Caitanya Mahāprabhu, (1486-1534)—Lord Kṛṣṇa in the aspect of His own devotee. He appeared in Navadvīpa, West Bengal, and inaugurated the congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord to teach pure love of God by means of saṅkīrtana. Lord Caitanya is understood by Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas to be Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself; The Golden Avatāra of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who descended into the material world 500 years ago at Śrīdhāma Māyāpur. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu inaugurated the yuga-dharma of saṅkīrtana. Together with His associates Nityānanda, Advaita, Gadādhara and Śrīvāsa, Lord Caitanya is worshipped by the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas as the Pañca-tattva (five-fold Absolute Truth). Within the Pañca-tattva, Mahāprabhu is the īśa-tattva, the Supreme Lord. Nityānanda is the prakāśa-tattva, the feature of īśvara who controls the kriyā-śakti, out of which the kāla and karma potencies expand. Advaita is the avatāra-tattva, the incarnation. Gadadhara is śakti-tattva, a feature of the original, spiritual prakṛti. Śrīvasa is jīva-tattva. See Avatāra, Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava, Īśvara, Saṅkīrtana.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
Raman (Radhika Raman Das) joined ISKCON in 2003 and got initiated by HH Bhakti Caitanya Swami Maharaj in 2011. As the Editor in Chief at "The Vaisnava - Online Magazine", he helps readers around the world hone in their Spiritual Curiosity, express their unique realizations as aspiring Vaisnava writers and enthusiasts, as well as to spread the digital seed of Srila Prabhupada's mission to spread Krishna Consciousness all around the globe.
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