Life and Precepts of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu - Part I

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born in Mayapur in the town of Nadia, just after sunset on the evening of the 23rd Phalguna, (1407 Sakabda) answering to the 18th of February 1486 of the Christian era. The moon was eclipsed at the time of His birth and people of Nadia were then engaged, as usual on such occasions, in bathing in the Bhagirathi with loud cheers of Haribol. His father Jagannath Misra was a poor Brahmin of the Vedic order, and His mother Sachi Devi was a noble good woman, both descended from Brahmin stocks originally residing in Sylhet. Mahaprabhu was a beautiful Child and the ladies of the town came to see Him with presents. His mother's father. Pandit Nilambar Chakravarti, a renowned astrologer, foretold that the Child -would be a great Personage in time; and he therefore, gave Him the name Visvambhar.

Life and Precepts of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu - Part II

Sri Chaitanya teaches us in the first place that the rational attributes of men are not capable of approaching the Divine sphere of spirit. Yukti, as He styles reason, is quite incompetent in such a matter. Ruchi as He styles the religious sentiment in man, even in a very small quantity, has the power to comprehend it. It is inspiration which can alone give light to spiritual matters. Inspirations coming down from Heaven through purified and blessed souls have exhibited themselves in the form of the Vedas. The Vedas together with their explanatory notes, the Puranas, are, therefore, the only evidence in matters of spirit and are eternal in nature. Vedic truths should, therefore, be accepted as the only truth in higher matter.

Namo Mahavadanyaya

Yyuga-dharma pravartāimu nāma-saṅkīrtana, cāri bhāva-bhakti diyā nācāmu bhuvana—I shall personally inaugurate the religion of the age, Nama-sankirtan (congregational chanting of the Holy Name). I shall make the world dance in ecstasy, making them experience the loving devotional service in any of the four mellows—dasya, sakhya, vatsalya and madhurya. For a long time I have not bestowed the unalloyed loving service to Me upon the inhabitants of the world. Without such loving attachment, the existence of the material world is useless.

Jay Dau Jay Dau

In one harikatha on the advent of Lord Baladeva, Srila Gurudev emphasized the importance of performing the ‘Jaya Dau Jaya Dau’ kirtan. He instructed that his Gurudev, HDG Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaja used to pray for the grace of Guru, Vaiṣṇavas, and Bhagavan through this kirtan, and that we should do it without fail on every special tithi. By doing so, Guru, Vaiṣṇavas, and Bhagvan will be pleased.