Lord Chaitanya and His Commander-in-Chief

February 28, 2010 is the appearance anniversary of the Supreme Personality of Godhead - Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu- who is none other than Sri Krishna Himself. This most auspicious day is celebrated all over the world, by those who are fortunate enough to know the the glories of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, as Sri Gour Pournima.

Around 5000 years ago, Sri Krishna appeared in Sri Vrindavan. He established the principles of religion by killing great demons like Kamsa, and by speaking the superlative knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita. That was the Dvaapaar Yuga. The yuga has since changed; we are now into the Kali Yuga – the age of rapid decline of spiritual standards. To reestablish the highest religious principles, just around 500 years ago, the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna once again descended into this world, this time appearing in Mayapur, West Bengal, in His eternal form of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The Srimad Bhagavatam glorifies this most loving avatar of the Lord as follows:

krishna varnam tvishaakrishnam
saangopaangaastra-paarshadam
yadnaih sankirtanam praayair
yajanti hi su-medhasah

In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Krishna. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krishna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions (Srimad Bhaagavatam 11.5.32).

Lord Chaitanya brings Sankirtan to the streets!

In this age of Kali there is no way of achieving spiritual perfection other than loudly chanting the holy names of Sri Krishna in sankirtan. In this avatar, the Lord doesn’t kill the demons, but kills the demonic tendencies present in their heart, by giving them the Holy Name. Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, as the yuga-avatar, incarnated for the express purpose of spreading the Holy Name Sankirtan movement far and wide, even outside the land of India. The following verse from one of the authoritative biographies of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu – Sri Chaitanya Bhagavat – reveals His mission in unambiguous words:

prithvith aachhe yata nagaraadi graama
sarvatra prachaara haibe mora naama

“In every town and village of the world, the chanting of My name will be heard.” (Caitanya-Bhaagavata, Antya 4.126)

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu treated the highly learned non-devotional scholars like the great Sri Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya and Sri Prakashananda Saraswati by His unparalleled scriptural and philosophical acumen. And he treated the masses by the all-conquering weapon of the sweet uproarious chanting of the Holy Name in Sankirtan. Be it the philosophy or the Sankirtan, by both methods, hearts were transformed, and everyone who came in touch began chanting the holy names of Krishna and experienced the divine bliss of Love of God. Even the most wretched infamous evil brothers Jagai-Madhai, who had left no sin uncommitted, weren’t spared by the all merciful Sri Chaitanya. Indeed, after converting even them to superlative Vaishnavas, Lord Chaitanya’s fame knew no bounds.

Lord Chaitana delivers the sinful Jagai-Madhai

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appointed one of His most trusted servants to carry out the unprecedented and monumental task of spreading His mission all over the world. His prediction of such a personality is recorded in the Chaitanya Mangal as follows (paraphrased):

If sinful people get away by being in distant countries where my personal preaching will not reach, I will send my devotee commander in chief, senaapati-bhakta, to deliver them.

Carrying the divine grace of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, His Divine Grace AC Bhakti Vedanta Swami Prabhupada - the senaapati-bhakta - ventured into unchartered territories, outside the safety of his peaceful dwelling in Vrindavan, to carry out the mission of the Supreme Lord. In 1965, at the ripe old age of 70, Srila Prabhupada found himself alone on the streets of New York, with unflinching faith in Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy as his only shelter. But what is impossible for the Lord. In 1966, Srila Prabhupada founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) as the medium through which he would spread Lord Chaitanya’s message. In a short span of 12 years, the Hare Krishnas became a household name all over the world. Just like Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Prabhupada applied the two-pronged strategy by writing volumes of authoritative philosophical literature for the classes, and by bringing Sri Hari Naam Sankirtan to the streets all over the world for the masses.

Srila Prabhupada

Even today, as the number of devotees and well-wishers grows, the mercy of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu continues to reach thousands through the medium of Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON. On this most auspicious occasion of Sri Gour Pournima, the appearance anniversary of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, we look back in amazement at the limitless mercy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the astounding accomplishments of Srila Prabhupada, and the unimaginable potential that this movement holds for the future.

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