His Mood was Completely Different After these Four Months

C hapter 17 t he S ädhu from the f ourth d imen S ion

few rare souls in this mortal world [tam aham iha golokam iti yaà, vidantas te santaù kñiti-virala-cäräù katipaye; (Çré Brahmasaàhitä, verse 5.56)]. Hence the sädhu is from the fourth dimension, but he takes on a body in this three-dimensional world so that he may attempt to free the deluded conditioned souls (us) from the fortress of mäyä (illusion).

Approach a Sādhu Not to See but to Hear Him

There is the example of the meeting between King Rahügaëa and the great sage Jaòa Bharata. Out of ignorance, the King thought that he was the master of Jaòa Bharata, who was actually a self-realised soul. Thus, out of ignorance, the King verbally chastised him. After King Rahügaëa realised his mistake, he begged forgiveness from Jada Bharata:

King Rahügaëa said: O brähmaëa, you appear to be moving in this world very much covered and unknown to others. Who are you? Are you a learned brähmaëa and saintly person? I see that you are wearing a sacred thread. Are you one of those exalted, liberated saints such as Dattätreya and other highly advanced, learned scholars? May I ask whose disciple you are? Where do you live? Why have you come to this place? Is your mission in coming here to do good for us? Please let me know who you are.

“My dear sir, I am not at all afraid of the thunderbolt of King Indra, nor am I afraid of the serpentine, piercing trident of Lord Çiva. I do not care about the punishment of Yamaräja, the superintendent of death, nor am I afraid of fire, scorching sun, moon, wind, nor the weapons of Kuvera. Yet I am afraid of offending a brähmaëa. I am very much afraid of this.”10

A lwAys E mbr A c E d by K åñë A

The King then asked Jaòa Bharata to explain the science of self-realisation to him. The point is that if we are in the association of a great saintly personality then we should take their association by hearing the science of the self from them.

Śruta-īkṣita Pathaḥ

The path of Seeing by Hearing

Then there is the example of Çréla Çukadeva Gosvämé himself:

katham älakñitaù pauraiù sampräptaù kuru-jäìgalän unmatta-müka-jaòavad vicaran gaja-sähvaye

“How was he [Çréla Çukadeva, the son of Vyäsa] recognised by the citizens when he entered the city of Hastinäpura [now Delhi], after wandering in the provinces of Kuru and Jäìgala, appearing like a madman, dumb and retarded?”11

“…Gosvämé Çukadeva, after leaving his paternal home, was roaming like a madman, and therefore it was very difficult for the citizens to recognise him in his exalted position. A sage is not, therefore, recognised by sight, but by hearing. One should approach a sädhu or great sage not to see but to hear him. If one is not prepared to hear the words of a sädhu, there is no profit...”12

Çréla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda has also said on this subject matter:

“...And by hearing you will see....”13