Post No. 13,945
Date uploaded in London – 28 November 2024
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Krishna Chaitanya (Gaurangar)
Date of birth – 4th February 1486
Date of Samadhi- 14th June 1533
Wives – Lakshmi (daughter of Vallabhacharya); after her death Vishnupriya.
Place of Birth – Nadiya (nava dweep) in West Bengal
Place of Samadhi- Puri in Odisha
Father’s Name- Pandit Jagannath Mishra, a Brahmin.
Mother’s name- Sasi Devi
Hinduism came to us through thousands of saints, their teachings and their miracles. Some of them are known thorugh out India, perhaps, other parts of the world too. Chaitanya led the Krishna Bhakti (devotion) movement in North East India 600 years ago. His life was full of miracles; unlike other saints he led the laymen and sinners into Krishna worship.
Born as the tenth child in a Brahmin’s family in Nadia in West Bengal as Viswambar, he received Sanyasam (became a saint) from his Guru Iswar Puri; earlier he was named Krishna Chaitanya by another great man. Before that he was popularly known as Gaurnagar (handsome man or golden coloured) and Nimai (as bitter as a neem tree). Hindus have a tradition to give a negative name to a child to drive away evil spirits if too many children die in a family. That is how he got a bitter name. Gaurangar was his popular name. He lost all his eight sisters before his birth. His elder brother joined a Mutt in South India and became an ascetic.
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His life was full of miracles, let us look at a few of them.
We are all familiar with the word electrocution. It may lead one to death if not saved right on time. Chaitanya was famous for Krishnacution. If he touches any one or ask any one to say Hari bol (say Hari) the person will be Krishnacuted. No one can stop the person dancing with Chaitanya singing the glory of Lord Krishna. One day he approached a dhobi and asked him to say Hari bol. He thought that this saint has come to ask for something. So, he told Chaitanya that he was so poor and had nothing to offer. Chaitanya insisted he came for nothing except make him to say Hari Bol. He said God Hari’s name as requested. The minute he said it he began to dance reciting the name . his wife came to give him food but he did not stop or respond. Immediately she rushed back to her area and called all her community for help saying that her husband was possessed by some evil spirit or ghost. All the people came and shouted at him to stop but in vain. One bold man went forward and hugged him to stop; immediately he was also Krishnacuted and he started jumping up and down reciting and repeating Hari’s name. Then all the dhobis joined them and repeated Hari’s name.
This happened many times. In his last days he jumped into the sea in Puri in Orissa. He went in Samadhi; the fishermen caught him in their net and seeing the weight thought they were lucky to catch a big fish . when they came to the sore with the catch, they realised it was an ascetic in unconscious state. When they touched him, they also got Krisna shock. They became great devotees.
Puri Rath Yatra is known throughout the world because the word juggernaut entered English dictionary; it is the corrupted form of Lord Jagannath of Puri. One year the Juggernaut (Ratha/chariot of Jagannath) stopped at a point and could not be moved by thousands of devotees. Hearing this Chaitanya went behind the wheel and raised the slogan Hari Bol (say Hari’s name). the whole crowd echoed it and the chariots started moving.
During his travel in India, he converted several leaders and religious heads to his faith.
He was born in Bengal but spent his last days in Puri in Odissa.
During his younger days, he became a great scholar in logic; he wrote a thesis while his teacher Raghunath also wrote a book on the same subject. While travelling in a boat together the teacher asked him to show his thesis on Nyaya Shastra. When he gave his script, the teacher was upset and wept loudly. Chaitanya also wept when the teacher told him that he wanted to become famous through his own book, but Chaitanya has spoiled it by writing a better thesis. Immediately Chaitanya threw his manuscript into the river.
One more incident happened with two rowdies. Gaurangar alias Chaintaya has a great disciple by name Nithyananda. Chaitanya told him that they must convert the two sinners Mathai and Jakai. Nithyananda went with his battalion and asked them to come out of the house and say Hari Bol. Enraged by this Mathai thew a broken jar at Nithyananda; he got injured and blood was coming out from his forehead. Jakai chastised Mathai for injuring an ascetic. The word spread through Nadia town that Mathai and Jakai are going to kill the ascetics. Big crowd gathered there. Chaitnaya went forward and hugged Jakai so that he wont be attacking anyone. He became unconscious; at the same time Mathai became dumb. When Nithyananda insisted that both of them should apologise to Chaitanya , they did it. Then they became normal and became the followers of Chaitanya.
There are many more incidents where he cured leprosy of a devotee, revive a dead child of a devotee etc. During his travel or Yatra Gaurangar converted a lot of people to his faith.
—subham—
Tags- Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Gaurangar, Nimai, Nithyananda, Hari Bol, Krishna Bhakti, Miracles.
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