Bhattacharya Is Converted 241
dge along with devotional service to the people in general. Lord Chaitanya
is the Original Personality of Godhead, and is compared with the ocean of
mercy. “Let me surrender unto that Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.” The
other verse states, “The Lord, seeing that devotional service was absent,
descended Himself in the Form of Lord Chaitanya to preach that devotional
service. Let us all surrender unto His Lotus Feet to learn from Him what is
actual devotional service.” These two important verses are taken by the
devotees of the Lord in disciplic succession, as the most important jewels, and
Sarbabhouma Bhattacharya has become highest amongst the devotees because
of these famous verses.

Sarbabhouma Bhattacharya was thus converted to become one of the
important devotees of the Lord, and he had no other interest than to serve the
Lord. His only concern was to think of Lord Chaitanya constantly, and
this meditation and chanting became the main purpose of his life. One day
Sarbabhouma Bhattacharya came before the Lord, and after offering his
respects he began to read a verse from the Srimad Bhagwatam. This verse is
stated in the Tenth Canto, Fourteenth Chapter, in connection with Lord
Brahma’s prayer to the Lord. Sarbabhouma Bhattacharya wanted to change
two letters in the last portion of the verse, where the word Muktipade occurs.
Sarbabhouma Bhattacharya wanted to change it into Bhakti. The purport
of the verse is: A person who devotes his mind, body and speech to the service
of the Lord, even in the midst of miserable life due to past misdeeds, is assured
of liberation. And Bhattacharya wanted to change the Mukti, to Bhakti—
devotional service.

The Lord inquired from Bhattacharya, “Why have you changed the
original verse? The word is Mukti, and why have you changed it into Bhakti?”
Bhattacharya replied that Mukti is not so valuable as Bhakti; and therefore
Mukti is a sort of punishment for the pure devotee. He had therefore changed
the word from Mukti to Bhakti. He began to explain his realization of Bhakti,
and said, “Any person who does not accept the transcendental Personality
of Godhead and His transcendental Form cannot know the Absolute Truth.

Anyone who does not understand the transcendental nature of the Body of
Krishna becomes His enemy and decries or fights with Him. And for such
enemies of the Lord, the destination is to merge into the Brahman effulgence
of the Lord. Such kind of Mukti or liberation is never befitting the devotees
of the Lord. Although there are five kinds of liberation, as, (1) getting admis-
sion to the same planet in which the Lord resides, (2) being able to associate
with the Lord, (3) having a transcendental body like the Lord, (4) having
