Text 33]
Lord Caitanya's Childhood Pastimes
147
SYNONYMS
māṭira —of the dirt;  vikāra —transformation;  ghaṭe —in the water pot;  pāni —water;  bhari —filling;  āni —I can bring;  māṭi —of dirt;  piṇḍe —on the lump;  dhari —I hold;  yabe —when;  śoṣi —soaking;  yāya —goes;  pāni —the water.
TRANSLATION
“In a water pot, which is a transformation of dirt, I can bring water very easily. But if I poured water on a lump of dirt, the lump would soak up the water, and my labor would be useless.”
PURPORT
This simple philosophy propounded by Śacīmātā, even though she is a woman, can defeat the Māyāvādī philosophers who speculate on oneness. The defect of Māyāvāda philosophy is that it does not accept the variety that is useful for practical purposes. Śacīmātā gave the example that although both the lump of dirt and the earthen pot are basically one, for practical purposes the water pot is useful whereas the lump of dirt is useless. Sometimes scientists argue that matter and spirit are one, with no difference between them. Factually, in a higher sense, there is no difference between matter and spirit, but one should have practical knowledge that matter, being an inferior state, is useless for our spiritual blissful life, whereas spirit, being a finer state of existence, is full of bliss. In this connection the  Bhāgavatam  gives the example that dirt and fire are practically one and the same. From the earth grow trees, and from their wood come fire and smoke. Nevertheless, for heat we can utilize the fire but not the earth, smoke or wood. Therefore, for the ultimate realization of the goal of life, we are concerned with the fire of the spirit, but not the dull wood or earth of matter.
TEXT 33
আত্ম লুকাইতে প্রভু বলিলা তাঁহারে ।
“আগে কেন ইহা, মাতা, না শিখালে মোরে ॥ ৩৩ ॥
ātma lukāite prabhu balilā tāṅhāre
“āge kena ihā, mātā, nā śikhāle more
SYNONYMS
ātma —Himself;  lukāite —to hide;  prabhu —the Lord;  balilā —replied;  tāṅhāre —unto Śacīmātā;  āge —in the beginning;  kena —why;  ihā —this;  mātā —My dear mother;  nā śikhāle —you didn't teach;  more —unto Me.
TRANSLATION
The Lord replied to His mother: “Why did you conceal self-realization by not teaching Me this practical philosophy in the beginning?