vraje äveça-rüpatväd vyüho yo’pi sadäçivaù
sa evädvaita-gosvämé caitanyäbhinna-vigrahaù
yaç ca gopäla-dehaù san vraje kåñëasya sannidhau
nanarta çré-çivä-tantre bhairavasya vaco yathä
ekadä kärttike mäsi dépa-yäträ-mahotsave
sa-rämaù saha-gopälaù kåñëo nåtyati yatnavän
nirékñya mad-gurur devo gopa-bhäväbhiläñavän
priyeëa nartitum ärabdhaç cakra-bhramaëa-lélayä
çré-kåñëasya prasädena dvi-vidho’bhütat sadäçivaù
ekas tatra çivaù säkñäd anyo gopäla-vigrahaù
Sadashiva, formerly an äveça-incarnation of the supreme lord in Vraja, is known as Advaita Acharya in Lord Chaitanya’s pastimes. He is non-different from Lord Chaitanya Himself. In Vraja, Sadasiva took the form of a cowherd boy and danced alongside Kṛṣṇa. This is stated by Bhairava in the Çivätantra: “Once, during the Divali festival in the month of Karttik, my guru Shankaradeva saw Kṛṣṇa dancing with Balaram and the cowherd boys. He became desirous of becoming a cowherd boy himself and he began to dance, spinning like a whirling wheel for Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure.” Thus, by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, Sadashiva plays two different roles in Vraja, in one he is Shiva himself, in the other, he is a cowherd boy.
(Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä 76-80)
ADVAITA-TATTVA
In Chaitanya Charitamrita, Kṛṣṇa Das Kaviraj Goswami quotes the following evidence from the diary of Svarupa Damodar to describe the ontological principle of Advaita Acharya:
mahä-viñëur jagat-kartä mäyayä yaù såjaty adaù
tasyävatära eväyam advaitäcärya éçvaraù
advaitaà hariëädvaitäd äcäryaà bhakti-çaàsanät
bhaktävatäram éçaà tam advaitäcäryam äçraye
Maha Viñëu is the master of the universe, which He creates through His power of Maya. Lord Advaita Acharya is the avatära of this form of the Supreme Lord. He is known as Advaita because He is none other than Hari, as Acharya because He is the preceptor of devotion. I take shelter of the Supreme Lord Advaita Acharya who is the avatära of a devotee.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.1.12-13)
Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura has written, “Maya has two functions, and Maha Viñëu appears in two ways according to those functions. When He is within the material world as creator, He is the universe’s effective cause (nimitta-käraëa) in his form as Viñëu. In the unmanifest material energy (pradhäna), appearing in the form of Rudra, He has a second identity as Advaita.”
Bhakti Siddhänta Sarasvaté Gosvämé Öhäkura has also written about Advaita Acharya in his Anubhäñya to Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.6.12: “Lord Advaita Acharya is Maha Viñëu. He is the supreme preceptor. Viñëu’s activities are auspicious because of His existence as the owner or master of the universe. He is the root source of all auspiciousness. Those who are entangled in the material hankerings, which are like garbage, cannot understand this greatest auspiciousness which is pure, eternal, complete and fully liberated. Thus they remain deprived of their true spiritual activity, devotion to Kṛṣṇa.”
Advaita Acharya was also known as Kamalaksha:
Advaita embodies universal welfare. He is the abode of all auspicious qualities. His activities are the eternal source of the world’s well-being, and so is His name.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.6.12)
Advaita, the abode of virtue, is a portion (aàça) of Mahä Viñhëu. Because He is not different from Viñëu, Advaita is His most perfect name.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.6.26)
He is the noblest personality in the universe, the spiritual master of the Vaiñëavas; by a combination of these two names, His name is Advaita Acharya. Since He is a limb or part of the lotus-eyed Supreme Lord, He also has the name Kamalaksha.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.6.30-31)
Srila Vrindavan Das Öhäkura has also described Advaita Acharya as both the foremost of the Vaiñëavas and as Shiva:
Residing in Nabadvépa is the foremost and the most fortunate of all the Vaiñëavas, Çré Advaita Acharya. He heads all spiritual masters in knowledge, devotion and renunciation. He especially teaches devotion to Kṛṣṇa in the same way that Lord Shankara did.
(Chaitanya Bhagavat 1.2.78-9)
ADVAITA ACHARYA’S APPEARANCE
Advaita Acharya appeared in the village of Navagrama near the city of Sylhet as the son of the Varendra Brahmin Kubera Pandit and his wife Nabha Devi, on the seventh day of the waxing moon in the month of Magh. Kubera Pandit is identified in the Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä (v. 91) with the god Kubera, Mahadeva’s friend and leader of the Guhyakas.
Kubera Pandit, a devotee of Nåsiàha, resided in the village of Navagrama near Sylhet in Bangladesh. He was a greatly fortunate follower of the path of devotion; he knew nothing other than the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. His devoted and faithful wife was named Nabha Devi. She is worshipable to the whole world for she is the mother of Advaita Prabhu.
(Bhakti‑ratnäkara 5.2041-3)
On the seventh day of the waxing moon in the month of Magh, the great ocean of joy overflowed. In that auspicious moment, the moon of Advaita descended in the blessed womb of Nabha Devi. In his ecstasy, Kubera Pandit made gifts to the Brahmins and the poor. He tiptoed to the room where the child was delivered and his heart was filled with gladness upon seeing his son’s face. All the villagers came running to his house and said to each other, “What pious works did this Brahmin do that in his old age he has been blessed with such a jewel of a son?” The gods rained down flowers without being seen. There is nothing with which this scene can compare. Ghanashyama sings of this great auspicious occasion when a joyous uproar rang around the earth.
(Bhakti‑ratnäkara 12.1759-62)
In the Gauòéya Vaiñëava Abhidhäna, Advaita’s birthplace is given as Laura near Sylhet. It is also said there that Advaita Prabhu left Laura to reside in Navahat and then from there moved to Shantipur. He also had a home in Nabadvépa. His full name was Çré Kamalaksha or Kamala Kanta Vedapanchanana. He appeared in 1434 AD and he disappeared in the year 1559, at the age of 125 years. In the Advaita-viläsa it is written, “The Lord remained on this earth for a century and a quarter, performing unlimited pastimes.”
Jahnava Mata’s diksha disciple Nityananda Das gives a third opinion in his Prema-viläsa that Advaita Acharya was born in Shantipur. He writes that He studied the Veda and other scriptures with the scholar Shantacharya, who lived in the Phullabati section of Shantipur and earned the title acharya.
Advaita Acharya’s holy life has been described in several Bengali books, including Advaita-maìgala, Advaita-viläsa and Sitacaritra. The great scholar Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya also wrote several Sanskrit poems glorifying Advaita – Advaita-dvadasa-nama-stotra, Advaitashtakam and Advaitastottara-sata-nama-stotra.
ADVAITA ACHARYA INITIATED
When Kubera Pandit and Nabha Devi disappeared, Advaita Acharya went to Gaya on the pretext of performing the appropriate rituals of mourning, and thence continued on a pilgrimage of all of India’s holy places. When He came to Vrindavan, He became absorbed in the worship of Kṛṣṇa, but through His meditation He was able to understand that Kṛṣṇa was about to appear in Nabadvépa. While on this pilgrimage, He stopped in Mithila where He met the poet Vidyapati. This encounter is beautifully described in Advaita-viläsa. Advaita Prabhu finally returned from Vrindavan to Shantipur after spending several days in Nabadvépa. The people of Shantipur had been suffering from His separation for a long time and were very happy to see Him back.
Lord Viñëu is always accompanied by three aspects or shaktis – Çré, Bhu and Néla (Léla). Advaita Acharya’s own divine persona would not be fully manifest without all these three aspects of His identity. Therefore, Advaita Acharya accepted two wives; one was named Çrédevi, the other Sétadevi. Both appeared as daughters of the great Brahmin devotee, Çré Nåsiàha Baduri. In the Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä, it is written that the divine Yogamaya took the form of Advaita Prabhu’s wife Sita, and that Çré is her prakäça expansion.
Advaita Acharya had two residences, one in Shantipur, the other not far from Srivas’ home in Nabadvépa-Mayapur. His heart was greatly pained at seeing that the people of the world were devoid of any devotion to Viñëu and as a consequence greatly suffering the torments of material life. Overwhelmed with compassion, He began to teach the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, explaining that the purport of the scriptures was to engage in devotional service to Kṛṣṇa.
At about the same time, Madhavendra Puri had a dream in which Govardhanadhari Gopal commanded him to find sandalwood paste for the deity service. Madhavendra Puri then started out for Puri, taking the road through western Bengal. While there, he stopped at Advaita Acharya’s house in Shantipur. Advaita Prabhu became convinced that Madhavendra Puri is His guru when he saw his devotional ecstasies. Even though He Himself is an expansion of the Supreme Lord, He underwent the ritual of initiation in order to demonstrate to the conditioned souls the necessity of accepting a spiritual master.
Madhavendra Puri arrived at Advaita Acharya’s house. When Advaita Acharya saw Puripada’s prema, He felt a deep inner joy. He begged to be initiated by him, after which Madhavendra Puri left to continue his voyage to the south.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.4.110-1)
It is said that Mahäprabhu is the main trunk of the wish-fulfilling tree of devotion, as well as the gardener who enjoys and distributes the tree’s fruits. Though the tree was planted in Nabadvépa, it grew in Purushottam Dham (Puri) and Vrindavan, expanding into an entire orchard producing many, many fruits of love. Madhavendra Puri is said to be the first seedling, which eventually grew into this tree. Ishvara Puri was the sprouted form of this seedling. Mahäprabhu, though Himself the gardener, also became the tree’s main trunk through His inconceivable energies. Advaita Prabhu and Nityananda Prabhu were the two secondary trunks into which the main trunk divided.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.9.21)
THE CAUSE OF THE LORD’S INCARNATION
Çré Kṛṣṇa Chaitanya Mahäprabhu is the main body of the devotional movement, and Advaita Acharya and Nityananda Prabhu are His principal limbs, whereas Srivasa and other devotees are His secondary limbs. All of them advented in order to preach devotion to Hari. All those who were senior to Gauranga appeared on this earth prior to Him. Advaita Prabhu appeared along with the other elderly members of Chaitanya’s retinue and when He did so, He observed that the sinfulness of the age of Kali had reached a disturbing extreme and that the world was entirely devoid of devotion to Lord Kṛṣṇa. He thought that a partial avatära of the Lord would not be sufficient to completely remedy the situation. He thought, “The world will only benefit if the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself descends to the earth.” So He began to worship Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet with Ganges water and tulasi leaves, shouting and pleading to the Lord to incarnate. With roars of love (prema-huìkära) Advaita Acharya showed His desire for the Lord of Goloka to descend to the earth.
He constantly offered water from the Ganges and tulasi manjaris while meditating on Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, at the same time calling to Kṛṣṇa with loud roars. This is the way that He brought about Kṛṣṇa’s descend. This plea by Advaita Acharya is the chief reason for Kṛṣṇa Chaitanya to descend on earth. The Lord, the protector of religion, descends at the wish of His devotee.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.3.107-9)
Advaita Acharya lived in Shantipur. His body is the reservoir of devotional nectar and is not different from that of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He, whose spotless fame has filled the world, brought Çré Kṛṣṇa Chaitanya down to this earth. My Advaita Prabhu is not different from Gauranga, and His wife Sita is the mother of the universe. First He brought Gauranga into this world with His roars, and then He glorified Him everywhere.
(Bhakti‑ratnäkara 12.3753-6)
All glories to Advaita Acharya, the most merciful, whose roars brought about Gauranga’s avatära. Whoever takes shelter of His lotus feet will obtain the great wealth of love for Gaura.
(Bhakti‑ratnäkara 12.3761, 3764)
He constantly served Kṛṣṇa with great enthusiasm, offering Ganges water and tulasi manjaris. Absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa, He worshiped Him by roaring His name, the sound of which filled the entire universe, reaching up to Vaikuntha. Lord Kṛṣṇa heard the sound of these roars of love and appeared Himself, for He is controlled by His devotee.
(Chaitanya Bhagavat 1.2.81-3)
Nityananda Prabhu, the non-different manifestation of Lord Balaram, also descended prior to Mahäprabhu’s appearance, on the thirteenth day of the waxing moon in the month of Magh, into the family of Haåäi Pandit and Padmavati in the village of Ekachakra in Rarha, bestowing upon them the opportunity to serve Him in the vätsalya-rasa. Meanwhile, eight daughters were born to Jagannath Mishra and Sachi Devi, all of whom died before their son, Vishvarupa, Nityananda Prabhu’s other self, appeared. Subsequently, on the full moon evening of the month of Phalgun, the source of all avatars and the father of sankirtana movement, Gauracandra, made His appearance amidst Krishna sankirtan that people in Nabadvépa were performing on the pretext of a lunar eclipse. After the appearance of Çré Chaitanya, Sita Devi took Advaita Acharya’s permission to come with gifts to Nabadvépa from Shantipur to see the most wonderful child. When she saw Him, she blessed Him by placing paddy and dürvä grass on His head.
After taking permission from her husband Advaita Acharya, Sita Öhäkurani, the most respectable and noble lady, went to Nabadvépa bearing gifts to see the crown jewel of infants.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.13.112)
Advaita Acharya established a Tol (school) for teaching Sanskrit in Nabadvépa-Mayapur and started to engage in a deep study of the scriptures. Every day, after bathing in the Ganges, Mahäprabhu’s older brother Vishvarupa used to go to Advaita Acharya’s house to listen to Him lecture. When Advaita Acharya Prabhu was engaged in performing His puja, Vishvarupa would explain to everyone present there that devotion to Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate purport of all the scriptures. When Advaita Acharya heard him speaking in this way, He got up from worshiping His deity and embraced him. Sachi regularly sent young Nimai at noon with something for Vishvarupa’s lunch. When Advaita Prabhu saw Nimai’s beautiful face He became enchanted, but was unable to recognize Him as His worshipable Lord, the Supreme Truth.
In the meantime, Vishvarupa had secretly decided that he would renounce family life in the knowledge that the material world is temporary and that a human being’s only real duty is to worship the lord. When he saw that his parents were starting to make wedding plans for him, he quickly left home and took sannyas, after which he was known by the name Shankararanya. Sachi, Jagannath Mishra and other devotees all lamented his loss. Advaita Prabhu too was pained by Vishvarupa’s departure, but pacified everyone by saying that Kṛṣṇa Himself would appear soon to eradicate everyone’s distress.
After Vishvarupa left home, Sachi and Jagannath Mishra feared that Nimai would follow his example and so they put a stop to His education. Later, however, when they heard Nimai speaking sweetly in the mood of Dattatreya, they decided it would be better to send Him back to school. Jagannath Mishra left this world not long after Nimai was given the sacred thread and had become fully absorbed in His studies.
While Mahäprabhu was still fully devoted to His pastimes as a scholar, His mother arranged His marriage to Lakshmipriya, the daughter of Ballabha.
In those days, Advaita Acharya was holding Bhagavat lectures and kirtan at His house in Nabadvépa. All the devotees including Advaita Acharya were very enthused about the singer Mukunda Datta’s fine voice. On one occasion Ishvara Puri came to Advaita Acharya’s house while visiting Nabadvépa. From his vigorous appearance, Advaita Acharya was able to recognize that he was a Vaiñëava sannyasi. Later, Gauranga also met Ishvara Puri there.
At that time, Ishvara Puri arrived in Nabadvépa incognito. Ishvara Puri was single-minded in his constant preoccupation with relishing Kṛṣṇa devotion; He was dear to Kṛṣṇa and compassionate. No one was able to recognize him because he was not dressed like a devotee, until he arrived by chance one day at Advaita Acharya’s house.
(Chaitanya Bhagavat 1.11.70-72)
ADVAITA TESTS MAHAPRABHU
Advaita Acharya, Srivas Pandit and the other devotees were overjoyed to see the mood of extreme eagerness coming out of separation from Sri Krishna and the transcendental ecstatic feelings in Gauranga Mahaprabhu after His return from Gaya. In due course, Nityananda Prabhu arrived in Nabadvépa after having toured the sacred pilgrimage sites and there He met Nimai. One day at Srivasa’s house, Mahäprabhu indicated that He wanted to perform the Vyasa Puja to Nityananda Prabhu. On the eve of this puja, Mahäprabhu showed everyone that Nityananda Prabhu was Baladeva and then, repeating the words, “Näåä, Näåä”, revealed that Advaita Prabhu had caused Him to descend to the earth by calling Him.
It is due to Advaita Acharya that I have become incarnate, for Näåä’s roars rang in My ears. I was lying in the Milk Ocean, but Näåä’s roar woke Me up and brought Me down here.
(Chaitanya Bhagavat 2.9.297-8)
After the Vyasa Puja had come to an end, Mahäprabhu took on the mood of the Supreme Lord and sent Ramai Pandit, Srivasa Pandit’s brother, to fetch Advaita Prabhu from His house in Shantipur. He told him of the Lord’s divine manifestation: “Advaita Prabhu has brought Hari, the Lord of Goloka, to this earth by His cries and by worshiping Him with Ganges water and tulasi. Nityananda Prabhu has also made His auspicious arrival in Nabadvépa. So Advaita Acharya and his wife should immediately come to Srivasa Angan, bringing all the paraphernalia for worship.” Ramai Pandit promptly carried out Mahäprabhu’s order and took His message to Advaita Prabhu.
As soon as Advaita heard that Mahäprabhu had publicly revealed His divinity He and Sita Devi immediately set off, bringing their son Achyutananda and some other associates. But rather than going directly to Srivasa’s house, Advaita decided to test Mahäprabhu by hiding in Nandanacharya’s house. He told Ramai Pandit not to tell Mahäprabhu, but the Lord, who knows the heart of all, was able to see through Advaita Acharya’s plan. As Mahäprabhu sat on the altar and revealed to everyone His divine identity, Nityananda Prabhu held the royal parasol while Gadadhar Pandit and the other devotees engaged in a variety of services. This time, when Mahäprabhu sent Ramai to Nandanacharya’s house to fetch Advaita Acharya, Advaita Acharya realized that Mahäprabhu was omniscient and hesitated no longer.
Advaita Acharya joyfully prostrated Himself before the Lord, stunned by the sight of the Lord’s divine power. He washed the Lord’s lotus feet and then worshiped Him with the five ingredients (païcopacära), using the following mantra to do so:
namo brahmaëyadeväya go-brähmaëa-hitäya ca
jagad-dhitäya kåñëäya govindäya namo namaù
I offer my obeisances to Kṛṣṇa Govinda, the Lord of the brahminical society, to Him who is the source of the cows’ and the Brahmins’ welfare, and who is the source of the entire universe’s well-being.
Mahäprabhu then commanded Advaita Prabhu to dance. Advaita Acharya started to dance madly until he was completely intoxicated in a way that astonished all the devotees.
Kṛṣṇa Das Kaviraj has written:
“There is one Mahäprabhu or Supreme Lord, and two other prabhus, or masters. The two other prabhus serve the lotus feet of Mahäprabhu. These three personalities belong to the category of the all-worshipable; the fourth category is the devotee who is the worshiper. Srivas and the millions of other devotees belong to the category of the pure devotees. Gadadhar Pandit and others are considered to be avatäras of the Lord’s energies or shaktis. They are counted as His most intimate devotees.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.7.94-7)
Pancha Tattva, the five–fold aspect of divinity includes Gauranga Mahäprabhu, who accepted the form of a devotee; Nityananda Prabhu, who is themanifestation of a devotee; and Advaita Acharya, the Lord’s avatära as a devotee. These three are considered to be prabhu-tattva or Viñëu-tattva, the ontological category of Godhead. Advaita Acharya is an avatära of Mahä Viñëu, so belongs to the category of Viñëu-tattva, but because He took on the mood of a devotee so He is called bhaktävatära, “the Lord’s avatära of a devotee.” Because Gauranga Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu and Advaita Acharya all belong to the category of Viñëu-tattva, tulasi leaves are offered to Their feet. Without Advaita Acharya’s mercy, one can never attain the service of Chaitanya and Nityananda Prabhus.
dayä koro sétäpati advaita gosäïi
tava kåpäbale päi caitanya-nitäi
Be merciful, Advaita Prabhu, husband of Sita! On the strength of Your mercy, I will attain Chaitanya and Nitai.
(Narottam Das Öhäkura)
Advaita Acharya’s glories and His activities have been extensively described in Kṛṣṇa Das Kaviraj Gosvämé’s Chaitanya Charitamrita, Vrindavan Das Öhäkura’s Chaitanya Bhagavat, Narahari Chakravarti’s Bhakti-ratnäkara, and Advaita Vilasa and other works. Those who wish to have a deeper knowledge of His life should consult these books. We can only give an abbreviated biography in this book and such an extensive account cannot be given here. We have only set out to remember the main pastimes of Çré Advaita.
ADVAITA AND HARI DAS THAKUR
By his deeds, Advaita Prabhu revealed that a Vaiñëava is praise worthy and worthy of worship regardless of his family background. Namacharya Hari Das Öhäkura was born in a Muslim family in Buåhan village in the district of Jessore. Later he came to live in the village of Phuliya and was staying in a grotto engaged in solitary devotional practices, but would sometimes come to associate with Advaita Prabhu in nearby Shantipur. This was after he had spent time preaching the glories of the Holy Names at the Chandpur house of Raghunatha Das Gosvämé’s father and uncle, Govardhana and Hiranya Majumdar. Advaita used to invite Hari Das Öhäkura to come to his house in Shantipur to take prasad. This made Hari Das Öhäkura feel somewhat uneasy. However, Advaita Prabhu, the world teacher, claimed that his behavior conformed with all the scriptures, for to feed a great devotee like Hari Das Öhäkura is equal to feeding millions of Brahmins. In order to demonstrate this, he honored Hari Das Öhäkura by giving him the plate offered in the çräddha ceremony. On the annual date set aside for offering oblations to the forefathers, a householder Vaiñëavas offer all kinds of foodstuffs to the Lord. They then invite Brahmins and Vaiñëavas to honor prasad. The mahaprasad is given to the guest of honor and Advaita Prabhu chose Hari Das Öhäkura for this special treatment considering him to be a transcendental Brahmin guru.
Advaita said to Hari Das Öhäkura, “Please don’t be afraid. I shall only do what is accepted in scripture. If you accept this prasad it is as though I had fed ten million Brahmins.” After saying these words, he gave him the çräddha plate to eat.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.3.219-20)
One of the branches of the Chaitanya tree is Hari Das Öhäkura, whose activities are amazing. He would unfailingly chant 300,000 names of the lord every day. I only give an indication here of his unlimited virtues; Advaita Acharya honored him by giving him the çräddha plate.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.10.43-4)
THE SONS OF ADVAITA
Although six sons were born to Advaita Acharya, the avatära of Maha Viñëu, He indicated that some of them had understood the essence of spiritual life and some had not. Those who simply claimed to be his followers but showed no affection for Gauranga were the latter; those who were attached to Mahäprabhu in ever-increasing affection were the former. These included Achyutananda, Çré Kṛṣṇa Mishra and Gopal Mishra, while Balaram, Svarupa and Jagadish belonged to the category of those who did not give recognition to Çré Chaitanya. Achyutananda was the oldest brother and Çré Kṛṣṇa Mishra and Gopal Mishra followed his lead. The Chaitanya Charitamrita (1.12.12) compares the two groups to wheat and chaff.
Srila Bhakti Siddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura also writes in his Gauòéya-bhäñya to the Chaitanya Bhagavat (2.10.162), “If someone takes Advaita Acharya to be the best of all the Vaiñëavas, then he can be called a Vaiñëava. On the other hand, if someone considers Him to be the object of all religious life, the viñaya Kṛṣṇa, and Çré Kṛṣṇa Chaitanya Mahäprabhu to be his devotee, or äçraya, then he will never be able to attain Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet.”
THE LORD PUNISHES ADVAITA ACHARYA
It is also said that Mahäprabhu taught Advaita Acharya the real meaning of the Bhagavad-gita.
Vishvambhara explained the true understanding of the Gita to Advaita Acharya, withdrawing the gates that conceal the nature of bhakti.
(Chaitanya Bhagavat 2.10.166)
Another wonderful pastime was prepared by Advaita Acharya in order to show the fallen jivas how auspicious it is to receive punishment from the Lord, the guru or a Vaiñëava. How fortunate is a devotee who is chastised by his guru! This is described in the seventeenth chapter of the Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi-lila, where Srila Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura has made the following comments in his Amåta-praväha-bhäñya: “Advaita Acharya is the godbrother of Mahäprabhu’s guru, Ishvara Puri. For this reason, Mahäprabhu treated Advaita Acharya as his elder and spiritual master, even though Advaita Acharya considered himself to be Mahäprabhu’s servant. Advaita Acharya was pained to see Mahäprabhu treat Him with such respect and so, in order to seek out the merciful punishment of the Lord returned to Shantipur and began to explain the path of knowledge to a few unfortunate individuals. When the Lord caught wind of this, He became extremely angry and went to Shantipur to give Him a good thrashing. When He was chastised in this way, Advaita Acharya danced in joy, saying, “Just see, my desires have been fulfilled today! Mahäprabhu was previously miserly with me, treating me as His respectful elder. Now He has acted toward me as though I were His servant or disciple, by trying to save me from the heresy of mäyäväda.” When the Lord understood that this had all been a ruse on Advaita Acharya’s part, He was embarrassed but pleased with Him.
The Lord treated Advaita with the respect deserved by a guru. This caused the Acharya great distress, so He adopted a ruse of teaching the path of knowledge. Mahäprabhu became angry and scorned Advaita Acharya, causing Him great bliss. When He saw His satisfaction with the turn of events, the Lord became ashamed and was merciful to Him.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.17.66-8)
“Previously Mahäprabhu would honor me. This made me unhappy, so I thought that if I start giving lectures on the Yoga-vaçiñöha, explaining mukti as the supreme goal of life, the Lord would become angry and insult me.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.12.39-40)
SACHI DEVI AND ADVAITA ACHARYA
Mahäprabhu could not forgive even His mother when she looked askance at Advaita Acharya, who is compassionate for the plight of the conditioned souls. On one occasion, through chastising her, He warned all devotees of the danger of offences to the Vaiñëavas. If Sachi Devi, who is the essence of motherly affection, the avatära of Yashoda Devi, cannot be forgiven an offence to the Vaiñëava, then what chance do others have? By the same pastime, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also showed that in order to become free of Vaiñëava aparädha, one should beg for forgiveness from the Vaiñëava one has offended.
When Vishvarupa came to the conclusion, after studying with Advaita Prabhu, that the world is a temporary place and the only real duty of humankind is to worship the Supreme Lord, he left home and took sannyas. Sachi Mata, though troubled by his departure, was wary of insulting Advaita Acharya for the role he had played in it, knowing Him to be a Vaiñëava, and took solace in Nimai’s presence at home. But when she saw that Nimai too was constantly going to associate with Advaita Acharya, leaving his wife Lakshmipriya alone at home, she began to think that Advaita Advaita’s name was really unsuitable, that rather than unifying people as it would indicate, he split them apart. ”Dvaita” would thus be a more appropriate name, she thought. “This old gosai goes by the name Advaita, but he should be called Dvaita. One son of mine, as beautiful as the moon, has left home because of him, and he hasn’t let me keep the other one settled. No one has mercy on me, I am now alone in this world. He may be one (advaita) with the world, but I see him as Maya (dvaita).”
(Chaitanya Bhagavat 2.22.114-6)
Because of her affection for her son, Sachi Mata mentally criticized Advaita Acharya in this way and no one knew except for her son, Gaura Hari, Who is the indweller of all beings. On the day of the mahäprakäça in the house of Srivas Pandit, when Mahäprabhu was fulfilling the desires of every one of His devotees by allowing them to see His divine form for twenty-one hours, Srivasa Pandit asked Him whether Sachi Devi could also be blessed with this divine vision. Mahäprabhu answered, “My mother has committed an offense against Advaita Prabhu, so I will not show her this form.”
When the devotees told Sachi what her son had said, she immediately went to Advaita Acharya and begged Him for forgiveness. After Advaita Acharya had heard Sachi Mata’s confession, He began to glorify her as the one who had carried the Supreme Lord of all creation in her womb. He continued to do so until He became unconscious from the overwhelming love that He felt. Only when He fell unconscious could Sachi Devi finally take the dust of His lotus feet and thus be free from her offense. Mahäprabhu was satisfied with His mother and showed her His glorious, divine form. Another important lesson we can draw from this story is that Vaiñëavas are never proud. Even though she had given birth to Lord Gaurahari, Sachi Devi felt no pride in her exalted status. As soon as she became aware of having committed an offence, she went to Advaita Acharya without any hesitation and prayed to be pardoned.
THE LORD COMES TO SHANTIPUR
Advaita Acharya was Mahäprabhu’s associate in sankirtan, both in Srivas’s house and in the streets of Nabadvépa and along the shores of the Ganges.
Everyone joyfully sang in unison, “Kṛṣṇa, Rama, Mukunda, Murari, Vanamali!” Holding on to Nityananda Prabhu and Gadadhar Pandit, Advaita Acharya ran in every direction like a lion.
(Chaitanya Bhagavat 2.23.29-30)
The Lord danced along the banks of the Bhägirathi while around Him all the people sang the names of Hari. Advaita Acharya preceded Him, dancing ecstatically with a small group of devotees.
(Chaitanya Bhagavat 2.23.202-3)
After Mahäprabhu had taken sannyas from Keshava Bharati in Katwa, He became overwhelmed with love for Sri Kṛṣṇa and started to run toward Vrindavan. With the help of some cowherd boys, Nityananda Prabhu tricked Him into coming to the banks of the Ganges. Nityananda Prabhu wanted to show the wonderful sannyas form of Mahäprabhu to the people of Nabadvépa and brought Him to Shantipur. When Mahäprabhu saw the Ganges, He thought that the river was the Yamuna and became overwhelmed with ecstasy. Meanwhile, Advaita Acharya heard that Nityananda Prabhu had brought Mahäprabhu there and came by boat across the river with new clothes for Him. Mahäprabhu was astonished to see Advaita Acharya, wondering how He could have known that He was in Vrindavan. Advaita Acharya answered by saying that Vrindavan was wherever Mahäprabhu went and that the western flow of the Ganges was the Yamuna. When He heard these words, Mahäprabhu realized that He had been tricked into coming to the western bank of the Ganges across from the town of Shantipur. Advaita Acharya had Mahäprabhu take a bath and dressed Him in the new cloth and then took Him to His house where the Lord stayed for several days.
When Sachidevi and the people of Nabadvépa heard that Gaurahari was at Advaita Prabhu’s house they all came there to visit Him. Seeing Him in His dress as a sannyasi, they felt joy mixed with separation. Sita Öhäkurani prepared an immense meal and served it on whole leaves from seed-banana trees for Mahäprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu. At that time there were many joking exchanges between Advaita Prabhu and Nityänanda Prabhu. This has been extensively described in the Chaitanya Charitamrita’s Madhya-lélä, chapter 3. Mahäprabhu afterwards also ate foodstuffs prepared by His mother Sachidevi in order to ease the suffering He had caused her by His departure. The reunion of devotees turned into a great festival, and Advaita Acharya’s house in the town of Shantipur was transformed into Vaikuntha.
Everyone was dancing and singing the names of Hari. Advaita Acharya’s house became Vaikuntha Puri.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.3.156)
ADVAITA GOES TO PURI ON THE ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE
When Mahäprabhu was saying His goodbyes to the devotees, He set off to Puri or Nilachala to live there at the behest of His mother. Advaita Acharya and the residents of Nabadvépa were once again hurled into the ocean of separation from their lord. These events took place in the year 1510. It was probably three more years before the devotees went to Puri during the cäturmäsya period to visit Him there at the time of the Rathayatra.
The first year, Advaita Acharya and the other devotees went to Nilachala to see Mahäprabhu. They witnessed the Rathayatra and then stayed for four months, passing the time in kirtan and dancing in great joy. When the time came for them to depart, the Lord told everyone to return every year to see the Rathayatra festival. And so the yearly trips to Puri to see the Lord became a tradition.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.1.46-49)
Of the last 24 years of Mahäprabhu’s pastimes, six were spent in traveling to and from Puri, while He spent the eighteen in Puri without ever leaving. During the six years that He spent traveling, the Bengali devotees would visit Puri after they found out that He was present in Puri. During the eighteen years of Mahäprabhu’s permanent stay in Puri, the annual trips became an annual event.
After Mahäprabhu arrived in Puri from Vrindavan, He never again left in the eighteen remaining years of His pastimes. The devotees came from Bengal every year, meeting with the Lord and staying for the four months of the rainy season.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.1.249-50)
All of Mahäprabhu’s associates, Advaita Acharya, Nityananda Prabhu, Mukunda, Srivas, Vidyanidhi, Vasudeva and Murari, went every year to meet with the Lord, staying in Puri for four months. The Lord enjoyed a multitude of pastimes with these devotees during this time.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.1.255-6)
The time for Rathayatra came again and the devotees started off on the annual pilgrimage to Nilachala. They were following the Lord’s order to come every year to see the Rathayatra festival. With Advaita Acharya at their head, all the devotees set off toward Nilachala.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.8.4-6)
Advaita Acharya would go every year to Puri and stay for the full four months, participating with Mahäprabhu in pastimes such as the cleaning of the Gundicha temple, the water sports in Narendra sarovara, Lord Jagannath’s Rathayatra. The best of Advaita’s three orthodox sons, Achyutananda, who was totally devoted to Gauranga, was also present there, as is attested by the mentioning of him as the leader of the sixth kirtan group at the Rathayatra, which was from Shantipur. Advaita himself was the principal dancer in the first kirtan group led by Svarupa Damodar Prabhu.
In the third year of this tradition, the wives of the Bengal devotees accompanied them, bringing various gifts for Mahäprabhu’s service.
In the third year, all the devotees from Bengal decided to go to Nilachala. They went in a group to Advaita Acharya’s house, and He happily agreed to go with them to see the Lord. That year, all the wives of these saints went also, the mother of Achyuta accompanying Advaita Acharya.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.16.12-13, 21)
Advaita went first to Sachi Mata’s house to take leave. Then He departed with the assembly of devotees. They brought with them all the edibles they knew formerly brought pleasure to the Lord. They performed sankirtan the entire length of the route, purifying everything and everyone on their path. All the people of the three worlds were sanctified by the devotees’ joyful calls of Hari! Hari! In a mood of ecstasy they were all going to see Chaitanya Mahäprabhu, accompanied by their wives and sons, their male and female servants.
(Chaitanya Bhagavat 3.8.39-43)
Kṛṣṇa Das Kaviraj Goswami has written about a wonderful pastime with Advaita Acharya’s son Gopal Mishra in the twelfth chapter of Chaitanya Charitamrita’s Ädi-lélä. During the cleaning of the Gundicha temple, both Advaita Acharya and Mahäprabhu were satisfied to see Gopal’s deep absorption in dancing and singing before Them. When Gopal Mishra suddenly fell unconscious, Advaita Acharya became very anxious and took his inert body in His lap, chanting the Nåsiàha mantra. Despite the various mantras that Advaita Acharya uttered, Gopal did not return to consciousness. All the devotees began to cry for him, but Mahäprabhu, who takes away the distress of His devotees, touched Gopal over the heart and said, “Get up, Gopal and chant Hari Hari!” Gopal immediately awoke and stood up. The devotees shouted the names of the Lord in relief and joy.
KAMALA KANTA VISHWAS
Advaita Acharya had a disciple name Kamala Kanta Vishwasa who wrote to King Prataparudra explaining that Advaita Acharya was the Supreme Lord, but that He was in debt and needed money. He asked Prataparudra to give Advaita Acharya the amount needed to pay his creditors. When Mahäprabhu heard about this, He punished Kamala Kanta by refusing him access to the Gambhira. Kamala Kanta was disturbed by this punishment, but Advaita Acharya explained to him that to be punished by Mahäprabhu was a cause for rejoicing and that he was most fortunate.
Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura has made the following comment on this story, which is found in the twelfth chapter of the Ädi-lélä: “Kamala Kanta first proved that Advaita Acharya was the Supreme Lord, but then begged for money from the king on Advaita Acharya’s behalf. This action was very displeasing to Mahäprabhu. Even though Advaita Acharya is God Himself, He is in this world playing the part of a man in order to teach. For an acharya to beg from a king in order to free himself from a debt is considered to be a shameless behavior. One should entirely abandon the desire for material gain and if the desire for material well-being is taken to the point of begging from a foreign king in order to become free of a debt, then one’s spiritual life will certainly go to ruin. Kings are by nature materialistic. If one eats the food of a materialistic person, his mind becomes polluted. With the polluted mind one can no longer remember Kṛṣṇa and his life is wasted.
Such begging from materialistic men is therefore prohibited for everyone, but it is especially so for those who are in the position of acharya. It is the acharya’s duty to instruct people in the Holy Names, but he should not take money in return for such instruction. If he does so, he becomes an offender to the Holy Name rather than an initiator in the Name. If an instructor of the Holy Names becomes a money collector, then it is a matter of shame and his religious reputation will be ruined.”
MAHAPRABHU GLORIFIES ADVAITA PRABHU
In the third year when the Bengal devotees came with their wives and gifts of various food preparations dear to the Lord, He mercifully ate all these offerings out of His affection for them. One day, Mahäprabhu was invited to eat at Advaita Acharya’s residence. This time, Advaita Acharya himself did the cooking and his wife assisted Him by cutting the vegetables and gathering the ingredients. It was Advaita Acharya’s secret wish to be able to feed Mahäprabhu alone. It so happened that on that day the weather turned bad and due to a storm, all the sannyasis who normally came with Mahäprabhu on such occasions were unable to accompany Him. Mahäprabhu thus arrived by Himself, to Advaita Acharya’s great satisfaction, for he was thus able to serve Him the meal in complete privacy. He praised the god Indra as a servant of Kṛṣṇa for he fulfilled Acharya’s wishes. Mahäprabhu was aware of Advaita Acharya’s mood and praised Him by saying, “Kṛṣṇa Himself fulfills Your desires, and so what is unusual about Indra carrying out Your orders?”
(Chaitanya Bhagavat 3.9.60-72)
On another occasion, Mahäprabhu glorified Advaita Acharya and described the underlying truth of His nature in the following way:
Advaita Acharya is God Himself. As a result of His association, I have become purified. Because there is no one equal to Him in devotion to Kṛṣṇa, nor in knowledge of the scriptures, He is called Advaita Acharya. By his mercy, even the immoral and evil persons (mlecchas) become devotees of Kṛṣṇa, who can describe the extent of His powers or devotion?
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.7.17-9)
Mahäprabhu had Rupa and Sanatan Goswamis meet with Çré Advaita and Nityananda Prabhus in Puri and asked Them to bless the brothers. Raghunatha Das Gosvämé received Mahäprabhu’s leftovers by the grace of Advaita Prabhu. He was the object of Advaita Acharya’s affection because his father, Govardhan Majumdar, had served him honestly.
His father always rendered service to Advaita Acharya, therefore the acharya was pleased with him. By the grace of the acharya, Raghunatha obtained the Lord’s leftover plate and was able to have darshan of the Lord for five or six days.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.16.225-6)
The words that Mahäprabhu spoke to Advaita Acharya when He was about to leave Puri show just how much affection He had for Him:
Acharya Gosai came here to show Me His mercy. I am bound in debt to His love and there is no way that I can repay Him. He left His wife, children and home for My sake, traveling a long and difficult way to come here. I am living here in Nilachala without moving. I make no effort on your behalf. I am a monk and I have no wealth–what could I give you to make good on My debt? My only possession is My body, which I give you. I will sell it to whomever you wish.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.12.70-74)
ADVAITA’S RIDDLE
When Advaita Acharya returned to Nabadvépa from Puri, he met Jagadananda Pandit who had been sent there earlier by Mahäprabhu. Advaita Acharya was very happy to have his association. When Jagadananda Pandit finally asked permission of Advaita Prabhu to return to Nilachala, Advaita Acharya gave him a message in the form of a riddle to take back to Mahäprabhu. The riddle was comprehensible to no one but Mahäprabhu Himself. The message read as follows:
“Convey My obeisance hundreds and thousands of times unto Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu and then offer this petition at His feet. Please inform Mahāprabhu, who is acting like a madman, that everyone here has become mad like Him. Inform Him also that in the marketplace rice is no longer in demand. Further tell Him that those now mad in ecstatic love are no longer interested in the material world. Also tell Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu that one who has also become a madman in ecstatic love [Advaita Prabhu] has spoken these words.”
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.19.19-21)
Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura explains this riddle in this way: “Tell Mahäprabhu that everyone has become intoxicated with love for Kṛṣṇa and so in the market place of love, no one is buying the rice of Kṛṣṇa prema any longer. Tell Mahäprabhu that the crazies (äul) are so intoxicated with love that they are no longer doing their material duties. Tell Mahäprabhu that Advaita said this in a state of complete intoxication with prema. In short, the message was that the purpose for which Advaita Acharya had called Mahaprabhu to earth had been achieved. Now the Lord may do as He wishes.”
Advaita Acharya, the avatar of Maha Viñëu, appeared in this world on the seventh day of the waxing moon in the month of Magh. This tithi is also known as advaita-saptamé.
A type of banana that has large seeds. It is cultivated for its leaves rather than its fruit.
