Caitanya Caritamrta Compact
Keshava Swami WebsiteFollow @keshavaswamiSupport this work
  • 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
Powered by GitBook
On this page
  1. ADI-LILA
  2. Invocation

The Golden Opportunity

[Adi 3 & 4]

PreviousA Safe GodNextFive Stars

Last updated 1 year ago

The word avatar literally means “to come down”. Shri Chaitanya only descends to the material world once in a “day of Brahma”, a period of universal time which corresponds to 4.32 billion Earth years. His rare appearance is centred on a specific purpose and mission, as well as a very special gift for the lost souls of the age.

[-]

External reasons - Seeing the degradation of society, the great devotee Advaita Acharya worshipped Shri Krishna, praying for a solution. His simple but devotional offerings of tulasi buds in Ganges water attracted the Lord’s attention. In reciprocation, Krishna descended as Shri Chaitanya to uplift the world through the process of nama-sankirtan, congregational chanting of God’s holy names. He emphatically established that no other process of spiritual elevation could be as effective in this dark age of kali-yuga. Assuming the role of a devotee and teaching by example, Shri Chaitanya liberally offered everyone the opportunity to develop pure unalloyed love for Shri Krishna. Thus, His external purpose was to teach the yuga-dharma (religious process for the age): “He wove a wreath of the holy name and pure love, with which He garlanded the entire material world.”

Internal Reasons – Krishna is known as rasaraja, the king of all relationships. As Lord Ramachandra, He experienced the brotherly love of Lakshman and marital joy with Sita. As Lord Krishna, He savoured intimate friendship with the cowherd boys, and unwedded paramour love with the cowherd girls. Although Krishna relished these relationships, a curiosity still remained. Krishna had not yet experienced the spiritual emotion that His devotees feel in their relationship with Him. It is said that Shrimati Radharani, the most celebrated devotee, feels pleasure which is ten million times greater than the Lord’s! Thus, Shri Chaitanya descended to :

• delight in the position of Shrimati Radharani

• understand the sweetness of Krishna’s qualities

• experience the happiness of a pure devotee

Shri Chaitanya ingeniously fulfilled both purposes simultaneously. Internally, He savoured the confidential interactions of Radha and Krishna in Vrindavana, where the purest standard of love is found. Simultaneously, He widely propagated the process of nama-sankirtan which can elevate anyone to that holy abode. To enter Goloka Vrindavana, one’s devotion must be natural and spontaneous; free from all conceptions of awe and reverence. Such purity of devotion is achieved through the sincere chanting of Krishna’s names. Thus, Shri Chaitanya offered everyone the opportunity to develop divine love in the mood of dasya (servitude), sakhya (friendship), vatsalya (parental) and madhurya (conjugal), and eventually associate with Krishna in the spiritual world, Goloka Vrindavana.

[3.1-3.12]
3.13
3.114
[4.1-4.277]