390
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta
[Ādi-līlā, Ch. 17]
TRANSLATION
When all the students thus resolved, criticizing Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, their intelligence was spoiled. Thus although they were learned scholars, because of this offense the essence of knowledge was not manifest in them.
PURPORT
In  Bhagavad-gītā  it is said,  māyayāpahṛta-jñānā āsurah bhāvam āśritāḥ : when one becomes inimical to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, adopting an atheistic attitude ( āsuraṁ bhāvam ), even if one is a learned scholar the essence of knowledge does not become manifest in him; in other words, the essence of his knowledge is stolen by the illusory energy of the Lord. In this connection Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Thākura quotes a  mantra  from the  Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad :
yasya deve parā bhaktir 
    yathā deve tathā gurau 
    tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ 
    prakāśante mahātmanaḥ
The purport of this verse is that one who is unflinchingly devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead,  Viṣṇu , and similarly devoted to the spiritual master, with no ulterior motive, becomes a master of all knowledge. In the heart of such a devotee, the real essence of the Vedic knowledge becomes manifest. This essence is nothing but surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead ( vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ ). Only unto one who fully surrenders to the spiritual master and the Supreme Lord does the essence of Vedic knowledge become manifest, not to anyone else. This same principle is emphasized by Śrī Prahlāda Mahārāja in  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  (7.5.24):
iti puṁsārpitā viṣṇau 
    bhaktiś cen nava-lakṣaṇā 
    kriyate bhagavaty addhā 
    tan manye 'dhītam uttamam
“A person who directly applies these nine principles [hearing, chanting, remembering, etc.] in the service of the Lord is to be understood as a greatly learned man who has assimilated the Vedic literatures very well, for the goal of studying the Vedic literature is to understand the supremacy of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.” Śrīdhara Svāmī confirms in his commentary that first one must surrender to the spiritual master; then the process of devotional service will develop. It is not a fact that only one who diligently pursues an academic career can become a devotee. Even with no academic career, if one has full faith in the spiritual master and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he develops in spiritual life and real knowledge of the  Vedas . The example of Mahārāja Khaṭvāṅga confirms this. One who surrenders is understood to have learned the subject matter of the  Vedas  very nicely. One who adopts this Vedic process of surrender learns devotional service and is certainly successful. One