Seven centuries ago he came, he whose name is a benediction, he whose memory is fragrant. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu they call him. He was born in far off Nadia in Bengal. As he was born under a neem tree, the mother called him Namai. He was a professor of logic. He laughed at bhaktas, at devotees of God. Whenever the devotees of God visited his town he picked faults in them. He made of them a laughing stock before the people. He did not believe in devotion to God. He disregarded it all.
Suddenly a transformation takes place in his life. His mother has sent him to Gaya, in connection with certain ceremonies which are to be performed on behalf of his dear departed father. And there in the temple of Gaya a miracle happens. The true miracle is the miracle of transformation. The true miracle is when our life is transformed, when we become new. This is what happens to him. In the temple of Gaya he has a vision of Sri Krishna. He has the vision of the nitya leela of the Lord. The Leela that is eternally going on. The veils are lifted from the eyes of Sri Chaitanya. This professor suddenly becomes a prophet. He returns to Nadia, he returns to the University of Nadia. But now there is but one name that is on his lips: Krishna! Krishna! Krishna!
To his disciples, Nimai gave this instruction, “Go out into the streets, and preach the ecstasy of the Name Divine to as many people as you can.” They did as they were told, and Hari Naam Smaran became a way of life in Nadia. Evil and vicious characters were also transformed by the power of the Name Divine, and became Nimai’s devoted followers. The streets of the neighbouring villages and towns were filled with people singing and dancing to the magical cry of Hari bol, Hari bol!
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s chief disciples, the Goswamis, put his philosophy of bhakti into writing, and also founded the sect known as Gaudiya Vaishnavism, which still has its followers today. A disciple of this sect, Sri Bhaktivedanta Swami, founded his movement known as The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) to spread Sri Chaitanya’s teachings throughout the world.
*March 25 is Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Birth Anniversary which is also regarded as Holi.
Dada J P Vaswani is a humanitarian, philosopher, educator, acclaimed writer, powerful orator, messiah of ahimsa, and non-sectarian spiritual leader
