Uncover the Hidden Treasure

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s parable of the astrologer and the poor man shows us how to uncover the ultimate treasure hidden within our hearts.This surprising lesson is the essence of one of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s teachings to Sanatana Goswami, as described in Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita (Madhya-lila 20.127–135) .

Once, an astrologer named Sarvajna came to the house of a poor man. Surprised at the man’s wretched condition, he asked him why he was so unhappy and why he languished in such poverty even though his wealthy father had left him a large treasure. Unfortunately, the man’s father died in a foreign place and did not disclose the location of his assets; thus, the man suffered the distress of poverty because he was ignorant of his rightful inheritance. Only the astrologer, whose name means “the omniscient one,” had the power to identify the hidden treasure and, just as important, the knowledge of the proper procedure to uncover it.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu explained to Sanatana Goswami that the astrologer represents Vedic literature, which is meant to guide people toward the ultimate treasure of love of Godhead. Just as the astrologer’s good news solved the poor man’s problems, the Vedic scriptures can solve our greatest problem: our spiritual poverty, the cause of our suffering in the temporary material world.

The astrologer said, 'The treasure is in this place, but if you dig toward the southern side, the wasps and drones will rise, and you will not get your treasure. If you dig on the western side, there is a ghost who will create such a disturbance that your hands will not even touch the treasure. If you dig on the northern side, there is a big black snake that will devour you if you attempt to dig up the treasure. However, if you dig up a small quantity of dirt on the eastern side, your hands will immediately touch the pot of treasure.

The Vedic literatures, including the Purānas, state that according to the position of the conditioned soul, there are different processes — karma-kānda, jñāna-kānda, the yogic process and the bhakti-yoga process. Karma-kānda is compared to wasps and drones that will simply bite if one takes shelter of them. Jñāna-kānda, the speculative process, is simply like a ghost who creates mental disturbances. Yoga, the mystic process, is compared to a black snake that devours people by the impersonal cultivation of kaivalya. However, if one takes to Bhakti-yoga, he becomes quickly successful. In other words, through Bhakti-yoga, one's hands touch the hidden treasure without difficulty.

The following verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.14.20-21) confirms this Superiority of Bhakti Yoga over other Yoga practices.

na sādhayati mam yogo

na sāńkhyam dharma uddhava

na svādhyāyas tapas tyāgo

yathā bhaktir mamorjitā

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, said: 'My dear Uddhava, neither through astāńga-yoga [the mystic yoga system to control the senses], nor through impersonal monism or an analytical study of the Absolute Truth, nor through study of the Vedas, nor through austerities, charity or acceptance of sannyāsa can one satisfy Me as much as by developing unalloyed devotional service unto Me.