Chaitanya Bhagavata

by Bhumipati Dāsa | 2008 | 1,349,850 words

The Chaitanya Bhagavata by Sri Vrindavan Das Thakura is a scripture belonging to the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition from the 16th century. It is similair in content to the Caitanya Caritamrita, but asserts that Chaitanya was the direct incarnation of Krishna (as Bhagavan). The Caitanya Bhagavata contains three major parts including many details regard...

The first five verses of this chapter are the maṅgalācaraṇa, or auspicious invocation verses. In the first verse the author offers his respects to both Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu. In the second verse he offers obeisances to only Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the third verse the author discloses the confidential knowledge that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is nondifferent from Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the son of Yaśodā, and Nityānanda Prabhu is nondifferent from Śrī Balarāma, the son of Rohiṇī. In the fourth verse the author glorifies the form, qualities, and pastimes of Śrī Caitanyacandra. In the fifth verse the author glorifies the pastimes and characteristics of Śrī Caitanya’s devotees. In the beginning of the book, prayers are offered to the devotees and the worship of devotees is described as superior to the worship of the Supreme Lord. The author then offers obeisances to the original Saṅkarṣaṇa, Śrī Nityānanda-Baladeva, who is not only his spiritual master but who in His incarnation as Saṅkarṣaṇa, or Ananta, serves Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya in ten different forms and who as Śeṣa constantly glorifies the qualities of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya with His thousands of mouths as He holds the universes on His heads. Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu is worshipable by even Lord Mahādeva, the greatest of the demigods, therefore He is jagad-guru, the spiritual master of the entire universe, and only by His mercy can one attain the eternal service of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. The author also establishes that Lord Balarāma’s rāsa-līlā is eternal, like that of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and he cites evidence from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam in order to refute oposing views, which are contrary to the conclusions of the scriptures. While describing the glories of Lord Balarāma, the author explains that although Balarāma is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa, the son of Mahārāja Nanda, He nevertheless serves Kṛṣṇa by accepting various forms such as His friend, brother, cāmara, bed, house, umbrella, clothes, ornaments, and seat. The truths regarding Nityānanda-Baladeva, like those of Gaura-Kṛṣṇa, are difficult for even Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva to understand. In His form as Śeṣa, Lord Balarāma supports the entire universe and constantly glorifies the characteristics of Lord Kṛṣṇa with His thousand mouths. Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu is that same Lord Balarāma. In other words, Śrī Baladeva, who is the original Saṅkarṣaṇa, is Lord Nityānanda. Other than by taking shelter of His lotus feet, there is no means for a living entity to gain freedom from material existence and attain the service of Gaura-Kṛṣṇa. The author composed Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala or bhāgavata by the order and mercy of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu. He did not exhibit any pride by presenting this great work, rather he humbly states that living entities who are under the clutches of māyā cannot possibly describe by their own endeavor the topics of the Lord, who is the controller of māyā. Out of His causeless mercy, the Supreme Lord personally manifests in the heart of a living entity who has received the mercy of the spiritual master.

In this book the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu have been described in three divisions: (1) the Ādi-khaṇḍa, mainly comprising the Lord’s scholastic pastimes, (2) the Madhya-khaṇḍa, mainly comprising the inauguration of the saṅkīrtana movement, and (3) the Antya-khaṇḍa, mainly comprising the Lord’s distribution of the holy names as a sannyāsī in Nīlācala. This chapter concludes with a summary of the contents of the entire book.

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