uses his senses for his own desired purposes. Although goswami is also a title, in fact the real meaning of goswami is controller of the senses, whether one is externally with the title goswami, brahmachari, householder, or whatever.
Science of Identity Foundation — Chris Butler Speaks

Viswarup had no attachment for the things of this world even from His birth. He devoted all His time to discourses about Krishna. He served Krishna with the ear, mouth, mind and all senses, and served only Krishna at all time. Viswarup was struck by the habits of His younger Brother, which were altogether different from those of ordinary children. He realized the conduct of Nimai as identical with that of Boy—Krishna. He was aware of the Transcendental Divine Nature of the Boy in Whose Form He could detect the Presence of sportive Krishna. Viswarup was, however, careful not to divulge His knowledge regarding His Brother to any one else. He was in fact always intent on His own devotions, was constantly in the company of the Vaishnavas and was wholly occupied with the joy of Krishna—talk, Krishna—devotion and Krishna—worship.

This aloofness of Viswarup from the world increased apace by the re—action of His godless surroundings. The people of Nadia of that time, as has already been noted, were inordinately and exclusively given to the pursuit of worldly objects. This was the condition not merely of the vulgar, illiterate mass, but also of the most highly educated people. The acknowledged headquarters of all learning of the country of that Age was absolutely devoid of love for God. The teachers of the Bhagavatam themselves were no exception to the rule. These also neither understood, practiced, nor explained the principles of devotion to Godhead and were equally mad after wives, wealth and fame. It was this godless atmosphere of the emporium of learning, abounding in luxuries of all kinds, that appeared to Viswarup to be so stifling and unbearable that He at last made up His mind to leave the place for good, to avoid the sight of such people.

Meanwhile He scrupulously avoided all association with the ungodly. He used to bathe in the Ganges very early in the morning and proceeded immediately to the gathering of the Vaishnavas at the house of Advaita. There He explained all the Shastras showing how all Scriptures proclaimed the supreme excellence of devotion to Krishna. His explanations gave so much pleasure to Advaita that he often broke off abruptly in the midst of his worship with thundering shouts of joy and would clasp Viswarup to his bosom amid the joyous chants of the Name of Hari by all assembled devotees moved to raptures by the edifying spectacle. The devotees, assembled at Advaita's house, spent their time in the greatest happiness and no one was minded to return to his home or leave the company of Viswarup. Neither would Viswarup ever come home from His companions.

After cooking his meal, Sachi Devi would ask Vishwambhar to fetch His brother from the gathering at Advaita's. The Lord appeared before the assembly in the midst of Krishna—talk of those devotees. Pleased with their discourse regarding Himself, the Lord would bend His auspicious glance on His devotees as He asked His brother to come home for His meal. He then took hold of His brother's cloth and led Him away from the place.

A person who tries to be a goswami is careful not to engage in those activities that are harmful to his spiritual development. For example, he refrains from taking intoxicants (including all sorts of drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and so on); from having illicit sex; from gambling; and from eating meat, fish, and eggs.
Science of Identity Foundation — Jagad Guru Speaks

On every such occasion the devotees felt the wonderful attraction of the Child. They remained silent, abstaining even from Krishna—talk, all the time the Boy was in their midst. They noticed, with rapt attention, every detail of the beautiful Limbs of the nude Child and every motion of His Body, and drank with the greatest joy His luscious Accents. And, after Vishwambhar had left the place, the great Advaita told them one day that he was unable to understand Who that Boy really was. Advaita had realized that He was no ordinary Child.

The subject has been treated in a remarkable dialogue between Sree Suka and King Parikshit in the Bhagavatam. When this very Gaurchandra, says Thakur Brindabandas, was born in the settlement of the cowherds as Sree Krishna, all the cowherds loved Him from His birth more tenderly than they loved even their own sons. They did not know that Krishna was Godhead Himself, yet they naturally loved Him more than their own sons.

King Parikshit desired Sree Sukadeva to explain how this was possible, as it was opposed to all experience of this world. Sree Suka said that there is nothing dearer to our souls than the great Soul of all souls. The Son of Sree Nanda is the Supreme Soul. Therefore, the milkmaids of Braja had greater love for Krishna, as He is the Supreme Soul himself. But this also holds true only in the case of the devotees; as otherwise, all the world would have loved Krishna. Kamsa and other atheists (asuras) bore malice against Krishna, although Krishna is also the Soul of their souls, by the effect of offenses against Him previously committed by them. Sugar is naturally sweet. But there are some who find its taste bitter by reason of the defect of their own tongues. The fault is of the tongue, not of sugar. Therefore, says Thakur Brindabandas, although Lord Chaitanya is really All—sweet and was visible to everybody in this very town of Nabadwip yet was He unrecognized by any one except the devotees. The Lord ever fascinates the minds of His Own devotees in every manner. This mystery is incomprehensible to the atheists.

If a person engages in the process of bhakti yoga and yet continues to engage in activities that are detrimental to spiritual progress, his spiritual progress will be very slow. This does not mean that a person must be completely free of all bad habits before he can even begin the process of bhakti yoga. For example, in the Philippines, one teacher saved many young people who were addicted to heroin and other drugs by teaching them the process of bhakti yoga. It took some time before they could completely give up all drugs; but eventually they did.
Science of Identity Foundation — Siddhaswarupananda

Viswarup would go home only in name and was never attached to it. While visiting home He would spend all His time there inside the chamber of worship of Vishnu. This behaviour led His parents to bethink themselves of His marriage. Viswarup thereupon carried out His cherished resolve of quitting the world. The foremost of the Vaishnavas thus became a sannyasin soon after this and left home in quest of the Infinite. As sannyasin Viswarup was known by the appellation of Sree Sankararanya.

These events raise a number of important issues. It is necessary to notice one of them at this place. The fascination that the Divinity exercises over the minds of His devotees, should not be confounded with the clouding of the faculty of judgment produced by an excess of worldly joy or sorrow. The exclusive mood of the devotees at the Sight of Sree Gaursundar and the similar moods of Suka and Narada are not to be put into the same category with the outwardly similar exhibitions of ultra—sentimentalism exhibited by the worldlings. The latter is recognized, under the name of moha, by all the Shastras, as one of the six evil passions (ripus) being classed with anger, lust, etc., that have to be carefully got rid of by all persons who are sincerely desirous of spiritual living. The former is the natural impulse of the pure individual soul who always experiences this spontaneous attraction for the Absolute. The genuine spiritual attraction is not a dry, abstract process; neither does it bear any affinity to the sensuous impulse, to which our body and mind are so wrongly subject, that is exercised by the prospects of worldly enjoyment. Those who have been enabled by their love for the Absolute to overcome the sensuous attraction exercised by the material universe, are thereby enabled to experience the far greater attraction of the service for Krishna. The great Love of Krishna for His servants cannot be consciously realized in the conditioned state. That love for Krishna, which is possible of realization in the fettered state in this world, is somewhat analogous to the attraction that is experienced by the cows, the cane, the flute, etc., for the Lord, in the realm of Braja.

Sometimes a person is still addicted to cigarette smoking or meat—eating. If he follows the process of bhakti yoga, then gradually he will be able to give up such habits. It is a question of tasting a higher taste. If a person engages in the process of bhakti yoga, he will gradually begin to taste the higher spiritual happiness, and he will be able to give up all vices naturally. After he gives up such bad habits, then his progress will be very rapid.
Science of Identity Foundation — Chris Butler Speaks

Sree Sankararanya after acceptance of sannyas journeyed to various parts and exhibited the state of realized exclusiveness in the Lord (samadhi) at Pandurangpur or Pandharpur (in the Sholapur District of the Bombay Presidency).