CC Adi 7.22 – Sri Gaura-purnima Sankirtana Movement—The Greatest Show on Earth

Giriraj Swami: Today is Gaura-purnima, the appearance day of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Lord Chaitanya is Krishna Himself in the guise of a devotee. When Krishna came, He demanded, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: “Give up all varieties of religiousness and just surrender unto Me.” But people could not appreciate His instruction: “Why should we surrender?” they questioned. They did not understand the process of surrendering. So, some four thousand five hundred years later, five hundred years ago, the same Lord Krishna appeared again, as Chaitanya, to show us how to surrender to Him.

Lord Chaitanya taught the specific method of devotional service appropriate for the present age of Kali. With evidence from the Bṛhan-nāradīya-Purana (38.126), He instructed: 

harer nāma harer nāma
harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva
nāsty eva gatir anyathā

“One should chant the holy names, chant the holy names, chant the holy names of Lord Hari. There is no other way, no other way, no other way for success in the modern age.”

Now and in recent history, there are and have been many false incarnations of Lord Krishna. So, one may question, what evidence can we produce that Sri Chaitanya is Krishna’s incarnation? For one thing, Lord Chaitanya is mentioned in many revealed scriptures—the Upanishads, the Puranas, the Mahābhārata, and especially Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In the Eleventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the different incarnations for the different ages are described, and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is described in the following words (SB 11.5.32):

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ
sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam
yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair
yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ: varṇaṁ means “category,” like cātur-varṇaṁ. So, kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ: He is in the same category as Krishna. In other words, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ —but His color is not the same blackish color as Krishna’s. When Lord Krishna appeared as the son of Nanda Maharaja, Garga Muni came and astrologically calculated the future life of baby Krishna. He told Nanda Maharaja, “Your son appears in different ages in different colors. Sometimes He appears in a whitish color, sometimes He appears in a reddish color, sometimes He appears in a yellowish color, and now He has appeared in a blackish color.” We know from scripture that the incarnations for the ages of Satya and Treta appeared in a whitish color and in a reddish color and that Krishna appeared in a blackish color. So, Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ means that the incarnation of Krishna in the Age of Kali appears not in a blackish color but in a golden color. Another meaning of the word varṇaṁ is related to varṇayati, which means “to describe or glorify.” So kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ means that He is always glorifying Krishna, always chanting, “Krishna.” And sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam: He is accompanied by His associates (śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda). And yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ: In the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting (saṅkīrtana-yajña) to worship this incarnation of Krishna, namely Sri Chaitanya.

Lord Chaitanya appeared toward the end of the 15th century in Navadvipa, in West Bengal. There, as a young man, He began the saṅkīrtana movement, going through the streets of the town chanting Hare Krishna. He also sent His associates, such as Nityananda Prabhu and Haridasa Thakura, into the streets to request people to chant the holy name of Krishna and learn the science of Krishna. The same mission—the same movement—was continued by His followers. And now the same saṅkīrtana movement is embodied in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. It is the exact same movement that Lord Chaitanya began personally five hundred years ago. 

We shall read some verses from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta about the mission of Lord Chaitanya and try to understand how Srila Prabhupada is fulfilling the same mission. We shall read from the Ādi-līlā, Chapter Seven, which describes the Pancha-tattva.

TEXTS 20–21

sei pañca-tattva mili’ pṛthivī āsiyā
pūrva-premabhāṇḍārera mudrā ughāḍiyā

pāṅce mili’ luṭe prema, kare āsvādana
yata yata piye, tṛṣṇā bāḍhe anukṣaṇa

TRANSLATION

The characteristics of Kṛṣṇa are understood to be a storehouse of transcendental love. Although that storehouse of love certainly came with Kṛṣṇa when He was present, it was sealed. But when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu came with His associates of the Pañca-tattva, they broke the seal and plundered the storehouse to taste transcendental love of Kṛṣṇa. The more they tasted it, the more their thirst for it grew.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is called mahā-vadānyāvatāra because although He is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, He is even more favorably disposed to the poor fallen souls than Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. When Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself was personally present, He demanded that everyone surrender unto Him and promised that He would then give one all protection, but when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to this earth with His associates, He simply distributed transcendental love of God without discrimination. Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, therefore, could understand that Lord Caitanya was none other than Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, for no one but the Supreme Personality of Godhead can distribute confidential love of the Supreme Person.

COMMENT

Srila Rupa Gosvami appreciated Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu with the following verse:

namo mahā-vadānyāya
kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-
nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

“I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna Chaitanya, who is the most munificent incarnation of Godhead, even more munificent than Krishna Himself, because He is freely giving what no other incarnation has ever given: pure love for Krishna.” No one but Krishna Himself can give such love.

Srila Prabhupada said something about himself that resembles this description of the Pancha-tattva. He said that for many centuries Krishna was kept locked up in a black box. Although He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He was kept locked up. And nobody knew Him. But Srila Prabhupada, as he himself stated, took the key, opened up the box, and took out Krishna. He held Him up and showed the world: This is Krishna; this is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

TEXT 22

punaḥ punaḥ piyāiyā haya mahāmatta
nāce, kānde, hāse, gāya, yaiche mada-matta

TRANSLATION

Śrī Pañca-tattva themselves danced again and again and thus made it easier to drink nectarean love of Godhead. They danced, cried, laughed and chanted like madmen, and in this way they distributed love of Godhead.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

People generally cannot understand the actual meaning of chanting and dancing. Describing the Gosvāmīs, Śrī Śrīnivāsa Ācārya stated, kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau: not only did Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His associates demonstrate this chanting and dancing, but the six Gosvāmīs also followed in the next generation. The present Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement follows the same principle, and therefore simply by chanting and dancing we have received good responses all over the world. It is to be understood, however, that this chanting and dancing do not belong to this material world. They are actually transcendental activities, for the more one engages in chanting and dancing, the more he can taste the nectar of transcendental love of Godhead.

COMMENT

The method of chanting and dancing is simple and sublime, and just by hearing and seeing the devotees chanting and dancing, people all over the world have begun to follow. They have joined in the chanting and dancing and become devotees of Lord Chaitanya and Lord Krishna.

We have personal experience of this. Once, we went to some remote villages in Sri Lanka, where the Sinhalese people had never really heard about Krishna. We simply chanted and danced through the villages. The villagers came out, and they too wanted to chant and dance. As we would continue to some pavilion or hall, they would follow us in saṅkīrtana. In the hall we would have more chanting and dancing, and even after we left, the people would continue chanting and dancing; they didn’t want to stop. In Africa we have had the same experience. When the devotees go into the African townships or villages, African people, who have no idea of Krishna consciousness, come and chant and dance. They enjoy it, and they want to do it more and more. This process has such great potency that we can go anywhere in the world and attract people to Krishna consciousness simply by chanting and dancing. The same method Lord Chaitanya introduced five hundred years ago is being followed by Srila Prabhupada’s followers, and they are getting positive results. 

TEXT 23

pātrāpātra-vicāra nāhi, nāhi sthānāsthāna
yei yāṅhā pāya, tāṅhā kare prema-dāna

TRANSLATION

In distributing love of Godhead, Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His associates did not consider who was a fit candidate and who was not, nor where such distribution should or should not take place. They made no conditions. Wherever they got the opportunity, the members of the Pañca-tattva distributed love of Godhead.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

There are some rascals who dare to speak against the mission of Lord Caitanya by criticizing the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement for accepting Europeans and Americans as brāhmaṇas and offering them sannyāsa. But here is an authoritative statement that in distributing love of Godhead one should not consider whether the recipients are Europeans, Americans, Hindus, Muslims, etc. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should be spread wherever possible, and one should accept those who thus become Vaiṣṇavas as being greater than brāhmaṇas, Hindus or Indians. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu desired that His name be spread in each and every town and village on the surface of the globe. Therefore, when the cult of Caitanya Mahāprabhu is spread all over the world, should those who embrace it not be accepted as Vaiṣṇavas, brāhmaṇas and sannyāsīs? These foolish arguments are sometimes raised by envious rascals, but Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees do not care about them. We strictly follow the principles set down by the Pañca-tattva 

COMMENT

Krishna consciousness is spread on the platform of the soul, and the soul is not black or white, American or Russian, Indian or Chinese. The soul is part and parcel of Krishna, and every soul is the same; every soul has the same potency for accepting Krishna consciousness. Thus Lord Chaitanya and the members of the Pancha-tattva wanted to distribute Krishna consciousness to everyone, everywhere, without discrimination.

Srila Prabhupada has commented: When Lord Chaitanya wanted the holy name of Krishna to be spread to every town and village of the world, who did He think would do it? It is understood that people all over the world would join the mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, become brahmans and sannyasis, and preach. When Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma, He didn’t mean it as a farce. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When He said His message would be broadcast all over the world, did He mean by a cinema show? No. He wanted people to become perfect Vaishnavas. Therefore, people who do become devotees and serve Lord Chaitanya’s desire must be accepted as part of Lord Chaitanya’s movement, as much as people born in India or in brahman families. In fact, such Vaishnavas are more than just brahmans. Although Lord Chaitanya made His prediction five hundred years ago, Srila Prabhupada was the one to actually fulfill it.

Recently in Mayapur, His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami described his first impressions of Srila Prabhupada and the devotees. He said that one thing struck him especially: how Srila Prabhupada loved the foreigners, and how he reciprocated with them so affectionately—because Prabhupada, just like Lord Chaitanya and the other members of the Pancha-tattva, made no discrimination. He really loved everyone on the spiritual platform, and he wanted to help everyone on the spiritual platform. He had no false prestige: “I am an Indian, so I cannot mix with a foreigner.” 

After Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance in 1977, a condolence meeting was held at the Krishna-Balarama temple in Vrindavan, and one of Srila Prabhupada’s godbrothers gave his own version of history. He described how Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura had sent him too to the West, and how he could not relate to these lower types of people. He could only relate to cultured and intellectual people, as if he were too good to touch the lower ones—and so they were left for “Swamiji.”

A true Vaishnava has no false prestige and no envy. He is equal to everyone. Srila Prabhupada, such a Vaishnava, actually fulfilled the mission of Lord Chaitanya and the Pancha-tattva by distributing Krishna consciousness to one and all. And not only did he offer it, but he induced people to accept it. Some years ago, during Prabhupada’s presence, in September 1974, a publishing house named Orient Longman asked me to contribute to their forthcoming book about various religious leaders in India. The book was subsequently published under the title Gurus, Godmen, and Good People. The publishers approached followers of each of these personalities to write the chapter about his or her leader, and they approached me to write the chapter about Srila Prabhupada. I wrote a draft of the chapter and sent it to Prabhupada in Mayapur. Prabhupada responded with a brief description of how he wanted to be presented: He introduced the Vedic culture completely to the whole world, and people throughout the are following it completely, as it is, just as he presented it. That was his unique contribution. 

He gave the example of a tulasi sapling: If you want to transplant a tulasi sapling, you have to do it very carefully, because it is delicate. If any part of the sapling is damaged, the plant can die. Prabhupada said that in the same way, he had to very carefully transplant Vedic culture from India to America and the rest of the world. He took great pains to make sure that no part of it was damaged or injured, so that it could take root and grow and flourish. 

TEXT 24

luṭiyā, khāiyā, diyā, bhāṇḍāra ujāḍe
āścarya bhāṇḍāra, prema śata-guṇa bāḍe

TRANSLATION

Although the members of the Pañca-tattva plundered the storehouse of love of Godhead and ate and distributed its contents, there was no scarcity, for this wonderful storehouse is so complete that as the love is distributed, the supply increases hundreds of times.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

A pseudo incarnation of Kṛṣṇa once told his disciple that he had emptied himself by giving him all knowledge and was thus spiritually bankrupt. Such bluffers speak in this way to cheat the public, but actual spiritual consciousness is so perfect that the more it is distributed, the more it increases. Bankruptcy is a term that applies in the material world, but the storehouse of love of Godhead in the spiritual world can never be depleted.

COMMENT

Srila Prabhupada told the story of how this so-called incarnation touched his disciple and by some electric current transferred to him all of his knowledge. When the disciple opened his eyes, he saw that his master was crying. So he asked, “Guruji, why are you crying?” And his master replied, “I have given all of my knowledge to you, and now I don’t have any left; therefore I am crying.” This is a material conception. Prabhupada explained that transcendental knowledge is so perfect and complete that the more you distribute it, the more you get. And, to the contrary, if you have transcendental knowledge and don’t distribute it, you will become envious and the knowledge will gradually evaporate. So the basic principle of Krishna consciousness is to become as perfect as possible oneself and do good for others by distributing love of Godhead.

PURPORT (continued)

Kṛṣṇa is providing for millions and trillions of living entities by supplying all their necessities, and even if all the innumerable living entities wanted to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, there would be no scarcity of love of Godhead, nor would there be insufficiency in providing for their maintenance.

COMMENT

People in the material world have the scarcity mentality: “Oh! If there is too much population, there won’t be enough food.” But actually, Krishna can provide any amount of food for any number of living entities. Once, at a time when scarcity was a big issue in India, Srila Prabhupada asked us to put an advertisement in the newspapers: We welcome everyone to come to Hare Krishna Land and live as we do, and we will provide food, shelter, and clothing. It was an open invitation to the entire city of Bombay. Prabhupada was confident that no matter how many people came to become Krishna conscious, all of them would be maintained spiritually and materially by ISKCON, by Krishna, because there is no scarcity in spiritual life.

Our movement was started single-handedly by Srila Prabhupada. He doesn’t say it explicitly, but he says, “Our Krishna consciousness movement was started single-handedly, and no one provided for our livelihood, but at present we are spending hundreds and thousands of dollars all over the world, and the movement is increasing more and more.” People are always worried about their maintenance: “Who will maintain me? Who will take care of me?” But Krishna will maintain you. And Srila Prabhupada is the example. Some people think, “Well, when you are young you can be carefree and chant and dance, but when you get old there are so many problems and you have to think about your future. Who will take care of you in your future?” But Prabhupada began the Krishna consciousness movement at the age of seventy; he was seventy years old when he arrived in New York City. And who maintained him? Who took care of him? Krishna! Thus there is no question of scarcity. 

PURPORT (concluded)

Although jealous persons may be envious, if we stick to our principles and follow in the footsteps of the Pañca-tattva, this movement will go on unchecked by imitation svāmīs, sannyāsīs, religionists, philosophers or scientists, for it is transcendental to all material considerations. Therefore those who propagate the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should not be afraid of such rascals and fools.

COMMENT

Srila Prabhupada is advising us not to be afraid of those who are not Krishna conscious.

TEXT 25

chalila prema-vanyā caudike veḍāya
strī, vṛddha, bālaka, yuvā, sabāre ḍubāya

TRANSLATION

The flood of love of Godhead swelled in all directions, and thus young men, old men, women and children were all immersed in that inundation.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

When the contents of the storehouse of love of Godhead is thus distributed, there is a powerful inundation that covers the entire land. In Śrīdhāma Māyāpur there is sometimes a great flood after the rainy season. This is an indication that from the birthplace of Lord Caitanya the inundation of love of Godhead should be spread all over the world, for this will help everyone, including old men, young men, women and children.

COMMENT

Who is not included? Everyone is an old man, a young man, a woman, or a child. This spread of love of God will help everyone, including old men, young men, women, and children.

PURPORT (concluded)

The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so powerful that it can inundate the entire world and interest all classes of men in the subject of love of Godhead.

COMMENT

There are often floods in Mayapur. And indeed, there were floods there when we first came to India, in 1971. Achyutananda Swami, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, wrote to him that the flooding from the Ganges came all the way up to the embankment created by the Bhaktisiddhanta Road, so called because it was constructed by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Srila Prabhupada wrote back, “Yes, we were saved by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Road. We shall always expect to be saved by His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja Prabhupada. Always pray to his lotus feet. Whatever success we have had in preaching Lord Chaitanya’s mission all over the world is due only to his mercy.”

This is paramparā: from Lord Chaitanya to His disciples, including the Six Gosvamis; from the Six Gosvamis to their disciples; and from them down through paramparā to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and Srila Prabhupada. Now we should follow in the same line. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is following in the same line, so without fear or hesitation we should also follow the Pancha-tattva and their line: We should taste the contents of the storehouse of love of God, become mad in love of God, and distribute the contents to others. This is the actual mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the purpose for which He appeared in Sri Mayapur dhāma and preached throughout India. There is no difference between the saṅkīrtana movement inaugurated by Lord Chaitanya five hundred years ago and the saṅkīrtana movement now being propagated by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada and his followers. 

Hare Krishna.

Are there any questions or comments?

Devotee: In the book The Glories of Navadvipa-dhāma it is stated that one who discriminates between Lord Chaitanya and Lord Krishna goes to hell and suffers. But in other sampradāyas, the followers do seem to discriminate. They don’t accept Lord Chaitanya as the same Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna. So do they go back to Godhead or do they go to hell? Where do they go? 

Giriraj Swami: The Caitanya-caritāmṛta explains that Jarasandha followed the Vedic rituals and thus worshiped Lord Vishnu but that because he did not accept Krishna he is considered a demon. One who does not accept Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is a demon. Similarly, anyone who does not accept Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as Krishna, the same Supreme Lord, is also to be considered a demon. Although he may make a show of devotion to Lord Krishna, if he neglects Lord Chaitanya, he will never get Krishna’s mercy or advance to the ultimate goal. 

Such statements are striking—even shocking. How can we live with them? Yet if we consider further, we will find that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam makes three distinctions: between devotees, innocent people, and envious people. If someone is innocent— simply ignorant like a child (bāliśeṣu)—he will be open to the knowledge that Sri Chaitanya is Krishna Himself. But someone who is envious (dviṣatsu), like a demon, will never accept that Lord Chaitanya is the same Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna, and he is bound to suffer. 

Devotee: In the same scripture it is mentioned that Ramanujacharya visited Navadvipa-dhāma and that in Navadvipa-dhāma Lord Jagannatha appeared to him in a dream and told him to glorify Lord Chaitanya. Then Lord Chaitanya appeared to him and told him to keep the secret that He was Krishna confidential. Personally, Ramanujacharya knew about the identity of Lord Chaitanya and Lord Krishna, and he must have informed his confidential associates. 

Naranda Swami: There are advanced devotees in other sampradāyas who have surrendered to Krishna and who are not envious of Lord Chaitanya but don’t accept Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If someone is actually spiritually advanced, he cannot be envious.

Giriraj Swami: True.

Mahaprabhu dasa: There are some popular speakers in India who talk of love of God and who chant, but they are actually Mayavadis. They are not in any paramparā. But they speak very nicely, so how are we to know they are Mayavadis? And when we do find that they are Mayavadis, what do we do?

Giriraj Swami: We can understand whether they are Mayavadis or not from their speech. Of course, we have to be able to recognize what is proper Vaishnava philosophy and what is not. Also, almost everyone outside of a proper Vaishnava paramparā is a Mayavadi. You rightly found the clue that if the person is not in paramparā, he is bound to be impersonal to some extent. Still, some of the people who go to him may be innocent, so we can preach to them. And the man himself may also be innocent. If people are innocent, we can preach to them. But if they are envious, we should avoid them. If they are not coming in proper disciplic succession, they are almost certain to have some influence of Mayavada in them. 

Vamanadeva dasa: I have heard that Lord Chaitanya’s teachings will continue for ten thousand years. Why only ten thousand years?

Giriraj Swami: Actually, Lord Chaitanya’s teachings will continue forever. Within the Kali-yuga there will be a golden age of ten thousand years when more and more people will become part of the saṅkīrtana movement. Yet even after the golden age, there will be devotees of Lord Chaitanya, and they will chant the holy names. But their numbers will not be so great. So you are right, as usual: The teachings of Lord Chaitanya will never die. They will continue forever.

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya! 
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ki jaya! 
Sri Sri Pancha-tattva ki jaya! 
Sri Gaura-purnima ki jaya! 
Gaura premānande Hari-Haribol!