Sometimes we may be misguided to believe that we must not study the devotional books, thinking: «To analyse, to know, that is not part of devotion. That is not necessary; it is knowledge, jnan, and that is anti-devotion.» Thinking in this way we will go on taking the Holy Name, and wherever there is some explanation being given about the devotional school, we will try to avoid it. But that is not always best, because by hearing from the proper source we get the kind of knowledge that gives us impetus to go on in our sadhana.
In Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta Srila Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami says: siddhanta baliya, we should discuss the siddhanta (perfect conclusions of devotion). Sanatan Goswami is the acharya of siddhanta.
One may say, «What is the necessity of knowing siddhanta, what is what? I shall go on chanting the Name and wherever there is any class being given to explain Srimad Bhagavatam or Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta I shall avoid it. That is all knowledge: jnane prayasam udapasya (SB: 10.14.3), «One should totally abandon the unnecessary endeavour of gaining knowledge by discussing philosophical truths.»
But the jnan mentioned in this verse does not describe that sort of knowledge which gives us a real conception of what is the devotee, and what is God. That ‘knowledge’ appears similar to jnan externally, but if it is coming from a genuine source; it is of another type, another substance.
The warning about jnan is given because anyone may give any kind of interpretation of the revealed scriptures. It is not that we should try to know anything and everything, that whatever anyone will say, we will run there to learn something. But when there is any revelation coming through a real agent who is higher than us, we should be very earnest to hear; that will consolidate our position and help us to go on, to progress in our sadhana.
We should not reject as ‘knowledge’ that siddhanta: who is Krishna and how He is Svayam Bhagavan; who is Narayan; where are the twenty-four layers of misconception4; where is Vaikuntha, Goloka; who is Baladev; what are all the different rasas. If I say, «Oh, no, this is all jnan; dismiss it, and take the Name», that is foolishness. It should be considered as indolence, or idleness. We should invite that knowledge which will enhance our faith more profoundly. One should welcome such discussions. The Lord Himself says:
mach chitta mad-gata-prana bodhayantah parasparam
kathayantas cha mam nityam tusyanti cha ramanti cha
«The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss always enlightening one another and conversing about Me.»
So, in the association of the sadhus, to discuss about Him from different standpoints is not ‘knowledge’ to be abandoned; rather it should be spontaneously and naturally encouraged. It is called istha-gosthi: gosthi means ‘combination’ and istha,’desirable company’. In that association we must talk about Him. That is a necessary part of devotion.
And when bhava-bhakti (true devotional feeling) awakens, automatically these things will come:
ksantir avyartha-kalatvam viraktir mana-sunyata
asa-bandhah samutkantha nama-gane sada ruchih
asaktis tad-gunakhyane pritis tad vasati-sthale
ity-adayo ’nubhavah syur jata-bhavankure jane
«When the seed of ecstatic emotion for Krishna fructifies in the heart of the devotee, the following symptoms naturally manifest in his behavior: he feels forbearance; he doesn’t like to waste any time; he is detached from the mundane; he is free from pride; he lives in full hope; he is always eager to serve; he always has a taste for chanting the Lord’s Name; he loves to tell of the divine qualities of the Lord; and he loves the Holy Abode of the Lord. These nine are called anubhava, subordinate signs of ecstatic love.»
If a sadhu spontaneously out of his own accord is expressing so many qualities of Krishna, and we go away, losing the benefit of that — it is suicidal! Rather, we need attachment for that, asaktih: «Oh, the good qualities of Krishna are being explained through this agent; I must try to give my ear to that.» Otherwise, why has the ear been created? It has been created only to receive tidings of Him! The ear and the brain have been created for that purpose only, and both must have their fulfilment in Krishna-katha, Hari-katha.
For what purpose is the Gita there, the Bhagavat? What is maya? What is svarup-sakti? What is real knowledge, and what is misconceived, apparent ‘knowledge’? All these things we must know to a certain extent, because to avoid what is undesirable and to accept what is desirable presupposes some sort of knowledge at every step of our progress.
So, jnane prayasam udapasya, to abandon fruitless knowledge-seeking does not mean we must not talk about Krishna amongst ourselves, or that when a sadhu is explaining about the Lord’s Nama, Rupa, Guna, and Lila (Names, Forms, Qualities, and Pastimes), we should flee from that place! It is not like that. By jnan, in the sense used here, is meant the teachings of the sankhya of the atheist Kapila, the schools of Patanjali (yoga), Jaimini (karma-mimamsa), the Buddhist school, and so on. And the advice to avoid them is also meant for the beginner, but the preacher will have to come into contact with everything — to smash them.
And also sometimes jnan, knowledge which is necessary, can come from within. There is a stage of devotion when the necessary knowledge comes from within, automatically. There is a stage of bhakti where things occur in this way; it is revelatory, through revelation we can understand. Without any study but being supplied internally by Chaitya-guru (the Lord as our inner guide), sometimes knowledge of devotion may come to us; but generally it will be by hearing from the lips of the devotees.
So the plane, the conception of Krishna in Vrndavan, is not lacking in chit, in knowledge. Chit means chetan, that is, consciousness, to know. It is not in want of grandeur and awe, such as is found in Vaikuntha. But when ananda (joy, ecstasy) takes precedence over chit, then it is advised, «Don’t endeavour much through knowledge.» There is sat-chit-ananda (eternity, knowledge, and bliss) and by chit, by the faculty of knowing and understanding, we cannot achieve everything. But everything comes automatically to us by service. In service, there is also knowledge, a department of knowledge, and that develops automatically.
(4) The twenty-four elements by which the baddha-jiva (conditioned soul) is covered.