Sri Advaita Acarya

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Sri Advaita Acarya

 

 

It is stated in Gaura Ganoddesa Dipika that Advaita Acarya and Lord Siva are

non-different. In the Caitanya Caritamrita it is stated that he is an

incarnation of Maha Vishnu.

 

He is one of the most intimate associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

 

 

He appeared in the town of Nava-garma, a village near Sri Hatta in Bengal in

1434. He was the first of Lord Caitanya's associates to appear within the

material world. He is about 50 years older then Lord Caitanya. His father was

Kuvera Pandita and mother Nabha Devi. He had two names Kamalaksa and Advaita,

but everyone called him Advaita. Advaita means one who is non-different from

Lord Hari. When Advaita Acarya was four of five his family moved to Santipur,

which is next to the Ganges.

 

 

 

Advaita's parents passed away while he was a young man. He then went to Gaya to

offer sraddha. He also visited many holy places at this time and during his

travels took diksa from Madhavendra Puri. He also went and visited Mathura and

Vrindavana. There is a tree under which Advaita used to stay in the town of

Vrindavana called Advaita-vat.

 

 

 

Advaita Acarya then moved to Navadvipa, where he taught Bhagavad-Gita and

Srimad Bhagavatam, Visvarupa, the elder brother of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was

one of his students. While living in Navadvipa he prayed to Lord Krishna to

descend to earth and deliver the fallen conditioned souls. He would offer

tulasi manjaris and Ganges water, because he knew that the Lord was very

pleased by these items. After Lord Caitanya accepted sannayas Advaita Acarya

moved back to Santipur.

 

 

 

Caitanya tree has three main trunks - Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Acarya and

Gadadhara Pandita. Krishna dasa Kaviraja has mentioned in Chapter 12 of Adi

lila main sub-branches of the Advaita Acarya:

 

Acyutananda, Krisna Misra, Sri Gopal, Kamalakanta Visvasa, Sri Yadunandana

Acarya, Bhagavata Acarya, Visnudasa Acarya, Cakrapani Acarya, Ananta Acarya,

Nandini, Kamadeva, Caitanya dasa, Durlabha Visvasa, Vanamali dasa, Jaganatha

Kara, Bhavanatha Kara, Hrdayananda Sena, Bholanatha dasa, Yadava dasa, Vijaya

dasa, Janardana dasa, Anata dasa, Kanu Pandita, Narayana dasa, Srivatsa

Pandita, Haridasa Brahmacari, Krsnadasa, Purusottama Pandita, Raghunatha,

Vanamali Kavicandra, Vaidyanatha, Lokanatha Pandita, Murari Pandita, Sri

Haricarana, Madhava Pandita, Vijaya Pandita, and Srirama Pandita.

 

 

 

C.C. Adi lila 12:91

Ei tina skandhera kailun sakhara ganana

Yan-saba-smarana bhava-bndha-vimocana

 

Translation:

Simply by remembering the names of all these branches and sub-branches of the

three trunks I have discribed (Nityananda, Advita and Gadadhara), one attains

freedom from the entanglement of material existence.

 

 

 

C.C. Adi lila 12:92

Yan-saba-smarane pai caitanya-carana

Yan-saba-smarane haya vanchita purana

 

Translation:

 

Simply by remembering the names of all these Vaisnavas, one can attain the

lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Indeed, simply by remembering their holy

names, one achieves the fulfillment of all desires.