Why Study the Vedantra Sutra? 207

understand the Supreme Lord and His different energies. One who is cap-
tivated by the spell of material energy cannot understand the Spiritual Form
of the Supreme Lord. Unless there is realization of the transcendental Form of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no question of love of Godhead. Without
realization of the transcendental Form of the Supreme Lord, love of God-
head is fictitious, and without realization of love of Godhead there is no per-
fection of human life. Such realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
is as follows: it is just like the five gross elements of Nature, namely earth,
water, fire, air and ether: they are both within and without all living beings
in this world. Similarly, those who are devotees of the Supreme Lord
can realize the Personality of Godhead both inside and outside this ex-
istence.

Pure devotees know very well that they are meant to serve the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, and all things that exist are the means for service to
the Supreme Lord. Because a devotee has been blessed by the Supreme within
the core of his heart, therefore, wherever he looks, he can see the Supreme
Lord and nothing more. Srimad Bhagwatam confirms this type of relationship
between the devotee and the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the Eleventh
Canto, Second Chapter, as follows: “For a person whose heart is always tied
to the Lotus Feet of the Supreme Lord by the rope of love of Godhead, the
Lord does not leave him even if remembrance is not very carefully done; such
a person is called a first class devotee.” An example of this is described in the
Bhagavata Tasumskunda: The Gopis were assembled for the Rasa Dance with
Krishna, but Krishna left them, and so the assembled Gopis began to chant
the Holy Name of Krishna. They became overwhelmed with madness, and
began to inquire from the flowers and creepers in the forest about Krishna,
Who is compared with the sky and Who is situated everywhere.

Study of Bhagwatam, therefore, means to be informed about our eternal
relationship with the Supreme Lord, the procedure for how to regain Him,
and the ultimate realization, which is love of Godhead.

Lord Chaitanya next explained to Prakasananda Saraswati how to achieve
the Supreme Personality of Godhead by devotional service. He quoted in this
connection a verse from Srimad Bhagwatam, from the Eleventh Canto, Four-
teenth Chapter, in which the Lord says He can be realized only through
devotional service, with faith and the love of the devotee, and it is devotional
service only which purifies the heart of the devotee and elevates him into the
ultimate realization of faith and service unto the Supreme Lord. Even though
he is born of a low family such as a Chandala—one who eats dogs—yet by reali-
