Çré Çré Ñaò-Gosvämi-Añöaka

1. ÇréÇréÑaò-Gosvämi-Añöaka nänä-çästra-vicäraëaika-nipuëau ñad-dharma-saàsthäpakau lokänäàhita-käriëau tri-bhuvane mänyauçaraëyäkarau rädhä-kåñëa-padäravinda-bhajanaänandenamattälikau vanderüpa-sanätanauraghu-yugau çré-jéva-gopälakau Carucandra Dasa

2. ÇréÇréÑaò-Gosvämi-Añöaka • I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvämis, namely ÇréSanätanaGosvämi,ÇréRüpaGosvämi, ÇréRaghunäthaBhattaGosvämi, ÇréRaghunäthadasaGosvämi, ÇréJévaGosvämi, and ÇréGopälaBhattaGosvämi, • who are very expert in scrutinizingly studying all the revealed scriptures with the aim of establishing eternal religious principles for the benefit of all human beings. • Thus they are honored all over the three worlds, and they are worth taking shelter of because they are absorbed in the mood of the gopés, • and are engaged in the transcendental loving service of Rädhä and Krsna.” Carucandra Dasa

3. I) Krsna’s Transcendental Forms & His Conjugal Love TLC to SanätanaGoswämi (Lessons 2 & 3 of 11 III) Devotional Service to the Lord II) Krsna’sOpulences Carucandra Dasa

4. Lesson 2: Meeting with the Lord (Chapter 3) • We already discussed in our introductory class how with great difficulty SanätanaGoswämi escaped Nawab’s prison and was able to meet Lord Caitanya in Benäras (Chapters 1 and 2). • SanätanaGoswämi’sself-surrender to the Lord in great humility while acknowledging that it was the Lord who saved him from material existence. • He then posed four questions, the answers to which are fundamentally important to all conditioned souls for their liberation. Carucandra Dasa

5. While falling at Lord’s lotus feet, Sanätana’s great humility in declaring himself… • lowborn (actually he was born a high class brähmana) ; • coming from bad association (had to work for a meat-eating, Muslim ruler); • the most wretched of mankind; • suffering in the dark well of material enjoyment; • not knowing the goal of life; and • so foolish that he thinks he’s learned. Carucandra Dasa

6. While praying to the Lord, SanätanaGoswämi poses following four questions • What is my duty? • Who am I? • Why do I suffer from the three-fold miseries? • How can I be relieved from this material entanglement? Carucandra Dasa

7. Prompted by Sanätana’s humility, the Lord began to instruct him as his spiritual master • Definitions of three-fold miseries • adhyätmika-kleña: miseries from our own body and the mind • adhibhautika-kleña: miseries inflicted by other living entities • adhidaivika-kleña: natural calamities originating with the demigods • Lord Caitanya picks up from where Lord Krsna left off in Bhagavad-gétä CarucandraDasa

8. Lord Caitanya picks up from where Lord Krsna left off in Bhagavad-gétä • “You are spirit soul; and not this body, the mind, the intelligence, nor the false ego.” • As spirit soul, he is part and parcel of the Supreme. • It is the duty of the soul to surrender, for only then can he be happy. • “You are eternal servant of Lord Krsna” • The soul is transcendental, but is tiny  marginal • Simultaneously one (as spirit soul) and different from Krsna (because it is so minute particle of Krsna can fall down into the grip of material energy) analogies • The living entities are ksetrajna, or knowers of the field of activities (chapter 13 of Bg) Contd Carucandra Dasa

9. The living entities are ksetrajna • Although has the potency to understand the spiritual energy, he misidentifies himself with his body due to false ego (bodily conception of life)  • repeated birth and death in various species of life forms; • only in human form, he has the capacity to free himself of matter and utilize the spiritual energy; • but the more one is influenced especially by the lower modes of material nature deeper into material miseries • The physical body is made of 8 elements • However, material energy has no power to act on its own it must be moved by the superior (spiritual) energy • The conditioning of the soul is due to forgetfulness of his eternal relationship with the Supreme Soul Carucandra Dasa

10. Lesson 3: The Wise Man (Chapter 4) I) The conditioned life of the spirit soul • cannot be traced historically  “eternally conditioned” conditioning may extend back in time prior to previous cycles of creation • caused thru bodily conception of life • this, in turn, is due to forgetfulness of his eternal relationship with Krsna II) He can, however, be freed from his material entanglement III) The allegorical story of Sarvajna, or the all-knowing astrologer Carucandra Dasa

11. II) Freedom from material entanglement • Begins when the conditioned soul is favored by the instructions of a pure devotee • Thus he gives up his desire for material enjoyment • Becomes enlightened in Krsna consciousness • Material consciousness  Krsna consciousness, which cures him of his diseased condition of material sense enjoyment • As revealed in the Vedic scriptures (Contd) Carucandra Dasa

12. Freedom from material entanglement as revealed in the Vedic scriptures • The conditioned soul forgets his real identity every time he engages in fruitive activity • Sometimes he grows weary, desires liberation and thinks of becoming one with God • Other times he falsely thinks by working hard to satisfy his material needs he will be happy • It is the Supreme Lord who has presented the Vedic scriptures to guide the humanity back to Godhead out of His causeless mercy • This mercy flows thru the spiritual master and confirmed within the heart by the Supersoul • Thru scriptures, one can understand his relationship to Krsna (sambandha-jnäna) • How to act within that relationship thru devotional service (abhidheya) • The ultimate goal of life (prayojana) • Success is not achieved thru Vedic rituals (karma-kända), economic development, sense enjoyment, or even liberation • Every soul is destined to reach the Supreme Lord Carucandra Dasa

13. III) The allegorical story of Sarvajna, or the all-knowing, astrologer • The story comes from the Bhägavatam commentary of Madhväcarya • Sarvajna revealed to a poor man that his father had hidden a treasure near his house • “Don’t dig on the south side—you’ll be attacked by a wasp (represents karma-kända birth, death, old age and diseases) • Don’t dig on the north side—you’ll be swallowed by a giant serpent (represents impersonalismspiritual suicide by merging into Krsna’sbrahma-jyoti) • Don’t dig on the west side either—you’ll be attacked by a ghost (represents jnäna-yoga releases the ghost of mental speculation) • Dig on the east side only—you’ll indeed find the treasure representing bhakti-yoga Carucandra Dasa