CHAITANYA Mahaprabhu was born in Mayarpur in the town of Nadia, just after
sunset on the evening of the 23rd Falgun, 1007 Advent of Sakabda answering to
the 18th February, 1986 of the Christian era. The moon was eclipsed at the time
of His birth and people of Nadia were then engaged, as usual on such occasions,
in bathing in the Bhagirathi with loud cheers of Haribol. His father Jagannath
Misra was a poor Brahmin of the Vedic order, and His mother Sachi Devi was a
model
good woman, both descended from Brahmin stocks originally residing in Sylhet.
Mahaprabhu was a beautiful Child and the ladies of the town came to see Him
with presents. His mother s father. Pandit Nilambar Chakravarti, a renowned
astrologer, foretold that the Child -would be a great Personage in time; and he
therefore, gave Him the name Visvambhar. The ladies of the neighbourhood styled
Him Gaur Hari on account of His golden complexion, and His mother called Him
Nimai on account of the Nim tree near which He was born. Beautiful as the lad
was every one heartily loved to see Him everyday. As He grew up. He became a
whimsical and frolicsome Lad. After His fifth year, He was admitted into a
Pathsala
where He picked up Bengali in a very short time.
Early Anecdotes
Most of His contemporary biographers have mentioned certain
anecdotes regarding Sri Chaitanya which are simple records of His early
miracles. It is said that, when He was an infant in His mother's arms, He wept
continually, and when the neighbouring ladies and His mother cried Haribol, be
used to stop. Thus there was a continuation of the utterance of Haribol in the
house, foreshowing the future mission of the Hero. It has also been stated,
that, when His mother once gave Him sweetmeats to eat, He ate clay instead of
the food. His mother asking for the reason, He stated that, as every sweetmeat
was nothing but clay transformed, He could eat clay as well. His mother who was
also the consort of a Pandit explained, that every article in a special state
was adapted to a special use. Earth, while in the state o a jug, could be used
as a water-pot, but in the state of a brick such a use was not possible. Clay,
therefore, in the form of sweetmeats was usable as food and not clay in its
other states. The Lad was convinced and admitted His stupidity in eating clay
and agreed to avoid the mistake in future. Another miraculous act has been
related. It is said that a Brahmin on pilgrimage became a guest in His house,
cooked his food and read his grace with meditation on Krishna. In the meantime,
the Lad came and ate up the cooked rice. The Brahmin astonished at the Lad's act
cooked again at the request of Jagannath Misra. The Lad again ate up the cooked
rice while the Brahmin was offering the rice to Krishna with meditation. The
Brahmin was persuaded to cook for the third time. This time all the inmates of
the house had fallen asleep and the Lad showed Himself as Krishna to the
traveler and blessed him. The Brahmin was then lost in ecstasy at the appearance
of the Object of his worship. It has also been stated that two thieves stole
away the Lad from His father's door with a view to purloin His jewels and gave
Him sweetmeats on the way. The Lad exercised His illusory energy and deceived t
he thieves back towards His Own house. The thieves for fear of detection, left
the Boy there and fled. Another miraculous act has been described of the Lad's
demanding and getting from Hiranya and Jagadisha all the offerings they had
collected for worshipping Krishna on the day of Ekadasi. When only four years of
age. He sat on rejected cooking pots which were considered unholy by His mother.
He explained to His mother that there was no question of holiness and
un-holiness as regards earthen pots thrown away after the cooking was over.
These anecdotes relate to the tender age up to the fifth year.
Scholastic Career
In His eighth year. He was admitted into the Tol of Gangadas Pandit in
Ganganagar close by the village of Mayapur. In two years, He became well read in
Sanskrit Grammar and Rhetoric. His readings after that were of the nature of
selfstudy in His Own house, where He had found all important books belonging to
His father who was a Pandit himself. It appears that He read the Smriti on His
own, and the Nyaya also, in competition with His friends who were then studying
under the celebrated Pandit Raghunath Siromani. swooned at the name of Krishna
and behaved as an inspired man under the influence of His religious sentiment.
It has been described by Murari Gupta, an eye witness that, He showed His
heavenly powers in the house of Srivas Pandit in the presence of hundreds of His
followers who were mostly well-read scholars. It was at this time that He opened
a nocturnal school of Kirtan in the compound of Srivas Pandit with His sincere
followers. There He preached, there He sang, there He danced and there He
expressed all sorts of religious feelings. Nityananda Prabhu who was then a
preacher of Vaishnavism and who had then completed his travels all over India,
joined Him by that time. In fact, a host of Pandit preachers of Vaishnavismi all
sincere at heart, came and joined Him from different parts of Bengal. Nadia now
became the regular seat of a host of Vaishnava Acharyas whose mission it was to
spiritualize mankind with the highest influence of the Vaishnava creed.
Preaching and Sankirtan
The first mandate that He issued to Prabhu Nityananda and Haridas was this: "Go
friends, go preaching and through the streets of the town, meet every man at his
door and ask him to sing the Name of Hari with a holy life and you then come and
report to Me every evening the result of your preaching." Thus ordered, the two
preachers went on and met Jagai and Madhai the two most abominable characters.
They insulted the preachers on hearing Mahaprabhu's mandate but were soon
converted by the influence of Bhakti inculcated by their Lord. The people of
Nadia were now surprised. They said, Nimai Pandit is not only a gigantic genius
but He is certainly a Missionary from God Almighty." From this time to His 23rd
year, Mahaprabhu preached His principles not only in Nadia but in all important
towns and villages around His city. In the houses of His followers. He showed
miracles, taught the esoteric principles of Bhakti and sang His Sankirtan with
other Bkaktas. Hi s followers of the town of Nadia commenced to sing the Holy
Name of Hari in the streets and bazars. This created a sensation and roused
different feelings in different quarters. The Bhaktas were highly pleased.
The Smarta Brahmins became jealous of Nimai Pandit's success and complained to
Chand Kazi against the character of Chaitanya as un-Hindu. The Kazi came to
Srivas Pandit's house and broke a Mridanga (khol) there and declared, that
unless Nimai Pandit would cease to make noise about His queer religion, he
should be obliged to enforce Mohammedanism on Him and His followers. This was
brought to Mahaprabhu's notice. He ordered the town people to appear in the
evening, each with a torch in his hand. This they did, and Nimai marched out
With His Sankirtan divided in fourteen groups, and on His arrival in Kazi s
house, He held a long conversation with the Kazi, and in the end communicated
into his heart His Vaishnava influence by touching his body. The Kazi then wept
and admitted, that he had felt a keen spiritual influence which had cleared up
his doubts, and produced in him a religious sentiment which gave him the highest
ecstasy. The Kazi then joined the Sankirtan par ty. The world Was astonished at
the spiritual power of the Great Lord and hundreds and hundreds of heretics
converted joined the bannar of Visvambhar after this affair.
Sannyasa
It was after this that some of the jealous and low minded
Brahmins of Kulia picked up a quarrel with Mahaprabhu and collected a party to
oppose Him. Nimai Pandit was naturally a soft hearted Person though strong in
His principles. He declared that party feeling and sectarianism were the two
great enemies of progress, and as long as He should continue to be an inhabitant
of Nadia belonging to a certain family, His mission would not meet with complete
success. He then resolved to be a citizen of the world by cutting off His
connection with a particular family, caste and creed and with this resolution He
embraced the position of a Sannyasi at Katoa under the guidance of Keshav
Bharati of that town, on that 20th year of His age. His mother and wife wept
bitterly for His separation, but our Hero though soft in heart, was a strong
Person in principle He left His little world in His house for the unlimited
spiritual world of Krishna with mankind in general.
After His Sannyas He was induced to visit the house of Sri
Advaita Prabhu in Santipur. Sri Advaita managed to invite all his friends and
admirers from Nadia and brought Sachi Devi to see her Son. Both pleasure and
pain invaded her heart when she saw her Son in the attire of a Sannyasi. As a
Sannyasi, Sri Krishna Chaitanya put on nothing but a kaupin and a bahirvas
(outer covering). His head was without hair and His hands bore a danda (stick)
and a kamandalu (hermit's water pot). The Holy son fell at the feet of His
beloved mother and said, "Mother! This body is yours and I must obey your
orders. Permit Me to go to Vrindavan for My spiritual attainments". The Mother
in consultation with Sri Advaita and others asked her Son to reside in Puri
(town of Lord Jagannatha) so that she might obtain some information about Him
now and then. Mahaprabhu agreed to that proposition and in a few days left
Santipur for Orissa. His biographers have described t he journey of Sri Krishna
Chaitanya (that was the name He got after His Sannyas)from Santipur to Puri in
great detail. He traveled along the side of the Bhagirathi as far as Chhatrabhog
situated now in Thana Mathurapur Diamond Harbour, 20 Parganas. There He took a
boat and went as far as Prayag Ghat in the Midnapore District. Thence He walked
through Balasore and Cuttack to Puri, seeing the temple of Bhubaneswar on His
way. Upon His arrival at Puri He saw Lord Jagannath in the temple and put up
with Sarvabhauma at the request of the latter.
Sarvabhauma and
Vedanta
Sarvbhauma was a
gigantic Pandit of the day. His readings knew no bounds. He was the best Naiyaik
of the times, and was known as the most erudite scholar in the Vedanta
Philosophy of the school of Sankaracharya. He was born in Nadia (Vidyanagar) and
taught innumerable pupils in the Nyaya Philosophy in his Tol there. He had left
for Puri sometimes before the birth of Nimai Pandit. His brotherin-law, Gopinath
Misra, introduced our new Sannyasi to Sarvabhauma who was astonished at His
personal beauty, and feared that it would be difficult for the young Man to
maintain Sannyas-dharma during the long run of His life. Gopinath who had known
Mahaprabhu from Nadia had a great reverence for Him and told everyone that the
Sannyasi was not a common human being. On this point, Gropinath and Sarvabhauma
had a hot discussion. Sarvabhauma then requested Mahaprabhu to hear his
recitation of the Vedanta Sutras to which the latter tacitly submitted . Sri
Chaitanya heard with silence what the great Sarvabhauma uttered with gravity,
for seven days, at the end of which the latter said, "Krishna Chaitanya! I think
you do not understand the Vedanta, as you do not say anything after hearing my
recitations and explanations." The reply of Sri Chaitanya was that He understood
the Sutras very well, but He could not make out what Sankaracharya meant by his
commentaries. Astonished at this, Sarvabhauma said, "How is it that you
understand the meanings of the Sutras and do not understand the commentaries
which explain the Sutras> Ah well! If you understand the Sutras, please let me
have your interpretations." Mahaprabhu thereon explained all the Sutras in His
Own way without touching the Pantheistic commentary of Sankara. The keen
understanding of Sarvabbauma saw the truth, beauty and harmony of arguments in
the explanations given by Sri Chaitanya and obliged him to utter that it was the
first time that he found One, Who co uld explain the Brahma-Sutras in such a
simple manner. He admitted also, that the commentaries of Sankara never gave
such natural explanations of the Vedanta-Sutras as he had obtained from
Mahaprabhu. He then submitted himself as an advocate and follower. In a few days
Sarvabhabma turned out as one of the best Vaishnavas of the time. Report ran out
and the whole of Orissa sang the praise of Krishna Chaitanya, and hundreds and
hundreds came to Him and became His followers. In the meantime, Mahaprabhu
thought of visiting Southern India, and He started with one Krishnadas Brahmin
for the Journey.
Tour in Southern India
His biographers have given us a detail of the journey. He
first went to Kurmakshetra where He performed a miarcle by curing a leper named
Vasudeva. He met Ramananda Rai the Governor of Vidyanagar, on the banks of the
Godavari and had a philosophical conversation with him on the subject of
Prem-bhakti. He worked another miracle by touching (making them immediately,
disappear) the seven Tal trees, through which Ram Chandra, the Son of Dasarath,
had shot His arrow and killed the great Bali Raj. He preached Vaishnavism and
Nam Sankiratan throughout the journey. At Rangakshetra, He stayed for four
months in the house of one Venkata Bhatta in order to spend the rainy season.
There He converted the whole family of Venkata from Ramanuja Vaishnavism into
Krishna-bhakti, along with the son of Venkata, a boy of ten years named Gopal,
who afterwards came to Vrindavan and became one of six Gosvamins or Prophets
serving under their Leader Sri Krishna Chaitanya. Trained up in Sanskrit by his
uncle Prabodhananda Sarasvati, Gopal wrote several books on Vaishnavism.
Sri Chaitanya visited numerous places in Southern India as
far as Cape Comorin, and returned to Puri in two years by Pandarpur on the Bhima.
In this latter place He spiritualized one Tukaram who became from that time a
religious preacher himself. This fact has been admitted in his Abhangas which
have been collected in a volume by Mr. Satyendranath Tagore of the Bombay Civil
Service. During His journey He had discussions with the Buddhists, the Jains and
the Mayavadis in several places, and converted His opponents to Vaishnavism.
Dabir Khas and Sakar Mallik reclaimed
Upon His return to Puri, Raja Prataparudra Dev and several
Pandit Brahmins joined the banner of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He was now
twenty-seven years of age. In his 28th year he went to Bengal as far as Gaud in
Maldah. There He picked up two greater personages named Rupa and Sanatan. Though
descended from the lines of the Karnatik Brahmins, these two brothers turned out
demi Musalmans by their continual contact with Hussain Shah, the then Emperor of
Gaud. Their names had been changed by the Emperor into Dabir Khas and Sakar
Mallik and their master loved them heartily, as they were both learned in
Persian, Arabic and Sanskrit and were loyal servants of the state. The two
gentlemen had found no way to come back as regular Hindus, and had written to
Mahaprabhu. while He was at Puri for spiritual help. Mahaprabhu had written in
reply that He would come to them and extricate them out of their spiritual
difficulties. Now that He had come to Gaud, both the brothers appeared before
Him with their long standing prayer. Mahaprabhu ordered them to go to Vrindavan
and meet Him there.
Instructions to Rupa and Sanatan
Chaitanya returned to Puri through Santipur where He again
met His dear mother. After a short stay at Puri, He left for Vrindavan. This
time He was accompanied by one Balabhadra Bhattacharya. He visited Vrindavan
and. came down to Prayag (Allahabad,) converting a large number of Mohammedans
not by the scriptures of Vaishnavism but by argument from the Quran. The
descendants of those converts are still known as Pathan Vaishnavas. Rupa Gosvami
met Him at Allahabad. Sri Chaitanya trained him up in spirituality in ten days
and directed him to go to Vrindavan on missions. His first mission was to write
theological works explaining scientifically pure Bhakti and Prem. The second
mission was to revive the places where Krishna Chandra had, in the end of
Dvapara yuga, exhibited His spirtual Lila for the benefit of the religious
world. Rupa Gosvami left Allahabad for Vrindavan and Mahaprabhu came down to
Benares. There He put up in the house of Chandrasekhar and accepted His daily
bhiksha (meal) in the house of Tapan Misra. Here it was, that Sanatan Gosvami
joined Him and took instruction for two months in spiritual matters. The
biographers, specially Krishnadas Kaviraj have given us details of Sri Chaitanya
s teachings to Rupa and Sanatan. Krishnadas was not a contemporary writer, but
he gathered his information from the Gosvamins themselves, the direct disciples
of Mahaprabhu. Jiva Gosvami, who was nephew of Sanatan and Rupa and who has left
us his invaluable work, the Sat-sandarbha, has philosophized on the precepts of
his great Leader. We have gathered and summarized the precepts of Sri Chaitanya
from the books of those great writers.
Prakashananda Saraswati
While at Benares Sri Chaitanya had an interview with the
learned. Sannyasis of that town in the house of a Maharatta Brahmin who had
invited all the sannyasis as an entertainment. At this interview Chaitanya
showed a miracle which attracted all the samnyasis to Him. Then ensued
reciprocal conversation. The Sannyasis were headed by their most learned leader
Prakasananda Sarasvati. After a short controversy, they submitted to Mahaprabhu
and admitted that they had been misled by the commentaries of Sankaracharya. It
was impossible even for learned scholars to oppose Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu for
a long time, as there was some spell in Him which touched their hearts, and made
them weep for their spiritual improvement. Sannyasis of Benares soon fell at the
Feet of Sri Chaitanya and asked for His grace (kripa). Sri Chaitanya then
preached pure Bhakti and instilled into their hearts spiritual love for Krishna
which obliged them to give up sectarian feel ings. The whole of Benares, on this
wonderful conversion of the Sannyasis, turned out Vaishnavas, and they made a
master 'Sankirtan with their new Lord. After sending Sanatan to Vrindavan,
Mahapraphu went to Puri again by the jungles with His comrade Balabhadra.
Balabhadra reported that Mahaprabhu had shown a good many miracles on His way to
Puri, such as, making tigers and elephants dance on hearing the Name of Krishna.
Assembly at Puri
From this time, i.e, from His 31st year, Mahaprabhu
continually lived in Puri in the house of Kasi Misra, until His disappearance in
His forty-eighth year at the time of Sankirtan in the temple of Tota Gopinath.
During these 18 years, His life was one of settled love and piety. He was
surrounded by numerous followers, all of whom were of the highest order of the
Vaishnavas and distinguished from the common people by their purest character
and learning, firm religious principles and spiritual love in Radha-Krishna.
Svarup Damodar, who had been known by the name of Purushottam Acharya while
Mahaprabhu was in Nadia, joined Him from Benares, and accepted His service as
His secretary. No production of any poet or philosopher could be laid before
Mahaprabhu, unless Svarup has passed it as pure and useful. Rai Ramananda was
his second mate. Both he and Svarup sang, while Mahaprabhu expressed His
sentiment on a certain point of worship. Parmanada Puri was His minister in
matters of religion. Ther e are hundreds of anecdotes described by His
biographers, which we do not think it mete here to reproduce. Mahaprabhu slept
short. His sentiments carried Him far and far in the firmament of spirituality,
every day and night, and all His admirers and followers watched Him throughout.
He worshipped, communicated with His missionaries at Vrindavan, and conversed
with those religious men who newly came to visit Him. He sang and danced, took
no care of Himself and often times lost Himself in religious beatitude. All who
came to Him, believed Him as the All Beautiful God, appearing in the nether
world for the benefit of mankind. He loved His mother all along, and sent her
mahaprasad now and then with those who went to Nadia. He was most amiable in
nature. Humility was personified in Him. His sweet appearance gave cheers to all
who came in contact with Him. He appointed Prabhu Nityananda as the missionary
in charge of Bengal. He dispatched six disciples ( Gosvamins ) to Vrindavan to
preach love in the up-coun try. He punished all of His disciples who deviated
from a holy life. This He markedly did in the case of junior Haridas. He never
lacked in giving proper instructions in life to those who solicited them. This
will be seen in His teachings to Raghunath Das Gosvami. His treatment to Haridas
(senior) will show how He loved spiritual men and how He defied caste
distinction in case of spiritual brotherhood.