Caitanya Caritamrta Compact
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  • Welcome to Caitanya Caritamrta Compact Online!
  • The Flow Of Nectar
  • Copyright
  • Dedication
  • Contents
  • Introduction
    • The God who Dances
    • Postgraduate Spirituality
    • A Humble Offering
  • Overview
    • Breakdown of Sri Chaitanya's Life
    • Layout of Book
  • ADI-LILA
    • Invocation
      • Auspicious Prayers
      • A Safe God
      • The Golden Opportunity
      • Five Stars
      • Writing Chaitanya-Charitamrita
      • The Desire Tree
    • Incarnation
      • The Rising Sun
      • Greatness and Sweetness
    • Education
      • Life Lessons
      • The Greatest Scholar
    • Transformation
      • The Turning Point
      • Birth of Kirtan
      • Exhibitions of Divinity
      • Overcoming the Opposition
      • The World is My Family
  • MADHYA-LILA
    • Renunciation
      • Snapshot
      • An Emotional Meeting
      • Lessons on the Road to Puri
      • Sarvabhauma’s Salvation
    • Propagation
      • The South Indian Tour
      • Returning to HQ
      • Preparations for Rathayatra
      • The Ecstatic Festival of Chariots
      • King Prataparudra’s Strong Desire
      • Expanding the Mercy
    • Aspiration
      • An Unfulfilled Aspiration
      • The Journey Home
      • Vraja Mandala Parikrama
    • Organisation
      • Systematic Documentation
      • Rupa and Sanatana’s Escape
      • Teachings to Rupa Goswami
      • Teachings to Sanatana Goswami
      • Essential Instructions to the Goswamis
      • Prakashananda and the Mayavada Sannyasis
  • ANTYA-LILA
    • Appreciation
      • Humility and Empowerment – Rupa Goswami
      • Devotion – Pradyumna Brahmachari
      • Pure Chanting – Haridas Thakur
      • Surrender and Vaishnava Etiquette – Sanatana Goswami
      • Renunciation – Raghunath das Goswami
      • Remembrance of Krishna – Gopinath & Vaninath
      • Service Attitude – Govinda
      • Spontaneous Love - Jagadananda Pandita
      • Following instructions – Raghunath Bhatta Goswami
    • Correction
      • Inappropriate Association - Chota Haridas
      • Dangers of Mayavada Philosophy – Bhagavan Acharya & Bengali poet
      • Criticism and Faultfinding – Damodara Pandita & Ramachandra Puri
      • Superficial Discrimination – Pradyumna Mishra
      • Respecting Teachers – Vallabha Bhatta
    • Intoxication
      • Feelings of Separation
      • Lessons in Eagerness
      • Instances of Ecstacy
    • Instruction
      • Shikshastakam
      • Closing Pastimes
      • Concluding Words
  • APPENDIX
    • Cover
    • Mangalacharana Breakdown
    • Ramananda-Samvada
    • CC Family Tree
    • Shikshastakam Breakdown
    • References & Extra Reading
    • End Notes
    • Shri Chaitanya's Travels
    • The Author
    • Wisdom That Breathes
    • Support this work
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  1. ADI-LILA
  2. Incarnation

Greatness and Sweetness

[Adi 14]

PreviousThe Rising SunNextEducation

Last updated 1 year ago

The early pastimes of Nimai (from birth till five years) are known as the balya-lila. During these years, various astonishing incidents made obvious that He was not an ordinary child.

Sometimes Sachimata would witness the denizens of heaven queuing up to see Nimai. Jagannatha Mishra also had dreams in which he was unequivocally told that Nimai was the Supreme Person. In fact, when Nimai’s parents had His feet examined (from which they could hear the mystical tinkling of ankle bells) the astrologer Nilambhara Chakravarti immediately confirmed that Nimai was none other than Lord Krishna. Nevertheless, the Lord mystically covered His divine identity, allowing His parents to continue feeling the natural concerns of a mother and father. This pure and spontaneous love is what He had come to relish.

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From the beginning of His life, Nimai brought people closer to God. In His childhood, the village ladies discovered that the only way to stop Nimai crying was to chant the holy names of Krishna. Thus, there was a continual utterance of “haribol” in the village. When, having eaten dirt, He played devil’s advocate and justified it through impersonal philosophy, His mother reprimanded Him and explained the correct understanding. Nimai was pleased.

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Nimai’s childhood was filled with miracles. As a young boy He repeatedly spoiled the offerings made by a devoted brahmana, and later revealed His divine identity as Shri Krishna Himself. When thieves tried to kidnap Him, Nimai mystically disorientated the rogues and led them back to His own home! On another day, Nimai requested prasadam from a distant house and exhibited His omniscient and all-knowing nature.

These displays of greatness were accompanied by wonderfully sweet exchanges. He sported with friends, engaged in mock fights, lovingly stole their eatables, threw tantrums, and sometimes cried when being rebuked by His mother. When young girls would engage in their religious duties, He would disturb their offerings and steal all the paraphernalia for Himself. Such mischievous dealings endeared Him to all the village locals.

Later, the young Nimai met with Lakshmipriya, His eternal consort, and Their conjugal love for each other awakened.

The immature observer may consider God’s earthly pastimes to be just like their own. God, they think, is nothing more than a historical figure. Others posit that these descriptions of God are a mythological understanding which helps one in their spiritual infancy. They argue that in an advanced and mature stage of spirituality one realises that God is ultimately impersonal – beyond the purview of the mind and senses, and not limited by a form. The great Vaishnava teachers have comprehensively refuted these widespread notions of atheism (sunyavada) and impersonalism (nirvisesa). They establish the sweet pastimes of Shri Krishna as factual and divine, eternally enacted within the material cosmos, the spiritual world, and the hearts of His pure devotees.

[14.1-14.20 / 14.76-14.97]
14.21
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