After Śrī Vinoda-bihārī Brahmacārī received harināma initiation from Śrīla Prabhupāda, he returned home and began regular studies at Daulatpura College. From time to time, however, he went to Śrī Dhāma Māyāpura to Śrīla Prabhupāda’s lotus feet, where he listened to Śrīla Prabhupāda’s powerful hari-kathā with faith and full concentration.
In those days, the college syllabus included a study of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. The teacher would try to explain the Bengali and Sanskrit verses of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta in class, but he could not really fathom the text, with its difficult philosophical points and elevated devotional sentiments. Although Śrī Vinoda-bihārī was just a student, he understood the profound and complicated philosophical ideas and high devotional sentiments of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta and readily explained them so that others could also understand. His erudition fascinated the other students as well as his teacher.
One day while studying Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, they were discussing sanātana-śikṣā, the teachings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, and read the verse:
kṛṣṇera svarūpa-vicāra śuna, sanātana advaya-jñāna-tattva, vraje vrajendra-nandana
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā 20.152)
[O Sanātana, please hear about Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s svarūpa, His intrinsic form. He is the non-dual Absolute Truth, ever existent in Vṛndāvana as Nanda Mahārāja’s son.] The teacher explained this verse according to kevalādvaita-vāda. This theory of oneness states that the Supreme Truth (parama-tattva) is the impersonal, undifferentiated aspect of the Absolute (brahma-tattva). This brahma-tattva is the personification of knowledge ( jñāna-svarūpa); without variety (nirviśeṣa); beyond the spell of illusion (nirañjana); without power (niḥśaktik); without attributes or qualities (nirguṇa); and without form (nirākāra). This is ultimate reality; there is nothing beyond this. He went on to say that parama-tattva is seen in the form of Īśvara, or Bhagavān, the Supreme Lord endowed with personal attributes, only due to the influence of indescribable māyā. The living being is also brahma but understands itself to be a separate entity due to being covered by ignorance. The jīva can only unite with brahma or become brahma, when it removes itself from ignorance and illusion. Yogīs perceive this advaya-jñāna nirviśeṣa-vastu (the supreme non-dual, non-variegated substance) as Īśvara or Paramātmā, the Supersoul. Bhakti-yogīs see it as Bhagavān, the Supreme Person who is endowed with all attributes. Brahma is that Truth which is devoid of any material qualities (nirupādhika-tattva), but Paramātmā and Vrajendra-nandana Bhagavān is the Truth endowed with all transcendental qualities (sopādhika-tattva). All three are within advaya-jñāna. When Śrī Vinoda-bihārī heard his teacher’s interpretation of this verse, he firmly contradicted it with a sharp rebuttal. He explained that this understanding is completely imaginary and contradictory to the teachings of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the spotless Purāṇa Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Vedānta-sūtra. He then gave the following beautiful explanation of the verse in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, with evidence from the Vedas, Upaniṣads and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrī Vinoda-bihārī explained that Śrī Catur-mukha Brahmā, Nārada, Śāṇḍilya, Parāśara, Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vedavyāsa and other great sages are tattva-darśī – they have seen the Absolute Truth. They have explained that there is only one tattva, or Truth, and that is advaya-jñāna para-tattva, the non-dual Absolute Truth. Although it is non-dual, it is realized in three apparently different aspects. Dry jñānīs (empiric philosophers) use the process of nirviśeṣa-jñāna, or impersonal knowledge, to understand the Absolute Truth as the impersonal, featureless Absolute (nirviśeṣa-brahma). Yogīs realize it as the Supersoul within the heart (Paramātmā), and pure devotees, by their practice of bhakti-yoga, realize that same para-tattva as Vrajendra-nandana Bhagavān. So the non-dual Absolute is realized first as brahma, secondly as Paramātmā and finally as Bhagavān. He continued explaining that the meaning of advaya-jñāna, or non-dual reality, is that this Absolute Truth possesses an inconceivable potency (acintya-śakti) by which the impossible is made possible (aghaṭana-ghaṭana-paṭīyasī). The supreme, transcendental potency of the Absolute Truth is manifest in three aspects: the spiritual, internal potency (cit-śakti), the marginal potency (jīva-śakti) and the external potency (māyā-śakti). The cit-śakti, by the desire of para-tattva Śrī Kṛṣṇa, manifests Vaikuṇṭha, Goloka Vṛndāvana, the other spiritual abodes and everything within them. The jīva-śakti manifests innumerable living entities, and māyā-śakti manifests millions upon millions of material universes. The living entity, being manifested by jīva-śakti, has minute consciousness and can be covered by māyā. Śakti (the potency) and its transformations, the living entities and the material world, all have an eternal relationship with the possessor of potency (śaktimān). This relationship is inconceivably non-different and different (acintya-bhedābheda). That is to say, potency, the living entities and matter are simultaneously and inconceivably one with and different from the Supreme Absolute Truth, Vrajendra-nandana Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is the source of all energies. Without Him, neither the living entity nor the creation can exist. Thus, Vrajendra-nandana Śrī Kṛṣṇa is called advaya-jñāna para-tattva, the non-dual Absolute Truth. This Absolute Truth is not formless, powerless, without qualities and so on. Devotees anoint their eyes of devotion with the salve of prema and take darśana of advaya-jñāna para-tattva in the form of Vrajendra-nandana. The variety-less, characterless, formless brahma which the dry impersonal jñānīs perceive is only the bodily lustre of Vrajendra-nandana Śrī Kṛṣṇa. According to Bhagavad-gītā (14.27), the impersonal, undifferentiated aspect of the Absolute (which is the brahma-tattva of the impersonalists) is not itself the ultimate truth because it is dependent on Svayam Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa:brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham amṛtasyāvyayasya ca śāśvatasya ca dharmasya sukhasyaikāntikasya ca
[In My form as nirguṇa-saviśeṣa-tattva, I have no material characteristics, but I am full of spiritual attributes, and I am indeed the shelter of brahma, which is the ultimate goal of the jñānīs. My svarūpa in the form of nirguṇa-saviśeṣa-tattva is the support of immortality, imperishability, eternality, prema (love of God, which is the nitya-dharma, or eternal function, of the jīvas) and vraja-rasa, the form of complete happiness.] Śrī Vinoda-bihārī elaborated with further scriptural references:yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi- koṭīṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi vibhūti-bhinnam tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
Brahma-saṁhitā (5.40)
[I worship the original Personality, Śrī Govinda. The non-differentiated, impersonal brahma that has been described by the Upaniṣads has originated from the radiance of His limbs. That effulgence is distinct from the majestic opulence of billions of worlds, such as the Earth planet, which comprise the mundane realm, and is perceived as the indivisible, unlimited, endless principle of truth.] It is important to note that when the scriptures mention parama-brahma – the word brahma modified with the adjective parama, supreme – they are talking about Svayam Bhagavān Vrajendra-nandana. Therefore, parama-brahma Svayam Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa is superior to brahma. He is sarva-śaktimān, the possessor of all potencies, and akhila-rasāmṛta-mūrti, the personification of all nectarean mellows. This parama-brahma Śrī Kṛṣṇa – together with all His eternal associates, all the living entities and the material realms – is accepted as the non-dual Supreme Absolute Truth (advaya-jñāna para-tattva). The śakti of Bhagavān is described in the Vedas: “parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca – the parā-śakti, superior energy, is perceivable in different forms” (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8). And in Viṣṇu Purāṇa (6.7.61):viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā kṣetra-jñākhyā tathā parā avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate
[Viṣṇu-śakti is of three kinds – parā (transcendental), kṣetrajñā (the living entity) and avidyā (nescience). Viṣṇu’s parā-śakti is called cit-śakti, kṣetrajñā is called jīva-śakti, and avidyā is māyā-śakti.] This is also confirmed in the Vedānta: “śakti-śaktimator abhedaḥ – there is no difference between the potency (śakti) and the possessor of the potency (śaktimān).” In this way, Śrī Vinoda-bihārī established that Vrajendra-nandana Śyāmasundara is both the ultimate and direct manifest form of the advaya-jñāna para-tattva. On another occasion, the teacher chose the following verse from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā 20.108) for the class discussion:jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya—kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’ kṛṣṇera ‘taṭasthā-śakti’,‘bhedābheda-prakāśa’
[The living entity’s constitutional position is as an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. As a manifestation of Kṛṣṇa’s marginal energy he is simultaneously one with Kṛṣṇa and different from Him.] This time, too, the teacher’s explanation was contrary to the scriptures. The teacher said that the jīva is actually brahma; brahma only appears to be the jīva, as a rope falsely appears to be a snake or as an oyster shell appears to be ivory. He did not accept that the living entities are the śakti of brahma or that the living entities and the material world are transformation of śakti. Śrī Vinoda-bihārī Brahmacārī used simple examples to explain that it is the nature of the jīva to be an eternal servant of Bhagavān, the Supreme Lord. According to Bhagavad-gītā (15.7): “mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ – the jīva is a transformation of the marginal potency (taṭasthā-śakti) of sarva-śaktimān para-brahma, the Supreme Lord who possesses all potencies.” Although one cannot find perfect examples in this world to describe transcendental matters, Śrī Vinoda-bihārī used two analogies to explain the nature of the jīva: the relation of the sun’s rays to the sun and the connection of sparks to a blazing fire. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is like the sun, and the shimmering particles of light in the sun rays can be compared to the infinitesimal jīvas. Just as Śrī Kṛṣṇa is complete cit-tattva, transcendental reality, so the jīvas are minute cit-tattva. Bhagavān is the master of māyā and all other potencies (śaktis), and the jīvas can come under the control of māyā. Bhagavān is the basis of all transcendental qualities; He is the actual doer, the enjoyer and the transcendental ego, and He possesses these qualities in full, whereas the jīva only possesses them to a minute degree. The constitution (dharma) of the jīva is complete because he has a natural relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Hence, even in the jīva the idea of being the doer, the enjoyer and so forth are eternally innate. Because the jīva has forgotten Bhagavān, however, māyā covers his pure nature with a subtle and a gross material body. It is only by the causeless mercy of a pure transcendental guru or of Bhagavān Himself that the jīva can adopt the process of bhakti-yoga and thus re-establish himself in his true spiritual form (svarūpa). The other example is that of a blazing fire and its sparks. Innumerable, minute conscious jīvas manifest from the taṭasthā-śakti (marginal potency) like uncountable sparks emanating from a blazing fire. Taṭasthā-śakti is also known as jīva-śakti. Although the jīvas by nature are conscious, they are minute and therefore can be covered by the deluding material energy, māyā-śakti. Because of their marginal nature, the jīvas are qualified to go either to the spiritual world (Vaikuṇṭha) or to the material world. When they gain the strength of the spiritual potency, they can serve Bhagavān in Vaikuṇṭha. Conversely, when they are opposed to Bhagavān, they wander within the illusory material world. This is the profound purport of this verse. Hearing Śrī Vinoda-bihārī’s explanation, which was based on bhakti, everyone in his class was struck with wonder. One day Śrī Vinoda-bihārī became absorbed in contemplating the verses of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. He reflected that this human form of life is extremely rare. Only human beings can obtain bhagavat-tattva, knowledge of the Absolute Truth; it is not possible in other forms of life, such as birds‚ animals or trees. It is by the mercy of the Supreme Lord that one is fortunate to attain a human body, but there is no certainty when death will come. For this reason, before death comes, it is advisable to adopt the process of bhakti-yoga to make one’s life successful. There is no need for an atheistic education. Having received exclusive shelter at the lotus feet of the supremely merciful and omniscient śrī gurudeva – Śrīla Prabhupāda – one’s supreme duty is to perform hari-bhajana. Thinking like this, Śrī Vinoda-bihārī left college without taking his final exam, even though he had paid the examination fee. In 1919, he came to the lotus feet of Śrī Guru, leaving the loving ties of his affectionate mother and completely giving up everything related to land and home. His affectionate mother wept and said, “I knew that we would not be able to keep Jonā at home. My heart trembled with fear at the astounding incidents in his life. He was no ordinary child. Seeing Jonā’s astounding courage, his dedication to truth and his altruism, I could easily imagine his future. Of all my sons, I loved him the most. No one can understand how much I loved him. When I watched his supra-mundane behaviour and character, and saw his companions, I always feared he would renounce the material world and become a sannyāsī. Whatever he did was good, but I cannot stay alive without seeing him.” As she spoke, she became beside herself with grief.