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{{Short description|15th-century Indian Vaishnavite Hindu saint}}
]
{{redirect|Krishna Chaitanya|the Telugu lyricist|Krishna Chaitanya (lyricist)}}
{{redirect|Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu|the 1954 Hindi film|Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (film)}}
{{Primary sources|date=October 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox Hindu leader
| name = Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
| image = Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Dhameswar Mahaprabhu temple 6.jpg
| religion = ]
| caption = Wooden ] of Chaitanya as Dhāmeśvara, Nabadwip<ref>{{Cite book |last=Valpey |first=Kenneth |title=Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism Online |publisher=Brill |year=2018 |editor-last=Jacobsen |editor-first=Knut A. |chapter=Caitanya |editor-last2=Basu |editor-first2=Helene |editor-last3=Malinar |editor-first3=Angelika |editor-last4=Narayanan |editor-first4=Vasudha}}</ref>
| birth_date = {{birth date|1486|2|18|df=y}}
| birth_place = ], ]<br />{{small|(present-day ], India)}}
| birth_name = Vishvambhara Mishra
| death_date = {{death date and age|1534|6|14|1486|2|18|df=yes}}
| death_place = ], ]<br />{{small|(present-day ], India)}}
| spouse = Lakshmi Priya (first wife) and ]
| guru = Swami Isvara Puri (mantra guru); Swami Kesava Bharati (sannyas guru)
| philosophy = ], ]
| known_for = Expounded ], ]
| founder = ]<br/>]
| free_label = Birth Anniversary
| father =
| mother =
| relatives =
| disciples = ], ], ], ], ], ], others
| literary_works = '']''
| background = Orange
}}
{{Vaishnavism}}
{{Hinduism}}
'''Chaitanya Mahaprabhu''' ({{langx|bn|মহাপ্রভু শ্রীচৈতন্য দেব}}; {{langx|sa|चैतन्य महाप्रभु|Caitanya Mahāprabhu}}), born '''Vishvambhara Mishra''' ({{IAST3|Viśvambhara Miśra}}<ref name="Banglapedia Chaitanya"/>) (18 February 1486 – 14 June 1534{{sfn|Delmonico|2007|loc=p. 549: "The form of Vaishnavism inspired by the sixteenth-century saint-reformer Shri Krishna Chaitanya (1486–1533 C.E.) rested heavily upon a belief in the purifying and salvific powers of the names of God, whose fullest self-revelation Chaitanya believed to be Krishna"}}), was an Indian Hindu saint from ] and the founder of ]. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mode of worshipping Krishna with ]-] and dance had a profound effect on ] in ].


He is considered the chief proponent of the Vedantic philosophy of ]. However, the concept of inconceivable difference in non-difference, known as achintya-bhedabheda, was developed later by Jiva Gosvami in his book Bhagavat Sandharbha.{{sfn|Dasa|2007|loc=pp. 377-378: "The Bhagavat Sandarbha describes the concept of Bhagavan alluded to in Bhagavata 1.2.11. Jiva explains he relation between Bhagavan and His potency is one of inconceivable difference in non-difference, known as achintya-bhedabheda. It is in recognition of the nature of this relation that Chaitanya’s philosophy is called Achintya bhedaabheda-vada"}}
'''Chaitanya Mahaprabhu''' (also transliterated '''Caitanya''', ] ''{{IAST|caitanya mahāprabhu}}'') (] {{Unicode|চৈতন্য মহাপ্রভূ}}) (] - ]), was an ] ] monk and social reformer in ] ], ] (present-day ] and ]). A great proponent of loving devotion for God ], Chaitanya worshiped the Lord in the form of ]-]. ] followers revere him as Krishna Himself descended in the mood of ]. He was also known as '''Gaura''' (] for ''"the fair / golden one"'') due to his skin complexion, as well as '''Nimai''' due to being born under a ] tree. There are numerous biographies of Chaitanya, the most popular ones being Sri ] of ] Gosvami and the earlier ] of ] Thakura, both written in the ].


Mahaprabhu founded ] ({{aka}} the ]). He expounded ] and popularised the chanting of the ].<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228155252/http://scsmath.com/docs/chaitanya_mahaprabhu.html |date=28 December 2017 }} "He spread the ] as the practice for attainment of pure love for ]-]. That process is Harinam-Sankirtan, or the congregational chanting of the Holy Names of Krishna "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare"</ref> He composed the '']'' (eight devotional prayers).
==Chaitanya's life==
The story of Chaitanya's life is at times biographic and sometimes mistaken as myth, often associating him with stories of Krishna.


Chaitanya is sometimes called ] ({{IAST3|Gaurāṅga}}) or '''Gaura''' due to his molten gold–like complexion.<ref> "He was also given the name of ‘Gora’ because of his extremely fair complexion." {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061207225342/http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/Mar122006/finearts1054102006310.asp |date=7 December 2006 }}</ref> His birthday is celebrated as ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.krishna.com/node/1407|title=Gaura Purnima|publisher=www.krishna.com|access-date=16 December 2008|archive-date=12 March 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080312140828/http://www.krishna.com/node/1407|url-status=live}}</ref><ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001230238/https://givegita.com/sri-chaitanya |date=1 October 2020 }}"givegita.com"</ref> He is also called '''Nimai''' because he was born underneath a ] tree.<ref>"They named Him Nimai, as he was born under a neem tree." {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080424064200/http://www.archive.org/details/Krishna-Chaitanya-Mission |date=24 April 2008 }}</ref>
According to Chaitanya Charitamrita, Caitanya was born as Visvambhar Mishra in ] as the second son of Jagannath Mishra and Sachi Devi in the town of Navadvipa in ], ], ]. In his youth, Chaitanya was an erudite ], whose learning and skills in ] were next to none. Though religious at heart, Chaitanya did not display an active interest in the Vaishnava religion in his younger years.


==Life==
A significant change in Chaitanya's life came about as he traveled to ] to perform the ] ceremony for his departed father. There he met his ], the ascetic Ishvara Puri, from whom he received initiation with the Gopala Krishna mantra. Upon his return to Bengal, the local Vaishnavas, headed by ], were stunned at his sudden change and soon recognized Chaitanya as the eminent leader of the Vaishnavas of the land of Nadiya.
] at Ganga Mata Math in ]]]


Chaitanya was born in a Brahmin family as Viśvambhara Mishra aka Nimāi, the second son of Jagannātha Mishra and his wife Śacī Devī, the daughter of Nilambara Chakrabarti, both ]s of ] region.<ref name="Banglapedia Chaitanya">{{cite Banglapedia|article=Chaitanya, Sri|author=Stewart, Tony K}}</ref> Jagannātha Mishra's family were from the village of ] in ] (now in ]). The ruins of their ancestral home still survive in present-day ].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chaitanya and his age|last=Sen|first=Dinesh Chandra|url=https://archive.org/details/chaitanyahisage00senduoft|access-date=16 August 2020|website=Internet Archive|language=en}}</ref>{{sfn|Nair|2007|p=87}}<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Valpey |first=Kenneth |title=Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism Online |publisher=Brill |year=2018 |editor-last=Jacobsen |editor-first=Knut A. |chapter=Caitanya |editor-last2=Basu |editor-first2=Helene |editor-last3=Malinar |editor-first3=Angelika |editor-last4=Narayanan |editor-first4=Vasudha}}</ref>
After leaving his homeland in Bengal and becoming an ascetic, Chaitanya journeyed throughout the length and breadth of ] for several years, chanting the names of Krishna constantly.


According to '']'', Chaitanya was born in ] (in present-day '']'') on the full moon night of 18 February 1486, at the time of a lunar eclipse.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Chattopadhyay|first=Nripendra Krishna|url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.265084|title=Sri Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita|date=1961}}</ref><ref name="birthplace">{{Cite web|last=Kabiraj|first=Krishnadas|title=Sachitra Sree Sree Chaitanyacharitamrita(Adi Lila)|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.453768|access-date=29 July 2020|website=Internet Archive|year=1897|language=bn}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Swami|first=A. C. Bhaktivedanta|title=Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta(Ādi-līlā)|url=https://vedabase.io/en/library/cc/adi/|website=vedabase.io|language=en|access-date=12 August 2020|archive-date=7 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807122540/https://vedabase.io/en/library/cc/adi/|url-status=live}}</ref>
He spent the last 24 years of his life in ], ], the great temple city of ]. The king of Orissa, Maharaja Prataparudra, regarded him as Krishna incarnate and was an enthusiastic patron and devotee of the religion of Sri Chaitanya. It was during these years that Chaitanya sank deep into various meditational trances and performed pastimes of divine ecstasy.


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 ], the daughter of paṇḍit Sanātana Miśra. Viśvambhara, also known as Nimāi Paṇḍit, was a promising Sanskrit scholar and once defeated Keśava Bhaṭṭa of the ] school in a debate on Sanskrit prosody.<ref name=":0" />
==Chaitanya's tradition==
]
Despite having been initiated in the ] tradition, Chaitanya founded a tradition of his own, having some marked differences with the practices and the theology of the followers of Madhvacharya. He is not known to have composed anything but a series of verses known as the Siksastaka, "eight verses of instruction".


In 1508-1509 he left Nabadvip to go to Gaya to perform ], a ritual homage to his dead father. There, he met an ascetic named Īśvara Purī, who initiated him using a mantra for ] worship. After this meeting Viśvambhara abandoned all scholarly and domestic pursuits and had no interest except hearing and speaking of Kṛṣṇa. Within a year he took a vow of ''saṃnyāsa'' (renunciation) and changed his name to Kṛṣṇa Caitanya under his guru Keśava 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.<ref name=":0" />
He requested a select few among his followers, who later came to be known as the ], to systematically present the theology of bhakti he had taught in their writings. The six saints and theologians were ], ], Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami, Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami and Jiva Gosvami, a nephew of brothers Rupa and Sanatana. These individuals were responsible for systematizing ].


After becoming a renunciate he spent his time converting and instructing followers in the tenets of Kṛṣṇa bhakti and engaging in communal ''saṁkīrtana''. Notably he is said to have debated and converted followers of ]. He spent two months in Vrindavan in c. 1515 where he instructed ] and ]. The last two decades of his life were spent in Puri where he focused on immersing himself in devotional yearning for Kṛṣṇa and his consorts, mainly Rādhā. He died c. 1528-1534.<ref name=":0" />
] Thakur, Srinivasa Acarya and Syamananda Pandit were among the stalwarts of the second generation of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Having studied under Jiva, they were instrumental in propagating the teachings of the Gosvamis throughout Bengal, Orissa and other regions of Eastern India. Many among their associates, such as Ramacandra Kaviraja and Ganga-narayana Cakravarti, were also eminent teachers in their own right.


== Biographies ==
The famous festival of Kheturi, presided over by Jahnava Thakurani, the wife of ] Prabhu, was the first time the leaders of the various branches of Chaitanya's followers assembled together. Through such festivals, members of the loosely organized tradition became acquainted with other branches along with their respective theological and practical nuances. That notwithstanding, the tradition has maintained its plural nature, having no central authority to preside over its matters.
'''Works on Chaitanya:'''{{sfn|Mukherjee|1999|pp=65–66, 174, 280}}{{sfn|Manring|2005|pp=34–42, 44}}<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200626032050/https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/127571/14/14_chapter%206.pdf |date=26 June 2020 }}.{{cite book |author-last=Mamoni |author-first=Sarma |title=History of Vaishnavite cultures in Assam and Bengal a comparative study |url=http://hdl.handle.net/10603/127571 |chapter=Chapter 14 |pages=253–255 |hdl=10603/127571 |quote=Note, Sarma Mamoni is a researcher at Gauhati University under Chakraborty Amalendu. }}</ref>


* ''Krsna-Caitanya-Caritamrta'' ({{c.}} 1513 or 1536–1540; Sanskrit)
Around these times, the disciples and descendants of Nityananda and Advaita, headed by Virabhadra and Krishna Mishra respectively, started their family lineages (vamsa) to maintain the tradition. The vamsa descending from Nityananda through his son Virabhadra forms the most prominent branch of the modern Gaudiya tradition, though descendants of Advaita, along with the descendants of many other associates of Chaitanya, maintain their following especially in the rural areas of Bengal.
: By ]. 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)
Gopala Guru Gosvami, a young associate of Chaitanya and a follower of Vakresvara Pandit, founded another branch based in Orissa. The writings of Gopala, along with those of his disciple Dhyanacandra Gosvami, have had a substantial influence on the methods of internal worship in the tradition.
: By ]. He was the personal secretary of Chaitanya. Details the life of Caitanya.


* ''Govindadaser Kadcha'' (Bengali)
In the ] the teachings of Chaitanya were brought to the West by ], a representative of the Saraswata (i.e. disciples of ]) branch of Chaitanya's tradition. Also, in the ] this representation of Vaishnava bhakti has been studied through the academic medium of ].
: 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.


* '']'' ({{c.}} 1535 or 1546–1550; Bengali)
Saraswata gurus and acharyas, members of the Goswami lineages and several other Hindu sects which revere Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, including devotees from the major ] holy places in ] District, West Bengal and Orissa, also established temples dedicated to Krishna and Chaitanya outside India in the closing decades of the 20th century.
: By ]. 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.

* '']'' ({{c.}} 1557 or 1580 or 1615; Bengali)
: By ]. 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 ] 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).

* '']'' ({{c.}} 1560–66 or 1575)
: By Lochana Dasa ({{aka}} 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 '']'' and different '']''.

* ''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 ]. 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 '']'' which offers overwhelming evidence of Chaitanya's identity as the Supreme Lord and ''Yuga Avatara''.

* '']'' (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 ]. Commentary on ''Caitanya-upanisad''.

* '']'' (1915)
: By ]. Commentary on Krishnadasa Kaviraja's ''Caitanya-caritāmṛta''

* '']'' (1974; English)
: By ] 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.

* '']'' (2014; English; {{ISBN|978-91-981318-1-9}})
: By ], originally written in German - ''Kṛṣṇa-Caitanya: sein Leben und seine Lehre,'' and published by , 1968, as a part of the scientific series "Stockholm studies in comparative religion".

==Teachings==
{{main|Gaudiya Vaishnavism#Philosophical concepts}}
Chaitanya's epistemological, theological and ontological teachings are summarised as ten root principles called dasa mula.<ref>Thakura, B. (1993). Jaiva dharma: The universal religion (K. Das, Trans.). Los Angeles, CA: Krishna Institute.</ref>

==Philosophy and tradition==
From the very beginning of Chaitanya's '']'' movement in Bengal, ] and others, Muslim or ] by birth, were participants.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}} ], the great sage of ], who lived in the 19th century, emphasised the bhakti marga of Chaitanya, whom he referred to as "Gauranga." ('']'').{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}} This openness received a boost from ]'s broad-minded vision in the late 19th century and was institutionalised by ] in his ] in the 20th century.{{sfn|Sherbow|2004|p=138}}{{Failed verification|date=August 2024}}

In the 20th century the teachings of Chaitanya were brought to the West for the first time by Baba Premananda Bharati (1858–1914),{{sfn|Carney|2020|pp=135–136}} the author of ''Sree Krishna—the Lord of Love'' (1904)—the first full-length treatment of Gaudiya Vaishnavism in English.{{sfn|Carney|2020|p=140}} In1902, he founded the short-lived "Krishna Samaj" society in ] and built a temple in Los Angeles.{{sfn|Carney|2020|p=152}}{{sfn|Jones|Ryan|2007|pp=79–80|loc=Baba Premanand Bharati}} He belonged to the circle of guru ]{{sfn|Carney|2020|pp=140–143}} with teachings similar to the later ] mission.{{sfn|Jones|Ryan|2007|pp=79–80|loc=Baba Premanand Bharati}} His followers later formed several organisations, including now defunct the Order of Living Service and the AUM Temple of Universal Truth.{{sfn|Jones|Ryan|2007|pp=79–80|loc=Baba Premanand Bharati}} Another prominent missionary was ] (1896-1977), a representative of the Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati branch of Chaitanya's tradition. Prabhupada founded his movement known as ] (ISKCON) to spread Chaitanya's teachings throughout the world.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of the Hare Krishna Movement {{!}} Krishna.com |url=http://www.krishna.com/history-hare-krishna-movement-0 |website=www.krishna.com |access-date=22 January 2021 |archive-date=24 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124195422/http://krishna.com/history-hare-krishna-movement-0 |url-status=live }}</ref> Saraswata gurus and acharyas, members of the Goswami lineages and several other Hindu sects which revere Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, including devotees from the major Vaishnava holy places in ] District, West Bengal and Odisha, also established temples dedicated to Krishna and Chaitanya outside India in the closing decades of the 20th century.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}


==Cultural legacy== ==Cultural legacy==
{{See also|Bengal Renaissance}}
In addition to his deep influences on ] (some contend that Hinduism in Bengal might have been eradicated but for him), his cultural legacy in ] remains deep. Some attribute to him a Rennaissance in Bengal, different from the more well know 19th century ]. Salimullah Khan, a noted 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 ]"''.
Chaitanya's influence on the cultural legacy in ], ] and ], has been significant,<ref>{{cite web |title=Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu |url=http://www.krishna.com/who-lord-chaitanya |access-date=2 November 2020 |archive-date=7 June 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020607045307/http://www.krishna.com/printarticles/Lord_Chaitanya.html |url-status=live }}</ref> with many residents performing daily worship to him as an avatar of Krishna. Some attribute to him a Renaissance in Bengal,<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217014530/http://bengal-studies-conference.org/ |date=17 December 2014 }} "History says that the Bengali people experienced the renaissance: not only once but also twice in the course of history. Bengalis witnessed the first renaissance in the 16th century when Hossain Shah and Sri Chaitanya’s idealism influenced a sect of the upper literal class of people"</ref> different from the more well-known 19th-century ]. 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".<ref>{{cite web |title=Chaitanya Mahaprabhu |url=https://gaudiyahistory.iskcondesiretree.com/caitanya-mahaprabhu/ |access-date=2 November 2020 |archive-date=17 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117000851/http://gaudiyahistory.iskcondesiretree.com/caitanya-mahaprabhu/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Chaitanya also (at least indirectly) influenced the ] movement of Bengal. The son of ], Chaitanya's most famous disciple and friend, is often attributed with the establishment of the Baul movement.

Noted Bengali biographical film on Chaitanya, '']'' (1957), was directed by Kartik Chattopadhyay (1912–1989).<ref name="SurGoswami1999">{{cite book|last1=Sur|first1=Ansu|last2=Goswami|first2=Abhijit|title=Bengali Film Directory|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R-hkAAAAMAAJ|page=96|year=1999|publisher=Nandan, West Bengal Film Centre}}</ref> A Bengali film based on Chaitanya's demise, ''Lawho Gouranger Naam Re'', will be directed by ] where ] will be seen portraying Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chakraborty |first1=Shamayita |title=Parambrata to play Gourango in Srijit's next; will also sing in the film |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/movies/news/parambrata-to-play-gourango-in-srijits-next-will-also-sing-in-the-film/articleshow/84485145.cms |access-date=31 March 2022 |work=The Times of India |date=16 July 2021 |language=en |archive-date=31 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331172159/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/movies/news/parambrata-to-play-gourango-in-srijits-next-will-also-sing-in-the-film/articleshow/84485145.cms |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Recognition==
In 2024, speaking at the commemorative event for the 150th birth anniversary of ], ] ] called Chaitanya Mahaprabhu “the touchstone of love for Krishna. He made spiritualism and meditation accessible to the masses”{{sfn|Modi|2024}} and recalled his own personal experience of the transformative power of bhakti through kirtan.{{sfn|Modi|2024}}

== Photo gallery ==
<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
File:Yogapith, Mayapur.jpg|alt=A white ornate structure with a pyramidal pointed dome standing on the bank of a pond and surrounded by trees|Yogapith temple at Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's birthsite established in the 1880s by ] in ], ]
Chaitanya sankirtan.jpg|Chaitanya and ] are shown performing a ']' in the streets of Nabadwip, Bengal.
Panca-tattva Altar.jpg|] deities installed on a ] altar. From left to right: ], ], Chaitanya, ], ].
Mahaprabhu 103.jpg|'']'' of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
চৈতন্য মহাপ্রভু.jpg|60 feet Chaitanya Mahaprabhu statue in ].
Gauranga mahaprabhu.jpg|Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Prachin Mayapur, ].
Idols of Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Jagannath, Balarama, Subhadra and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu at the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (ISKCON Mayapur) in Mayapur, Nadia, West Bengal, India.jpg|Deities of Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Jagannath, Balarama, Subhadra and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (in middle), at the ISKCON Durgapur Temple.
Gaura Nitai shrine at ISKCON temple, Delhi.jpg|''Gaura Nitai'' shrine at ].
</gallery>

==See also==
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
{{Clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

===Works cited===
{{columns-list|
<!-- Add citations below; sort surnames alphabetically. -->

* {{cite book
|last=Carney |first=Gerald T.
|year=2020
|chapter=Baba Premananda Bharati: His trajectory into and through Bengal Vaiṣṇavism to the West
|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1hTADwAAQBAJ&pg=PT135
|editor-last1=Sardella |editor-first1=Ferdinando
|editor-last2=Wong |editor-first2=Lucian
|title=The Legacy of Vaiṣṇavism in Colonial Bengal
|series=Routledge Hindu Studies Series
|location=Milton, Oxon; New York
|publisher=]
|pages=135–160
|isbn=978-1-138-56179-3
}}
* {{cite book |last=Dasa|first=Satyanarayana|year=2007 |chapter=The Six Sandharbhas of Jiva Gosvami |title=Krishna: A Sourcebook|pages=373–408 |publisher=Oxford University Press, USA |isbn= 978-0-19-514891-6|url=https://ia903407.us.archive.org/5/items/Pushtimarg/Bryant_Edwin_F._%28editor%29_-_Krishna__A_Sourcebook.pdf}}
* {{cite book |last=Delmonico |first=Neal|year=2007 |chapter=Chaitanya Vaishnavism and the Holy Names|title=Krishna: A Sourcebook|pages=549–575 |publisher=Oxford University Press, USA |isbn= 978-0-19-514891-6|url=https://ia903407.us.archive.org/5/items/Pushtimarg/Bryant_Edwin_F._%28editor%29_-_Krishna__A_Sourcebook.pdf}}
* {{cite encyclopedia
|last1=Jones |first1=Constance A.
|last2=Ryan |first2=James D.
|year=2007
|title=Encyclopedia of Hinduism
|url=https://archive.org/details/ConstanceA.JonesJamesD.RyanEncyclopediaOfHinduism
|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of World Religions
|editor-last=Melton |editor-first=J. Gordon
|location=New York
|publisher=]
|isbn=978-0-8160-5458-9
}}

*{{citation
|last = Modi
|first = Narendra
|author-link = Narendra Modi
|title = PM addresses program marking 150th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada Ji
|date = 8 February 2024
|url = https://www.narendramodi.in/prime-minister-narendra-modi-addresses-programme-on-150th-anniversary-of-srila-prabhupada-ji-at-bharat-mandapam-579097
|access-date = 15 February 2024
}}

* {{cite book
|last=Manring |first=Rebecca J.
|year=2005
|chapter=Chapter 2: Advaita Acarya: A New Imminence
|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vs1b9KjnnDgC&pg=PA34
|title=Reconstructing Tradition: Advaita Ācārya and Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism at the Cusp of the Twentieth Century
|location=New York
|publisher=]
|isbn=0-231-12954-8
}}
* {{cite book
|last=Mukherjee |first=Sujit
|year=1999
|title=A Dictionary of Indian Literature: Volume One, Beginnings-1850
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YCJrUfVtZxoC
|location=New Delhi
|publisher=]
|isbn=81-250-1453-5
}}
* {{cite book
|last=Nair |first=K. K.
|year=2007
|title=Sages Through Ages – Volume II: India's Heritage
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z3rAr456ngQC
|publisher=]
|isbn=978-1-4208-7802-8
}}
* {{cite book
|last=Sherbow |first=Paul H.
|year=2004
|chapter=Chapter 9: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami's Preaching in the Context of Gaudiya Vaishnavism
|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mBMxPdgrBhoC&pg=PA129
|editor-last1=Bryant |editor-first1=Edwin F.
|editor-last2=Ekstrand |editor-first2=Maria L.
|title=The Hare Krishna Movement: The Postcharismatic Fate of a Religious Transplant
|location=New York
|publisher=]
|isbn=0-231-12256-X
}}

<!-- Add citations above; sort surnames alphabetically. -->
}}

==Further reading==
{{columns-list|
<!-- Add citations below; sort surnames alphabetically. -->

* {{cite book
|last=Dae |first=(Romesh Chunder Dutt) Ar Cy |author-link=Romesh Chunder Dutt
|year=1877
|title=The Literature of Bengal: Being an Attempt to Trace the Progress of the National Mind in Its Various Aspects, as Reflected in the Nation's Literature from the Earliest Times to the Present Day with Copious Extracts from the Best Writers
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i7cIAAAAQAAJ
|location=Calcutta
|publisher=I. C. Bose & Co.
|pages=66–81
}}
* {{cite book
|last=Dasa |first=Shukavak N.
|year=1999
|title=Hindu Encounter with Modernity: Kedarnath Datta Bhaktivinoda, Vaiṣṇava Theologian
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KHvXAAAAMAAJ
|edition=revised, illustrated
|location=Los Angeles, CA
|publisher=Sanskrit Religions Institute
|access-date=31 January 2014
|isbn=1-889756-30-X
}}
* {{cite thesis
|last=Fuller |first=Jason Dale
|year=2005
|title=Religion, class, and power: Bhaktivinode Thakur and the transformation of religious authority among the Gaudīya Vaishnavas in nineteenth-century Bengal
|url=https://repository.upenn.edu/dissertations/AAI3179733/
|type=Ph.D.
|publisher=University of Pennsylvania
|id=UMI Microform 3179733
|access-date=8 June 2014
}}
* {{cite book
|last=Manna |first=Sandipan
|year=2013
|title=In Search of a Forgotten Mahatma: Kalachand Vidyalankar
|edition=1st
|publisher=Kalyani Foundation
|isbn=978-81-927505-4-5
}}{{Citation not found|date=September 2021}}
* {{cite book
|last=Rosen |first=Steven |author-link=Steven J. Rosen
|year=1988
|title=India's Spiritual Renaissance: The Life and Times of Lord Chaitanya
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PX_XAAAAMAAJ
|publisher=Folk Books
|isbn=0-9619763-0-6
}}
* {{cite book
|last=Sarkar |first=Jadunath |author-link=Jadunath Sarkar
|year=1913
|title=Chaitanya's Pilgrimages and Teachings - From his contemporary Begali biography the Chaitanya-charit-amrita: Madhya-lila
|url=https://archive.org/details/chaitanyaspilgri018817mbp/page/n1/mode/2up
|location=Calcutta
|publisher=Brahmo Mission Press
}}
* {{cite book
|last=Wilkins |first=William Joseph
|year=1913
|orig-year=1882
|title=Hindu Mythology, Vedic and Purānic
|url=https://archive.org/details/hindumythologyve00inwilk
|edition=3rd
|location=Calcutta
|publisher=London Missionary Society
|pages=260–262
}}

<!-- Add citations above; sort surnames alphabetically. -->
}}


==External links== ==External links==
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Latest revision as of 14:14, 12 December 2024

15th-century Indian Vaishnavite Hindu saint "Krishna Chaitanya" redirects here. For the Telugu lyricist, see Krishna Chaitanya (lyricist). "Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu" redirects here. For the 1954 Hindi film, see Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (film).
This article relies excessively on references to primary sources. Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources.
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Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Wooden murti of Chaitanya as Dhāmeśvara, Nabadwip
Personal life
BornVishvambhara Mishra
(1486-02-18)18 February 1486
Nabadwip, Bengal Sultanate
(present-day West Bengal, India)
Died14 June 1534(1534-06-14) (aged 48)
Puri, Gajapati Kingdom
(present-day Odisha, India)
SpouseLakshmi Priya (first wife) and Vishnupriya
Known forExpounded Gaudiya Vaishnavism, kirtan
Religious life
ReligionHinduism
Founder ofGaudiya Vaishnavism
Achintya Bheda Abheda
PhilosophyBhakti yoga, Achintya Bheda Abheda
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Closeup of Vishnu, seated in the lotus position on a lotus. From depiction of the poet Jayadeva bowing to Vishnu, Gouache on paper Pahari, The very picture of devotion, bare-bodied, head bowed, legs crossed and hands folded, Jayadeva stands at left, with the implements of worship placed before the lotus-seat of Vishnu who sits there, blessing the poet.
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Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (Bengali: মহাপ্রভু শ্রীচৈতন্য দেব; Sanskrit: चैतन्य महाप्रभु, romanized: Caitanya Mahāprabhu), born Vishvambhara Mishra (IAST: Viśvambhara Miśra) (18 February 1486 – 14 June 1534), 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. However, the concept of inconceivable difference in non-difference, known as achintya-bhedabheda, was developed later by Jiva Gosvami in his book Bhagavat Sandharbha.

Mahaprabhu founded Gaudiya Vaishnavism (a.k.a. the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya). He expounded Bhakti yoga and popularised the chanting of the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra. He composed the Shikshashtakam (eight devotional prayers).

Chaitanya is sometimes called Gauranga (IAST: Gaurāṅga) or Gaura due to his molten gold–like complexion. His birthday is celebrated as Gaura-purnima. He is also called Nimai because he was born underneath a Neem tree.

Life

Deity of Shadabhuja Gauranga at Ganga Mata Math in Puri

Chaitanya was born in a Brahmin family as Viśvambhara Mishra aka Nimāi, the second son of Jagannātha Mishra and his wife Śacī Devī, the daughter of Nilambara Chakrabarti, both Brahmins of Sylhet region. Jagannātha Mishra'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.

According to Chaitanya Charitamrita, Chaitanya was born in Nabadwip (in present-day West Bengal) on the full moon night of 18 February 1486, at the time of a lunar eclipse.

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 Viṣṇupriyā, the daughter of paṇḍit Sanātana Miśra. Viśvambhara, also known as Nimāi Paṇḍit, was a promising Sanskrit scholar and once defeated Keśava Bhaṭṭa of the Nimbārka school in a debate on Sanskrit prosody.

In 1508-1509 he left Nabadvip to go to Gaya to perform śrāddha, a ritual homage to his dead father. There, he met an ascetic named Īśvara Purī, who initiated him using a mantra for Kṛṣṇa worship. After this meeting Viśvambhara abandoned all scholarly and domestic pursuits and had no interest except hearing and speaking of Kṛṣṇa. Within a year he took a vow of saṃnyāsa (renunciation) and changed his name to Kṛṣṇa Caitanya under his guru Keśava 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.

After becoming a renunciate he spent his time converting and instructing followers in the tenets of Kṛṣṇa bhakti and engaging in communal saṁkīrtana. Notably he is said to have debated and converted followers of Advaita Vedānta. He spent two months in Vrindavan in c. 1515 where he instructed Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmi. The last two decades of his life were spent in Puri where he focused on immersing himself in devotional yearning for Kṛṣṇa and his consorts, mainly Rādhā. He died c. 1528-1534.

Biographies

Works on Chaitanya:

  • 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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
By Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Commentary on Krishnadasa Kaviraja's Caitanya-caritāmṛta
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.
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".

Teachings

Main article: Gaudiya Vaishnavism § Philosophical concepts

Chaitanya's epistemological, theological and ontological teachings are summarised as ten root principles called dasa mula.

Philosophy and tradition

From the very beginning of Chaitanya's bhakti movement in Bengal, Haridasa Thakur and others, Muslim or Hindu by birth, were participants. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, the great sage of Dakshineswar, who lived in the 19th century, emphasised the bhakti marga of Chaitanya, whom he referred to as "Gauranga." (The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna). This openness received a boost from Bhaktivinoda Thakura's broad-minded vision in the late 19th century and was institutionalised by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati in his Gaudiya Matha in the 20th century.

In the 20th century the teachings of Chaitanya were brought to the West for the first time by Baba Premananda Bharati (1858–1914), the author of Sree Krishna—the Lord of Love (1904)—the first full-length treatment of Gaudiya Vaishnavism in English. In1902, he founded the short-lived "Krishna Samaj" society in New York City and built a temple in Los Angeles. He belonged to the circle of guru Prabhu Jagadbandhu with teachings similar to the later ISKCON mission. His followers later formed several organisations, including now defunct the Order of Living Service and the AUM Temple of Universal Truth. Another prominent missionary was A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977), a representative of the Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati branch of Chaitanya's tradition. Prabhupada founded his movement known as The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) to spread Chaitanya's teachings throughout the world. Saraswata gurus and acharyas, members of the Goswami lineages and several other Hindu sects which revere Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, including devotees from the major Vaishnava holy places in Mathura District, West Bengal and Odisha, also established temples dedicated to Krishna and Chaitanya outside India in the closing decades of the 20th century.

Cultural legacy

See also: Bengal Renaissance

Chaitanya's influence on the cultural legacy in Bengal, Odisha and Manipur, has been significant, with many residents performing daily worship to him as an avatar of Krishna. Some attribute to him a Renaissance in Bengal, 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".

Noted Bengali biographical film on Chaitanya, Nilachaley Mahaprabhu (1957), was directed by Kartik Chattopadhyay (1912–1989). 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.

Recognition

In 2024, speaking at the commemorative event for the 150th birth anniversary of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi called Chaitanya Mahaprabhu “the touchstone of love for Krishna. He made spiritualism and meditation accessible to the masses” and recalled his own personal experience of the transformative power of bhakti through kirtan.

Photo gallery

See also

References

  1. Valpey, Kenneth (2018). "Caitanya". In Jacobsen, Knut A.; Basu, Helene; Malinar, Angelika; Narayanan, Vasudha (eds.). Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism Online. Brill.
  2. ^ Stewart, Tony K (2012). "Chaitanya, Sri". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  3. Delmonico 2007, p. 549: "The form of Vaishnavism inspired by the sixteenth-century saint-reformer Shri Krishna Chaitanya (1486–1533 C.E.) rested heavily upon a belief in the purifying and salvific powers of the names of God, whose fullest self-revelation Chaitanya believed to be Krishna".
  4. Dasa 2007, pp. 377-378: "The Bhagavat Sandarbha describes the concept of Bhagavan alluded to in Bhagavata 1.2.11. Jiva explains he relation between Bhagavan and His potency is one of inconceivable difference in non-difference, known as achintya-bhedabheda. It is in recognition of the nature of this relation that Chaitanya’s philosophy is called Achintya bhedaabheda-vada".
  5. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Archived 28 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine "He spread the Yuga-dharma as the practice for attainment of pure love for Radha-Krishna. That process is Harinam-Sankirtan, or the congregational chanting of the Holy Names of Krishna "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare"
  6. In the Name of the Lord (Deccan Herald) "He was also given the name of ‘Gora’ because of his extremely fair complexion." Archived 7 December 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  7. "Gaura Purnima". www.krishna.com. Archived from the original on 12 March 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
  8. Sri Gaura Purnima Archived 1 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine"givegita.com"
  9. KCM Archive"They named Him Nimai, as he was born under a neem tree." Archived 24 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  10. Sen, Dinesh Chandra. "Chaitanya and his age". Internet Archive. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  11. Nair 2007, p. 87.
  12. ^ Valpey, Kenneth (2018). "Caitanya". In Jacobsen, Knut A.; Basu, Helene; Malinar, Angelika; Narayanan, Vasudha (eds.). Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism Online. Brill.
  13. Chattopadhyay, Nripendra Krishna (1961). Sri Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita.
  14. Kabiraj, Krishnadas (1897). "Sachitra Sree Sree Chaitanyacharitamrita(Adi Lila)". Internet Archive (in Bengali). Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  15. Swami, A. C. Bhaktivedanta. "Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta(Ādi-līlā)". vedabase.io. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  16. Mukherjee 1999, pp. 65–66, 174, 280.
  17. Manring 2005, pp. 34–42, 44.
  18. PDF Archived 26 June 2020 at the Wayback Machine.Mamoni, Sarma. "Chapter 14". History of Vaishnavite cultures in Assam and Bengal a comparative study. pp. 253–255. hdl:10603/127571. Note, Sarma Mamoni is a researcher at Gauhati University under Chakraborty Amalendu.
  19. Thakura, B. (1993). Jaiva dharma: The universal religion (K. Das, Trans.). Los Angeles, CA: Krishna Institute.
  20. Sherbow 2004, p. 138.
  21. Carney 2020, pp. 135–136.
  22. Carney 2020, p. 140.
  23. Carney 2020, p. 152.
  24. ^ Jones & Ryan 2007, pp. 79–80, Baba Premanand Bharati.
  25. Carney 2020, pp. 140–143.
  26. "History of the Hare Krishna Movement | Krishna.com". www.krishna.com. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  27. "Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu". Archived from the original on 7 June 2002. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  28. Bengal Studies Conference Archived 17 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine "History says that the Bengali people experienced the renaissance: not only once but also twice in the course of history. Bengalis witnessed the first renaissance in the 16th century when Hossain Shah and Sri Chaitanya’s idealism influenced a sect of the upper literal class of people"
  29. "Chaitanya Mahaprabhu". Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  30. Sur, Ansu; Goswami, Abhijit (1999). Bengali Film Directory. Nandan, West Bengal Film Centre. p. 96.
  31. Chakraborty, Shamayita (16 July 2021). "Parambrata to play Gourango in Srijit's next; will also sing in the film". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  32. ^ Modi 2024.

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