Conclusion of Teachings to Sanatan Goswami 151
by one word: Atmarama. Just as in the forest, there may be different kinds of
trees, but only by saying that there are trees there, the meaning is understood.

Thus the Lord completed 60 different meanings of the word Atmarama.
And then He again said that Atma means “the living entity, beginning from
the first living creature, Brahma, down to the ant.” He cited a verse from
Vishnu Purana, Sixth Chapter, in which it is stated that the energies of the Lord
are all spiritual. Of them, the energy which is known as the source of the living
entity is also spiritual, but the other energy, which is full of ignorance and is
manifested in material activities, is called material Nature. The living entities
are innumerable, even in the material creation, and if by chance one of them
or some of them can get the association of a pure devotee, then they can be
engaged in the pure devotional service of Krishna. The Lord said, “Formerly
I thought of 60 different meanings for the word Atmarama, but here another
meaning came to My mind by your association.”

Sanatan Goswami, after hearing from the Lord about different meanings
of the word Atmarama, was struck with wonder and fell down in devotion
at the feet of Lord Chaitanya. He said, “I understand that You are Personally
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, and with Your breathing there
are many manifestations of the Vedic literature. You are the Teacher of Srimad
Bhagwatam, so You know best the meanings of the verses of Srimad Bhagwatam.
It is not possible for others to understand the confidential meanings of Srimad
Bhagwatam without Your mercy.”

The Lord then replied to Sanatan Goswami, “Do not try to eulogize
Me in that way. Just try to understand the real nature of Srimad Bhagwatam:
Srimad Bhagwatam is the sound representation of the Supreme Lord Krishna:
therefore, Srimad Bhagwatam is not different from Krishna. So, as Krishna is
unlimited, similarly, in each word and each letter of Srimad Bhagwatam, there
are unlimited meanings, and one can understand them by association of devo-
tees. Don’t, then, say that Bhagwatam is a collection of answers to questions.”

There were six questions put by the sages of Nayamisharanya to Sukadeva
Goswami, and Sukadeva Goswami explained or answered the six questions
in the Srimad Bhagwatam. There is a verse in the Vedic literature in which Lord
Shiva says, “So far as Bhagwatam is concerned, I may know or Sukadeva may
know or Vyasadeva may know It or not know It—but actually Bhagwatam
is to be understood by devotional service, and from a devotee, and not by
one’s own intelligence or by learned comments.”

The sages of Nayamisharanya asked, “My dear sir, kindly tell us now,
after the departure of the Lord for His own Abode, if the principles of religion
