The day following this talk was the 534thanniversary of the appearance of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the “Father of Kirtan”, so I was asked to speak about him.
In the talk I referenced several quotes from the Vedas about him, predicting his appearance over 4,500 years prior to that day. I also referenced 3 of the 8 prays he personally wrote, all of which I am sharing here.
गौरः सर्वात्मा महापुरुषो
महात्मा महायोगी त्रिगुनतितः
सत्त्वरूपो भक्तिं लोके कश्यति
gauraḥ sarvātmā mahā-puruṣo
mahātmā mahā-yogī tri-guṇātītaḥ
sattva-rūpo bhaktiṁ loke kāśyati
“Lord Gaura, who is the allpervading Supersoul/Paramatma, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appears as a great saint and powerful mystic who is above the three modes of nature and is the emblem of transcendental activity. He disseminates the science of devotion throughout the world.” — Caitanya Upaniṣad
पुण्यक्षेत्र नवद्विपे भविष्यामि शचिसुतः
puṇya-kṣetre nava-dvīpe bhaviṣyāmi śacī-sutaḥ
” I shall appear in the holy land of Navadvipa as the son of Sacidevi.” — Kṛṣṇa-yāmala-tantra
कलौ संकिर्तनरंभे भविष्यामि शचिसुतः
kalau saṅkīrtanārambhe bhaviṣyāmi śacī-sutaḥ
“In the Age of Kali when the sankirtana movement is inaugurated, I shall descend as the son of Sacidevi.” —Vāyu Purāṇa
अथ वाहं धरधमे भूत्वा मद्भक्तरुपधृक
मायायां चा भविष्यामि कलौ संकिर्तनागमे ॥
atha vāhaṁ dharādhāme
bhūtvā mad-bhakta-rūpa-dhṛk
māyāyāṁ ca bhaviṣyāmi
kalau saṅkīrtanāgame
“Sometimes I personally appear on the surface of the world in the garb of a devotee. Specifically, I appear as the son of Saci in Kali-yuga to start the sankirtana movement.”— Brahma-yāmala-tantra
य एव भगवन् कृष्णो रधिकाप्राणवल्लभः
सृष्ट्यादौ स जगन्नाथो गौर आसीन महेश्वरी ॥
ya eva bhagavān kṛṣṇo
rādhikā-prāṇa-vallabhaḥ
sṛṣṭy ādau sa jagan-nātho
gaura āsīn maheśvari
“The Supreme Person, Sri Krishna Himself, who is the life of Sri Radharani, and is the Lord of the universe in creation, maintenance and annihilation, appears as Gaura, O Mahesvari.”— Ananta-saṁhitā
कृष्णवर्णं त्विषाकृष्णं संगोपङ्गस्त्रपर्सदं ।
यज्ञैः संकीर्तनप्रयैर यजन्ति हि सुमेधसः ॥३२॥
kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ
sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam
yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair
yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ
“In this age of Kali, those who are intelligent perform the congregational chanting of the names of Hari, worshiping the Supreme Person, who appears in this age always chanting the glories of Krishna. That incarnation is yellowish or golden in hue and is always associated with His plenary expansions, and personal expansions, as well as devotees and associates.”— Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.32)
सुवर्णवर्णो हेमाङ्गो वरन्गश चन्दनाङ्गदि ।
संन्यासकृच्छमः शान्तो निष्ठशन्तोपरायणः ॥
suvarṇa-varṇo hemāṅgo
varāṅgaś candanāṅgadī
sannyāsa-kṛc chamaḥ śānto
niṣṭhā-śānti-parāyaṇaḥ
“The Lord [in the incarnation of Gaurasundara] has a golden complexion. Indeed, His entire body, which is very nicely constituted, is like molten gold. Sandalwood pulp is smeared all over His body. He will take the fourth order of spiritual life (sannyasa) and will be very self-controlled. He will be distinguished from Mayavadi sannyasis in that He will be fixed in devotional service and will spread the sankirtana movement.” — Mahābhārata
- Glory to the Śrī Kṛṣṇa saṅkīrtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death. This saṅkīrtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for which we are always anxious.
- O my Lord, Your holy name alone can render all benediction to living beings, and thus You have hundreds and millions of names like Kṛṣṇa and Govinda. In these transcendental names You have invested all Your transcendental energies. There are not even hard and fast rules for chanting these names. O my Lord, out of kindness You enable us to easily approach You by Your holy names, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction for them.
3. One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.
