Who is Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu? Most people who hear His name or see His picture for the first time have this doubt. Most of them assume that He is just a Sannyasi saint akin to other sadhus based on His appearance and name. To those who know who Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Who appeared on earth in the form of a devotee. His appearance in the Kali Yuga was not spoken in detail in the scriptures except for minor references. It was after His appearance on earth that detailed descriptions and lilas of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu were discussed and written down.
Śrīla Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, a famous disciple of Lord Caitanya, said: “The principle of transcendental devotional service having been lost, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya has appeared to deliver again the process of devotion. He is so kind that He is distributing love of Kṛṣṇa. Everyone should be attracted more and more to His lotus feet, as humming bees are attracted to a lotus flower.”
Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared on earth 500 years ago to reestablish the tenets of dharma given in the form of the Bhagavad Gita. This was practically demonstrated by performing grand Hari Sankirtans which is the Yuga dharma. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared on earth on 18 February 1486 under a neem tree during a lunar eclipse in Mayapur, Nawadwip dham of West Bengal. He was the darling of everyone and the performer of wonderful miracles. He ended His physical lilas on earth in 1534 CE by merging with the deity of Lord Tota Gopinath during a grand sankirtan in Jagannath Puri.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s appearance in the scriptures –
Śrīla Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, a famous disciple of Lord Caitanya, said: “The principle of transcendental devotional service having been lost, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya has appeared to deliver again the process of devotion. He is so kind that He is distributing love of Kṛṣṇa. Everyone should be attracted more and more to His lotus feet, as humming bees are attracted to a lotus flower.”
Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared on earth 500 years ago to reestablish the tenets of dharma given in the form of the Bhagavad Gita. This was practically demonstrated by performing grand Hari Sankirtans which is the Yuga dharma. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared on earth on 18 February 1486 under a neem tree during a lunar eclipse in Mayapur, Nawadwip dham of West Bengal. He was the darling of everyone and the performer of wonderful miracles. He ended His physical lilas on earth in 1534 CE by merging with the deity of Lord Tota Gopinath during a grand sankirtan in Jagannath Puri.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s appearance in the scriptures –
The following shloka from the Bhagavata Purana mentions His appearance:
kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ
sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam
yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair
yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ
sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam
yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair
yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ
“In the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Kṛṣṇa. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions.”
A reference to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is given in the Vishnu Sahasranama found in the Dana-Dharma Parva of Mahabharata:
suvarṇa-varṇo hemāṅgo varāṅgaś candanāṅgadī
“In His early pastimes He appears as a householder with a golden complexion. His limbs are beautiful, and His body, smeared with the pulp of sandalwood, seems like molten gold.”
sannyāsa-kṛc chamaḥ śānto niṣṭhā-śānti-parāyaṇaḥ
“In His later pastimes He accepts the sannyāsa order, and He is equipoised and peaceful. He is the highest abode of peace and devotion, for He silences the impersonalist non devotees.”
In the Garuda Purana, it is said:
yo reme saha-ballavi ramayate vrndavane ‘har-nisam
yah kamsam ni jaghana kaurava-rane yah pandavanam sakha
so ‘yam vainava-danda-mandita-bhujah sannyasa-vesah svayam
nihsandeham upagatah ksiti-tale caitanya-rupah prabhuh
yah kamsam ni jaghana kaurava-rane yah pandavanam sakha
so ‘yam vainava-danda-mandita-bhujah sannyasa-vesah svayam
nihsandeham upagatah ksiti-tale caitanya-rupah prabhuh
“The Supreme Lord who took delight in His pastimes with the gopis, who filled the residents of Vrindavana with joy day and night, who slew Kamsa, and who made friends with the Pandavas in the battle between the Kauravas, will without any doubt, come again to the earth. He will be a sannyasi with the name Chaitanya whose arm will be decorated with a bamboo stick.”
aham purno bhavisyami yuga-sandhyau visesatah
mayapure navadvipe bhavisyami saci-sutah
“In the first part of Kali-yuga, I will appear in my complete spiritual form in Mayapura, Navadvipa and become the son of Shachi.”
kaleh prathama-sandhyayam laksmi-kanto bhavisyati
daru-brahma-samipa-sthah sannyasi gaura-vigrahah
In the first part of Kali-yuga, the Supreme Lord in the golden complexion will become the husband of Lakshmi. Then He will become a sannyasi and reside near Lord Jagannatha.
In the Skanda Purana, Lord Krishna says the following:
antah krsnah bahir gaurah sangopangastra-parsadah
saci-garbhe samapnuyam maya-manusa-karma-krt
saci-garbhe samapnuyam maya-manusa-karma-krt
“Inwardly Krishna but outwardly of golden form, I will be accompanied by My associates, servants, weapons, and confidential companions. Taking My birth in the womb of Shachi, I will accept the role of a human being.”
In the Matsya Purana, Lord Krishna says the following:
mundo gaurah su-dirghangas tri-srotas-tira-sambhavah
dayaluh kirtana-grahi bhavisyami kalau yuge
dayaluh kirtana-grahi bhavisyami kalau yuge
“In the age of Kali, I will be golden colour. I will be tall and will have a shaven head. The place where I take birth will be a meeting point of three rivers. I will be very merciful and I will keenly engage in chanting the holy names.”
In the Narasimha Purana, the following is said about Chaitanya Mahaprabhu:
satye daitya-kuladhi-nasa-samaye
simhordhva-martyakrtis
tretayam dasa-kandharam
paribhavan rameti namakrtih
gopalan paripalayan vraja-pure
bharam haran dvapare
gaurangah priya-kirtanah
kali-yuge caitanya-nama-prabhuh
simhordhva-martyakrtis
tretayam dasa-kandharam
paribhavan rameti namakrtih
gopalan paripalayan vraja-pure
bharam haran dvapare
gaurangah priya-kirtanah
kali-yuge caitanya-nama-prabhuh
“The Supreme Lord who assumed the form of a half-man, half-lion in the Satya-yuga to cure a dreadful disease that had devastated the Daityas, and who appearing as Rama conquered the ten-headed Ravana in the Treta-yuga, and who removed the burden of the earth in the Dvapara-yuga and protected the cowherd men of Vraja-pura, will be the Lord by name Chaitanya in the Kali-yuga. He will have a golden form and He will take pleasure in chanting the Lord’s holy names.”
In the Vayu Purana, Lord Krishna says:
paurnamasyam phalgunasya phalguni-rksa-yogatah
bhavisye gaura-rupena saci-garbhe purandarat
bhavisye gaura-rupena saci-garbhe purandarat
“On the full moon day of the month of Phalguna, conjoined with the star Phalguni, I will appear in a golden form begotten by Purandara in the womb of Shachi.”
svarnadi-tiram asthaya navadvipe janasraye
tatra dvija-kulam prapto bhavisyami janalaye
tatra dvija-kulam prapto bhavisyami janalaye
“I will appear in a brahmana family in Navadvipa, by the shore of the Ganges.”
bhakti-yoga-pradanaya lokasyanugrahaya ca
sannyasa-rupam asthaya krsna-caitanya-nama-dhrk
sannyasa-rupam asthaya krsna-caitanya-nama-dhrk
“In order to engage the people in devotional service and bestow mercy upon them, I will take sannyasa, accepting the name Krishna Chaitanya.”
In the Padma Purana, Lord Krishna says:
kaleh prathama-sandhyayam gaurangotham mahi-tale
bhagirathi-tate ramie bhavisyami saci-sutah
bhagirathi-tate ramie bhavisyami saci-sutah
“I shall take birth as the son of Shachi assuming a golden form in a beautiful place on the bank of the Bhagirathi (Ganges) on the earth in the first part of Kali-yuga.”
In the Narada Purana, Lord Krishna says:
aham eva kalau vipra nityam pracchanna-vigrahah
bhagavad-bhakta-rupena lokan raksami sarvada
bhagavad-bhakta-rupena lokan raksami sarvada
“O brahmana, I will deliver all the worlds, concealing myself in the form of a devotee of the Lord in Kali-yuga.”
divija bhuvi jayadhvam jayadhvam bhakta-rupinah
kalau sankirtanarambhe bhavisyami saci-sutah
kalau sankirtanarambhe bhavisyami saci-sutah
“O demigods, please advent on the earth as devotees in Kali-yuga. To inaugurate sankirtana, I will incarnate as the son of Shachi.”
In the Bhavishya Purana, Lord Krishna says:
anandasru-kala-roma-harsa-purnam tapo-dhana
sarve mama eva draksyanti kalau sannyasa-rupinam
sarve mama eva draksyanti kalau sannyasa-rupinam
“O austere sage, everyone will see My transcendental form as a sannyasi in the age of Kali. I will be displaying symptoms like shedding tears of bliss and hairs standing on end out of ecstasy.”
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Mission
Mahaprabhu performed His lilas on earth just for 48 years. But these 48 years marked the beginning of the golden age of the Kali Yuga which would continue on for 10,000 years. During those 48 years, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu travelled all over India and brought people to the fold of Vaishnavism through debates, Sankirtana, etc. He deputed His disciples such as the six Goswamis to rediscover the lost holy dham of Vrindavana and write books on devotional literature. In debates, He remained unchallenged and thus, won the heart of the opposite party. It could be said that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was a soft-hearted person but strong on principles. At times, He got lost in pools of devotional ecstasy.
His teachings mark the epitome of Krishna Bhakti i.e. pure love of Godhead. Who could describe the pure love of Godhead better than Godhead Himself? Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is uniquely the combined form of Radha and Krishna. He advented for two purposes. One is to inaugurate the Yuga-dharma i.e., Hari Sankirtana and the other is to personally experience the love that Radharani has for Sri Krishna.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is known by many other names such as Gauranga (one who has a molten gold complexion) and Nimai (one who was born under a neem tree). He is the most munificent incarnation of Godhead in the way that He does not kill the demons with weapons even though He can invoke any weapon at will. Rather, He kills the demoniac propensities in people by inducing them to chant the holy names of Krishna.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s devotional sentiments carried Him far and wide. Anyone who came in touch with Him couldn’t bear to part with Him. All human beings could easily live a life full of peace and happiness by following the Sankirtan movement started by Mahaprabhu.
His teachings mark the epitome of Krishna Bhakti i.e. pure love of Godhead. Who could describe the pure love of Godhead better than Godhead Himself? Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is uniquely the combined form of Radha and Krishna. He advented for two purposes. One is to inaugurate the Yuga-dharma i.e., Hari Sankirtana and the other is to personally experience the love that Radharani has for Sri Krishna.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is known by many other names such as Gauranga (one who has a molten gold complexion) and Nimai (one who was born under a neem tree). He is the most munificent incarnation of Godhead in the way that He does not kill the demons with weapons even though He can invoke any weapon at will. Rather, He kills the demoniac propensities in people by inducing them to chant the holy names of Krishna.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s devotional sentiments carried Him far and wide. Anyone who came in touch with Him couldn’t bear to part with Him. All human beings could easily live a life full of peace and happiness by following the Sankirtan movement started by Mahaprabhu.