CHAPTER 20

Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
Instructs Sanatana Gosvami in the
Science of the Absolute Truth

The following summary study of this chapter is given by Bhaktivinoda Thakura in
his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya. When Srila Sandatana Gosvami was imprisoned by
Nawab Hussain Shah, he received news from RGpa Gosvami that Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu had gone to Mathura. Sandtana Gosvami thereafter satisfied the
superintendent of the jail by sweet solicitations and bribery. After giving the jailer
seven thousand gold coins, Sanatana Gosvami was released. He then crossed the
Ganges and fled. One of his servants, sana, followed him, carrying eight gold
coins. Sandtana Gosvami and his servant then spent the night in a small hotel on
the way to Benares. The hotel owner knew that Sandtana Gosvami and his servant
had eight gold coins, and he decided to kill them and take the money. Making
plans in this way, the hotel owner received them as honorable guests. Sanatana
Gosvami, however, asked his servant how much money he had, and, taking seven
of the gold coins, Sanatana offered them to the hotel owner. Thus the owner
helped them reach the hilly tract toward Varanasi. On the way, Sanatana Gosvami
met his brother-in-law, Srikanta, at Hajipura, and Srikanta helped him after he had
heard about all Sanatana’s troubles. Thus Sanatana Gosvami finally arrived at
Varanasi and stood before the door of Candrasekhara. Caitanya Mahaprabhu
called him in and ordered him to change his dress so that he could look like a
gentleman. For his garment, he used an old cloth of Tapana Misra’s. Later, he ex-
changed his valuable blanket for a torn quilt. At this time Caitanya Mahaprabhu
was very pleased with him, and thus Sri Sandtana Gosvami received knowledge of
the Absolute Truth from the Lord Himself.

First they discussed the constitutional position of the living entities, and Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu explained to Sanatana Gosvami how the living entity is one
of Lord Krsna’s energies. After this, the Lord explained the way of devotional ser-
vice. While discussing the Absolute Truth, Sri Krsna, the Lord analyzed Brahman,
Paramatma and Bhagavan, as well as the expansions of the Lord called svayam-
rapa, tad-ekatma and avesa, which are divided into various branches known as
vaibhava and prabhava. Thus the Lord described the many forms of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. He also described the incarnations of God within the ma-
terial world, incarnations such as the purusa-avataras, manvantara-avatdras, guna-
avataras and saktydvesa-avataras. The Lord also discussed the divisions of Krsna’s
