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Nityananda
Nityānanda (; born circa 1474), also called Nitai, was a primary religious figure within the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Bengal. Nitai was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's friend and disciple. They are often mentioned together as ''Gaura-Nitai'' (''Gaura'', "golden one", referring to Chaitanya, Nitai being a shortened form of Nityānanda Rama) or Nimai-Nitai (''Nimai'' being another name of Chaitanya). Followers often refer to Nityānanda as "Sri Nityananda", "Prabhu Nityananda" or "Nityananda Rama". According to Gaudiya-Vaishnava tradition, Nityānanda is an incarnation of Balarama, with Chaitanya being his eternal brother and friend, Krishna. He is considered the "most merciful" incarnation of the '' Supreme Personality of Godhead'' (a term popularised by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami). Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati writes: "Nityananda is the Primary Manifestive Constituent of the Divinity. Nityananda alone possesses the distinctive function of the guru. In Nityananda, the function ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ekachakra
Ekachakra is a small village, located 20 km away from the town of Rampurhat in the Birbhum District of West Bengal. Within Hindu tradition, the five Pandavas from the epic, Mahabharata are described as staying in Ekachakra during their years in exile.O’Malley, L.S.S., ICS, ''Birbhum'', Bengal District Gazetteers, p. 128, first published 1910, 1996 reprint, Government of West Bengal It is also famous as the birthplace of Nityananda Rama (b 1474 CE), a principal religious figure in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. The village extends north and south for an area of about eight miles. Other villages, namely Viracandra-pura and Virabhadra-pura, are situated within the area of the village of Ekacakra. In honor of Virachandra Goswami (the son of Nityananda), these places are renowned as Viracandra-pura and Virabhadra-pura. Toponym The origin of the name Ekachakra is associated with the legend of the Pandavas. In the battle of Kurukshetra Krishna broke his vow of not actively ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (; born Vishvambhar Mishra) was a 15th-century Indian saint who is considered to be the combined avatar of Radha and Krishna by his disciples and various scriptures. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mode of worshipping Krishna with ecstatic song and dance had a profound effect on Vaishnavism in Bengal. He was also the chief proponent of the Vedantic philosophy of Achintya Bheda Abheda Tattva. Mahaprabhu founded Gaudiya Vaishnavism ( the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya). He expounded Bhakti yoga and popularized the chanting of the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra. He composed the '' Shikshashtakam'' (eight devotional prayers). Chaitanya is sometimes called Gauranga or Gaura due to his molten gold–like complexion. His birthday is celebrated as Gaura-purnima. He is also called Nimai due to him being born underneath a Neem tree. Life ''Chaitanya'' means "one who is conscious" (derived from Chetana, which means "Consciousness"); ''Maha'' means "Great" and '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gaudiya Vaishnava
Gaudiya Vaishnavism (), also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism, is a Vaishnava Hindu religious movement inspired by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) in India. "Gaudiya" refers to the Gaura or Gauḍa region of Bengal, with Vaishnavism meaning "the worship of Vishnu". Specifically, it is part of Krishnaism— Krishna-centric Vaishnavite traditions. Its theological basis is primarily that of the '' Bhagavad Gita'' and '' Bhagavata Purana'' (known within the tradition as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam''), as interpreted by early followers of Chaitanya, such as Sanatana Goswami, Rupa Goswami, Jiva Goswami, Gopala Bhatta Goswami and others. The focus of Gaudiya Vaishnavism is the devotional worship (known as bhakti yoga) of Radha and Krishna, and their many divine incarnations as the supreme forms of God, '' Svayam Bhagavan''. Most popularly, this worship takes the form of singing Radha and Krishna's holy names, such as "Hare", "Krishna" and " Rama", most commonly in the form ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gaudiya Vaishnavism
Gaudiya Vaishnavism (), also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism, is a Vaishnava Hindu religious movement inspired by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) in India. "Gaudiya" refers to the Gaura or Gauḍa region of Bengal, with Vaishnavism meaning "the worship of Vishnu". Specifically, it is part of Krishnaism—Krishna-centric Vaishnavite traditions. Its theological basis is primarily that of the '' Bhagavad Gita'' and ''Bhagavata Purana'' (known within the tradition as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam''), as interpreted by early followers of Chaitanya, such as Sanatana Goswami, Rupa Goswami, Jiva Goswami, Gopala Bhatta Goswami and others. The focus of Gaudiya Vaishnavism is the devotional worship (known as bhakti yoga) of Radha and Krishna, and their many divine incarnations as the supreme forms of God, '' Svayam Bhagavan''. Most popularly, this worship takes the form of singing Radha and Krishna's holy names, such as "Hare", "Krishna" and "Rama", most commonly in the form of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Haridasa Thakur
Haridasa Thakur (IAST ) (born 1451 or 1450) was a prominent Vaishnava saint known for being instrumental in the initial propagation of the Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Hare Krishna movement. He is considered to be the most famous convert of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, apart from Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami. His story of integrity and unflinching faith in the face of extreme adversity is told in Chaitanya Charitamrita, ''Antya lila''. It is believed that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself designated Haridasa as ', meaning the 'teacher of the Name'. Haridasa Thakura, was a devotee of God, Krishna, and had practiced chanting the names of the Lord, Hare Krishna, 300,000 times daily. Background Haridasa Thakur was a prominent Vaishnava convert from Islam and is now venerated as a Hindu saint. From the very beginning of Chaitanya's 16th century ''bhakti'' movement in Bengal, Haridasa Thakur and other born Muslims as well as those of various faiths joined together to spread love of God. This ope ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Advaita Acharya
Advaita Acharya (; 1434–1559), (born Kamalaksha Bhattacharjee; কমলাক্ষ ভট্টাচার্য),"Shantipur parichoy"-Kalikrishna Bhattacharaya&"Samajer Pratichhabi Bises Shantipur Sankhya."-editor-Satya Narayan Goswami. p. 52 was a companion of the founder of the Gaudiya Vaishnava movement, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and guru of Haridasa Thakur. He was born in the village of Nabagram in Laud (in present-day Sunamganj District, Bangladesh), in 1434, some fifty years before Chaitanya, and spent most of his adult life in the town of Shantipur in Nadia with his wife and family. Advaita Acharya had six sons, Acyutananda Das (who also became a disciple of Chaitanya), Krisna Mishra, Gopala Das, Balarama Das Mishra (whose lineage became the zamindar of Krishna Chandra), Swarupa Das and Jagadisa Mishra. Advaita Acharya contributed in two Sanskrit literature, named ''Yogabashishta-Bhaishta'' and ''Geeta Bhaishya''. The ancestry and life of Advaita Acharya are narr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lakshmipati Tirtha
Lakshmipati Tirtha (1420–1487) was a Vaishnava saint, belonging to Madhva Sampradaya. He was a disciple of Vyasatirtha a proponent of Dvaita Philosopher, who gave him the name Lakshmipati Tirtha upon initiation. One of the important vaishnavait of Brij area during the time of Vallabhacharya and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Madhavendra Puri was very likely initiated by Lakshmipati Tirtha. Lakshmipati Tirtha is also credited as being the spiritual master of Nityananda Prabhu, although Madhavendra Puri is often given this title in other versions. The founder of the Hare Krishna movement, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada writes in his commentary on Chaitanya Charitamrita (Madhya-lila 8.128): "Sri Nityananda Prabhu was initiated by Madhavendra Puri, an ekadanda sannyasi ''Sannyasa'' (Sanskrit: संन्यास; IAST: ), sometimes spelled Sanyasa (सन्न्यास) or Sanyasi (for the person), is life of renunciation and the fourth stage within the Hindu sys ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gadadhara Pandita
Gadadhara Pandita, also known as Pandita Goswami, was a close associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Gadadhara Pandita Goswami is described as a handsome young boy, student of Nyaya (Sanskrit: न्याय, ''nyā-yá''), literally meaning "justice", "rules", "method" or "judgment", [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Srivasa Thakura
Śrīvāsa Thakura was a close associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and a member of the Pancha Tattva (Vaishnavism), Pancha Tattva. Srivasa Thakura is understood as tatastha-shakti, a marginal energy of Bhagavan, Krishna in person. Devotees who are headed by Srivasa Thakura are described as 'parts' of transcendental body of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (his eyes, ears, hands, disc/cakra, etc.). They all participated in His transcendental pastimes. They all helped to spread Krsna consciousness, sankirtana-yajna. On the other hand, Srivasa is also Narada - an eternal transcendental associate of Lord Krsna. Srivasa was studying Srimad-Bhagavatam with Advaita Acarya, who was at that time in Navadvipa. They worshiped Krsna, who as an answer to their prayers, appeared as Caitanya Mahaprabhu and converted many atheists - Buddhists and others who were opposed to pure devotional service - making them all His loving devotees. The home of Srivasa, Srivasangam, was a place where Sri Caitanya perfor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nabadwip
Nabadwip (), also spelt Navadwip, anciently Nadia or Nudiya, is a heritage city in Nadia district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is regarded as a holy place by Hindus, and is the birthplace of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Famous for Rass festival where city is enlited with lights, dieties of God and goddesses are made on each corner of Nabadwip town. Hundreds of people gather to this small town on the occasion of raas utsab. Located on the western bank of the Hooghly River, it is considered to have been founded in 1063 CE, and served as the old capital of the Sena dynasty. A center of learning and philosophy in medieval India, the city is still noted for its traditional Sanskrit schools. The Navya Nyaya school of logic reached its peak with the efforts of some well known contemporary philosophers of Nabadwip. The great Vaishnava saint, social reformer and an important figure of the Bhakti movement, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) was born here. It was after Chaitanya Mahapr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guru
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential figure to the disciple (or '' shisya'' in Sanskrit, literally ''seeker f knowledge or truth'' or student, with the guru serving as a "counselor, who helps mold values, shares experiential knowledge as much as literal knowledge, an exemplar in life, an inspirational source and who helps in the spiritual evolution of a student". Whatever language it is written in, Judith Simmer-Brown explains that a tantric spiritual text is often codified in an obscure twilight language so that it cannot be understood by anyone without the verbal explanation of a qualified teacher, the guru. A guru is also one's spiritual guide, who helps one to discover the same potentialities that the ''guru'' has already realized. The oldest references to the concep ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ishvara Puri
Isvara Puri was a monk who was a disciple of Madhavendra Puri from the Madhva Sampradaya. He met Chaitanya at Gaya, India, whereupon Mahaprabhu requested Puri to be his guru. The latter graciously agreed and accepted Mahaprabhu as his disciple several days later, initiating him into the Gopal-mantra. Krishnadasa Kaviraja has described in Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita that: ''the first sprout of the desire tree of devotion was manifested in the person of '' '' Shri Madhavendra Puri,and that that sprout developed into a sapling in the person of Shri Ishvar Puri. '' ''Then, in the person of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Who was also the gardener Himself, '' ''that the sapling became the trunk of an enormous tree-the desire tree of devotion.'' - ( C. C. Adi 9.10-11) Life Birth According to Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita : Shri Ishvara Puri appeared in this world on the full moon day of the month of Jyestha. He served his guru, Shri Madhavendra Puri, very faithfully, especially during t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
