The Golden Opportunity

[Adi 3 & 4]

[3.1-3.12]

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.

[3.13-3.114]

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.”

[4.1-4.277]

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.