A Humble Offering
In 1965, when Srila Prabhupada suffered sea sickness and multiple heart attacks on his voyage to America, his reading of Caitanya- Caritamrita brought him great solace. He said it was the 'nectarine of life' and his 'source of vitality'. Srila Prabhupada also recollects how Caitanya-Caritamrita was his spiritual master’s favourite book. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur had predicted that a time would come when people would learn the Bengali language simply to relish this classic composition by Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami. At present, however, Caitanya-Caritamrita remains a relatively unexplored literature. Since the studies of Bhagavad-Gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam are vast in and of themselves, many neglect the opportunity to bathe in the delightful narrations of Sri Chaitanya’s life.
This small contribution does not fully describe each episode of the Caitanya-Caritamrita, since Srila Prabhupada’s translation does that perfectly. The key objectives are as follows:
• To present an easy-to-follow overview of Sri Chaitanya’s life.
• To provide a roadmap and framework for anyone who desires to explore the Caitanya-Charitamrita in greater detail.
To draw life lessons from key passages and pastimes.
Above all, this book has been compiled in a spirit of self-improvement, with the ardent desire to deepen my meditation on Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. I am far from qualified to write about this elevated subject matter, but my attempt is simply to encourage the reader to approach the original source of knowledge: Krishnadasa’s devotion-filled words translated by Srila Prabhupada. Please forgive any mistakes I may make, which are likely due to my limited knowledge and lack of spiritual depth.
S.B. Keshava Swami
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