EXCERPTS FROM SRI CHAITANYA CHARITAMRITA
ABOUT THE PASTIMES OF

SRIMAN MAHAPRABHU AND SARVABHAUMA BHATTACHARYA

atmaramas ca munayo
nirgrantha apy urukrame
kurvanty ahaitukim bhaktim
ittham-bhuta-guno harih

" 'Those who are self-satisfied and unattracted by external material desires are also attracted to the loving service of Sri Krsna, whose qualities are transcendental and whose activities are wonderful. Hari, the Personality of Godhead, is called Krsna because He has such transcendentally attractive features.' "

suni' bhattacarya kahe,—'suna, mahasaya
ei slokera artha sunite vancha haya'

After hearing the atmarama verse, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya addressed Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, "My dear Sir, please explain this verse. I have a great desire to hear Your explanation of it."

prabhu kahe,—'tumi ki artha kara, taha age suni'
pache ami kariba artha, yeba kichu jani'

The Lord replied, "First let Me hear your explanation. After that, I shall try to explain what little I know."

suni' bhattacarya sloka karila vyakhyana
tarka-sastra-mata uthaya vividha vidhana

Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya then began to explain the atmarama verse, and according to the principles of logic, he put forward various propositions.

nava-vidha artha kaila sastra-mata lana
suni' prabhu kahe kichu isat hasiya

The Bhattacarya explained the atmarama verse in nine different ways on the basis of scripture. After hearing his explanation, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, smiling a little, began to speak.

'bhattacarya', jani—tumi saksat brhaspati
sastra-vyakhya karite aiche karo nahi sakti

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, "My dear Bhattacarya, you are exactly like Brhaspati, the priest of the heavenly kingdom. Indeed, no one within this world has the power to explain the scriptures in such a way.

kintu tumi artha kaile panditya-pratibhaya
iha va-i slokera ache aro abhipraya

"My dear Bhattacarya, you have certainly explained this verse by the prowess of your vast learning, but you should know that, besides this scholarly explanation, there is another purport to this verse."

bhattacaryera prarthanate prabhu vyakhya kaila
tanra nava artha-madhye eka na chunila

Upon the request of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu began to explain the verse, without touching upon the nine explanations given by the Bhattacarya.

atmaramas ca-sloke 'ekadasa' pada haya
prthak prthak kaila padera artha niscaya

There are eleven words in the atmarama verse, and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu explained each word, one after the other.

tat-tat-pada-pradhanye 'atmarama' milana
astadasa artha kaila abhipraya lana

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu took each word specifically and combined it with the word "atmarama." He thus explained the word "atmarama" in eighteen different ways.

bhagavan, tanra sakti, tanra guna-gana
acintya prabhava tinera na yaya kathana

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, "The Supreme Personality of Godhead, His different potencies and His transcendental qualities all have inconceivable prowess. It is not possible to explain them fully.

anya yata sadhya-sadhana kari' acchadana
ei tine hare siddha-sadhakera mana

"These three items attract the mind of a perfect student engaged in spiritual activities and overcome all other processes of spiritual activity."

sanakadi-sukadeva tahate pramana
ei-mata nana artha karena vyakhyana

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu explained the meaning of the verse by giving evidence concerning Sukadeva Gosvami and the four rsis Sanaka, Sanat-kumara, Sanatana and Sanandana. Thus the Lord gave various meanings and explanations.

suni' bhattacaryera mane haila camatkara
prabhuke krsna jani' kare apana dhikkara

Upon hearing Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's explanation of the atmarama verse, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya was struck with wonder. He then understood Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to be Krsna in person, and he thus condemned himself in the following words.

'inho ta' saksat krsna,—muni na janiya
maha-aparadha kainu garvita ha-iya'

"Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is certainly Lord Krsna Himself. Because I could not understand Him and was very proud of my own learning, I have committed many offenses."

atma-ninda kari' laila prabhura sarana
krpa karibare tabe prabhura haila mana

When Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya denounced himself as an offender and took shelter of the Lord, the Lord desired to show him mercy.

nija-rupa prabhu tanre karaila darsana
catur-bhuja-rupa prabhu ha-ila takhana

To show him mercy, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu allowed him to see His Visnu form. Thus He immediately assumed four hands.

dekhaila tanre age catur-bhuja-rupa
pache syama-vamsi-mukha svakiya svarupa

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu first showed him the four-handed form and then appeared before him in His original form of Krsna, with a blackish complexion and a flute to His lips.

dekhi' sarvabhauma dandavat kari' padi'
punah uthi' stuti kare dui kara yudi'

When Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya saw the form of Lord Krsna manifested in Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he immediately fell down flat to offer Him obeisances. Then he stood up and with folded hands began to offer prayers.

prabhura krpaya tanra sphurila saba tattva
nama-prema-dana-adi varnena mahattva

By the mercy of the Lord, all truths were revealed to Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, and he could understand the importance of chanting the holy name and distributing love of Godhead everywhere.
(Madhya 6.186-205)