Summary: An age-old question that one hears from those who are seriously pursuing spirituality is the role material knowledge should pay in a life of devotion to Krishna. This question becomes increasingly raised in a society in which a family's income is dependent upon the academic credentials a prospective employee can produce in his resume. Is a formal (material) education an asset or a detriment in one's progress in spiritual life? The story of Keshava Kashmiri, the conquering Digvijaya Pandit who Nimai Pandit defeated while He was still very young, discloses some important understandings on this topic. Overall, the childhood scholarly pastimes of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu delightfully exhibit the foolish position of those who are excessively filled with pride over their exalted position of much coveted high knowledge and high birth; while these opulences bestow a certain aura of respect, the same opulences often serve to cover the soul with a denser form of illusion (ie. pride, arrogance, self-delusion) than one who does not have the same opulences. The reading material focuses upon how the Lord's potency of material knowledge (avidya) acts to fulfill diverse material purposes, while simultaneously keeping a materially inclined person fixed in his attitude of aversion to the position of surrender to the Supreme. Yet, this same material-inducing energy has a completely spiritual counterpart! This mystery is explored in our reading for this week. Questions: 1) "Material knowledge can be either a great detriment for the soul who is in the beginning stages of striving for Krishna consciousness, or else it can become a very useful asset." True or False -- Explain. 2) The Supreme Lord has three primary divisions of potency, namely internal, external and marginal. The living entity is part of the Lord's marginal potency. Explain what this reading assignment teaches about the effect which the other two potencies have upon the marginal potency. What determines whether we will be influenced by the internal or the external potency? How are these two potencies (ie. the internal potency of Krishna, and His external potency) related to one another? 3) If one is engaged in the cultivation of material knowledge, for career purposes or for other duties in life, what specific precautions should one take? Reading Assignment a) Part of Chaitanya Bhagavat Adi-Khanda, Ch 13, "Defeating Digvijaya Pandit" and b)  Isopanisad 9, 11 and 14 a) Part of Chaitanya Bhagavat Adi-Khanda, Ch 13, "Defeating Digvijaya Pandita" 1. From Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur's Chapter Summary: *[NOTE: The story has evolved to the point where the Digvijaya Pandit has been totally humiliated by his being rendered unable to speak anything in his encounter with Nimai Pandit, because the material manisfestation of Devi Saraswati hid herself, in shame of the pride of Digvijaya, her worshiper, as the Digvijaya attempted to defeat the goddesses' own master, the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna Caitanya. The Digvijaya, realizing his mistake, came to apologize to Nimai for his arrogance; Nimai then began to explain the difference between spiritual knowledge and material knowledge.] "The Lord, who is the master of Sarasvati, also instructed Digvijaya about the superiority of spiritual knowledge, which is favorable for worshiping the Supreme Lord, and the abomination of material knowledge, which is the source of false pride and domination. The Lord said, 'The fruit of cultivating knowledge is to fix the mind at the lotus feet of Krishna, and devotion to Vishnu, or spiritual knowledge, is the only truth and desirable object.'" 2. From the texts of Chapter 13, with commentary by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur (= SBSST). *Note: In the texts below, Vrndavana dasa thakura and SBSST are presenting the same conclusion as Srimad-bhagavatam, i.e. That The internal potency of the lord has her reflection in the material Realm; Saraswati devi exists in both realms, exhibiting either Spiritual knowledge or material knowledge, depending on the Soul's disposition toward's the supreme. Material knowledge Induces pride and arrogance, thus furthering one's tendancy to Forget the supreme lord. Spiritual knowledge accompanies the holy name of the lord.* Text 21 visnu-bhakti-svarupini, visnu-baksah-sthita Murti-bhede rama, -- sarasvati jagan-mata Sarasvati is the personification of devotional service to Lord Vishnu. Being nondifferent from Lakshmi, she eternally resides on the chest of Lord Vishnu. She is the mother of the universe. Commentary Rama refers to Shri-shakti, or Lakshmi, who resides on the chest of Vishnu. Sarasvati is the personification of devotional service, or Bhushakti. She is the consort of the holy name of the Lord. The phrase jagan-mata refers to Vishnu's Nila, Lila, and Durga shaktis. Although the features of Rama, Sarasvati, and Durga are different, they are all actually nondifferent from Shri Narayana, or Lakshmi, the internal potency of Shri Narayana. They are all personifications of Lord Vishnu's service. Since they are all principal asraya-vigrahas, they are the mothers of the universe. Text 22 Bhagya-vase brahmanera pratyaksa haila "tribhuvana digvijayi" kari vara dila Due to the brahmana's great fortune, she appeared before him and blessed him to conquer the three worlds. Commentary Spiritual knowledge, or Sarasvati, hides her real identity from those who are proud, foolish, attached to material enjoyment, and absorbed in the false ego of thinking themselves the doers; and in her shadow form of Dusta Sarasvati, she deceives them by awarding them benedictions. Though such puffed-up people who receive her benedictions are able to conquer the three worlds, they are eligible for being totally defeated by the Supreme Lord, who is the ultimate giver of all benedictions. Sarasvati devi never desires that her worshipable Lord may be defeated, so she deceives the conditioned souls who are bewildered by Maya from chanting the glories of the Lord's holy names. When Suddha Sarasvati devi sees that her worshiper is not inclined towards the service of the Supreme Lord, she bewilders him with material knowledge, which is her shadow form. 3. Text 131 [Note: In this purport, SBSST presents our acharya's Srimad Bhagavatam commentaries, which make reference to two slokas from Srimad-bhagavatam, namely texts 2.5.12 and 2.5.13. These two verses describe how Maya devi views her service to bhagavan Sri Krishna, when she covers with material knowledge the living entity who is averse to him; this material covering keeps the bewildered living entity from even attempting to approach krishna, due to his excessive pride, material desires, i-and-mine consciousness, etc.] [TEXT OF Srimad Bhagavatam 2.5.12 is as follows: tasmai namo bhagavate vasudevaya dhimahi yan-mayayaya durjayaya mam vadanti jagad-gurum TRANSLATION I offer my obeisances and meditate upon Lord Krishna [Vasudeva], the Personality of Godhead, whose invincible potency influences them [the less intelligent class of men] to call me the supreme controller.] After Narada Muni inquired about the actual identities of Lord Vishnu and Maya, Brahma offered obeisances to the Supreme Lord and spoke the following verse from Shrimad-Bhagavatam (2.5.13): vilajjamanaya yasya sthatum iksa-pathe 'muya vimohita vikatthante mamaham iti durdhiyah "The illusory energy of the Lord cannot take precedence, being ashamed of her position, but those who are bewildered by her always talk nonsense, being absorbed in thoughts of "It is I" and "It is mine" Commentary "Since the verse previous to this [i.e. Bhag. 2.5.12] describes the Lord's relationship with Maya and her insurmountable position, the Supreme Lord also appears to be under the control of Maya. This doubt is removed by this verse. Thinking, "the Supreme Lord knows well about my duplicitous nature and cheating propensity," Maya is ashamed to stand before the Lord and is unable to manifest her own prowess; but being bewildered by such Maya, we, who are bewildered by nescience, become proud (while thinking in terms of "I" and "mine"). This verse also answers the question of the previous verse regarding who created this universe.(Sridhara Swami) "Being bewildered by Maya, who feels embarrassed to stand before the vision of the Lord, who is faultless and full of transcendental qualities as a result of His sac-cid-ananda nature, we glorify ourselves in terms of "I" and "mine." (Krama-sandarbha) "The word vilajjamanaya in this verse indicates that Maya's act of bewildering the living entities is not very palatable to the Supreme Lord. Though Maya knows this, according to the principle: 'persons who are averse to Krishna become fearful as a result of their absorption in objects not related to Krishna,' Maya has from time immemorial been unable to tolerate the living entities' aversion or lack of knowledge of the Supreme Lord. She thus covers the real identity of the living entities and places them in an unnatural position." (Tattva-sandarbha (32) of the Bhagavata-sandarbha) Without understanding their relationship with the Supreme Lord, both those who give respect and those who accept respect are eligible for being bewildered by Maya, who stands behind the Lord. This is being described in this verse. Considering vilajjamana, or "the Supreme Lord certain knows my duplicity," Maya, like a deceitful wife, is ashamed to stand before the Lord. In other words, she stands behind the Lord. Being bewildered by this Maya, the living entities proudly think in terms of  "I" and "mine." Aversion to the Lord should herein be understood as the back of the Lord. As soon as one is averse to the Lord, he becomes influenced by Maya; but when he is inclined towards the Lord, the influence of Maya is not found." (Sarartha-darsini) b) Sri Isopanisad Purports: Texts 9, 11 and 14. 1. Purport Text 9 "Those who simply engage in the profitless pursuit of sense gratification are worshiping avidya, according to Sri Isopanisad. And those who play the role of helping this sort of civilization in the name of educational advancement are actually doing more harm than those who are on the platform of gross sense gratification. ...In the same way, modern civilization is a patchwork of activities meant to cover the perpetual miseries of material existence. All such activities are aimed toward sense gratification. But above the senses is the mind, and above the mind is the intelligence, and above the intelligence is the soul. Thus the aim of real education should be self-realization, realization of the spiritual values of the soul. Any education which does not lead to such realization must be considered avidya, or nescience. And to culture such nescience means to go down to the darkest region of ignorance." 2. Purport, Text 11 "the aim of human life should not be to enjoy perverted sense enjoyment but to cure the material disease. Aggravation of the material disease is no sign of knowledge, but a sign of avidya, ignorance." ¦A man should lead a healthy life with a sound mind just to realize vidya, true knowledge, which is the aim of human life. This life is not meant for working like an ass or for culturing avidya for sense gratification. 3. Purport, Text 14 "The material energy, in which we are presently entangled, is the inferior energy. The material creation is made possible by this energy, which covers the living entities with ignorance (avidya) and induces them to perform fruitive activities."