Srila Bhaktisiddhanta on Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Appearance

From Amrita Vani, Sri Chaitanyadeva by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada, English translation by Bhumipati dasa

 

9. How does the Supreme Lord perform His appearance pastimes?

 

Since mother Saci and Jagannath Misra are eternally perfect devotees, their hearts and bodies consist of pure goodness. They are never to be considered ordinary jlvas. Pure goodness is also called vasudeva. Lord Vasudeva, who enjoys transcendental pastimes, appears only in pure goodness, or vasudeva. Mother Saci’s pregnancy did not occur through lusty association with her husband, as if they were a mundane male and female interested only in sense gratification, whose bodies were made of flesh, bones, and blood. Even to think of them in this way is an offense. If one considers her pregnancy with a serviceinclined heart, one will realize how glorious Mother saci’s transcendental pregnancy was, and how it personified pure goodness.

 

In his commentary on Srlmad-Bhagavatam (10.2.16) Sridhara Svamipada wrote that the Supreme Lord appears in a devotee’s heart that is in the mode of pure goodness. He does not take birth like an ordinary human being. Sri Rupa Gosvami wrote in Laghu-bhagavatamrta that Lord Krsna first manifests in the
heart of Vasudeva, then from Vasudeva’s heart He manifests in the heart of Devaki.

 

Sn Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi 13.84-85 states:
jagannatha misra kahe svapna ye dekhila

jyotirmaya-dhama mora hrdaye pasila
Jagannatha Misra then replied, “In a dream I saw the effulgent abode of theLord enter my heart.”

 

amara hrdaya haite gela tomara hrdaye

hena bujhi, janmibena kona mahasaye
“From my heart it entered your heart. I therefore understand that a great personality will soon take birth.”

 

10. Is Sri Caitanyadeva the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself?

 

Sri Caitanyadeva is directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu is the supreme Absolute Truth, and the supreme consciousness. He is the Supreme Lord Himself and the controller of all other controllers. The Lord’s eternally perfect associate, Sri Narottama dasa Thakura sings:

 

vrajendranandana yei sacisuta haila sei

balarama haila nitai
The son of Nanda Maharaja has appeared as the son of Saci, and Balarama has appeared as Nityananda

 

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta states:
svayam bhagavan krsna, visnu-paratattva,

purna-jnana purnananda parama
mahattva ‘nanda-suta’ bali’ yanre bhagavate gai,

sei krsna avatirna caitanyagosani
Krsna, the original form of the Personality of Godhead, is the summum bonum of the all-pervading Visnu. He is allperfect knowledge and allperfect bliss. He is the Supreme Transcendence. He whom Srimad-Bhagavatam describes as the son of Nanda Maharaja has descended to earth as Lord Caitanya. (Adi 8-9)

 

parama isvara krsna svayam bhagavan,

sarva-avatari, sarva-karana-pradhana
Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is personally the original Godhead, the source of all incarnations and the cause of all causes. (Madhya 8.134)

 

sei krsna avatari vrajendra-kumara,

apane caitanya-rnpe kaila avatara
That same Lord Krsna, the fountainhead of all incarnations, is known as the son of the King of Vraja. He has descended personally as Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. (Adi 2.109)

 

We are servants of the Supreme Lord and serving Him is our eternal duty. Lord Sri Krsna appeared as Lord Gauranga in Kali-yuga. Therefore Lord Gauranga is the eternal worshipable Lord of persons like us who live in Kali-yuga. Anyone who does not worship Caitanyacandra is unconscious. Those who do not worship the most merciful Sri Caitanyacandra are unable even to become conscious.

 

Sri Caitanyacandra is the supreme Absolute Truth, full of sixteen transcendental characteristics. Therefore if His enlivening katha enters our hearts, it will certainly attract us to His lotus feet. Those who hear about Him partially will surrender to Him partially. Until the living entities become constantly intoxicated by serving Sri Caitanyacandra, offering body, mind, and words, house, children,
and wife, at His lotus feet, it is to be understood that they have not heard about Sri Caitanyacandra completely.

 

Sri Gaurasundara is the eternal Absolute Truth. He existed in the past, exists at present, and will continue to exist in future. Sri Gaurangadeva is the combined form of Sri Radha-Govinda. Although He is directly Krsna Himself, He performs pastimes as Krsna’s servant to benefit the jivas. He is fully absorbed in Sri Radha’s mood. Because they are foolish, some people consider Him simply a great personality or a mere religious preacher. But He is neither. He is directly Krsna, the son of Nanda. As Sri Gaurangadeva Krsna appeared as the son of Sri Jagannath Misra; Sri Jagannath Misra was the Lord’s servant.