132
Teachings of Lord Chaitanya
tanya by his prayer. Sanatan Goswami fell flat at the Feet of Lord Chaitanya, and requested Him to explain the  Atmarama  verse as He formerly had explained it to Sarvabhouma Bhattacharya. He explained his eagerness to hear the same explanation again, so that he might be enlightened.
When the Lord was thus requested by Sanatan Goswami He replied: "I do not understand why Sarvabhouma Bhattacharya has so much appreciated my explanation. As far as I am concerned I don't remember what I said to him. But because you are asking, I shall try to explain whatever I can remember, by your association." The speaker and the audience are very intimately connected; the speaker is enlightened by the presence of the audience. In transcendental subject matters the speaker or the Master can speak very nicely in relationship with the understanding of the audience. Therefore, Lord Chaitanya said, "Generally I do not know how to explain a Sanskrit verse, but I shall try to explain whatever I can by your association only."
He then said that there are 11 different items in the  Atmarama  verse. They are as follows: 1.  Atmarama , 2.  Cha , 3.  Munayah , 4.  Nirgrantha , 5.  Api , 6.  Urukrame , 7.  Kurvanti , 8.  Ahaituki , 9.  Bhaktim , 10.  Itthvambhuta , 11.  Harih . The Lord then began to explain each and every items as mentioned above:
So far as  Atmarama  is concerned, He said that the word  Atma  is used to mean: 1. the Supreme Absolute Truth, 2. the body, 3. the mind, 4. endeavor, 5. intelligence, 6. conviction, and 7. nature. Therefore, anyone who takes pleasure in the cultivation of the knowledge of these items, is called  Atmarama . (The Lord explained hereinafter about the different kinds of  Atmarama , or transcendentalists).
The next item is  Muni . Persons who are very great thinkers are called  Muni . Sometimes this  Muni  is also used for persons who are very grave.  Muni  is also used for great sages, great austere persons, great mystics and learned scholars.
The fourth item,  Nirgrantha , means freed from the bondage of illusion. Another meaning of  Nirgrantha  is "one who has no connection with spiritual injunctions."  Grantha  means revealed Scriptures. There are many instructions for spiritual realization, but persons who have no connection with such Scriptural injunctions are also known as  Nirgrantha .  Nir  is an affix which is used with three meanings: it is used to mean no connection, and to mean constructing, and also prohibiting. There are many persons who are foolish, low-born and misbehaved, and they have no entrance into the revealed Scriptures and injunctions. Therefore, they are also called  Nirgrantha . Because  Grantha  is also used for the purpose of riches, and for the purpose of collection, therefore