Chapter 6 - Advaita-tattva

The Truth About Advaita Prabhu

6.1

mahā-viṣṇur jagat-kartā
māyayā yaḥ sṛjaty adaḥ
tasyāvatāra evāyam
advaitācārya-īśvaraḥ

Lord Advaita Ācārya is the incarnation of Mahā-Viṣṇu, whose main function is to create the cosmic world through the actions of māyā. (Cc. Ādi 6.4)

6.2

advaitaṃ hariṇādvaitād
ācāryaṃ bhakti-śaṃsanāt
bhaktāvatāram īśaṃ tam
advaitācāryam āśraye

Because He is nondifferent from Hari, He is called Advaita, and because He propagates the cult of devotion, He is called Ācārya. He is the Lord and the incarnation of the Lord's devotee. Therefore I take shelter of Him. (Cc. Ādi 1.13)

Mahāviṣṇu is the Efficient Cause and

Advaita is the Material Cause of Mundane Creation

6.3

āpane puruṣa viśvera 'nimitta'-kāraṇa
advaita-rūpe 'upādāna' hana nārāyaṇa
'nimittāṃśe' kare teoho māyāte īkṣaṇa
'upādāna' advaita karena brahmaṇḍa-sṛjana

Lord Viṣṇu is the efficient cause (nimitta) of the material world, and Nārāyaṇa, in the form of Śrī Advaita, is the material cause (upādāna). Lord Viṣṇu, in His efficient aspect glances over the material energy, and Śrī Advaita as the material cause, creates the material world. (Cc. Ādi 6.16,17)

Advaita is Sadāśiva

6.4

bhaktāvatāra ācāryo 'dvaita yaḥ śrī sadāśivaḥ

He who was Śrī Sadāśiva is the bhakta-avatāra, Śrī Advaita Prabhu. (Gaura-Gaṇoddeśadīpikā, 11)

The Meaning of the Name Advaita

6.5

mahā-viṣṇura aṃśa advaita guṇa-dhāma
īśvare abheda, teñi 'advaita' pūrṇa nāma

Śrī Advaita, who is the reservoir of virtues, is the main limb of Mahāviṣṇu. His full name is Advaita, for He is identical in all respects with the Lord. (Cc. Ādi 6.26)

Advaita Ācārya is a Preacher of Kṛṣṇa-bhakti

6.6

jīva nistārila kṛṣṇa-bhakti kari' dāna
gītā-bhāgavate kaila bhaktira vyākhyāna

He delivered all living beings by offering the gift of kṛṣṇa-bhakti. He explained Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-bhāgavatam in the light of devotional service. (Cc. Ādi 6.28)

He is the Avatāra of Mahāviṣṇu and a Devotee of Lord Caitanya

6.7

advaita-ācārya-gosāñi sākṣāt īśvara
prabhu guru kari' māne, tioho ta' kiokara

Lord Advaita Ācārya is directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although Lord Caitanya accepts Him as His preceptor, Advaita Ācārya is a servant of the Lord. (Cc. Ādi. 5.147)

Advaita and Nityānanda are Servants of Lord Caitanya

6.8

eka mahāprabhu, āra prabhu duijana
dui prabhu sebe mahāprabhura caraṇa

There is one "Mahāprabhu" and two prabhus. The two prabhus serve the lotus feet of Mahāprabhu. (Cc. Ādi 7.14)

Two Branches Among the Followers of Advaita

6.9

advaitāṅghṛy-abja-bhṛogāṃs tān sārāsāra-bhṛto 'khilān
hitvā 'sārān sāra-bhṛto naumi caitanya jīvanān

The followers of Śrī Advaita were of two kinds. Some were real followers (sāragrāhī) and the others were false (asāragrāhī). Rejecting the false followers, I offer my respectful obeisances to the real followers of Śrī Advaita Ācārya, whose life and soul was Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (Cc. Ādi 12.1)

The Sāragrāhī Followers of Advaita are Devotees of Gaurāṅga

6.10

prathame ta' eka-mata ācāryera gaṇa
pāche dui-mata haila daivera kāraṇa
keha ta' ācārya ājñāya, keha ta' svatantra
sva-mata kalpanā kare daiva-paratantra
ācāryera mata yei, sei mata sāra
tāora ājñā laṅghi' cale, sei ta' asāra

At first all the followers of Advaita Ācārya shared a single opinion, but later they followed two opinions as ordained by providence. Some of the disciples strictly accepted the orders of the ācārya, and others deviated, independently concocting their own opinions under the spell of daivi-māyā. The opinion of the ācārya is essential. Anyone who disregards his order is useless (asāra-grāhī). (Cc. Ādi. 12.8-10).

The Useless Followers of Advaita Ācārya Were cut off

From Gaurāṅga's Mercy

6.11

ihāra madhye māli pāche kona śākha-gaṇa
nā māne caitanya-mālī durdaiva kāraṇa
sṛjāilā, jiyāilā, tāore nā mānila
kṛtaghna ha-ilā, tāore skandha kruddha ha-ila
kruddha hañā skandha tāre jala nā sañcāre
jalābhāve kṛśa śākhā śukāiyā mare

After the disappearance of Lord Caitanya, the gardener of the tree of love of Godhead, some of the sub-branches of the Advaita branch, for unfortunate reasons, deviated from His path. Some branches did not accept the trunk that vitalized and maintained the entire tree When they thus became ungrateful, the trunk was angry at them. Thus Lord Caitanya did not sprinkle upon them the water of His mercy, and they gradually withered and died. (Cc. Ādi 12.67-69)

Thus ends the Sixth Jewel of Gauḍīya Kaṇṭhahāra, entitled Advaita-tattva.