As Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, māṁ ca vyabhicāriṇi-bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate: "One who is engaged in bhakti-yoga service," sa guṇan samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26), "he's already in the Brahman stage." People cannot understand how bhakti is on the Brahman platform. But here the Lord Himself says, brahma-bhūyāya kalpate.
- dāridrya-nāśa bhava-kṣaya-premera 'phala' nay
- prema-sukha-bhoga-mukhya prayojana haya
- (CC Madhya 20.142)
So when one is elevated in the platform of devotional service, it is not that he gets some material happiness, that is the result. No. Material happiness automatically comes to him. Material happiness . . . a devotee is not bereft of material happiness. Automatically comes to him. So that is not the ultimate goal of a devotee's life. A devotee's ultimate goal of life: how he becomes, I mean to say, a lover of the Supreme Lord.
The example are the gopīs, or the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. They had no other desire. They simply wanted to love Kṛṣṇa. They wanted to see Kṛṣṇa very happy. That feeling of happiness, that thinking of Kṛṣṇa, that is the highest perfection of life. Always, constantly thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That was their happiness. They do not . . . they did not try to derive any material happiness by loving Kṛṣṇa. There was no such thing. That is pure love . . . (indistinct)
- dāridrya-nāśa bhava-kṣaya-premera 'phala' naya
- prema-sukha-bhoga-mukhya prayojana haya
- (CC Madhya 20.142)
So we should be trying for that position when we shall relish what is the position by loving Kṛṣṇa, by loving God.
- veda-śāstre kahe sambandha abhidheya prayojana
- kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa-bhakti prema-tina mahā-dhana
- (CC Madhya 20.143)
Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu concludes again that we are after dhana. Dhana are riches. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that Kṛṣṇa and kṛṣṇa-bhakti, devotional service, and love of Kṛṣṇa, these three items are the topmost riches of our life.
- vedādi sakala śāstre kṛṣṇa-mukhya sambandha
- tāṅra jñāne ānuṣaṅge yāya māyā-bandha
- (CC Madhya 20.144)
Caitanya Mahāprabhu further says that the purpose of studying Vedas means to understand Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as one understands Kṛṣṇa, automatically the tinges of māyā, the influence of māyā, automatically becomes vanquished. That is also stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam . . . er, Bhagavad-gītā, that:
- daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī
- mama māyā duratyayā
- mām eva ye prapadyante
- māyām etāṁ taranti (te)
- (BG 7.14)
"It is very difficult to surmount the stringent laws of material nature, but anyone who surrenders unto Me, very easily, automatically, simultaneously he becomes freed from the contamination of māyā."
- mukhya-gauṇa-vṛtti, kiṁvā anvaya vyatireke
- vedera pratijñā kevala kahaye kṛṣṇake
- (CC Madhya 20.146)
Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "Directly or indirectly, whichever Vedic literature you study, you'll find that the aim is to understand Kṛṣṇa." When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was preaching, He proved that in the Koran there is Kṛṣṇa-bhakti. When He was coming back from Vṛndāvana, at a place . . . it is known as Soro. Perhaps you know, Soro. That is a holy place, Soro. Still, people go there. There is a nice place, Soro. So there Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was chanting and dancing, He sometimes fainted. So in the course of His chanting and dancing, when He fainted, then His personal assistants, they were treating Him.
So one batch of soldiers, Moghul, Pathan soldiers, were passing that way. So the chief of the soldiers, of the army, they were surprised, that "How is that? One man is lying unconscious, and others are treating him. This must have been . . . this man must have been poisoned by these men." So they came down, because they were government men, they came down and challenged all these men that "You have given this man some drug so that he's fainted, and you wanted to plunder him. So we arrest you." Then they said, "No, sir. We have not done anything such. He faints like that while chanting. Now He'll be . . . very soon He'll get up, because we are also chanting. Hearing, hearing, He will get up."
So in this way, when He came to His consciousness, the Muslims, these Pathan soldiers, they were very happy to see Him. So there was a Mullah. So he talked with Him. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu—I am summarizing the story; this story is very big—He talked with that Mullah, and He proved from the Koran that there is Kṛṣṇa-bhakti. He proved from the Koran that there is kṛṣṇa-bhakti, there is hint of Kṛṣṇa-bhakti.