CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Explanation of the Atmarama

Verse in Srimad Bhagwatam

Lord Chaitanya next explained a verse, appearing in Srimad Bhagwatam,
which is very famous and known as the Atmarama verse: It runs as follows:
Atmaramas cha munayanirg rantha apiurukrame, Kurvanti ahaituki bhaktim ittlhvamb-
huta guna harih. The general meaning is that those who are liberated souls and
fully satisfied within themselves will later become devotees of the Lord. This
is especially meant for the impersonalist class, because the impersonalist souls
have no information of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They try to be
satisfied in the impersonal Brahman, but Krishna is so attractive and so strong
that He attracts even the minds of such impersonalists. That is the purport of
the verse.

This verse had been explained previously to a great Vedantist, known as
Sarvabhouma Bhattacharya. Sanatan Goswami, after taking his lessons from
Lord Chaitanya, referred the incident to the Lord and prayed again for His
explanation of the Atmarama verse. The author of Chaitanya Charitamrita,
appreciating this explanation of the Atmarama verse, has glorified Lord Chai-

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