The Devotee’s Background
In the same region of Kūrma-kṣetra, not far from the house of the devotee Kūrma Brāhmaṇa, there lived another learned brāhmaṇa.
He was a strict ascetic and scholar, deeply engaged in study of the Vedas and in severe austerities. His heart, however, was not yet softened by devotion.
His ambition was to attain mukti, or liberation—the merging of the self into the infinite, free from birth and death.
When he heard that a golden sannyāsī named Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was visiting the holy places and distributing divine love, he felt a strong curiosity to meet Him.
The Meeting
When Śrī Caitanya arrived at his home, the brāhmaṇa offered Him food, water, and respectful hospitality.
After the meal, he sat before the Lord and asked earnestly, “O revered one, You are a great saint, filled with knowledge and compassion. I wish to be freed from the bondage of karma and attain liberation. Please instruct me on how I can achieve that state.”
Mahāprabhu smiled gently and replied, “The desire for liberation is noble, but higher than liberation is service to the Supreme Lord. Liberation follows a devotee like a shadow, but the devotee seeks only love.”
The brāhmaṇa was astonished. “Love greater than liberation? I have never heard this teaching before,” he said.
The Lord’s Instruction
Śrī Caitanya then quoted a verse from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.29.13):
“Neither the attainment of the heavenly planets, nor liberation from matter, nor mastery over the universe can satisfy the heart of a devotee who has once tasted the sweetness of My service.”
He continued, “The impersonal liberation you seek is like a drop of water. But devotion to Kṛṣṇa is an infinite ocean of nectar. Why settle for the drop when you can dive into the sea?”
Hearing these words, the brāhmaṇa felt as though lightning had struck his heart—burning away all his dry intellectual pride. He fell at Mahāprabhu’s feet, weeping, “O Lord! Until today, I knew only philosophy. Now I have understood love.”
Mahāprabhu lifted him gently and said, “Chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa constantly. In the sound of His name lies everything—knowledge, liberation, and the highest bliss. Do not seek freedom; seek the Lord Himself, and freedom will follow.”
The Transformation
From that day, the brāhmaṇa’s life changed completely.
He abandoned the mechanical pursuit of impersonal liberation and dedicated himself to bhakti, the loving service of God.
Where once he had discussed scriptures to win arguments, now he spoke only to glorify Kṛṣṇa’s names.
Where once he had sought release from the world, now he found joy in serving others and spreading the message of divine love.
People who saw him noticed that his face, once stern and cold, now glowed with peace and sweetness.
Reflection
Śrī Caitanya’s meeting with the brāhmaṇa reveals that love is the highest liberation.
The Lord does not wish us to dissolve into nothingness but to live eternally in loving relationship with Him.
The desire to escape suffering is natural, but the desire to love in spite of suffering is divine.
Through the holy name, Mahāprabhu transformed a seeker of liberation into a lover of God, showing that devotion is not the means to an end—it is the end itself.
Source
Source: “Experiences in Bhakti: The Science Celestial,” by O. B. L. Kapoor — Chapter Six: Verification of the Law of Reciprocation (place: Kūrma-kṣetra, South India).
