REVIEW OF THE ORIGINAL 17 VOLUME CAITANYA-CARITĀMṚTA
taken from Journal of Asian and African Studies 1978 / 01 Vol. 13; Iss. 3
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta.
Los Angeles, The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 1974-5, pp. 6362 (17 volumes), $ 7.95.
The appearance of an English translation of Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī’s Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta by A. C. Bhaktivedanta, Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, is a cause for celebration among both scholars in Indian Studies and lay-people seeking to enrich their knowledge of Indian spirituality. Even scholars like myself, who have specialized in Sanskrit or other non-Bengali languages and literatures of India, have been tantalized over the years by citations in English from this great classic but until the present time have been denied access to a firsthand experience of the work by an inability to read Bengali. Therefore, we welcome the appearance of this Bengali religious classic in English with great enthusiasm and with anticipation that it will fill a most serious lacuna in our libraries and in our courses on the religious traditions of India.
The Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (“The Immortal Deeds of Caitanya”) presents in graceful poetic style an account of the events in the life of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the teachings of Lord Caitanya, believed by the Kṛṣṇites of Bengal to be the greatest of all devotional seer-poets and the Supreme Incarnation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself. Caitanya was a holy man and a religious reformer in whose person and teachings the major religious elements of the Great Tradition (i.e., the Paths of Works, Knowledge and Devotion) were integrated to form a single all-embracing conception of salvation. He raised these truths to a higher, purer level of expression through a life of complete devotion to Kṛṣṇa. This religious tradition founded by Śrī Caitanya is distinguished by its denial of the Advaita Vedāntin belief that knowledge of and union with the Impersonal, Transcendent Eternal Brahman is the summum bonum of spiritual attainment. It asserts, instead, that personal salvation arises from pure, unqualified communion with the Supreme Personality of the Godhead in the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This intimate spiritual relationship between man and God, in turn, results from an acceptance of God’s grace – extended freely to all men – though a life of self-surrender and devoted Service. The ideal model which every devotee is commanded to emu- late and imitate is the love relationship between Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs or cowherdesses, wherein Kṛṣṇa is loved, not for goods or other boons which he may bestow upon human beings in return for Services which they have rendered to him, but solely for the sublimity and majesty of his person.
The importance of the Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta rests not only on the aesthetic quality of its poetic composition or its Status in the religious traditions of Bengal, but also for its masterful Integration of a number of different Strands of the larger Indian tradition. It draws together formative elements from, among other works, the Bhagavad Gītā (which itself had long ago fashioned an exquisite synthesis of the ways of Works, Knowledge and Devotion to form a single path to salvation); the Mahābhārata (with its narrative of the life of Kṛṣṇa as a warrior, a prince and a High God); the Harivaṁśa (an appendix to the former work in which deeds of Kṛṣṇa are related in most elaborate form); the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (in which the life of Kṛṣṇa as a child and a prince is told in most luxuriant detail); and the difference-cum-non-difference philosophy of the Sāṁkhya tradition.
According to the teachings of Śrī Caitanya, Śrī Kṛṣṇa provided the Way of Devotion (bhakti-mārga) as the easiest, purest and most widely accessible way
Journal of Asian and African Studies XIII, 3-4
1978_17_VOL_CC_REVIEW.pdf
I remember well the very first time that I saw and heard Lord Caitanya’s followers, the disciples of Srila Prabhupada chanting in a Hari Nam party at the north west corner of Yonge Street and Bloor Street Toronto during the summer of 1970. A number of us were transfixed as we watched them enjoy singing the maha mantra of Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
Excerpt from Adi9.41 at the bottom of this post by Srila Prabhupada. Please read and act in accordance to the full post.
This is not only the duty of Indians but the duty of everyone, and we are very happy that American and European boys and girls are seriously cooperating with this movement. One should know definitely that the best welfare activity for all of human society is to awaken man’s God consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore everyone should help this great movement. This is confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Tenth Canto, Twenty-second Chapter, verse 35, which is next quoted in Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
Courtesy of Causelessmercy
Adi9.41
TEXT 41
bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya janma yāra
janma sārthaka kari’ kara para-upakāra
SYNONYMS
bhārata—of India; bhūmite—in the land; haila—has become; manuṣya—human being; janma—birth; yāra—anyone; janma—such a birth; sārthaka—fulfillment; kari’-doing so; kara—do; para—others; upakāra—benefit.
TRANSLATION
“One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India [Bhārata-varṣa] should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.
PURPORT
The magnanimity of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is expressed in this very important verse. Although He was born in Bengal and Bengalis therefore have a special duty toward Him, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is addressing not only Bengalis but all the inhabitants of India. It is in the land of India that actual human civilization can be developed.
Human life is especially meant for God realization, as stated in the Vedānta-sūtra: athāto brahma-jijñāsā. Anyone who takes birth in the land of India (Bhārata-varṣa) has the special privilege of being able to take advantage of the instruction and guidance of the Vedic civilization. He automatically receives the basic principles of spiritual life, for 99.9% of the Indian people, even simple village farmers and others who are neither educated nor sophisticated, believe in the transmigration of the soul, believe in past and future lives, believe in God and naturally want to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His representative. These ideas are the natural inheritance of a person born in India. India has many holy places of pilgrimage, such as Gayā, Benares, Mathurā, Prayāga, Vṛndāvana, Haridvāra, Rāmeśvaram and Jagannātha Purī, and still people go there by the hundreds and thousands. Although the present leaders of India are influencing the people not to believe in God, not to believe in a next life and not to believe in a distinction between pious and impious life, and they are teaching them how to drink wine, eat meat and become supposedly civilized, people are nevertheless afraid of the four activities of sinful life-namely, illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling-and whenever there is a religious festival, they gather together by the thousands. We have actual experience of this. Whenever the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement holds a saṅkīrtana festival in a big city like Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, Ahmedabad or Hyderabad, thousands of people come to hear. Sometimes we speak in English, but even though most people do not understand English, they nevertheless come to hear us. Even when imitation incarnations of Godhead speak, people gather in the thousands, for everyone who is born in the land of India has a natural spiritual inclination and is taught the basic principles of spiritual life; they merely need to be a little more educated in the Vedic principles. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, janma sārthaka kari’ kara para-upakāra: if an Indian is educated in the Vedic principles, he is able to perform the most beneficial welfare activity for the entire world.
At present, for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, the entire world is in darkness, having been covered by the four principles of sinful life-meat-eating, illicit sex, gambling and intoxication. Therefore there is a need for vigorous propaganda to educate people to refrain from sinful activities. This will bring peace and prosperity; the rogues, thieves and debauchees will naturally decrease in number, and all of human society will be God conscious.
The practical effect of our spreading the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world is that now the most degraded debauchees are becoming the most elevated saints. This is only one Indian’s humble service to the world. If all Indians had taken to this path, as advised by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, India would have given a unique gift to the world, and thus India would have been glorified. Now, however, India is known as a poverty-stricken country, and whenever anyone from America or another opulent country goes to India, he sees many people lying by the footpaths for whom there are not even provisions for two meals a day. There are also institutions collecting money from all parts of the world in the name of welfare activities for poverty-stricken people, but they are spending it for their own sense gratification. Now, on the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has been started, and people are benefiting from this movement. Therefore it is now the duty of the leading men of India to consider the importance of this movement and train many Indians to go outside of India to preach this cult. People will accept it, there will be cooperation among the Indian people and among the other people of the world, and the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu will then be fulfilled. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu will then be glorified all over the world, and people will naturally be happy, peaceful and prosperous, not only in this life but also in the next, for as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, anyone who understands Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, will very easily get salvation, or freedom from the repetition of birth and death, and go back home, back to Godhead. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore requests every Indian to become a preacher of His cult to save the world from disastrous confusion.
This is not only the duty of Indians but the duty of everyone, and we are very happy that American and European boys and girls are seriously cooperating with this movement. One should know definitely that the best welfare activity for all of human society is to awaken man’s God consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore everyone should help this great movement. This is confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Tenth Canto, Twenty-second Chapter, verse 35, which is next quoted in Caitanya-caritāmṛta.