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Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
15th-century Indian Vaishnavite Hindu saint From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (Bengali: মহাপ্রভু শ্রীচৈতন্য দেব; Sanskrit: चैतन्य महाप्रभु, romanized: Chaitanya Mahāprabhu), born Vishvambhara Mishra (IAST: Viśvambhara Miśra[2]) (18 February 1486 – 14 June 1534[3]), was an Indian Hindu saint from Bengal and the founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mode of worshipping Krishna with bhajan-kirtan and dance had a profound effect on Vaishnavism in Bengal.
He is considered the chief proponent of the Vedantic philosophy of Achintya Bheda Abheda. The concept of inconceivable difference in non-difference, known as achintya-bhedabheda, was explained later by Jiva Gosvami in his book Bhagavat Sandharbha,[4] and in his Sarva-samvadini.[5][6]
Mahaprabhu founded Gaudiya Vaishnavism. He expounded Bhakti yoga and popularised the chanting of the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra.[7] He composed the Shikshashtakam (eight devotional prayers).
Chaitanya is sometimes called Gauranga (IAST: Gaurāṅga) or Gaura due to his molten gold–like complexion.[8] His birthday is celebrated as Gaura-purnima.[9][10] He is also called Nimai because he was born underneath a Neem tree.[11]
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Life
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The religious hagiographies of Gauḍīya sampradāya are the only sources available for the reconstruction of Caitanya's life. These texts (in Sanskrit and Bengali), consider Caitanya to be an avatāra of Kr̥ṣṇa, Svayaṁ Bhagavān, Rādhā-Kr̥ṣṇa (joint and separate), Nārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu, and Jagannātha. A canonical narrative was accepted by the Gauḍīya community in the early 1600s via the Chaitanya Charitāmr̥ta of Kr̥ṣṇadāsa Kavirāja, which has been described as the "final word" on Gauḍīya history and theology.[12]
Chaitanya was born in a Brahmin family as Viśvambhara Miśra aka Nimāi, the second son of Jagannātha Miśhra and his wife Śachī Devī, the daughter of Nilambara Chakrabarti, both Brahmins of Sylhet region.[2] Jagannātha Miśra's family were from the village of Dhakadakshin in Srihatta (Sylhet) (now in Bangladesh). The ruins of their ancestral home still survive in present-day Bangladesh.[13][14][15] The hagiographic of Chaitanya portray his birth as a divine event and state that it predicted his future mission of propagating harināma saṃkīrtana in Kali Yuga.[15]
The accounts of Chaitanya's childhood are depicted to be reminiscent of Lord Kriṣhna's childhood playtimes. While still a student, his father died, and he soon married Lakṣmīpriyā. He travelled to east Bengal to become a scholar and support his family, but his wife died in his absence. He then married Viṣhnupriyā, the daughter of paṇḍit Sanātana Miśra. Viśhvambhara, also known as Nimāi Paṇḍit, was a promising Sanskrit scholar and is said to have once defeated Keśhava Bhaṭṭa of the Nimbārka school in a debate on Sanskrit prosody in an example of "superhuman erudition".[15]
In 1508-1509 he left Nabadvwip to go to Gaya to perform śhtāddha, a ritual homage to his dead father. There, he met an ascetic named Īśhwara Purī, who initiated him using a mantra for Krishna worship. After this meeting Viśhwambhara abandoned all scholarly and domestic pursuits and had no interests except for an intense desire to hear and speak of Krishna. Within a year he took a vow of saṃnyāsa (renunciation) and changed his name to Krishna Chaitanya under his guru Keśhava Bhāratī. His mother then asked him to at least live in the city of Puri so that he would not be too far from Bengal.[15]
After his renunciation, Chaitanya spent his time teaching Kr̥ṣhhṇa bhakti and engaging in communal saṁkīrtana. Hagiographic describe debates with followers of Advaita Vedānta and other theological opponents in form of digvijaya (conquest through debate). He spent two months in Vrindavan in c. 1515, where he instructed Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Goswami. He spent the last two decades of his life in Puri, where his ecstatic seizures yearning for Kr̥iṣhṇa and his consorts, mainly Shri Rādhā, intensified. He left this world in c. 1528-1534.[15]
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Biographies
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Works on Chaitanya:[16][17][18]
- Krsna-Caitanya-Caritamrta (c. 1513 or 1536–1540; Sanskrit): By Murari Gupta. Known as a kadcha or chronicle. Chaitanya's Navadwipa līla and each panca-tattva presented as a form of the Lord. Caitanya went for the first time to Murari's house at Navadwipa. Murari's standing and reputation for learning gave his biographical materials great weight in the Vaishnava community. This Kadcha (notes) became the guiding lines for other biographers.
- Kadcha or chronicle (Sanskrit): By Svarupa Damodara. He was the personal secretary of Chaitanya. Details the life of Caitanya.
- Govindadaser Kadcha (Bengali): By Govinda Dāsa who accompanied Chaitanya on his tour of Deccan. This poem describes their experiences on the journey and some imaginary events in the life of Chaitanya as well as his ideas and philosophy. It is another significant biographical work, but it was regarded as controversial because of the authenticity.
- Chaitanya Bhagavata (c. 1535 or 1546–1550; Bengali): By Vrindavana Dasa Thakura. Three parts: Adi-Khanda, Mādhya-Khanda, and Antya-Khanda. Chaitanya's earlier life, activities, early movement in Navadwip.
- Krsna-Caitanya-caritra-mahakavya (c. 1535): By Kavi Karnapura (Paramanand Sen).
- Krsna-Caitanya-candrodaya-natakam (c. 1535 – 1570s): By Kavi Karnapura. Based on Murari Gupta's Krsna-Caitanya-Caritamrta. When Karnapura was a small child, he interacted with Chaitanya personally.
- Caitanya-candrodaya-natakam (c. 1538 or 1540 or 1572 or 1579; Sanskrit): By Kavi Karnapura (Paramanand Sen). Dramatic play in ten acts of Chaitanya's life.
- Caitanya-caritāmṛta-kavya (c. 1542 – late 1500s; Sanskrit): By Kavi Karnapura (Paramanand Sen). A long biographical poem on Chaitanya's life and acts.
- Caitanya-caritāmṛta (c. 1557 or 1580 or 1615; Bengali): By Krishnadasa Kaviraja. Three parts: Adi-lila, Madhya-lila, and Antya-lila. Massive authoritative composition of Chaitanya's biography and teachings. According to Manring, he draws liberally from previous writers (poets, theologians and biographers) as he deems correct, omitting Kavi Karnapura's works perceived as threatening Rupa's authority.
- Caitanya-Mangala (c. 1560 or late 1500s; Bengali): By Jayananda. Nine parts: Adikhanda, Nadiyakhanda, Vairagyakhanda, Sannyaskhanda, Utkalkhanda, Prakashkhanda, Tirthakhanda, Vijaykhanda, and Uttarkhanda. Biographical poem in the form of a narrative play focused on Chaitanya's godly image. It is the only work in which his death is mentioned. Introduction mentions several previous biographers, of whom only Vrindavan is known. Written for the common people (not devotees).
- Chaitanya Mangala (c. 1560–66 or 1575): By Lochana Dasa (a.k.a. Trilocan Dasa). Four parts: Sutrakhanda, Adikhanda, Madhyakhanda, and Antyakhanda. A narrative play depicting Chaitanya's childhood activities and his human side without highlighting any divine matters to make it popular. Influenced by Murari Gupta's Krsna-Caitanya-Caritamrta and Vrindavana Dasa Thakura's Chaitanya Bhagavata as well as the Mahabharata and different Puranas.
- Chaitanya-chandrodaya-kaumudi (Bengali): By Premadas (Purushottam Mishra). A verse adaptation to Kavi Karnapura's Caitanya-candrodaya-natakam drama.
- Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika (c. 1576): By Kavi Karnapura (Paramanand Sen).
- Chaitanya-samhita (Bengali): By Bhagirath Bandhu. Work follows the tradition of agama or tantric texts in its presentation as a story told by Shiva to his spouse.
- Chaitanya-vilasa (c. 1500s; Odia): By Madhava Dasa. A short poetical work in ten sections dealing with the life of Chaitanya. The poet probably came into contact with the saint when the latter came to Puri.
- Gauranga-vijay (c. 1500s): By Chundamani dasa. Biographical epic, believed to have been written in three volumes, only part of the first volume still exists. It contains some information about Chaitanya, Nityananda and Madhavendra Puri not found elsewhere.
- Sriman-mahaprabhor-asta-kaliya-lila-smarana-mangala-stotram (c. late 1600s; Sanskrit): By Visvanatha Chakravarti. Eleven sutras (seed verses) describing the eternal eight-fold daily pastimes of the fair-complexioned Lord.
- Sri Gauranga-Lilamrta (c. late 1600s – 1700s; Bengali): By Krishna Dasa (disciple of Visvanatha Chakravarti). Expounded on his guru's eleven sutras, often quoting verses from Vrindavana Dasa Thakura's Chaitanya Bhagavata, plus songs by Narahari Ghanashyama (author of Bhakti-Ratnakara) and Lochana Dasa (author of Chaitanya-Mangala).
- Caitanya-upanisad: A book that is a part of the Atharvaveda which offers overwhelming evidence of Chaitanya's identity as the Supreme Lord and Yuga Avatara.
- Sri Caitanya-caranamrta Bhasva (1887): By Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Commentary on an original handwritten manuscript of the Caitanya-upanisad from one pandita, Madhusudana Maharaja, of Sambala-Pura.
- Amrita-pravaha-bhashya (c. late 1800s – early 1900s; Sanskrit): By Bhaktivinoda Thakur. Commentary on Caitanya-upanisad.
- Anubhāsya (1915): By Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Commentary on Krishnadasa Kaviraja's Caitanya-caritāmṛta
- Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (1974; English): By A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami in English with original Bengali and Sanskrit. Commentary on Krishnadasa Kaviraja's Caitanya-caritāmṛta, based on Bhaktivinoda Thakur's Amrita-pravaha-bhashya and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati's Anubhāsya commentaries.
- Krishna-Caitanya, His Life and His Teachings (2014; English; ISBN 978-91-981318-1-9): By Walther Eidlitz, originally written in German - Kṛṣṇa-Caitanya: sein Leben und seine Lehre, and published by Stockholm University, 1968, as a part of the scientific series "Stockholm studies in comparative religion".
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Teachings
The Śikṣāṣṭaka is the only work accepted to be composed by Caitanya. The poem expounds upon the subjects of harināmajapa, saṁkīrtana, the relationship between individual souls and Kr̥ṣṇa, devotional submission to Kr̥ṣṇa, and Caitanya's personal virahabhakti. Scholars debate the extent to which Caitanya played in the development of the complex Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava theology.[15]
According to Murari Gupta, one of Caitanya's close associates, Caitanya taught that kirtana (chanting God's name) is the most effective spiritual practice in the Kali Age. He first gathered the community for kirtana in Srivasa's courtyard.[19] Caitanya revealed bhakti as the primary means to approach Krishna, and he appointed the Goswamis, such as Srinivasa Acarya and Narottama Dasa, to gather and compose texts explaining this devotion.[20]
Cultural legacy
Chaitanya's influence on the cultural legacy in Bengal, Odisha and Manipur, has been significant,[21] with many residents performing daily worship to him as an avatar of Krishna. Some attribute to him a Renaissance in Bengal,[22] different from the more well-known 19th-century Bengal Renaissance. Salimullah Khan (b. 1958), a noted Bangladeshi linguist, maintains, "Sixteenth-century is the time of Chaitanya Dev, and it is the beginning of Modernism in Bengal. The concept of 'humanity' that came into fruition is contemporaneous with that of Europe".[23]
Noted Bengali biographical film on Chaitanya, Nilachaley Mahaprabhu (1957), was directed by Kartik Chattopadhyay (1912–1989).[24] A Bengali film based on Chaitanya's demise, Lawho Gouranger Naam Re, will be directed by Srijit Mukherji where Parambrata Chatterjee will be seen portraying Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.[25]
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Image gallery
Kisangarh painting of Chaitanya dancing in a puddle of his own tears, surrounded by followers, c. 1750.
Chaitanya with a dog, Murshidabad, 19th century CE
Yogapith temple at Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's birthsite established in the 1880s by Bhaktivinoda Thakur in Mayapur, West Bengal
Nineteenth century lithograph by Calcutta Art Studio of Caitanya and Nityānanda performing a kirtan in the streets of Nabadwip, Bengal.
Pratap Rudra bowing to Chaitanya, an early 20th century print copy of a painting held by the family of Maharaja Nandakumar, Zamindars of Kunjaghata
Deities of Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Jagannath, Balarama, Subhadra and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (in middle), at the ISKCON Durgapur Temple.
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See also
References
Further reading
External links
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