Uniqueness of Chaitanya Avataar
Shri Krishna is Brahma - Supreme God. All forms of God including the Trinity: Brahma, Vishnu and Shankar, who are the governors of the brahmand, are His subordinates. In the age of Kali yuga (see Kaal-Time), the same Supreme Lord Shri Krishna descended in the village of “Nadia” in West Bengal, India, in the form of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
The Vedas explain, there is specific purpose behind each incarnation of God. For example
The Vedas explain, there is specific purpose behind each incarnation of God. For example
- Lord Ram descended on Earth to establish the ideology of modest life;
- Lord Krishna descended on Earth to bestow divine-love-bliss to the deserving souls;
- Lord Narsingh descended on Earth to prove that God is omnipresent;
- Lord Matsya descended in the form of a fish during the pralaya, to save the saints and to impart Divine knowledge;
However, the purpose behind Chaitanya Dev’s descension was completely different and unique amongst all other previous incarnations of God. Let us understand the unique purpose behind this descension of God.
The purpose of all previous descents of God, was to eliminate evil forces on earth and to grace all religious souls. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu on the other hand, pledged not to pick up any weapons. Instead, He won over the hearts of everyone who came in His contact - the virtuous and sinful alike, by His love. He did not discriminate between deserving and undeserving souls and bestowed His love and grace equally amongst everyone.
The purpose of all previous descents of God, was to eliminate evil forces on earth and to grace all religious souls. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu on the other hand, pledged not to pick up any weapons. Instead, He won over the hearts of everyone who came in His contact - the virtuous and sinful alike, by His love. He did not discriminate between deserving and undeserving souls and bestowed His love and grace equally amongst everyone.
When a demon gets killed by God, they obtain liberation from Maya, hence are unable to attain the divine love of Shri Krishna. In the form of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Shri Krishna did not kill anyone with evil qualities. Instead, He bestowed His love on everyone. This gave even the worst of the sinners the ability to attain divine love of Shri Krishna, including great sinners like Jagai & Madhai, robber Naroji and many others.
God and Bliss are one and the same. As the Vedas proclaim, bliss is unlimited:
यो वै भूमा तत्सुखम् |
yo ve bhooma tatsukhan
And whosoever attains Him becomes blissful
सदा पश्यन्ति सूर्यः तद् विष्णोः परमम् पदम् ॥
sada pashyanti sooryah tad vishnoh paramam padam.
God and Bliss are one and the same. As the Vedas proclaim, bliss is unlimited:
यो वै भूमा तत्सुखम् |
yo ve bhooma tatsukhan
And whosoever attains Him becomes blissful
सदा पश्यन्ति सूर्यः तद् विष्णोः परमम् पदम् ॥
sada pashyanti sooryah tad vishnoh paramam padam.
So, all those who realized God became full of unending bliss. One may ask "what about God, does He not relish any bliss"? The Vedas say that
Honey comes from honey bee and many enjoy the taste of honey. The honey bee also relishes the same honey. Similarly, bliss emanates from God and devotees enjoy that bliss. God too relishes that bliss. Thus, in our Shastra, God has been compared to both honey and a honey bee.
This seemingly contradictory concept is accomplished by His own most intimate power called swaroop shakti (स्वरूप शक्ति). This power is so potent, that it makes impossible things possible. The essence of that power is the Bliss-potency of God called Hladini Shakti (ह्लादिनि शक्ति ). This Hladini Shakti gives Him bliss in two ways;
- God is bliss and
- God also enjoys bliss
Honey comes from honey bee and many enjoy the taste of honey. The honey bee also relishes the same honey. Similarly, bliss emanates from God and devotees enjoy that bliss. God too relishes that bliss. Thus, in our Shastra, God has been compared to both honey and a honey bee.
This seemingly contradictory concept is accomplished by His own most intimate power called swaroop shakti (स्वरूप शक्ति). This power is so potent, that it makes impossible things possible. The essence of that power is the Bliss-potency of God called Hladini Shakti (ह्लादिनि शक्ति ). This Hladini Shakti gives Him bliss in two ways;
- Swaroopanand or self-bliss (स्वरूपांनद): makes Him enjoy His own bliss.
- Swaroopshaktyanand (स्वरूपशक्त्यांनद): upon God realization, devotees attain Swaroop Shakti. And then they enjoy the unfathomable divine joy by serving the divine couple Shri Radha Krishna. But the mixed nectar of the love of the divine couple flowing towards each other is millions of times sweeter, which a devotee enjoys and then Shri Radha Krishna enjoy the same nectar through the devotee.
Lord Krishna manifested Himself on this earth with the super-excellent emotions and traits of Radha Rani. That joint descent of Shri Radha Krishna was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Mahaprabhu Ji worshiped Shri Radha - Krishna. Thus, as a devotee, He relished the combined exquisite ras (nectar) of Shri Radha Krishna.
Gracing one-and-all was the publicly known reason of Mahaprabhu Ji's descent. While relishing His own ras, as a devotee, was the hidden purpose of the descent of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Both of these reasons are very unique and different from all the previous descents.
