Vedic Scriptures Predict Caitanya Mahaprahu's Appearnce

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WHEN EXACTLY DOES CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU COME IN THE KALI-YUGA, AND

WHERE DOES HE SPECIFICALLY APPEAR AND WHAT WILL HE DO?

 

itotham krta sannyaso'vatarisyami sa-guno nirvedo

niskamo bhu-girvanas tira-atho' lakanandayah kalau

catuh-sahasrabdhopari panca-sahasrabhyantare

gaura-varno dirghangah sarva-laksana-yukta isvara-

prarthito nija-rasasvado bhakta-rupo misrakhyo

vidita-yogah syam.

 

In the Atharva Veda, the Supreme Person says:

 

I will descend on the earth after the passage of four thousand years

in the Kali-Age, [kalau catuh sahasrabdhopari] and before the

passsage of five thousand years [panca sahasra abhyantare].

 

I will come on the earth on the bank of the Ganges, [tira-sthah

alakanandayah]. I will be a tall and saintly Brahmana devotee. I

will have all the auspicious symptoms of an exalted person

[dirghangah sarva-laksana-yuktah].

 

I will exhibit renunciation. I will have all auspicious signs. I

will be a devotee, practicing bhakti yoga. I will taste the rasa of

My own devotional service.

 

 

tathaham krta sannyaso bhu-girvano 'vatarisye

tire'lakanandayah punah punah isvara-prarthitah sa-

parivaro niralambo nirdhuteh kali-kalmasa-kavalita-

janavalambanaya. (11)

In the Sama Veda, the Supreme Lord says:

 

I shall come to the earth, accompanied by My associates, in a place

by the bank of the Ganges. I will advent to save the people who are

afflicted and devoured by the sins of the age of Kali. I will

manifest as an avadhuta Brahmana sannyasi.

 

 

 

WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE PLACE WHERE THE SUPREME LORD APPEARS?

The Chandogya Upanisad describes the place of advent of the Supreme

Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya. This is explained by Srila Sacidananda

Bhaktivinoda Thakura, in the Sabadvipa Dhama Mahatmya (text 5):

 

 

tan-madhye daharam saksan

mayapuram itiryate

tatra vesma bhagavatas

caitanyasya paratmanah

tasmin yas tv antarakaso

hy antardvipah sa ucyate (12)

The spiritual city in the shape of a lotus has the abode of Sri

Mayapura as its heart. Sridhama Mayapura is the divine abode of Lord

Caitanya, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the middle of

Mayapura is the place called Antardvipa.

 

 

 

ARE THERE ANY OTHER RELEVANT SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES IN THE VEDAS

DESCRIBING THE APPEARANCE OR QUALITIES OF SRI KRSNA CAITANYA

MAHAPRABHU?

The Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.7) describes the qualities of the

Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Caitanya:

 

 

tam isvaranam paramam mahesvaram

tam devatanam paramam ca daivatam

patim patinam paramam parastad

vidama devam bhuvanesam idyam

"O Supreme Lord, you are the Supreme Mahesvara, the worshipable

deity of all the demigods and the Supreme Lord of all Lords. You are

the controller of all controllers, the Personality of Godhead, the

Lord of everything worshipable." (13)

 

 

mahan prabhur vai purusah

sattvasyaisa pravartakah

sunirmalam imam praptim

isano jyotir avyayah

 

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Mahaprabhu, who disseminates

transcendental enlightenment. Just to be in touch with Him is to be

in contact with the indestructible brahmajyoti. "

 

(Svetasvatara Upanisad 3.12) (14)

 

Thus it is clearly established from the writings of the great

Acaryas of the Gaudiya-parampara, that Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu

is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, whose appearance and

birthplace were predicted and whose activities were also foretold.

 

 

 

DID THE SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM, THE FOREMOST OF ALL VEDIC LITERATURES

PREDICT THE APPEARANCE OF LORD CAITANYA MARAPRABHU?

In the seventh canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Prahlada Maharaja

directly hints at the hidden nature of the Supreme Lord's

appearance. Because the Supreme Lord is also called Tri-Yuga, or one

who appears in only three yugas (satya, dvapara, treta), He is

sometimes said to appear in a concealed form, in the age of Kali.

 

 

channah kalau yad abhavas tri-yugo'tha sa tvam

(Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.38)

 

 

 

 

ARE THERE ANY MORE DIRECT REFERENCES IN THE SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM, THAN

THE ABOVE REFERENCE?

In the tenth canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam, chapter eight,

Gargamuni the family priest of Nanda Maharaja, explains that the

young boy Sri Krsna has three colors - white, red and yellow - when

He appears in His transcendental form in different ages. In the

current incarnation of Krsna, He has appeared ...as black.

 

 

asan varnas trayo hy asya grhnatotnvyugam tanuh

suklo raktas tatha pita idanim krmatam gatah

(Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.8.13) (15)

 

Srila Krsna dasa Kaviraja, the celebrated author of the Sri Caitanya-

caritamrta, explains that the three colors of white, red and yellow

are the three bodily colors which the Supreme Lord assumes in the

ages of Satya, Treta and Kali respectively.

 

 

sukla rakta pita-varna—ei tina dyuti

satya-treta-kali-kale dharena sri-pati (16)

The Bhagavatam explains in the conversation between Karabhajana Muni

and King Nimi, that in the Dvapara-Yuga, the Supreme Lord, the

Personality of Godhead appears in a blackish form [Dvapare bhagavan

syamah]. He has a yellow dress and carries His own weapons [pita-

vasa-nija-ayudhah]. He is beautified with the mark of Srivatsa and

the Kaustubha jewel [sri vatsa-adibhih ankais ca laksanaih]. This is

the actual description of His characteristics [upalaksitah]. (17)

 

The great sage continues his instruction to King Nimi by saying that

people in general in the age of Dvapara-Yuga worshiped the Lord of

the Universe [iti dvapara urvisam stuvanti jagad isvaram]. In the

age of Kali, they worshipped the Supreme Person by the regulation of

the scriptures [tantra vidhana]. (18)

 

 

krma varnam tvisakrmam sangopangastra parsadam

yajnaih sankirtana prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah

"In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational

chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings

the holy name of Krsna. Although His complexion is not blackish, He

is Krsna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants,

weapons and confidential companions." (19)

 

 

 

HOW DOES THIS VERSE REFER TO THE ADVENT OF LORD CAITANYA, SINCE HIS

NAME IS NOT DIRECTLY MENTIONED THERE?

Just as the symptoms and characteristics of the various previous

incarnations are mentioned in the scriptures, similarly the symptoms

of the appearance of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu are described.

 

Krsna-varnam indicates that He belongs to the category of Krsna.

Krsna varnam also means one who constantly repeats and sings the

name of Krsna. The main business of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was the

chanting of the holy name of Krsna. Thus the words Krsna varnam and

Krsna Caitanya are equivalent.

 

Srila Krsna dasa Kaviraja Goswami has elucidated the two meanings of

the words Krsna varnam by stating:

 

 

Krsna ei dui varna sadayanra mukhe

athava krmake h'nho varne nija sukhe (20)

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu always sings the two syllables Krs-na

[Krsna ei dui varna sada yanra mukhe], or He always relishes great

transcendental pleasure while describing Lord Krsna [athava krmake

tinho varne nija-sukhe].