Subject: Srila Prabhupada glorifies Sri Gaura Purnima- Divine Appearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
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Srila Prabhupada re: the rarity of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s avatara on this planet. Devotee (8): Śrīla Prabhupāda, does Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu also appear every day of Brahma. Srila Prabhupāda: Yes, following Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa comes in the Dvāpara-yuga. There are four periods of each yuga: Sattva, Tretā, Dvāpara, Kali. So Kṛṣṇa comes at the end of Dvāpara-yuga, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu comes in the Kali-yuga. So almost about the same year, same circulation. Just like the sun appears after so many hours. It is like that. And the sun does not disappear. Sun is already there in the sky. It may not be in Australia’s vision, but it may be in other country’s vision. The sun is not dead. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa appears by rotation in this universe after so many years, eight billion and billion years. So next He goes to another universe. Just like the sun, after disappearance from Australia, it goes to another country. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, after finishing His business in this universe, He goes to another universe. In this way the rotation takes eight million, nine billion years. Just imagine how many universes are there. He stays in one universe for 125 years. Everything is there, calculation, in the śāstra. Now we can imagine how many universes are there. That is, altogether, material world… Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures : Canto 6: Lectures : SB 6.1: Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.3 — Melbourne, May 22, 1975 ….
Srila Prabhupada explains the real nature of the form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is none other than the combined form of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. He is the life of those devotees who strictly follow in the footsteps of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī are the two principal followers of Śrīla Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, who acted as the most confidential servitor of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, known as Viśvambhara in His early life. A direct disciple of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī was Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. The author of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, stands as the direct disciple of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī.Adi lila.Sri Kavi Karnapura glorifies the divine appearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Sri Kavi Karnapura explains the esoteric reason for the appearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.Sri Vrindavana bhuvi pura sac cid ananda sandrogaurangibhih sadrsa rucibhih syama dhama nanartatasam sasvad drdhatara parirambha sambhedatah kimgaurangah san jayati sa navadvipam alambamanah The dark complexioned Sri Krsna, whose form is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge (sac-cid-ananda), formerly danced with the golden-compexioned Gopis in the land of Vrindavana. By intently embracing them, He attained a golden complexion like theirs. In this golden form He has now appeared in the town of Navadvipa. Sri Kavi Karnapura in Sri Gaura-Ganoddesa-Dipika Text 1 (Translation by Sriman Kusakratha dasa)
Sri Prabhodhanda Sarasvati explains why Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in this world.stumas tam caitanyakrtim ati-vimaryada-paramadbhutaudaryam varyam vraja-pati-kumaram rasayitumvisuddha-sva-premonmada-madhura piyusa-laharimpradatum canebhyah para-pada-nabadvipa-prakatam ” Let us glorify the boundless merciful Suipreme Personality of Godhead, the prince of Vraja. To taste the intoxicating sweet waves of the nectar of transcendental love for Krsna as well as to give that nectar to others, He has now appeared in the transcendental abode of Navadvipa as Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.” Sri Caitanya-Candramrta, Chapter One, Text One (Translation by Sriman Kusakratha dasa)
Citing Sri Prabhodhananda Saravati, Srila Prabhupada explains the power of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy upon His devotees.kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tri-daśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate
durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate
viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate
yat-kāruṇya-kaṭākṣa-vaibhavavatāṁ taṁ gauram eva stumah Lectures : Bhagavad-gita Lectures : Bg 4: Lectures : Bhagavad-gita 4.26 — Bombay, April 15, 1974 : 740415BG.BOM : There is another verse written by Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī. He said, kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tridaśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate. Protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate. Just like dentist, when there some pain in the teeth, they extract. That is called protkhāta, extracted. So the indriyas have been compared with kāla-sarpa, kāla-sarpa, means a venomous snake. As soon as the kāla-sarpa or snake touches in any part of your body, because the venomous teeth is there, death is there immediately. Therefore they’re called kāla-sarpa. Kāla means death. Kāla-sarpa. Therefore we are so much afraid of a snake. So but if the kāla-sarpa’s poison teeth is taken away, then it is no more, I mean, fearful. It is no more dangerous. Therefore Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī says that “By the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, our indriyas, the senses, which are compared with the kāla-sarpa, may be kāla-sarpa, but the poison teeth is extracted.” Durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate Lectures : Bhagavad-gita Lectures : Bg 4: Lectures : Bhagavad-gita 4.26 — Bombay, April 15, 1974 : 740415BG. Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures : Canto 1: Lectures : SB 1.8: Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.18-19 — Bombay, April 9, 1971 : 710409SB.BOM : So yoga-siddhi, jugglery, yoga-siddhi magic, captivates foolish persons. So they want yoga-siddhi. If some foolish persons gather, then he gets sense enjoyment. That is another type of sense enjoyment. So therefore in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. They are not paramahaṁsas. Paramahaṁsa… Here it is stated that bhakti-yoga-vidhānārtham. Tathā paramahaṁsānāṁ munīnām amalātmanām [SB 1.8.20]. Amalātmanām means when there is no more dirty things. The karmīs, they have got dirty things, sense enjoyment. The jñānīs, they have got also dirty things. One may say that “Mukti is dirty thing?” Yes. According to Vaiṣṇava calculation it is dirty thing, because Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he said, kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Kaivalyam means to become one with the Supreme, mukti. He said, “It is exactly like hell.” Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tri-daśa-pūrākāśa-puṣpāyate. “And these heavenly planets,” the domain or the objective of the karmīs, “that is like flower in the sky.” And durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate. Durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī. The yogis, their first business is… They get so much yoga-siddhi because first business is indriya-saṁyama. Yoga-siddhi is not obtained easily. One has to practice it. And the first practice is controlling the senses. Durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyateSrila Prabhupada elaborates and describes the benefit of surrendering to the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya MahaprabhuSakalam eva vihāya dūrād caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam. You just try to submit yourself on the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya. By His mercy you’ll find that, kaivalyaṁ narakāyate, you’ll find that to become one with the Supreme, it will appear to you just like hell. To merge into the Supreme, that is the highest ambition of the impersonalists. But if you submit yourself to the lotus feet of Caitanyacandra, then you’ll find that this conception is just like hell. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Naraka means hell. You’ll find kaivalyam, to become one. And tridaśa-pūrākāśa-puṣpāyate. Tri-daśa-pūra means the planets, higher planets where demigods live. Thirty-three million demigods, there are at least thirty-three million planets. Tri-daśa-pūrākāśa-puspayateLectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures : Canto 1: Lectures : SB 1.5: Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.8-9 — New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969
Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures : Canto 1: Lectures : SB 1.5: Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.8-9 — New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969 : 690524SB.NVdentist, when there some pain in the teeth, they extract. That is called protkhāta, extracted. So the indriyas have been compared with kāla-sarpa, kāla-sarpa, means a venomous snake. As soon as the kāla-sarpa or snake touches in any part of your body, because the venomous teeth is there, death is there immediately. Therefore they’re called kāla-sarpa. Kāla means death. Kāla-sarpa. Therefore we are so much afraid of a snake. So but if the kāla-sarpa’s poison teeth is taken away, then it is no more, I mean, fearful. It is no more dangerous. Therefore Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī says that “By the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, our indriyas, the senses, which are compared with the kāla-sarpa, may be kāla-sarpa, but the poison teeth is extracted.” Durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate Lectures : Bhagavad-gita Lectures : Bg 4: Lectures : Bhagavad-gita 4.26 — Bombay, April 15, 1974 : 740415BG. Lectures : Sri Isopanisad Lectures : Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 13-15 — Los Angeles, May 18, 1970 : 700518IP.LA : The idea is that Kṛṣṇa planet or the Vaikuṇṭha planets, they are beyond this Brahman effulgence, and those who are devotees, they are permitted to enter into these spiritual planets. Those who are not devotees, simply jñānīs or demons… The jñānīs and demons, they are offered the same place. The jñānīs… Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ [SB 10.2.32]. They practice severe austerities, penances, to enter into the Brahman effulgence. But the demons, simply by becoming enemy of Kṛṣṇa, they immediately get that place. The demons who are killed by Kṛṣṇa, they are immediately transferred to this Brahman effulgence. So just imagine, the place which is given to the enemies of Kṛṣṇa, is that very covetable thing? Suppose if somebody comes who is my enemy, I give him some place, and somebody, my intimate friend, I give him some other place. Similarly, this Brahman effulgence is not at all covetable. Therefore Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda, he has composed a verse, that Brahman… Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Kaivalya means the Brahman effulgence, simply spiritual light. So kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. He says that this Brahman effulgence is just like hell. For a devotee, this Brahman… The jñānīs who are trying to merge into the Brahman effulgence, for devotee it is stated as hell. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Tri-daśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate (Caitanya-candrāmṛta 5). And tri-daśa-pūr means the planets of the demigods within this material world. People are very much anxious to go into the heavenly planet. That is called tri-daśa-pūr or tri-daśa-pūr, the residential quarters of the demigods. And for a devotee it is understood as will-o’-the-wisp, ākāśa-puṣpāyate. And durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate. And the yogis, they are trying to control the senses, which are considered as venomous serpents, the senses. That’s a fact. So the bhakta says that “We are not afraid of the senses.” Why? Protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate. Because we have extracted the poison teeth. The senses has got a poison teeth. As soon as you indulge in sense gratification, immediately you become degraded. Immediately. So it is just like a venomous serpent. As soon as touches you, little biting, finished your life. So it is like that. Durdānta-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī, indriya. But these venomous snakes, if their poison teeth is taken away, then it may be fearful for the boys and children. But if an elderly person knows that his poison teeth has been taken away, nobody’s afraid of it. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that we take away the poison teeth of the senses. So that even Kṛṣṇa conscious persons are allowed for sense gratification, the poison teeth is broken. So therefore they are not gliding down to the hellish condition of life. So in this way, either the karmīs or the jñānīs or the yogis, they are always… They are, every one of them, trying to elevate. And above them is the devotees Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures : Canto 1: Lectures : SB 1.8: Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.18-19 — Bombay, April 9, 1971 : 710409SB.BOM : So yoga-siddhi, jugglery, yoga-siddhi magic, captivates foolish persons. So they want yoga-siddhi. If some foolish persons gather, then he gets sense enjoyment. That is another type of sense enjoyment. So therefore in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. They are not paramahaṁsas. Paramahaṁsa… Here it is stated that bhakti-yoga-vidhānārtham. Tathā paramahaṁsānāṁ munīnām amalātmanām [SB 1.8.20]. Amalātmanām means when there is no more dirty things. The karmīs, they have got dirty things, sense enjoyment. The jñānīs, they have got also dirty things. One may say that “Mukti is dirty thing?” Yes. According to Vaiṣṇava calculation it is dirty thing, because Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he said, kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Kaivalyam means to become one with the Supreme, mukti. He said, “It is exactly like hell.” Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tri-daśa-pūrākāśa-puṣpāyate. “And these heavenly planets,” the domain or the objective of the karmīs, “that is like flower in the sky.” And durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate. Durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī. The yogis, their first business is… They get so much yoga-siddhi because first business is indriya-saṁyama. Yoga-siddhi is not obtained easily. One has to practice it. And the first practice is controlling the senses. Durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyateSrila Prabhupada cites Sri Prabhodhananda Sarasvati explaining the glorious appearance and golden form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.ananda lilamaya vigrahayahemabha-divya-cchavi-sundarayatasmai maha-prema-rasa-pradayaIn the year 1407 of the Śaka Era (A.D. 1486), Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared, and in the year 1455 (A.D. 1534) He disappeared from this worldcaitanyacandraya namo namaste O Lord Caitanyacandra, O Lord whose form is full of blissful pastimes, O Lord whose complexion is as splendid gold, O Lord who gives incharity the nectar of pure love for Krsna, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. Sri Caitanya-Candramrta 2.11. (translation by Sriman Kusakratha dasa) Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures : Canto 1: Lectures : SB 1.8: Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.21 — New York, April 13, 1973 : 730413SB.NY : So ānanda-līlāmaya-vigraha. Ānanda-līlā, Kṛṣṇa’s līlā, pastimes are all jubilant. Ānanda-līlāmaya. Ānandamayo ‘bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). He is by nature ānandamaya. Kṛṣṇa, you’ll never find Kṛṣṇa is very unhappy. Kṛṣṇa is never unhappy. Kṛṣṇa is always happy. Therefore nanda-gopa-kumārāya govindāya [SB 1.8.21]. He is happy, and whoever, whoever associates with Him, he’s also happy. Govindāya. We are after sense gratification. Go means senses. So if you associate with Kṛṣṇa, you enjoy your senses affluently. Just like the gopīs are dancing with Kṛṣṇa. So there is no scarcity of sense gratification also. But that is not this sense gra…, gross sense gratification. That is spiritual sense. That is spiritual sense. Ānanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya [Bs. 5.32]. We chant every day. That sense, you get, sense gratification is ānanda-cinmaya, cinmaya, in the spiritual world. Not this third-class ānanda with these bodily senses. This is not ānanda. This is an illusion. This is illusion. We are thinking that “I’m enjoying,” but that is not ānanda. This ānanda is not fact, because we cannot enjoy this material sense pleasure for long. Everyone has got experience. It is finished. It is finished. But spiritual enjoyment does not finish. It increases. That is the difference. Ānanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya govindam ādi-puruṣam [Bs. 5.32
Srila Prabhupada cites Krsna dasa Kaviraja Goswami in His Caitanya-Caritamrta description of the details of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s avirbhava (appearance)
| śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya navadvīpe avatari āṭa-calliśa vatsara prakaṭa vihari Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, adventing Himself in Navadvīpa, was visible for forty-eight years, enjoying His pastimes. CC adi Lila 13.8,9,10, In the year 1407 of the Śaka Era (A.D. 1486), Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared, and in the year 1455 (A.D. 1534) He disappeared from this world. CCai-Lila 13In the year 1407 of the Śaka Era (A.D. 1486), Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared, and in the year 1455 (A.D. 1534) He disappeared from this world.9 I offer my respectful obeisances unto the full-moon evening in the month of Phālguna, an auspicious time full of auspicious symptoms, when Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu advented Himself with the chanting of the holy name, Hare Kṛṣṇa. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the full-moon evening in the month of Phālguna, an auspicious time full of auspicious symptoms, when Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu advented Himself with the chanting of the holy name, Hare Kṛṣṇa CC Adi-Lila 13.19 On the full-moon evening of the month of Phālguna when the Lord took birth, coincidentally there was also a lunar eclipseCC Adi-Lila 13.20 In jubilation everyone was chanting the holy name of the Lord-“Hari! Hari!”-and Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then appeared, after first causing the appearance of the holy nameCC Adi-Lila 13.21 |
| “…Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is none other than the combined form of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. He is the life of those devotees who strictly follow in the footsteps of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī are the two principal followers of Śrīla Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, who acted as the most confidential servitor of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, known as Viśvambhara in His early life. A direct disciple of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī was Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. The author of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, stands as the direct disciple of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī.Adi lila. So we are spreading the mission of Sri caitanya mahaprabhu, this mission. Radha-Krishna mission it is practically. Sri Krsna Caitanya radha krsna nahe anya. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is combination of Radha -Krsna. Radha-Krsna pranya-vikrtitir hladini saktir asmad. Krsna and Radharani, the same absolute truth. Radharani is the pleasure potency of Krsna.and when Krsna wants to enjoy, He expands His pleasure potency in the form of Radharani. And when He wants to spread he lovig affairs of Radha and Krsna, He takes the form of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and very kindlyHe gives the love of Krsna. Srila Prabhupada talk at Radha Govinda-Mandita, Calcutta, West Bengal, India. March 24, 1976 |