Will Sarvabhauma Be Taken to Task? # 31

31

Before long, the incident would turn into a great celebration, and Sarvabhauma knew this from the reports his peers had already given him on many occasions —celebrations that censorship, moreover, described as bamboula and other unflattering terms.

“I will have to have a word with that troublemaker,” he thought. “I do not side with this brahmana, but still, one cannot simply act as one pleases. There are the Scriptures to respect, customs and traditions, and then the castes, which have always existed and cannot be disregarded out of mere sentimentality. I shall speak to him seriously, for in many ways his conduct leaves much to be desired. Not that he is irregular, conceited, or unpleasant —there is nothing to reproach him for in that respect. Or rather, yes,” he corrected himself. “He is too frivolous: all these dances, these songs, these distractions…

Chaitanya never received a proper spiritual education, and am I not myself one of the greatest teachers of Bharata? This young sannyasi must be weaned from all these gratifications that ruin a man. He needs to be taught the true principles of spiritual life. He undoubtedly possesses great qualities, but he must be taken in hand. Tonight, when my brother-in-law returns, I shall speak to him.”

Gopinath had already been far from pleased with his previous discussion with Sarvabhauma about Chaitanya’s character. Several times he had tried to make him understand that Chaitanya was not merely a sannyasi with remarkable qualities, but also a manifestation of God. Sarvabhauma was too infatuated with his own erudition to allow his brother-in-law to open his eyes. Moreover, Gopinath disliked hearing him criticize the conduct of the one he regarded not only as his spiritual master, but above all as Krishna Himself.

When he sees his relative approaching, accompanied by a disciple, he murmurs conspiratorially to his friend Mukunda Datta: “This time, I will not listen to his blasphemies. I will unburden my heart by throwing his four truths straight in his face.”

“Gopinath!” he calls out, still talking with his disciple.

When he reaches him, he says: “I would like to have a serious talk with Chaitanya. Everything in town is going wrong because of him. I should have started with that from the beginning. He is still too young, you see. And he has no experience. I shall instruct him in the Vedas. If he is prudent enough and does not wish to stray from the spiritual path, he would do well to abandon this conduct unworthy of a sannyasi and devote himself to study.”

Gopinath, restraining his anger, replies: “Dear Bhattacharya, with all due respect, allow me to be frank and tell you that you understand nothing of Krishna-Chaitanya’s identity. Yet you yourself told me —you confided to me, during his fainting spell in the temple— that you had observed exceptional symptoms of ecstasy. I repeat: Chaitanya is not an ordinary sannyasi. Several signs even prove that he is God, the Supreme Being in person, and his companions, all worthy of respect, as well as all those who have lived in his company even briefly, worship him as such.”

Sarvabhauma’s disciple then speaks in a tone tinged with irony: “What are these supposed evidences you rely on to assert such things?”

Exasperated by his affectation, Gopinath replies sharply: “The words of the authentic masters are proof enough.”

The disciple glances sideways at his guru, sketching a forced smile. Then, in a provocative tone, he replies: “That is one thing, but you will need more substantial arguments if you want to convince us that this man is God.”

“One cannot realize God through logic or reason,” Gopinath retorts. “All your guesses and hypotheses will lead you nowhere. But if you receive even the slightest attention from the Lord, only then will you understand His glory. You should know this already, since the Bhagavata Purana states it thus: ‘O my Lord, if someone receives the blessing of Your lotus-like feet, he will at once behold Your Majesty; but those who speculate to reach You will remain forever blind, even if they pore over the Scriptures for years, dissecting them.’”

Turning away from the student, Gopinath addresses Sarvabhauma: “You are a renowned exegete, a master surrounded by many disciples, virtually unequaled; yet, because you are deprived of the mercy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, you are unable to perceive Him beyond appearances, even though He is your guest.”

Stung by these words, Sarvabhauma retorts: “Be careful what you say. Your zeal is inappropriate under the circumstances. How can you speak to me in this tone and treat me like a fool?”

But Gopinath is determined to unburden himself fully: “If someone can grasp the nature of the Absolute Truth, it is because God has opened his eyes. Moreover, you have observed the supernatural symptoms on Chaitanya’s body that prove his true identity, yet you deliberately ignored the facts. You refused to acknowledge the relationship. That is what is called maya, illusion.”

Sarvabhauma realizes that he must calm things down, or at least adopt another approach to pacify his brother-in-law and convince him.

“But Gopinath, do not get so worked up. We are merely discussing, as friends, controversial scriptural topics whose intricacies I know well. I am not inventing anything. Frankly, I do not see why you take offense so strongly. Krishna-Chaitanya is certainly an exceptional personality, but one cannot therefore proclaim him the Supreme Being, for the simple reason that there is no incarnation of God in the Age of Kali.

Another name of the Supreme is Triyuga. It means that God appears only in three ages, and this name aptly supports what I am saying. The Scriptures affirm it, not I; I merely repeat them.”

This sophism irritates Gopinath even more, and he replies: “You claim to know the Vedic texts thoroughly, yet you disregard the Bhagavatam and the Mahabharata. Together, they represent the very essence of Vedic literature. God is called Triyuga because He does not appear in this age as a lila-avatar,* but in a disguised form.

Your heart has hardened through logic and argumentation to the point that you can no longer perceive the truths described in the Bhagavatam. Yet when Gargamuni drew up Krishna’s horoscope as a child, he explained it to his father in these words: ‘In the past, according to the ages, your son had bodies that were white, red, and yellow; in this age, he bears a dark complexion.’”

In one breath, he cites other passages: “‘In the Age of Kali, intelligent people will engage in congregational chanting of the holy names of God, thus glorifying the Supreme Person. Appearing in this age, He will spend His time describing Krishna’s glories. This golden-complexioned incarnation, disguised as a devotee, will always be accompanied by His plenary expansions, whether friends or relatives.’

In the Mahabharata as well,” he continues, “Chaitanya is mentioned: ‘The Lord will have a golden complexion, beautiful features, and marks of sandalwood paste adorning His body. He will accept the order of sannyasa and master His senses. He will be distinguished from impersonal renunciants by His absorption in devotional service and by His chief concern, which will be to spread the sankirtana movement.’”

Gopinath had already had many philosophical discussions with his brother-in-law. He therefore knew that his arguments, however perceptive, would always strike a wall of incomprehension. That is why he concludes, disillusioned: “There is no point in citing all these verses to you, for you are an inveterate speculator with a withered heart. One does not plant seeds in a desert. When the Lord is pleased with your attitude, you will then understand the meaning of the Scriptures; otherwise, there is nothing to be done.”

Sarvabhauma is not easily offended and is accustomed to being roughly handled by his brother-in-law, so he does not take it seriously. He therefore replies to his sarcasm with condescension: “All right, pandit. Now go fetch Chaitanya and his friends, take sacred food (prasadam) at the Jagannath temple, and come back here. Then you may continue teaching me —I certainly need it…”

Gopinath’s anger flares. He leaves, jaws clenched, to find Chaitanya and lay out his grievances. After hearing his complaints, Chaitanya smiles and says: “You worry too much and should not speak like that. Sarvabhauma has great affection for me. Out of mercy, he considers me his son and seeks to protect me. He makes sure that I properly follow the principles of sannyasa. There is nothing wrong with that.”

The next day, Chaitanya meets Sarvabhauma at the temple. The latter takes advantage of the opportunity to carry out his plan and lectures him. Chaitanya receives the reproaches with full humility and agrees to listen to the Vedanta discourse for seven consecutive days, an ancient and highly esteemed practice.
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* An incarnation who manifests for the specific purpose of performing pastimes for the benefit of the residents.

Preceding chapter : A Retrospective on Social Classes # 30