There was a plan to go Agartala Math this year on Guru Purnima Tithi, but Krishna's wish was different so we could not go there. Our Gurudev brought his worshipable Supreme Lord to Agartala from Purushottam Dham. The deity you see there now was not there before. The deity which was there previously was broken by the children playing there. Those broken deities were being served there before but when our Gurudev went there, he instructed to the authorities there for not worshiping the broken deity. That time the king of that place, Krishnachandra Deva Bhattacharya requested Srila Gurudev to accept the service responsibility of that place. Srila Gurudev was not ready to accept that responsibility initially but on the repeated requests of the king he accepted the service. Guruji informed the king that the priest was not worshiping the deities in the proper way. He used to make offerings in the same plate on which he used to eat. Guruji told that if he was to take the responsibility then he will not be able to do it like that. So it is better to give responsibility of the temple to some other persons. But the king replied saying, “We do not know how to worship the deities according to the scriptures, so it is better you take the responsibility of the temple and the deities”. Prior to this, when Srila Gurudev visited the king's house to meet him for the first time, the king was impressed to see the extraordinary personality of Srila Gurudev. He never had Darshan of any Mahapurush like Srila Gurudev before.

In his speech he mentioned, “Just by having Darshan of your Gurudev, I have decided that I will give responsibility of the temple to him only. Only he is the eligible person for that.”

Though, Srila Gurudev did not ask for the temple service, Lord Jagannath chose him for His service. Guruji's personality was not ordinary. Even in Chandigarh, the Government officers were not ready to give the land where our Math was established later. The land was a part of a public garden. They requested Guruji to choose other land for the Math but he liked that land only. That time one IPS officer who was very intelligent asked us, “You have to answer our questions and satisfy many persons here to get that land.” That time one advocate also had gone with us. The officer asked us many questions like; why do you want that land? Whom do you worship there? What benefit would you get? He then refuted all the answers we gave him. Our conversation continued for about one hour or so and in that all the time he opposed us. We thought we would not get that land. But at the end the decision came in our favor! What had happened? That was because of our Guru Maharaj.

In Puri also, all, even ISKCON ran away, they could not get possession of Prabhupad's birth place. Everyone had their faith in Guruji only. Guruji was like that. He never leaves any task incomplete. In Puri, I told him, “There are so many difficulties for you here. There are no proper arrangements for you to stay. You are having sleepless nights. I request you to quit the efforts of getting this place.”

Srila Gurudev did not pay even a little attention to my proposal and asked me to write a letter to the respective authority. I met devotees of other Maths like Chaitanya Math etc, they said they do not have any interest in getting that place but when Srila Gurudev decided to get it, they tried to trouble him. Gangadar Mahapatro told us that by giving some proofs they were trying to prove that their Math is the original Math. So Srila Gurudev had to face so many hurdles while getting the appearance place of Srila Prabhupad. It was almost impossible to get that place. Guru Maharaj sent us a message, “We are busy in Amritsar, you do whatever you want.”

I replied, “We cannot do anything. Governor, ministers all are in their pockets.”

Later Guruji came there. That time we were in Srila Santa Goswami Maharaj's Math. He asked me, “Do we have an appointment with the Governor?”

I replied, “No, we do not have any appointment.”

Later without any appointment we went to the Governor's house. The Governor was going out that time in his car with so many other cars and police officers following him. Guru Maharaj got down from his car. When the Governor saw Guru Maharaj, he stopped his car, came out and offered his obeisances to him. His personality was like that! You would have never seen a person like him!

Guru Maharaj told him, “I have come to see you.”

He replied, “Yes, yes. I am coming back soon. Do not worry. Please wait, I will come back in a short time.”

He came back after some time. After seeing and listening to Guru Maharaj, he was impressed. The opposite party's pocket became empty, everything came out. Srila Gurudev had such an extraordinary personality! You would never find such a personality anywhere else! He was also very expert in dealing with people. Seeing his personality, everyone used to surrender to him.

In Agartala, in Chakdah, everywhere, it had happened so. They forcefully gave their temple's service to Gurudev. In Chakdah, the temple authority wanted to give responsibility of the temple to Guruji. He told them that he can speak Harikatha for a few days there as it is Jagannath Deva's place. He also gave some money for the maintenance of the service. They had sold their land etc. to maintain the temple service. They only had a small ground for the bathing ceremony. They again and again requested Guruji to take the responsibility of the temple. Then Guruji thought, “May be Jagannath wants to give His service to us.” We told Guruji that if we take responsibility of that temple then we will have to spend so much money on renovation and maintenance of the temple. But Guruji accepted that responsibility happily. Like that in Puri also, although we got Prabhupad's birthplace, it was a very old house which required full renovation and construction. (This was after the disappearance of Srila Paramgurudev) We were worried about how to accomplish such a big service responsibility.

One day Srila Krishnadas Babaji Maharaj, Pujyapad Keshava Prabhu and I were going to some place in Puri and that time a car came and suddenly stopped on the road. A person came out from the car and offered five hundred rupees to me as a donation. We had never seen him before. We did not know him. Why has he given money? We asked him his name and some information about him. He was Singhaniya. (Who later helped in the construction of Puri temple by monitory service) Actually, Guruji gave us an indication, “You go to that person; your task would be accomplished.” Whatever happens, even when not in his direct presence, happens by his will only.

Here in Kolkata something similar happened on Srila Gurudev's disappearance day. There were so many devotees gathered for the celebration. I asked the Math in-charge about what things will be there in Prasadam. He replied there would be potato curry. I thought, ‘Guruji used to like Dhoka-sabji (a curry prepared from chickpeas lentils). But it was difficult to prepare it for so many people. There were not enough funds for that.’ Long back on one occasion, I inquired to Srila Gurudev whether to have Paneer curry in Prasadam at the time of celebration, he responded by saying, “Preparing Dhoka will be best.” So we prepared Dhoka. Gurumaharaj used to like it. But that year, on the disappearance day of Srila Gurudev, the Math in-charge told me, “We do not have enough funds and time to prepare Dhoka”. I was disappointed. But suddenly one person came, I had not seen him before and also never saw him after that. He gave me five thousand rupees. I was astonished! I had never seen him before and he is giving five thousand rupees in donation. I felt Guruji has sent him to us. Immediately I informed the Math in-charge to prepare Dhoka; whatever money is required he could take from me. We can only desire to do something, he is always behind us. He can make it happen.

Today is Guru-purnima Tithi. Krishna Dvaipayan Vedavyas Muni is Guru of all. Daily we sing,

kṛṣṇa haite catur-mukha, hay kṛṣṇa-sevonmukha,
brahmā haite nāradera mati
nārada haite vyās, madhva kahe vyās-dāsa,
pūrṇaprajña padmanābha gati

Sri Krishna is the original Guru, from Him the Parampara (disciplic succession) starts. Our Gurudev comes in the same Parampara. From Gurudev, gradually it goes up to Lord Sri Krishna.

Today is the appearance day of Krishna Dvaipayan Vedavyas Muni. How did he appear? One day, Parashar Muni, a very powerful personality, wanted to cross a river but as all the boatmen were busy that time, one fisherman asked his daughter, Satyavati to drive the boat and help the Muni to cross the river. Parashar Muni became very much pleased with her. As she was Matsya-gandha, the smell of fish was coming out from her body. Parashar Muni became merciful on her and with his power he changed her to Padma-ganda. So nice fragrance of flowers started coming out from her body. And by Parashar Muni, Vedavyas Muni was born in the womb of Satyavati. (This was the arrangement by which the great personality like Vedavyas Muni had to come to this world so Parashar Muni had enacted the pastime of being attracted by Satyavati.) Immediately after his birth, Vedavyas Muni told his mother, “Mother, I am going with my father. But whenever you will remember me, I shall be present in front of you,” Have you ever heard any child speak like this immediately after his birth? What do you understand by that? Is Vedavyas Muni an ordinary man?

When Lord Kapila Deva was in the womb of his mother Devahuti, demigods offered their prayers to her womb at Bindu Sarovar. After He came out from her womb she inquired from Him, “Because of my lusty desires, I wished to have a son.”

Lord Kapila Deva smiled and replied, “If you had lusty desires, the Lord would not have appeared in your womb.”

It is said, ‘janha kam tanha nahi ram’—the Lord will not appear at the place where there exists a desire for material things.

Kapila Deva told, “You and your husband, performed severe penance and by your devotion you have got Me. There is not even a tinge of lusty desire in you. Your heart is pure but for the welfare of the conditioned souls you had got that desire and for them only, you are asking this question.”

The appearance pastime of Krishna Dvaipayan Vedavyas Muni is beyond our comprehension. He appeared on an island. In Sanskrit, an island is called Dvipa. And as his complexion was black (Krishna), he is called Krishna Dvaipayan. He divided the Vedas into four.

His mother, Satyavati, later got married to Shantanu and had two sons, Vichitra Virya and Chitrangada. Chitrangada was killed in a battle. Bhisma Deva, the brother of Vichitra Virya who accepted Shantanu and Ganga Devi as his parents, kidnapped two princesses to get married to Vichitra Virya. But Vichitra Virya fell ill of consumption and died childless. Satyavati then got worried thinking who would continue her progeny as Bhisma Deva had decided not to marry. She remembered her son Vedavyas Muni and he immediately appeared there. Satyavati told him about her distress. So from Vedavyas Muni, Dritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura were born. Dhritarashtra was blind but was very powerful. He had a hundred sons. Vidura was a the son of a maid, but he was a great devotee of the Lord.

Vedavyas Muni gave special powers to Sanjay with which he narrated whatever happened at Kurukshetra to Dhritarashtra being at the palace itself. Can any ordinary person give such power to anybody? Was he an ordinary man? Millions of people died in the Kurukshetra battle. Seeing the plight of all the females lamenting for their husbands, Vedavyas Muni, with his special power, showed them their husbands. Seeing their husbands they were all satisfied.

When he was at Badrikashram, a desire of writing the scriptures came into his heart. He approached Ganesh to help him write whatever was revealed to him. He would speak and Ganesh would write. Ganesh had one condition, that while he is writing he should not stop at anytime. Vedavyas Muni agreed to it and in return he also put one condition; whatever he writes he must understand the meaning of it. Vedavyas Muni started speaking, in between he used to speak some verses to understand the meaning of which Ganesh had to realise. An ordinary man cannot have such power. The Supreme Lord Himself empowered him with His energy. Those who had been to Badrinath, they know that at about a thousand feet above the Badrinarayan temple there situated the Vyasdev cave. Once I had been to that place with Guruji. The mountain where his cave is looks like a Granth (book). Vedavyas Muni wrote scriptures pertaining to dharm, artha, kama for different classes of people in the society who are entangled in bodily conception. Those who want wealth, for them he wrote artha-shastra, for those who want to fulfill their material desires he wrote kama-shastra and those who want to enjoy the heavenly planets after death for them he wrote appropriate scriptures. Even after writing so many scriptures he performed a pastime of not getting peace or satisfaction in his heart. He wrote about liberation or salvation also but still he was not at peace. He was not an ordinary man.

He remembered his revered Gurudev, Narad Rishi. Narad Rishi appeared there at Badrinarayan. We sing, 'nārada haite vyās'—in disciplic succession the knowledge came to Vyasdev from Narad Rishi. When Narad Rishi appeared, Vyasdev offered his obeisance to him and asked for his grace.

Narad Rishi asked him, “Is your soul, entangled to a material and subtle body, at peace?”

He replied, “You are antaryami (knower of everyone's heart). I have written so many scriptures. I gave everything to fulfill the desire of different classes of people. Those who wanted wealth, for them I wrote artha-shastra, those who wanted to fulfill their material desires, for them I wrote kama-shastra and those who wanted to enjoy the heavenly planets after death, for them I wrote appropriate scriptures, so why have I not got peace?”

Narad Rishi replied, “You have done abominable work; whatever you have given is non-eternal and perishable. You have given more miseries to them. How could you expect to get peace?”

“I have written about salvation also.”

“It is even more abominable. You have completely closed the path for them to reach the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is the personification of peace, He is purna-sat (eternal), purna-cit (full of knowledge) and purna-anand (full of bliss). He is purna-saccidanand. Your writing should be for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. Have you sung His glories?”

“Yes, I have written in Mahabharat”

“No, it will not work, you have to write for His satisfaction. In Mahabharat, you have written about devotion to Him while writing Gita but it is without sharanagati (surrender). It cannot reach there. You will get sharanagati by His grace only.”

Bhaktivinoda Thakur has written in his sharanagati hymns,

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu jīve doyā kori’
swa-pārṣada swīya dhāma saha avatari’
atyanta durlabha prema koribāre dāna
śikhāya śaraṇāgati bhakatera prāna
dainya, ātma-nivedana, goptṛtve varaṇa
avaśya rakṣībe kṛṣṇa’—viśvāsa, pālana
bhaki-anukūla-mātra kāryera svīkara
bhakti-pratikūla-bhāva varjanāńgikāra
ṣaḍ-ańga śaraṇāgati hoibe jāhāra
tāhāra prārthanā śune śrī-nanda-kumāra
rūpa-sanātana-pade dante tṛṇa kari’
bhakativinoda paḍe duhuń pada dhari’
kāńdiyā kāńdiyā bale āmi to’ adhama
śikhāye śaraṇāgati kara he uttama

Only by the grace of a surrendered soul, do you get sharanagati. Sharanagati is the eternal nature of the soul. For whomever the eternal nature, Divine Love for the Supreme Lord, is awakened, he is a surrendered soul. Pray for sharanagati from the core of the heart. One should have humility (dainya); should not have any material ego. The next is atma-nivedan—I am of Krishna, not of this material world. Only Krishna is my maintainer and sustainer. Mahaprabhu Himself says in Sikshashtakam, “You always blame the Supreme Lord and His devotees (that you are not getting Him). Do you want Him from the core of your heart? If you really want Him then you will get Him at that very moment. But you do not want Him.”

From the core of your heart you say,

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
mama janmani janmanīśvare
bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya 20.29)

Speak from your heart, “I do not want wealth.”

Outside we speak but inside we think, without wealth how will I be able to sustain in this world? We fear from inside. Many persons come here in Gaudiya Math or visit some temple.

Some person thinks, “If by visiting temple, I would able to make my daughter marry then I will come daily.”

Some think, “I want five lakhs rupees for my daughter's marriage. I offer a thousand rupees; please arrange five lakh rupees for me.”

If he does not get five lakhs rupees then he will say, “I will never visit this temple again.”

Why did he come? From core of your heart, you have to say, “I do not want wealth.”

Everyone in this material world is running after money. The Supreme Lord will say, “If you want wealth, then why should I come to you? Whatever wants you have in your heart, I would give you that only. I am sitting in your heart”

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati
bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni
yantrārūḍhāni māyayā
(Srimad Bhagavad Gita 18.61)

“O Arjuna! The Lord is situated in the hearts of everyone and is directing the wandering of all living entities, who are seated on a machine, made of the material energy.”

It is not possible to cheat Him. Speak from core of your heart, “I do not want wealth.” You speak very firmly. Who is the giver of the wealth, He is Krishna only. (If you do not depend on Him for your maintenance). Is it sharanagati?

We say, “I do not want a wife, daughter or son.”

We are merely speaking from the mouth not from the heart. Can we say, “I do not want any scholarship or liberation, I only want your causeless devotion?” The Lord will say, “You ask for Me and I will be there at that very moment.” If He could grace Gajendra, an animal, then why not us? But we do not want Him from the core of our heart. We are from Krishna, in Krishna, by Krishna and for Krishna. No one is there for us other than Krishna. He is our sole protector and maintainer. He would protect us from the enemies outside as well as the enemies inside us. We should accept whatever is favorable to the devotion to Lord and give up whatever is not favorable to devotion. It is very difficult to find a pure devotee of the Lord. It is very, very rare.

Narad Rishi gave Chatu-shloki-bhagavat—the four Shloka of Bhagavat to Vedvyas Muni. In Srimad Bhagavatam, importance is given to the word, 'aham' meaning 'I' (It is used to represent the Supreme). He says, “The eternal and non-eternal (sad-asad), everything, exists because of Me only. I exist before the manifestation of this world and I will be there after annihilation also.”

Everyone has to die (will leave their body) one day. In Gujarat, there was an earthquake, millions of people died in it; the Supreme Lord was witnessing it. He is neutral. They understood that they had died. In reality, there is no birth, there is no death.

Sri Krishna says in Gita,

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī
mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti te
(Srimad Bhagavad Gita 7.14)

“This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross over it.”

Take shelter of the Supreme Lord like that which Gajendra took. Immediately he saw that there is nothing like birth or death. It is all illusion. The soul neither has birth nor death. He is eternal. He will never die. If he stays for the Supreme Lord whose energy’s expansion he is, only then will he become happy. He is from Him, by Him and for Him. Therefore it is said that associate with pure devotees. They will give that real knowledge and will enlighten the eternal nature of the soul.

Iswara Puri and Ramachadra Puri both were in the service of Madhavedra Puripad. When Madhavedra Puripad was crying out of separation pangs from Krishna, Ramchadra Puri tried to console him advising him to become absorbed in Brahman. Madhavedra Puripad got angry with him and thought, “I wanted to engage him in the service but he is giving me pain by advising about Brahman conception. He does not know the ontological aspect of the Supreme Lord (Bhagavat-tatva).” People with such ideology recite ‘soham’—I am that Absolute and ‘aham brahmasmi’—I am that Absolute Brahman. They also perform Vyasa-puja or Guru-puja on Guru-purnima. They also serve Guru. But that service is not the same as the service done by devotees of the Lord. Their service is not real service. They consider themselves to be non-different from the Lord. How will service be possible with that conception?

Therefore, Narad Goswami advises Vyasdev to write the Bhagavatam for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. If He will be satisfied, you will be satisfied and everyone will be satisfied. When we had gone to Punjab, with Guruji, a group of people who believed in the Brahman conception once invited Gurudev to their place. When they heard Srila Gurudev speak Harikatha, they were afraid thinking, “If we invite him again then our ideology of ‘soham’—I am Bhagavan, will get defeated.” So they did not invite him again. But what had happened there? The whole Punjab became devotees. Who is a real Guru? Our Guruji is the real Guru.

There is one more cult, the Arya-samaji, who considers the transcendental form of the Lord, the deity (Vigrah) as an idol, matter. There is one per person in Hyderabad who is the main follower of this ideology, Dayanand Sarasvati. He has written commentary on Vedvyas Muni’s writings. I have seen his picture in Hoshiyarpur, Punjab. There was some dispute occurred there. We were in Hoshiyarpur that time. There the followers of Arya-samaj ideology have kept one idol of Dayanand Sarasvati in his memory. One person who was a judge in the high court asked them, “If you consider the idol of any person as matter, could you hit this idol with your feet?” A person from that ideology said we do not believe his idol as a person and hit it with his feet. Many of his followers protested such an act. The protestors said, “You hit the person who has established this organization with your feet!” Why did they feel so? Because the idol represents the person himself.

Narad Goswami advised Vyasdev Muni to first become absorbed in the transcendental form of the Supreme Lord and then write Bhagavatam. And after writing Bhagavatam, Vyasdev Muni got eternal bliss. Sukadeva Goswami, the son of Vyasdev Muni recited Bhagavatam at Sukratal for Pariksit Maharaj. Sukadeva Goswami was Brahma-gyani right from his birth itself. He left his parents as soon as he came out from his mother’s womb. Vyasdev Muni performed pastimes of separation and grief from him and ran behind him to get him back. He called out, “O my son! O my son!” Internally, he was not lamenting.

Pariksit Maharaj was cursed by a Brahmin that he will die after seven days by the bite of a snake-bird, ‘Takshak’. He renounced everything and went to the forest. All the Rishi-munis advised him to follow different paths like karma, gyan, yoga etc. Pariksit Maharaj was bewildered on which path to follow so he remembered Krishna for help and Krishna sent Sukadeva Goswami to him. When Sukadeva Goswami came to that place, naked, all the Rishi-munis, Parasuram etc. stood up.

Sukadeva Goswami heard Srimad Bhagavatam from Vyasdev at Badrinarayan. There was one speaker and one listener. It was so silent that you could hear a pin drop.

The place where Sukadeva Goswami came, there were lakhs of persons assembled including Rishi-munis and many kings. Sukadeva Goswami said, “You will have to listen to Bhagavatam. No need to do anything. I am saying this. I was established in Brahmanand. The narration of Srimad Bhagavatam attracted me. For seven days you will have to listen to Bhagavatam incessantly.”

We will not come to Math the next day if someone tells us like that. Sukadeva Goswami, in between, asked Pariksit Maharaj to drink water and to eat something. But Pariksit Maharaj said, “You do not worry about me. You are making me drink the nectar, so I do not want to eat or drink anything.”

Pariksit Maharaj got the highest attainment just by listening to Harikatha incessantly for seven days and seven nights. Prahlad Maharaj got the highest attainment by remembering the Supreme Lord. So it is said in Chaitanya Charitamrita,

'eka' aṅga sādhe, keha sādhe 'bahu' aṅga
'niṣṭhā' haile upajaya premera taraṅga
(Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya 22.134)

“When one is firmly fixed in devotion then whether he executes one form of devotion or many, the waves of love for the Supreme Lord gets awakened in him.”

So one must perform Guru-puja on Guru-purnima Tithi. It is the full-moon day of the month Ashadh (Hindu calendar month). We pray for the grace of Sukadeva Goswami and Vyasdev Muni. Vyasdev Muni is non-different from the Supreme Lord. He enacted the pastimes and experienced the highest bliss. Our Gurudev read Bhagavatam for about an hour at that place (Badrinarayan).

Srila Srinath Chakravarti has expressed the essence of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s teachings in one verse,

ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas
tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam
ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇā yā kalpitā
śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ pramaṇaṁ
premā pum-artho mahān
śrī-caitanya mahāprabhor matam idaṁ
tatradaro nah paraḥ
(Chaitanya Manjusa)

“According to Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, we are to worship Vrajesh-tanaya—the son of Nanda Maharaj. His transcendental abode is at Vrindavan. The mode of worship of Gopis is the best—madhurya-rasa (conjugal love). The evidence of this is there in Srimad Bhagavatam. And the highest objective, the highest end of life is Krishna-prema—Divine Love.”

If we have taken the shelter of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu then we have to follow His teachings as it is. It is not good to deviate a bit from it. We should take absolute shelter of Srimad Bhagavatam.

Today is also the disappearance day of Sanatan Goswami. He is also our Guru. In a worldly sense, Rupa Goswami is the younger brother of him but in reality Sanatan Goswami is serving under Rupa Goswami. They have worked with the emperor, Husain Shah and have come from South India; they come in the dynasty of Sarvakya Muni. They were six brothers. Amongst six of them, the mention of Sanatan Goswami, Rupa Goswami and Anupam Mallik comes in Chaitanya Charitamrita. Sanatan Goswami’s name was Sakar Mallik, Rupa Goswami was Dabir Khas. Anupam Mallik is the father of Jiva Goswami.

They recieved Darshan of Mahaprabhu in Maladah. There were lakhs of devotees with Mahaprabhu that time. He was travelling to Vrindavan. That time Sanatan Goswami told Him,

yāṅra saṅge haya ei loka lakṣa koṭi
vṛndāvana yāibāra ei nahe paripāṭī
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya 16.266)

“One should not go Vrindavan with so many people.”

On the way there are many places ruled by Muslim emperors. So Sanatan Goswami indicated to the Lord not to go to Vrindavan with so many people. Mahaprabhu then came back from Kanayi Natashala and returned to Nilachal Dham.

Then later, Mahaprabhu again started for Vrindavan, first Rupa Goswami and Anupam left their duties and went there to have His Darshan. Rupa Goswami also informed Sanatan Goswami by writing a letter in a secret language so that others do not understand the meaning of it. He wrote, “Where is Ayodhya Dham? Where is Krishna’s Mathura Puri? Nothing is permanent in this world.”

Sanatan Goswami understood the meaning of it and left his duties as Prime Minister and started reading scriptures while at his residence. He informed the King that his health is not good. He was very dear to the King. The King visited him at his place and came to know about his mood. He tried to persuade him profusely but Sanatan Goswami told, “I want to read scriptures. I do not have interest in continuing my duty.”

The King replied, “I am going to Orissa for war.”

Sanatan Goswami replied, “You are going to give pain to Jagannath Deva’s servant. I will not go with you.”

The King then imprisoned him. Sanatan Goswami was subservient to Rupa Goswami and he was ordered by him to come to associate with Mahaprabhu. So to be rescued from the jail, Sanatan Goswami tried to persuade the jailer, “I helped you getting the job, now if you release me then Khuda (Muslim calls God with this name) will be satisfied with you.”

The jailer refused to do this because he was fearful of the King. Sanatan Goswami tried to allure him by giving him assurance of giving five thousand gold coins. Rupa Goswami had put ten thousand gold coins for Sanatan Goswami to help him get rescued from the King. The jailer told that if he would release him then the King will kill him. At which Sanatan Goswami told, “The King has gone for the battle so there is no surety that he will come back. Even if he comes, you can tell him that you took me out for my daily morning routine activities and there I jumped in the River Ganga. I am not going to come back. I will go to Mecca (Vrindavan). So you do not worry.”

After listening this also the jailer was afraid and was not ready to release him. Then Sanatan Goswami brought seven thousand gold coins and put in front of him. The jailer had never seen so many gold coins even in his dreams. So his mind changed and he released Sanatan Goswami. Sanatan Goswami along with one devotee, Ishan, crossed the river and started his journey to meet Mahaprabhu towards Vrindavan. He renounced everything, wealth, position, followers. They then reached to Patra Mountain. There was one landlord who used to do robbery in the night. They became guest to him. He had one astrologer with him who told that the servant of Sanatan Goswami has eight gold coins with him. So he was showing overt affection and respect to them. Sanatan Goswami was very intelligent and he understood that there is something wrong as he is showing too much affection towards them.

He called Ishan and asked him, “Do you have anything with you?”

He said he has seven gold coins with him.

Sanatan Goswami told him, “Give me, why have you brought this?” It comes in Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya 20.25,

śuni' sanātana tāre karilā bhartsana saṅge kene āniyācha ei kāla-yama?

Sanatan Goswami chastised Ishan, saying, “Why have you brought this death knell (kāla-yama) with you?” He took them and gave them to the landowner.

The landowner told, “Your Ishan has got eight gold coins and he has given seven only. I had decided to kill you tonight but as you are giving these seven gold coins without even asking, I have become happy so I will not take these coins from you. You keep them with you, we shall help you to cross the mountain without taking anything from you.”

It comes in the scripture,

dhurtasya vachene kvastha
kvacit satyam kvachid mrisha
kvachid raudram kvachid vrishtih
sravanasya ghano yatha

How can one have faith in the words of a rascal? He sometimes tells the truth and sometimes falsehoods. Just as with the clouds of month of Shravan (Indian calendar month), sometimes there is sunshine and sometimes it rains.

So Sanatan Goswami told the landlord that they do not want his favor without paying for it. Better he takes the seven gold coins to make them cross the mountain. They thus crossed the mountain.

After crossing the mountain, he asked Ishan whether he has any gold coin with him. He said he had one. Then he asked him, “Will this coin protect you? You have come with me thinking like this. Keep that coin with you and return back.”

Srila Prabhupad has written in his ‘vaishnava ke’ kirtan,

tāi duṣṭa mana, ‘nirjana bhajana,"
pracāricha chale ‘kuyogī-vaibhava"
prabhu sanātane, parama yatane,
śikṣā dila yāhā, cinta sei saba

Here, Srila Prabhupad has not cited any incident from Bhagavatam or Chaitanya Charitamrita, he has advised us to go through the teachings given to Sanatan Goswami by Mahaprabhu with utmost care.

After crossing the mountain, Sanatan Goswami met Srikant, the husband of his sister. He gifted him one costly rug, a Bhotkambal, taking which he came to Varanasi and sat outside the house of Chandra Shekhar Vaidya. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said to Chandra Shekar Vaidya, “One Vaishnava has come outside. You please bring him inside.” Chandra Shekhar came out and saw a fakir there.

He then said to Mahaprabhu, “There is no Vaishnav outside. There is one Muslim fakir standing there.”

Mahaprabhu: “Muslim fakir?”

“Yes”

“You call him.”

“O Fakir, our Mahaprabhu wants to meet you.”

And the fakir went inside.

When Sanatan Goswami entered in the house, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ran and embraced him. Sanatan Goswami told, “I am very unholy. You please stop. You should not touch me.”

Mahaprabhu, “I touch you to purify My body in this way.”

After that he was asked by Mahaprbhu to dress up like a gentleman. Sanatan Goswami then did so and after taking bath he came back there. Now, what cloths would he wear? Chandra Shekhar Acharya offered him with one new cloth in response to which he said, “No, I shall not take new cloths.” Then he went to Tapan Mishra. He also brought one new cloth. “No, I want one used cloth; used by you.”

Sanatan Goswami as personal associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is teaching us. I stay in this Math and if anybody gives me used cloth, I do not take it. But here Sanatan Goswami has showed that you should take the remnants of Vaishnavas. From the life of Sanatan Goswami we are to learn so many teachings. There is no end of it. After taking that used cloth he wore them up and came to Mahaprabhu again. He had the costly Bhotkambal, the rug with him. Mahaprabhu is seeing that rug wore by him. Sanatan Goswami understood that Mahaprabhu disliked that costly rug he had. The next day, he gave it to a Babaji near Ganges, “Take this and give me your cloth.” He has got very bad cloth.

(Sanatan Goswami:) “Give it to me, I shall wear it.”

“You are joking with me.”

“No, no, I am not joking, grace me and give me your cloth.”

There were so many stitches in his garment. “You give me.” (After exchanging) Sanatan Goswami came to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Mahaprabhu was happy seeing that (the torn cloth). We belong to that group.

He asked a question, “Who am I?” to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to teach the conditioned souls of this whole world. He is an emancipated soul.

We should first ask these questions, 'ke āmi', 'kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya' ihā nāhi jāni--'kemane hita haya' “Who am I? Why am I burning with the threefold affliction? What is the object to be attained and what is the way to attain it?” He says, “I cannot even put questions to you. You please tell me everything.”

Then Mahaprabhu started speaking; we have heard this when we entered into this Math sixty years before. But yet our Bhakti Siddhant Saraswati Goswami Thakur says, “You should repeatedly read, you have got no foundation. Only you say, you have got no belief. You should go through this, foundation should be there. Without that if you build the structure, it will fall down.”

There are so many things Sanatan Goswami has taught us. He had some scabies on his body while coming from Vrindavan. For that reason when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to embrace him, he would say, “Please do not embrace me, I have got scabies”. But Mahaprabhu repeatedly embraced him. Because of that he wanted to kill his body during Rathyatra. Then Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said to all the devotees what Sanatan Goswami was thinking, “His body is Mine and he wants to finish it. He has got no right to do so. His body belongs to Me.” He embraced him and by that all the scabies on his body disappeared.