390 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [ Adi-lifa, Ch. 17

TRANSLATION

When all the students thus resolved, criticizing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, 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 8Bhagavad-gité it is said, m@yaydpahrta-jfidnd dsurarh bhadvam dsritah: when,
one becomes inimical to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, adopting an atheistic
attitude (dsurarn bhdvam), 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 Sri Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvat? Thakura quotes a mantra from the Svetdsvatara Upanisad:

yasya deve paré bhaktir
yathd deve tathd gurau

tasyaite kathitad hy arthah
prakdsente mahatmanah

The purport of this verse is that one who is unflinchingly devoted to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Visnu, 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 {vedai$ ca
sarvair aham eva vedyah). Only unto one who fully surrenders to the spiritual
master and the Supreme Lord does the essence of Vedic knowledge become mani-
fest, not to anyone else. This same principle is emphasized by Sri Prahlada Maharaja
in Srimad-Bhdgavatam (7.5.24):

iti purnsarpitd visnau

bhaktis cen nava-iaksond
Rriyate bhagavaty addha

tan manye ‘dhitam uttemam

‘A person who directly applies these nine principles [hearing, chanting, remember-
ing, 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 Sri Krsnia.’’ Sridhara Svami
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 Maharaja Khatvaiga 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
