Auspicious Appearance Day of Sri Advaita Acarya (SP Lecture)

February 4, 2006

Lecture of Srila Prabhupada's Mayapur, April 6, 1975

Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 1.13

" ...because He propagates the cult of devotion, He is called Acarya.

He is the Lord and the incarnation of the Lord's devotee. Therefore I

take shelter of Him. "

Srila Prabhupada:

advaitam harinadvaitad

acaryam bhakti-samsanat

bhaktavataram isam tam

advaitacaryam asraye

So gradually the author is offering respect, sri-krsna-caitanya

prabhu-nityananda sri-advaita. He has already offered respect to Lord

Caitanya and Lord Nityananda. Now it is the turn for Sri

Advaitacarya. So advaitam, nondifferent, expansion of Mahavisnu.

Therefore He is Visnu-tattva. He is not jiva-tattva. Therefore, He is

Advaita.

Advaita acyuta anadi ananta-rupam. Krsna has got unlimited number of

expansions, expansion, expansion of the expansion, then expansion of

the expansion, in this way. So Advaitacarya is expansion of Krsna, it

is already explained. Therefore He is called advaitam, and acaryam

bhakti-samsanat. This is the business of acarya, to spread bhakti

cult. Acaryam mam vijaniyat navamanyeta karhicit. It is said by the

Lord that " You should accept the acarya... " Acarya means one who

transmits bhakti cult. Bhakti-samsanat, spreading, gosthy-anandi.

One who is not spreading -- he is cultivating Krsna consciousness for

his personal benefit in a secluded place, sitting and chanting --

that is also nice, but he's not acarya. Acarya means he must spread,

Gosthy-anandi.

Bhajananandi, gosthy-anandi. So generally, gosthy-anandi means one

who wants to increase the number of devotees. He's called gosthy-

anandi. And one who is self-satisfied, that " Let me do my own duty " ,

he is called bhajananandi. So my Guru Maharaja, Bhaktisiddhanta

Sarasvati Thakura, he was gosthy-anandi; he wanted to increase the

number of devotees. And the more you increase the number of devotees,

the more you become very much recognized by Krsna. It is Krsna's

business. Krsna personally comes as He is, Krsna, to spread this

bhakti cult. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru. Sarva-

dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. He's canvassing

personally. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam, dharmasamstha-

panarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge. So -- same thing entrusted to

another devotee, and who spreads, he's acarya. So Krsna says, the

acarya... Here it is said, that advaita harina advaitad. So, of

course Advaita Acarya is expansion of Visnu-tattva, but any acarya,

he is to be considered identical with the Lord. The Lord says that,

that acaryam mam vijaniyat. " One should understand the acarya. "

Acarya bhakti-samsanat. Acarya means who is spreading pure bhakti

cult. " That acarya " , Krsna says, " you should consider such acarya as

Myself " .

Acaryam mam vijaniyat navamanyeta karhicit, that... You cannot

consider, " Yes, he's acarya, but not as good as Krsna " . No. Na

avamanyeta. Don't deride in that way. Then there will be falldown.

Acaryam mam vijaniyat navamanyeta karhicit. And in the Vedas also it

is said, yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau: " Anyone who

has got unflinching faith in the Supreme Personality and the similar

faith in guru... " Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau,

tasyaite kathita hy arthah: " All the Vedic literature " ,

prakasante, " becomes revealed simply by these two principle " .

Guru krsna krpapaya bhakti lata bija. We should not jump over Krsna

without the help of guru. That is not possible. You must go through.

Because Krsna says, acaryam mam vijani... Tasmad gurum prapadyeta

jijnasuh sreya uttamam: " Actually one who is serious to understand

higher transcendental subject matter, he must approach guru. " Tasmad

gurum, prapadyeta. These are Vedic injunctions. Caksudana dilo yei,

janme janme pita sei. So anyone who opens... Guru means who opens the

eyes of the ignorant person. Ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-

salakaya. Opening the eyes by giving real knowledge... Guru krsna

krpapaya bhakti lata bija. So bhakti-lata, the devotional service,

the seed of devotional service, can be received by the parampara

system through bona fide spiritual master. And if we abide by the

orders of spiritual master faithfully, then Krsna becomes pleased.

That is stated by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, yasya prasadad

bhagavat-prasadah. Ara na koriya mane asa. Narottama dasa... All the

acaryas they say like that.

Acaryam mam vijaniyat. Acaryavan puruso veda: " One who has accepted

acarya, he knows things are they are. " Others, they do not know. It

is not possible. So Advaita Acarya is the typical example, how to

become acarya. All are our acaryas, sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu

nityananda, sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda. All

of them are acaryas because they are following the acarya, Supreme

Acarya, Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Therefore they are acarya. evam

parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh. So we have to follow the

acarya. Then, when we are completely, cent per cent follower of

acarya, then you can also act as acarya. This is the process. Don't

become premature acarya. First of all follow the orders of acarya,

and you become mature. Then it is better to become acarya. Because we

are interested in preparing acarya, but the etiquette is, at least

for the period the guru is present, one should not become acarya.

Even if he is complete, he should not, because the etiquette is, if

somebody comes for becoming initiated, it is the duty of such person

to bring that prospective candidate to his acarya, not that " Now

people are coming to me, so I can become acarya " . That is avamanya.

Navamanyeta karhicit. Don't transgress this etiquette. Navamanyeta.

That will be fall down. Just like during the lifetime of our Guru

Maharaja, all our godbrothers now who are acting as acarya, they did

not do so. That is not etiquette. Acaryam mam vijaniyat na avaman...

That is insult. So if you insult your acarya, then you are finished.

Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado yasya aprasadat na gatih kuto 'pi --

finished. If you displease your acarya, then you are finished.

Therefore it is said, Caitanya Mahaprabhu says to all the acaryas...

Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu and Srivasadi-gaur-bhakta-vrnda,

they are all carriers of orders of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

So try to follow the path of acarya process. Then life will be

successful. And to become acarya is not very difficult. First of all,

to become very faithful servant of your acarya, follow strictly what

he says, try to please him and spread Krsna consciousness. That's

all. It is not at all difficult. Try to follow the instruction of

your guru maharaja and spread Krsna consciousness. That is the order

of Lord Caitanya. Amara ajnaya guru hana tara ei desa, yare dekha

tare kaha krsna-upadesa: " By following My order, you become guru. "

And if we strictly follow the acarya system and try our best to

spread the instruction of Krsna... Yare dekha tare kaha krsna-

upadesa. There are two kinds of krsna-upadesa. Upadesa means

instruction. Instruction given by Krsna, that is also krsna-upadesa,

and instruction received about Krsna, that is also krsna-upadesa.

Krsnasya upadesa iti krsna upadesa. Samasa, sasti-tat-purusa-samasa.

And Krsna visaya upadesa, that is also Krsna upadesa. Bahu-vrihi-

samasa.

This is the way of analyzing Sanskrit grammar. So Krsna's upadesa is

Bhagavad-gita. He's directly giving instruction. So one who is

spreading Krsna-upadesa, simply repeat what is said by Krsna. Then

you become acarya. Not difficult at all. Everything is stated there.

We have to simply repeat like parrot. Not exactly parrot. Parrot does

not understand the meaning; he simply vibrates. But you should

understand the meaning also. Otherwise how you can explain. So, so we

want to spread Krsna consciousness. Simply prepare yourself how to

repeat Krsna's instructions very nicely, without any

malinterpretation. Then, in future... Suppose you have got now ten

thousand. We shall expand to hundred thousand. That is required. Then

hundred thousand to million, and million to ten million.

Devotees: Jaya!

Prabhupada: So there will be no scarcity of acarya, and people will

understand Krsna consciousness very easily. So make that

organization. Don't be falsely puffed up. Follow the acarya

instruction and try to make yourself perfect, mature. Then it will be

very easy to fight out maya. Yes. Acaryas, they declare war against

maya's activities, that maya instructing that " here is wine, here is

cigarette, here is tha " t, in your country these advertisements are

very prominent, holding both ways, wine advertisement, cigarette

advertisement, naked woman advertisements, and sometimes gambling

also, advertisement. What is that? Congo?

Devotees: Bingo.

Prabhupada: Bingo. (laughter) Yes. So this is maya. And our

declaration of war with maya -- no intoxication, no meat-eating, no

bingo -- (laughter) these are our declaration of war. So we have to

fight in that way because nobody can understand Krsna without being

free from all sinful activities. These are sinful activities.

Therefore it is acarya's business to stop these nonsense activities.

Otherwise they'll not be able to understand, especially the meat-

eaters. They cannot understand. Nivrtta-tarsair upagiyamanad

bhavausadhi chrotra-mano 'bhiramat, ka uttamasloka-gunanuvadat puman

virajyeta vina pasughnat. Unless one is very expert in killing

animals, he's not bereft from Krsna consciousness. That means one who

is very expert in killing, he cannot understand. Therefore Christ

also said, " Thou shall not kill " , the first business. Nobody will be

able if one is a killer of animal, small or big, ultimately killer of

his own children, killer of his own self. The killing process is so

nice that it goes up to the point of killing one's children. That is

now happening. Killing business has so expanded that they are killing

their own children. Just see the influence of Kali-yuga. The

children, they take shelter of the father and mother, thinking very

safe. Now, in this Kali-yuga, even there is no safety under the care

of father and mother. Just see how this material civilization is

progressing. Very, very dangerous. Kalau nasta-drsam. Therefore that

Bhagavata verse is there, krsnesvadhamopagate dharma-jnanadibhih,

kalau nasta-drsam puranarko 'dhunoditam. Very, very abominable

condition in this age of Kali, very, very. It is the beginning of

Kali. Now we have to pass through 427,000's of years. Kali-yuga will

make progress in that way. And people are now practicing eating their

children, and at the end of Kali there will be no food available.

They'll... They have to eat the children just like the snakes do. The

snake eat their own children. There are many animals; they eat their

own children. So don't try to repeat your birth again and again in

this Kali-yuga. It will be not very happy life. Better sacrifice

everything in this life and be fully Krsna conscious and go back to

home, back to Godhead. Don't wait for the next life. This is very

seriously repeated, that " This life I shall finish my Krsna

consciousness business " , and, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita,

that Krsna consciousness business means to understand Krsna rightly.

And He's explaining Himself rightly. Where is the difficulty to

finish the Krsna consciousness business? If Krsna is explaining

Himself, what He is, then where is your difficulty? Krsna is

explaining Himself in the Bhagavad-gita, Krsna is sending His

representative acarya to teach you and Krsna is within yourself

trying to teach you if you are actually serious. Then where is the

difficulty? Inside, outside, always, books, knowledge -- He is

prepared.

So where is the difficulty to make yourself perfect in Krsna

consciousness? There is no difficulty at all. Provided you are

serious, you can become fully Krsna conscious in this very life. You

are all young men. You are not old man like me. I have no opportunity.

Advaitacarya from: http://www.krishna.com

1400s–1500s

Advaitacharya appeared some sixty years before Lord Chaitanya's own

advent. He was the first among the associates of Lord Caitanya to

appear within the material world to deliver the conditioned souls. It

was Advaitacarya who asked Lord Chaitanya to descend. Before Lord

Chaitanya's advent, Advaitacharya had already begun chanting

Krishna's names in the streets with devotees and discussing

scriptures on devotional service to Krishna. Advaitacharya's name

indicates that He is nondifferent (advaita) from Lord Hari (Krishna),

and He is called acharya (spiritual master) because He taught bhakti.

Advaitacharya lived in Shantipura and Mayapura, in what is now West

Bengal, and was the head of the Vaishnava community of Nadia.

Advaita Acarya

from:http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/encyclopedia/parampara2.htm

He is a disciple of Madhavendra Puri, and constitutes one of the

figures amongst the Pancatattva. In an earlier incarnation he was

Lord Siva. He was born in a varendra brahmana family on the seventh

day of the bright fortnight in the month of Magha, 1355 Saka (1433

AD), in the village named Lauda in Srihatta.

According to Bangabhasa O Sahitya, Advaita Prabhu was born in 1434 AD

and met Vidyapati in 1458 AD. Advaita's former name was Kamalaksa

(Kamalakanta) Vedapancanana. His two wives were Sita Devi and Sri

Devi. His son Acyutananda was born of Sita Devi (1425 Saka 1503 AD),

followed by Krsnadasa, Gopala, Balarama, Svarupa, and Jagadisa Misra.

While Sri Devi gave birth to one son named Syamadasa (Premavilasa 24).

From Lauda, Advaita Prabhu moved to the village of Navahatta and

later to Santipura. He also had a house at Navadvipa. In 1480 Saka

(1558 AD), at the age of 125 years (i.e. 25 years after the

disappearance of Lord Caitanya) Advaita Prabhu passed away. (Advaita

Vilasa)

However, according to Premavilasa 24, Advaita Prabhu was born in

Santipura. He studied the Vedas and other scriptures under a scholar

named Santacarya in Phullavati village near Santipura, where he was

awarded the title Acarya. The genealogy of Advaita Prabhu can be

found in Premavilasa 24. Also books such as Valyalilasutra (in

Sanskrit), and Advaitavilasa, Advaitamangala, Advaita Prakasa,

Sitacarita (in Bengali) present detailed information on Advaita

Prabhu.

To verify the meeting of Advaita with Vidyapati, it is known that in

1330 Saka (1408 AD) Vidyapati received the endowment of Bisaphi

village from Sivasimha. Vidyapati was born around 1307 Saka (1385

AD), and was a contemporary of Candidasa. Vidyapati mentions their

meeting one another in songs he composed in 1325 Saka (1403 AD).

One manuscript of the Bhagavata which was copied by Vidyapati is

still available and carries the date of copying as 1379 Saka (1457

AD). Evidence shows that Vidyapati was alive until 1401 Saka (1479

AD). In 1485 AD Advaita Prabhu, at the age of fifty two, arrived at

the room where Lord Gauranga was born. Much earlier he undertook a

pilgrimage. Hence his meeting with Vidyapati should be taken as a

fact.

The foremost of all the Vaisnavas who reside at Navadvipa is Sri

Advaita Acarya, whose virtuous presence has made all the worlds

blessed. He is the most prominent preceptor in all fields including

knowledge, renunciation and devotion. In explaining Krsna-bhakti he

is like unto Lord Sankara himself, and whatever scriptures that exist

within the three worlds he explains in the light of Krsna-bhakti.

With the intense eagerness he continually worships Sri Krsna with

Tulasi manjaris and Ganges water. By the momentum of his spiritual

force, his loud shouts pierce the coverings of this universe and,

resounding throughout Vaikuntha, reach the ears of Sri Krsna. Hearing

this loving summons saturated with devotion, Sri Krsna advents

Himself.

jaya jaya advaita isvara avatara

krsna avatari kaila jagat-nistara

" All glories to Advaita Prabhu, the incarnation of the Supreme

Personality of Godhead. He induced Krsna to descend and thus

delivered the entire world. " [CC Antya 8.4]

" On the seventh day of the bright fortnight of the month of Magh, the

great ocean of ecstasy swelled to its limits, being forcibly

attracted by the moon of Advaita, Who appeared from the womb of Sri

Nabhadevi as the moon appears in the autumn sky. His father, Sri

Kuvera Pandit floated in that ocean of joy. In great happiness he

gave many gifts in charity to the brahmanas (who voluntarily accept

vows of poverty). Very quietly he approached the maternity room to

get a glimpse of his newborn son. Then his own face began to shine by

the reflected light of that moon-like personage. The residents of

Navagram came running to see the child. Everyone remarked that they

had never seen such a beautiful baby. What a pious activities his

father must have been performed to get such a jewel of a son, and

that in his old age? Thus Ghanasyama sings about this occasion. "

[bhaktiratnakara 12.1759] The child was named Mongal and his other

name was Kamalaksa.

Advaita Acarya is the combined incarnation of Mahavisnu and Sadasiva

(who resides in Goloka). His two consorts, Sita and Sri are

manifestations of Yoga Maya. Once when Advaita performed worship,

whatever gods and demigods He used to meditate upon He saw all

gathered at Lord Caitanya's lotus feet, offering prayers. Raising up

his two hands, Advaita exclaimed in great ecstasy, " Today all the

days of my life have produced a successful result, as all my desires

have been fulfilled. My birth and activities have finally born fruit.

I have directly perceived Your two lotus feet, which are proclaimed

throughout the four Vedas but are unattainable thereby. Now, by Your

causeless mercy, You have revealed Yourself to Me. "

Mahaprabhu replied, " Acarya, now you should perform My worship. "

First Advaita Acarya washed the Lord's two lotus feet with water

scented by flower petals and then with water scented with sandalwood.

Then He placed on His lotus feet Tulasi manjari dipped in sandalwood

paste along with arghya - an auspicious offering of rice, durva

grass, yogurt etc. His eyes brimming with tears, he offered incense,

ghee lamps, flowers, sandalwood paste, and some foodstuffs. After

offering various prayers he loudly proclaimed the Lord's glories with

auspicious shouts. " All glories to the Lord and maintainer of the

universe, the Lord of all that lives. All glories to Gauracandra, the

ocean of mercy. All glories to the most munificent incarnation of Sri

Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, whose form is all-enchanting. All glories

to He who is decorated with the ornaments of Srivatsa and Kaustubha.

All glories to He who has revealed the Hare Krsna Maha-mantra. All

glories to He who enjoys the pastimes of accepting devotion unto

Himself. All glories to Mahaprabhu who reclines on the bed of Ananta

Sesa. All glories to the refuge of all living entities. [CBh. Madhya

6.116]

Hearing Advaita's prayer's Mahaprabhu replied, " My dear Acarya, I am

very pleased by your prayers. Now you can ask from me any benediction

you like. "

Then Advaita requested that, " My only request is that you distribute

love of Krsna even to women, laborers and the ignorant fools as well.

[CBh. Madhya 6.167]

A Nrsimha-sila and Deities, fashioned after a picture of Sri Sri

Madan-Gopal that were worshiped by Advaita Acarya are still residing

at Santipur in Madan-Gopal Para. Santipur is a short distance from

Krsnanagara.

The place on the banks of the Ganga where Advaita Acarya worshiped

salagram and called out to the Lord to please descend to the world is

known today as Babla. A temple has been built in memory of Advaita

Acarya's pastimes there.

I forgot the address where I copied this text

The foremost of all the Vaishnavas who reside at Navadwip is Sri

Advaita Acarya, whose virtuous presence has made all the worlds

blessed. He is the most preeminent preceptor in all fields including

knowledge, renunciation and devotion. In explaining Krsna-bhakti he

is like unto Lord Shankara (Shiva) himself, and whatever scriptures

that exist within the three worlds he explains in the light of Krsna-

bhakti.

With the intense eagerness he continually worships the Shalagram of

Sri Krsna with Tulasi manjaris and Ganges water. By the momentum of

his spiritual force, his loud shouts pierce the coverings of this

universe and, resounding throughout Vaikuntha, reach the ears of Sri

Krsna. Hearing this loving summons saturated with devotion, Sri Krsna

advents Himself.

On the seventh day of the bright fortnight of the month of Magh, the

great ocean of ecstasy swelled to its limits, being forcibly

attracted by the moon of Adwaita, Who appeared from the womb of Sri

Nabhadevi as the moon appears in the autumn sky. His father, Sri

Kuvera, Pandit floated in that ocean of joy. In great happiness gave

many gifts in charity to the brahmanas (who voluntarily accept vows

of poverty). Very quietly he approached the maternity room to get a

glimpse of his newborn son. Then his own face began to shine by the

reflected light of that moon-like personage. The residents of

Nabagram came running to see the child. Everyone remarked that they

had never seen such a beautiful baby. What a pious activities his

father must have been performed to get such a jewel of a son, and

that in his old age. Thus Ghanasyama sings about this occasion.

[b.R.12.1759] The child was named Mangal and his other name was

Kamalaksa.

Advaita Acarya is the combined incarnation of Maha Visnu and

Sadaisiva (who resides in Goloka). His two consorts, Sita and Sri are