 
In
a special appearance, Krishna personally came in A.D. 1486 as
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and acted as His own devotee. Sri Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu is Krishna Himself, saturated with the love for Him
that Radha embodies. As the emblem of the perfect devotee of Krishna,
He displayed feelings of the highest spiritual ecstasy.
Krishna
taught Bhagavad-gita to liberate all souls, and He returned as
Sri Chaitanya to show us how to live by the Gita's teachings.
Because spiritual realization is difficult in the present age,
Krishna as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is especially liberal. He
has made pure love of God attainable by the easy process of chanting
His holy names, as in the maha-mantra:
Hare
Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
"In
this way, assuming the sentiment of a devotee, He preached devotional
service while practicing it Himself." (Chaitanya-Charitamrita,
Adi 4.41)
Sri
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's Teachings:
Sri
Chaitanya taught that Bhakti, or loving devotion to Krishna, is
both the most effective spiritual practice and the ultimate goal
of all spiritual practices.Because He is Krishna Himself, His
teachings are identical with those of Krishna in Bhagavad-gita.
His only written work is His Shikshastaka, or "Eight Instructions,"
a concise course in attaining spiritual perfection.
Sri
Chaitanya's disciples codified His spoken teachings to them in
their books. With copious references to the Vedic scriptures,
these books establish the supremacy of Bhakti.
Lord Chaitanya's teachings cover three main topics:
1.
knowledge of the soul's relationship with Krishna
2. the method of awakening that relationship
3. the awakened state of that relationship (pure love of God)
Sri
Chaitanya also contributed immensely to theology by teaching that
God is simultaneously identical to and different from His energies,
including the material world and us finite souls.
Among
the many books by His disciples, Krishnadasa Kaviraja's biography
Chaitanya Charitamrita is both a fascinating telling of Sri Chaitanya's
life and a rich blend of deep devotion and robust theology.
Lord
Chaitanya's incarnation is mentioned and predicted in numerous
scriptures. The following are some of the important references:
In
the Atharva Veda (Purusha-bodini Upanishad) it is said:
saptame
gaura-varna-vishnor ity anena sva-shaktya caikyam etya prante
pratar avatirya saha svaih sva-manum shikshayati "
In the seventh manvantara, the Supreme Lord will, accompanied
by His own associates, descend in a golden form. He will teach
the chanting of His own holy names."
It
is further stated in the Atharva Veda:
ito
'ham krita-sannyaso 'vatarishyami sa-guno nirvedo nishkamo bhu-girbanas
tira-stho 'lakanandayah kalau catuh-sahasrabdhopari panca-sahasrabhyantare
gaura-varno dirghangah sarva-lakshana-yukta ishvara-prarthito
nija-rasasvado bhakta-rupo mishrakhyo vidita-yogah syam"
The
Supreme Lord Himself says:
When
between four thousand and five thousand years of Kali-yuga have
passed, I will descend to the earth in a place by the Ganges'
shore. I will be a tall, saintly brahmana devotee of the Lord,
and have a golden complexion. I will be renounced and free from
all desire. I will accept the order of renunciation (sannyasa).
I will be a devotee advanced in bhakti-yoga. I will chant the
holy names of the Lord. I will taste the sweet mellows of My
own devotional service. Only the great devotees will understand
Me."
In
the eleventh canto of Srimad Bhagavatam the following verse is
found:
krishna-varnam
tvishakrishnam
sangopangastra-parshadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair
yajanti hi su-medhasah
"In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational
chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead, who constantly
sings the name of Krishna. Although His complexion is not blackish,
He is Krishna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates,
servants, weapons, and confidential companions."
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