Chaitanya Mahaprabhu


Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, born Vishvambhara Mishra , was an Indian Hindu saint from Bengal and the founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mode of worshipping Krishna with bhajan-kirtan and dance had a profound effect on Vaishnavism in Bengal.
He is considered the chief proponent of the Vedantic philosophy of Achintya Bheda Abheda. The concept of inconceivable difference in non-difference, known as achintya-bhedabheda, was explained later by Jiva Gosvami in his book Bhagavat Sandharbha, and in his Sarva-samvadini.
Mahaprabhu founded Gaudiya Vaishnavism. He expounded Bhakti yoga and popularised the chanting of the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra. He composed the Shikshashtakam.
Chaitanya is sometimes called Gauranga or Gaura due to his molten gold–like complexion. His birthday is celebrated as Gaura-purnima. He is also called Nimai because he was born underneath a Neem tree.

Life

The religious hagiographies of Gauḍīya sampradāya are the only sources available for the reconstruction of Caitanya's life. These texts, consider Caitanya to be an avatāra of Kr̥ṣṇa, Svayaṁ Bhagavān, Rādhā-Kr̥ṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu, and Jagannātha. A canonical narrative was established in early 1600s through the Caitanya Caritāmr̥ta of Kr̥ṣṇadāsa Kavirāja, which is regarded within the tradition as the "final word" on Gauḍīya history and theology.
Chaitanya was born in a Brahmin family as Viśvambhara Miśra aka Nimāi, the second son of Jagannātha Miśra and his wife Śacī Devī, the daughter of Nilambara Chakrabarti, both Brahmins of Sylhet region. Jagannātha Miśra's family were from the village of Dhakadakshin in Sylhet District, where the ruins of their ancestral home still survive. Hagiographies describe his birth as a divine event and state that it predicted his future mission of propagating harināma saṃkīrtana in Kali Yuga.
While still a student, his father died, and he soon married Lakṣmīpriyā. He travelled to east Bengal to become a scholar and support his family, but his wife died in his absence. He then married Viṣnupriyā, the daughter of paṇḍit Sanātana Miśra. Viśhvambara, also known as Nimāi Paṇḍit, was a promising Sanskrit scholar and is said to have once defeated Keśava Bhaṭṭa of the Nimbārka school in a debate on Sanskrit prosody, an example of his "superhuman erudition".
Around 1508-1509, he left Nabadvip for Gaya to perform śrāddha, a ritual homage to his dead father. There, he met an ascetic named Īśvara Purī, who initiated him using a mantra for Kr̥ṣṇa worship. Gaudiya texts describe that after this meeting Viśvambhara abandoned all scholarly and domestic pursuits, developing an intense desire to hear and speak about Krishna. Within a year he took a vow of saṃnyāsa from his guru, Keśava Bhāratī, and changed his name to Kr̥ṣṇa Caitanya. His mother then asked him to at least live in the city of Puri so that he would not be too far from Bengal.
After his renunciation, Caitanya spent his time teaching Kr̥ṣṇa bhakti and engaging in communal saṁkīrtana. Hagiographies describe debates with followers of Advaita Vedānta and other theological opponents in form of digvijaya. He spent two months in Vrindavan in c. 1515, where he instructed Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī. He spent the last two decades of his life in Puri, where his ecstatic seizures yearning for Kr̥ṣṇa and his consorts, mainly Rādhā, intensified. He died in c. 1528-1534.

Teachings

The Śikṣāṣṭaka is the only work accepted to be composed by Caitanya. The poem expounds upon the subjects of harināmajapa, saṁkīrtana, the relationship between individual souls and Kr̥ṣṇa, devotional submission to Kr̥ṣṇa, and Caitanya's personal virahabhakti. Scholars debate the extent to which Caitanya played in the development of the complex Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava theology.
According to Murari Gupta, one of Caitanya's close associates, Caitanya taught that kirtana is the most effective spiritual practice in the Kali Age. He first gathered the community for kirtana in Srivasa's courtyard. Caitanya revealed bhakti as the primary means to approach Krishna, and he appointed the Goswamis, such as Srinivasa Acarya and Narottama Dasa, to gather and compose texts explaining this devotion.
According to Dinesh Chandra Sen's analysis, Caitanya's teaching is centered on prema, described in Vaishnava texts as progressing through different spiritual phases. Sen also states that Caitanya integrated compassionate service and taught that devotion to God is higher than social distinctions, quoting Caitanya's words "The moment that you say you love God, all human beings will be your brethren; there will be no Brahmin, no Sudra".

Biographies

Works on Chaitanya:
  • Krsna-Caitanya-Caritamrta : By Murari Gupta. Known as a kadcha or chronicle. Chaitanya's Navadwipa līla and each panca-tattva presented as a form of the Lord. Caitanya went for the first time to Murari's house at Navadwipa. Murari's standing and reputation for learning gave his biographical materials great weight in the Vaishnava community. This Kadcha became the guiding lines for other biographers.
  • Kadcha or chronicle : By Svarupa Damodara. He was the personal secretary of Chaitanya. Details the life of Caitanya.
  • Govindadaser Kadcha : By Govinda Dāsa who accompanied Chaitanya on his tour of Deccan. This poem describes their experiences on the journey and some imaginary events in the life of Chaitanya as well as his ideas and philosophy. It is another significant biographical work, but it was regarded as controversial because of the authenticity.
  • Chaitanya Bhagavata : By Vrindavana Dasa Thakura. Three parts: Adi-Khanda, Mādhya-Khanda, and Antya-Khanda. Chaitanya's earlier life, activities, early movement in Navadwip.
  • Krsna-Caitanya-caritra-mahakavya : By Kavi Karnapura.
  • Krsna-Caitanya-candrodaya-natakam : By Kavi Karnapura. Based on Murari Gupta's Krsna-Caitanya-Caritamrta. When Karnapura was a small child, he interacted with Chaitanya personally.
  • Caitanya-candrodaya-natakam : By Kavi Karnapura. Dramatic play in ten acts of Chaitanya's life.
  • Caitanya-caritāmṛta-kavya : By Kavi Karnapura. A long biographical poem on Chaitanya's life and acts.
  • Caitanya-caritāmṛta : By Krishnadasa Kaviraja. Three parts: Adi-lila, Madhya-lila, and Antya-lila. Massive authoritative composition of Chaitanya's biography and teachings. According to Manring, he draws liberally from previous writers as he deems correct, omitting Kavi Karnapura's works perceived as threatening Rupa's authority.
  • Caitanya-Mangala : By Jayananda. Nine parts: Adikhanda, Nadiyakhanda, Vairagyakhanda, Sannyaskhanda, Utkalkhanda, Prakashkhanda, Tirthakhanda, Vijaykhanda, and Uttarkhanda. Biographical poem in the form of a narrative play focused on Chaitanya's godly image. It is the only work in which his death is mentioned. Introduction mentions several previous biographers, of whom only Vrindavan is known. Written for the common people.
  • Chaitanya Mangala : By Lochana Dasa. Four parts: Sutrakhanda, Adikhanda, Madhyakhanda, and Antyakhanda. A narrative play depicting Chaitanya's childhood activities and his human side without highlighting any divine matters to make it popular. Influenced by Murari Gupta's Krsna-Caitanya-Caritamrta and Vrindavana Dasa Thakura's Chaitanya Bhagavata as well as the Mahabharata and different Puranas.
  • Chaitanya-chandrodaya-kaumudi : By Premadas. A verse adaptation to Kavi Karnapura's Caitanya-candrodaya-natakam drama.
  • Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika : By Kavi Karnapura.
  • Chaitanya-samhita : By Bhagirath Bandhu. Work follows the tradition of agama or tantric texts in its presentation as a story told by Shiva to his spouse.
  • Chaitanya-vilasa : By Madhava Dasa. A short poetical work in ten sections dealing with the life of Chaitanya. The poet probably came into contact with the saint when the latter came to Puri.
  • Gauranga-vijay : By Chundamani dasa. Biographical epic, believed to have been written in three volumes, only part of the first volume still exists. It contains some information about Chaitanya, Nityananda and Madhavendra Puri not found elsewhere.
  • Sriman-mahaprabhor-asta-kaliya-lila-smarana-mangala-stotram : By Visvanatha Chakravarti. Eleven sutras describing the eternal eight-fold daily pastimes of the fair-complexioned Lord.
  • Sri Gauranga-Lilamrta : By Krishna Dasa. Expounded on his guru's eleven sutras, often quoting verses from Vrindavana Dasa Thakura's Chaitanya Bhagavata, plus songs by Narahari Ghanashyama and Lochana Dasa.
  • Caitanya-upanisad: A book that is a part of the Atharvaveda which offers overwhelming evidence of Chaitanya's identity as the Supreme Lord and Yuga Avatara.
  • Sri Caitanya-caranamrta Bhasva : By Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Commentary on an original handwritten manuscript of the Caitanya-upanisad from one pandita, Madhusudana Maharaja, of Sambala-Pura.
  • Amrita-pravaha-bhashya : By Bhaktivinoda Thakur. Commentary on Caitanya-upanisad.
  • Anubhāsya : By Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Commentary on Krishnadasa Kaviraja's Caitanya-caritāmṛta
  • Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta : By A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami in English with original Bengali and Sanskrit. Commentary on Krishnadasa Kaviraja's Caitanya-caritāmṛta, based on Bhaktivinoda Thakur's Amrita-pravaha-bhashya and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati's Anubhāsya commentaries.
  • Krishna-Caitanya, His Life and His Teachings : By Walther Eidlitz, originally written in German - Kṛṣṇa-Caitanya: sein Leben und seine Lehre, and published by , 1968, as a part of the scientific series "Stockholm studies in comparative religion".