Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta

CC Ādi 1 Summary

CC Ādi 1.1: I offer my respectful obeisances unto the spiritual masters, the devotees of the Lord, the Lord's incarnations, His plenary portions, His energies and the primeval Lord Himself, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya.

CC Ādi 1.2: I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda, who are like the sun and moon. They have arisen simultaneously on the horizon of Gauḍa to dissipate the darkness of ignorance and thus wonderfully bestow benediction upon all.

CC Ādi 1.3: What the Upaniṣads describe as the impersonal Brahman is but the effulgence of His body, and the Lord known as the Supersoul is but His localized plenary portion. Lord Caitanya is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa Himself, full with six opulences. He is the Absolute Truth, and no other truth is greater than or equal to Him.

CC Ādi 1.4: May the Supreme Lord who is known as the son of Śrīmatī Śacī-devī be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation has ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant mellow of devotional service, the mellow of conjugal love.

CC Ādi 1.5: The loving affairs of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are transcendental manifestations of the Lord's internal pleasure-giving potency. Although Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are one in Their identity, They separated Themselves eternally. Now these two transcendental identities have again united, in the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. I bow down to Him, who has manifested Himself with the sentiment and complexion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī although He is Kṛṣṇa Himself.

CC Ādi 1.6: Desiring to understand the glory of Rādhārāṇī's love, the wonderful qualities in Him that She alone relishes through Her love, and the happiness She feels when She realizes the sweetness of His love, the Supreme Lord Hari, richly endowed with Her emotions, appeared from the womb of Śrīmatī Śacī-devī, as the moon appeared from the ocean.

CC Ādi 1.7: May Śrī Nityānanda Rāma be the object of my constant remembrance. Sańkarṣaṇa, Śeṣa Nāga and the Viṣṇus who lie on the Kāraṇa Ocean, Garbha Ocean and ocean of milk are His plenary portions and the portions of His plenary portions.

CC Ādi 1.8: I surrender unto the lotus feet of Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, who is known as Sańkarṣaṇa in the midst of the catur-vyūha [consisting of Vāsudeva, Sańkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha]. He possesses full opulences and resides in Vaikuṇṭhaloka, far beyond the material creation.

CC Ādi 1.9: I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, whose partial representation called Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, lying on the Kāraṇa Ocean, is the original puruṣa, the master of the illusory energy, and the shelter of all the universes.

CC Ādi 1.10: I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, a partial part of whom is Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. From the navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu sprouts the lotus that is the birthplace of Brahmā, the engineer of the universe. The stem of that lotus is the resting place of the multitude of planets.

CC Ādi 1.11: I offer my respectful obeisances unto the feet of Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, whose secondary part is the Viṣṇu lying in the ocean of milk. That Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is the Supersoul of all living entities and the maintainer of all the universes. Śeṣa Nāga is His further subpart.

CC Ādi 1.12: Lord Advaita Ācārya is the incarnation of Mahā-Viṣṇu, whose main function is to create the cosmic world through the actions of māyā.

CC Ādi 1.13: Because He is nondifferent from Hari, the Supreme Lord, He is called Advaita, and because He propagates the cult of devotion, He is called Ācārya. He is the Lord and the incarnation of the Lord's devotee. Therefore I take shelter of Him.

CC Ādi 1.14: I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, who is nondifferent from His features as a devotee, devotional incarnation, devotional manifestation, pure devotee and devotional energy.

CC Ādi 1.15: Glory to the all-merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana! I am lame and ill advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me.

CC Ādi 1.16: In a temple of jewels in Vṛndāvana, underneath a desire tree, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, served by Their most confidential associates, sit upon an effulgent throne. I offer my humble obeisances unto Them.

CC Ādi 1.17: Śrī Śrīla Gopīnātha, who originated the transcendental mellow of the rāsa dance, stands on the shore in Vaḿśīvaṭa and attracts the attention of the cowherd damsels with the sound of His celebrated flute. May they all confer upon us their benediction.

CC Ādi 1.18: Glory to Śrī Caitanya and Nityānanda! Glory to Advaitacandra! And glory to all the devotees of Śrī Gaura [Lord Caitanya]!

CC Ādi 1.19: These three Deities of Vṛndāvana [Madana-mohana, Govinda and Gopīnātha] have absorbed the heart and soul of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas [followers of Lord Caitanya]. I worship Their lotus feet, for They are the Lords of my heart.

CC Ādi 1.20: In the beginning of this narration, simply by remembering the spiritual master, the devotees of the Lord, and the Personality of Godhead, I have invoked their benedictions.

CC Ādi 1.21: Such remembrance destroys all difficulties and very easily enables one to fulfill his own desires.

CC Ādi 1.22: The invocation involves three processes: defining the objective, offering benedictions and offering obeisances.

CC Ādi 1.23: The first two verses offer respectful obeisances, generally and specifically, to the Lord, who is the object of worship.

CC Ādi 1.24: In the third verse I indicate the Absolute Truth, who is the ultimate substance. With such a description, one can visualize the Supreme Truth.

CC Ādi 1.25: In the fourth verse I have invoked the benediction of the Lord upon all the world, praying to Lord Caitanya for His mercy upon all.

CC Ādi 1.26: In that verse I have also explained the external reason for Lord Caitanya's incarnation. But in the fifth and sixth verses I have explained the prime reason for His advent.

CC Ādi 1.27: In these six verses I have described the truth about Lord Caitanya, whereas in the next five I have described the glory of Lord Nityānanda.

CC Ādi 1.28: The next two verses describe the truth of Advaita Prabhu, and the following verse describes the Pañca-tattva [the Lord, His plenary portion, His incarnation, His energies and His devotees].

CC Ādi 1.29: These fourteen verses, therefore, offer auspicious invocations and describe the Supreme Truth.

CC Ādi 1.30: I offer my obeisances unto all my Vaiṣṇava readers as I begin to explain the intricacies of all these verses.

CC Ādi 1.31: I request all my Vaiṣṇava readers to read and hear with rapt attention this narration of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya as inculcated in the revealed scriptures.

CC Ādi 1.32: Lord Kṛṣṇa enjoys by manifesting Himself as the spiritual masters, the devotees, the diverse energies, the incarnations and the plenary portions. They are all six in one.

CC Ādi 1.33: I therefore worship the lotus feet of these six diversities of the one truth by invoking their benedictions.

CC Ādi 1.34: I offer my respectful obeisances unto the spiritual masters, the devotees of the Lord, the Lord's incarnations, His plenary portions, His energies and the primeval Lord Himself, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya.

CC Ādi 1.35: I first offer my respectful obeisances at the lotus feet of my initiating spiritual master and all my instructing spiritual masters.

CC Ādi 1.36: My instructing spiritual masters are Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Bhaṭṭa Raghunātha, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī.

CC Ādi 1.37: These six are my instructing spiritual masters, and therefore I offer millions of respectful obeisances unto their lotus feet.

CC Ādi 1.38: There are innumerable devotees of the Lord, of whom Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura is the foremost. I offer my respectful obeisances thousands of times unto their lotus feet.

CC Ādi 1.39: Advaita Ācārya is the Lord's partial incarnation, and therefore I offer my obeisances millions of times at His lotus feet.

CC Ādi 1.40: Śrīla Nityānanda Rāma is the plenary manifestation of the Lord, and I have been initiated by Him. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto His lotus feet.

CC Ādi 1.41: I offer my respectful obeisances unto the internal potencies of the Lord, of whom Śrī Gadādhara Prabhu is the foremost.

CC Ādi 1.42: Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Personality of Godhead Himself, and therefore I offer innumerable prostrations at His lotus feet.

CC Ādi 1.43: Having offered obeisances unto the Lord and all His associates, I shall now try to explain these six diversities in one.

CC Ādi 1.44: Although I know that my spiritual master is a servitor of Śrī Caitanya, I know Him also as a plenary manifestation of the Lord.

CC Ādi 1.45: According to the deliberate opinion of all revealed scriptures, the spiritual master is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa in the form of the spiritual master delivers His devotees.

CC Ādi 1.46: "One should know the ācārya as Myself and never disrespect him in any way. One should not envy him, thinking him an ordinary man, for he is the representative of all the demigods."

CC Ādi 1.47: One should know the instructing spiritual master to be the Personality of Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa manifests Himself as the Supersoul and as the greatest devotee of the Lord.

CC Ādi 1.48: "O my Lord! Transcendental poets and experts in spiritual science could not fully express their indebtedness to You, even if they were endowed with the prolonged lifetime of Brahmā, for You appear in two features — externally as the ācārya and internally as the Supersoul — to deliver the embodied living being by directing him how to come to You."

CC Ādi 1.49: "To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me."

CC Ādi 1.50: The Supreme Personality of Godhead [svayaḿ bhagavān] taught Brahmā and made him self-realized.

CC Ādi 1.51: "Please hear attentively what I shall speak to you, for transcendental knowledge about Me is not only scientific but also full of mysteries.

CC Ādi 1.52: "By My causeless mercy, be enlightened in truth about My personality, manifestations, qualities and pastimes.

CC Ādi 1.53: "Prior to the cosmic creation, only I exist, and no phenomena exist, either gross, subtle or primordial. After creation, only I exist in everything, and after annihilation, only I remain eternally.

CC Ādi 1.54: "What appears to be truth without Me is certainly My illusory energy, for nothing can exist without Me. It is like a reflection of a real light in the shadows, for in the light there are neither shadows nor reflections.

CC Ādi 1.55: "As the material elements enter the bodies of all living beings and yet remain outside them all, I exist within all material creations and yet am not within them.

CC Ādi 1.56: "A person interested in transcendental knowledge must therefore always directly and indirectly inquire about it to know the all-pervading truth."

CC Ādi 1.57: "All glories to Cintāmaṇi and my initiating spiritual master, Somagiri. All glories to my instructing spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who wears peacock feathers in His crown. Under the shade of His lotus feet, which are like desire trees, Jayaśrī [Rādhārāṇī] enjoys the transcendental mellow of an eternal consort."

CC Ādi 1.58: Since one cannot visually experience the presence of the Supersoul, He appears before us as a liberated devotee. Such a spiritual master is none other than Kṛṣṇa Himself.

CC Ādi 1.59: "One should therefore avoid bad company and associate only with devotees. With their realized instructions, such saints can cut the knot connecting one with activities unfavorable to devotional service."

CC Ādi 1.60: "The spiritually powerful message of Godhead can be properly discussed only in a society of devotees, and it is greatly pleasing to hear in that association. If one hears from devotees, the way of transcendental experience quickly opens, and gradually one attains firm faith that in due course develops into attraction and devotion."

CC Ādi 1.61: A pure devotee constantly engaged in the loving service of the Lord is identical with the Lord, who is always seated in his heart.

CC Ādi 1.62: "Saints are My heart, and only I am their hearts. They do not know anyone but Me, and therefore I do not recognize anyone besides them as Mine."

CC Ādi 1.63: "Saints of your caliber are themselves places of pilgrimage. Because of their purity, they are constant companions of the Lord, and therefore they can purify even the places of pilgrimage."

CC Ādi 1.64: Such pure devotees are of two types: personal associates [pāriṣats] and neophyte devotees [sādhakas].

CC Ādi 1.65-66: There are three categories of incarnations of Godhead: partial incarnations, qualitative incarnations and empowered incarnations. The puruṣas and Matsya are examples of partial incarnations.

CC Ādi 1.67: Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva are qualitative incarnations. Empowered incarnations are those like the Kumāras, King Pṛthu and Mahā-muni Vyāsa [the compiler of the Vedas].

CC Ādi 1.68: The Personality of Godhead exhibits Himself in two kinds of forms: prakāśa and vilāsa.

CC Ādi 1.69-70: When the Personality of Godhead expands Himself in many forms, all nondifferent in Their features, as Lord Kṛṣṇa did when He married sixteen thousand queens and when He performed His rāsa dance, such forms of the Lord are called manifested forms [prakāśa-vigrahas].

CC Ādi 1.71: "It is astounding that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is one without a second, expanded Himself in sixteen thousand similar forms to marry sixteen thousand queens in their respective homes."

CC Ādi 1.72: "When Lord Kṛṣṇa, surrounded by groups of cowherd girls, began the festivities of the rāsa dance, the Lord of all mystic powers placed Himself between each two girls."

CC Ādi 1.73-74: "When the cowherd girls and Kṛṣṇa thus joined together, each girl thought that Kṛṣṇa was dearly embracing her alone. To behold this wonderful pastime of the Lord's, the denizens of heaven and their wives, all very eager to see the dance, flew in the sky in their hundreds of airplanes. They showered flowers and beat sweetly on drums."

CC Ādi 1.75: "If numerous forms, all equal in their features, are displayed simultaneously, such forms are called prakāśa-vigrahas of the Lord."

CC Ādi 1.76: But when the numerous forms are slightly different from one another, they are called vilāsa-vigrahas.

CC Ādi 1.77: "When the Lord displays numerous forms with different features by His inconceivable potency, such forms are called vilāsa-vigrahas."

CC Ādi 1.78: Examples of such vilāsa-vigrahas are Baladeva, Nārāyaṇa in Vaikuṇṭha-dhāma, and the catur-vyūha — Vāsudeva, Sańkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha.

CC Ādi 1.79-80: The energies [consorts] of the Supreme Lord are of three kinds: the Lakṣmīs in Vaikuṇṭha, the queens in Dvārakā and the gopīs in Vṛndāvana. The gopīs are the best of all, for they have the privilege of serving Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the primeval Lord, the son of the King of Vraja.

CC Ādi 1.81: The personal associates of the primeval Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, are His devotees, who are identical with Him. He is complete with His entourage of devotees.

CC Ādi 1.82: Now I have worshiped all the various levels of devotees. Worshiping them is the source of all good fortune.

CC Ādi 1.83: In the first verse I have invoked a general benediction, but in the second I have prayed to the Lord in a particular form.

CC Ādi 1.84: "I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda, who are like the sun and moon. They have arisen simultaneously on the horizon of Gauḍa to dissipate the darkness of ignorance and thus wonderfully bestow benediction upon all."

CC Ādi 1.85-86: Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, the Personalities of Godhead, who formerly appeared in Vṛndāvana and were millions of times more effulgent than the sun and moon, have arisen over the eastern horizon of Gauḍadeśa [West Bengal], being compassionate for the fallen state of the world.

CC Ādi 1.87: The appearance of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Prabhu Nityānanda has surcharged the world with happiness.

CC Ādi 1.88-89: As the sun and moon drive away darkness by their appearance and reveal the nature of everything, these two brothers dissipate the darkness of ignorance covering the living beings and enlighten them with knowledge of the Absolute Truth.

CC Ādi 1.90: The darkness of ignorance is called kaitava, the way of cheating, which begins with religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and liberation.

CC Ādi 1.91: "The great scripture Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, compiled by Mahā-muni Vyāsadeva from four original verses, describes the most elevated and kindhearted devotees and completely rejects the cheating ways of materially motivated religiosity. It propounds the highest principle of eternal religion, which can factually mitigate the threefold miseries of a living being and award the highest benediction of full prosperity and knowledge. Those willing to hear the message of this scripture in a submissive attitude of service can at once capture the Supreme Lord in their hearts. Therefore there is no need for any scripture other than Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam."

CC Ādi 1.92: The foremost process of cheating is to desire to achieve liberation by merging into the Supreme, for this causes the permanent disappearance of loving service to Kṛṣṇa.

CC Ādi 1.93: "The prefix 'pra' [in the verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam] indicates that the desire for liberation is completely rejected."

CC Ādi 1.94: All kinds of activities, both auspicious and inauspicious, that are detrimental to the discharge of transcendental loving service to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa are actions of the darkness of ignorance.

CC Ādi 1.95: By the grace of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda, this darkness of ignorance is removed and the truth is brought to light.

CC Ādi 1.96: The Absolute Truth is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and loving devotion to Śrī Kṛṣṇa exhibited in pure love is achieved through congregational chanting of the holy name, which is the essence of all bliss.

CC Ādi 1.97: The sun and moon dissipate the darkness of the external world and thus reveal external material objects like pots and plates.

CC Ādi 1.98: But these two brothers [Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda] dissipate the darkness of the inner core of the heart, and thus They help one meet the two kinds of bhāgavatas [persons or things in relationship with the Personality of Godhead].

CC Ādi 1.99: One of the bhāgavatas is the great scripture Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and the other is the pure devotee absorbed in the mellows of loving devotion.

CC Ādi 1.100: Through the actions of these two bhāgavatas the Lord instills the mellows of transcendental loving service into the heart of a living being, and thus the Lord, in the heart of His devotee, comes under the control of the devotee's love.

CC Ādi 1.101: The first wonder is that both brothers appear simultaneously, and the other is that They illuminate the innermost depths of the heart.

CC Ādi 1.102: These two, the sun and moon, are very kind to the people of the world. Thus for the good fortune of all, They have appeared on the horizon of Bengal.

CC Ādi 1.103: Let us therefore worship the holy feet of these two Lords. Thus one can be rid of all difficulties on the path of self-realization.

CC Ādi 1.104: I have invoked the benediction of the Lords with these two verses [texts 1 and 2 of this chapter]. Now please hear attentively the purport of the third verse.

CC Ādi 1.105: I purposely avoid extensive description for fear of increasing the bulk of this book. I shall describe the essence as concisely as possible.

CC Ādi 1.106: "Essential truth spoken concisely is true eloquence."

CC Ādi 1.107: Simply hearing submissively will free one's heart from all the faults of ignorance, and thus one will achieve deep love for Kṛṣṇa. This is the path of peace.

CC Ādi 1.108-109: If one patiently hears about the glories of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and Śrī Advaita Prabhu — and Their devotees, devotional activities, names and fame, along with the mellows of Their transcendental loving exchanges — one will learn the essence of the Absolute Truth. Therefore I have described these [in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta] with logic and discrimination.

CC Ādi 1.110: Praying at the lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Raghunātha, always desiring their mercy, I, Kṛṣṇadāsa, narrate Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, following in their footsteps.

Copyright © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness