Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu | |
|---|---|
| Personal life | |
| Born | Vishvambhara Mishra 18 February 1486 |
| Died | 14 June 1534 (aged 48) |
| Spouse | Lakshmi Priya (first wife) and Vishnupriya |
| Known for | Expounded Gaudiya Vaishnavism, kirtan |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Founder of | Gaudiya Vaishnavism Achintya Bheda Abheda |
| Philosophy | Bhakti yoga, Achintya Bheda Abheda |
| Religious career | |
| Guru | Swami Isvara Puri (mantra guru); Swami Kesava Bharati (sannyas guru) |
Disciples
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| Vaishnavism |
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Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (Bengali: মহাপ্রভু শ্রীচৈতন্য দেব; Sanskrit: चैतन्य महाप्रभु, romanized: Chaitanya Mahāprabhu), born Vishvambhara Mishra (IAST: Viśvambhara Miśra[2]) (18 February 1486 – 14 June 1534[3]), was an Indian Hindu saint from Bengal and the founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mode of worshipping Krishna with bhajan-kirtan and dance had a profound effect on Vaishnavism in Bengal.
He is considered the chief proponent of the Vedantic philosophy of Achintya Bheda Abheda. The concept of inconceivable difference in non-difference, known as achintya-bhedabheda, was explained later by Jiva Gosvami in his book Bhagavat Sandharbha,[4] and in his Sarva-samvadini.[5][6]
Mahaprabhu founded Gaudiya Vaishnavism. He expounded Bhakti yoga and popularised the chanting of the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra.[7] He composed the Shikshashtakam (eight devotional prayers).
Chaitanya is sometimes called Gauranga (IAST: Gaurāṅga) or Gaura due to his molten gold–like complexion.[8] His birthday is celebrated as Gaura-purnima.[9][10] He is also called Nimai because he was born underneath a Neem tree.[11]
- ^ Valpey, Kenneth (2018). "Caitanya". In Jacobsen, Knut A.; Basu, Helene; Malinar, Angelika; Narayanan, Vasudha (eds.). Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism Online. Brill.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Banglapedia Chaitanyawas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Dasa 2007, pp. 377-378: "The Bhagavat Sandarbha [...] describes the concept of Bhagavan alluded to in Bhagavata 1.2.11. Jiva explains [...] [t]he relation between Bhagavan and His potency is one of inconceivable difference in non-difference, known as achintya-bhedabheda. It is in recognition of the nature of this relation that Chaitanya’s philosophy is called Achintya bhedaabheda-vada".
- ^ Gupta 2007, p. 46, footnote 30: "[I]n the Sarva-samvadini, [J]iva Gosvami lists the names of different teachers and their schools of Vedanta, and then concludes by saying, 'sva-mate tu acintya-bhedabhedah,' 'but my view is acintya-bhedabheda'".
- ^ Krsna Dasa, T. 2022, "[Jiva Goswami in his] Sarva-samvadini [commenting] Anuccheda 77 and 78 of the Paramatma Sandarbha [states that:] 'It is well known that Gautama, Kaṇāda, Jaimini, Kapila and Patañjali, as well as śrī-rāmānuja and śrī-madhvācārya’s accept bheda alone. To us, acintya-bheda-abheda alone is acceptable, because the substantive is endowed with acintya śaktis' ".
- ^ Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Archived 28 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine "He spread the Yuga-dharma as the practice for attainment of pure love for Radha-Krishna. That process is Harinam-Sankirtan, or the congregational chanting of the Holy Names of Krishna "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare"
- ^ In the Name of the Lord (Deccan Herald) "He was also given the name of ‘Gora’ because of his extremely fair complexion." Archived 7 December 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Gaura Purnima". www.krishna.com. Archived from the original on 12 March 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
- ^ Sri Gaura Purnima Archived 1 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine"givegita.com"
- ^ KCM Archive"They named Him Nimai, as he was born under a neem tree." Archived 24 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine