Sri Chaitanya Amrita Sara

Dear Devotees 
OM Bhadram Te, Auspiciousness and Blessings. Tomorrow is the beginning of Mooriya Purnima / the Guru Purnima festival in Goverdhan.

Babaji always asks me to write something that can then be made into or included with something they can print and distribute at the festival. I choose to follow in the style of my Bhagavat Rasa Sara and compiled something from the Sri Chaitanya Charitamrta. What I submitted was the first chapter of what I call 'Sri Chaitanya Amrita Sara' The sweet nectar of Sri Chaitanya. This is edited and formatted from the first chapter of the Chaitanya Charitamrta. Babaji liked it so much he immediately sent it out to be translated in both bengali and hindi. Please relish.


With Love and Ever Well-Wishes,


Sri Gurudev 


Sri Chaitanya Amrta Sara


Extracted and edited from the Chaitanya Caritamrita of Krsna Das Kaviraj


Chapter 1


by Acarya Sripad Turiya Das Mahasaya


"Essential truth spoken concisely is true eloquence." 


Guru Pranam
om 
ajnana-timirandhasya
jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena
tasmai sri-gurave namah
gurur brahma gurur vishnuh
gurur devo maheshvarah
gurur sakshat parabrahma
tasmai shree gurave namah



Invocation
vande gurun isa-bhaktan
isam isavatarakan
tat-prakasams ca tac-chaktih
krsna-caitanya-samjnakam
I offer my respectful obeisances (vande) unto the spiritual masters (gurun), the devotees of the Lord (isa-bhaktan), the Lord's incarnations (isa-avatara), His plenary portions (tat-prakash), His energies (tat-shakti) along with the primeval Lord Himself, Sri Krsna Caitanya. 
I offer my respectful obeisances unto Sri Krsna Caitanya and Lord Nityananda, who are like the sun and moon.

They have arisen simultaneously on the horizon of Gauda - Nabadwip to dissipate the darkness of ignorance and thus wonderfully bestow benediction upon all. 
Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu 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 for the Divine Couple Sri Sri Radha Krsna. 
The loving affairs of Radha and Krsna are transcendental manifestations of the Lord's internal pleasure-giving potency. Although Radha and Krsna are one in Their identity, They are eternally separate. Now, these two transcendental identities, Radha and Krsna, have united in the form of Sri Krsna Caitanya. 


I bow down to Sri Caitanya, who has manifested Himself with the sentiment and complexion of Srimati Radharani to taste the mellow of conjugal love for Krsna although He is Krsna Himself! 
Desiring to understand; (1) the glory of Radharani's love, (2) the wonderful qualities in Him that She alone relishes through Her love, and (3) 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 Srimati Saci-devi, as the moon appears from the ocean. 



May Sri Nityananda, the constant associate of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu be the object of my constant remembrance. I surrender unto His lotus feet for as the first expansion of the Supreme Truth, He possesses full opulences and resides in Vaikunthaloka, far beyond the material creation. 
Advaita Acarya, the incarnation of Maha-Visnu, is the Lord's partial incarnation, and therefore I offer my obeisances millions of times at His lotus feet. 
Because He is non-different from Hari, the Supreme Lord, He is called Advaita or non-dual and because He propagates the ways of devotion, He is called Acarya, a teacher by example. He is the Lord and at the same time mystically the incarnation of the Lord's devotee. Therefore I take shelter of Him. 
panca-tattvatmakam krsnam
bhakta-rupa-svarupakam
bhaktavataram bhaktakhyam
namami bhakta-saktikam
I offer my obeisances unto the Absolute Truth, Sri Krsna, who has appeared in five features know as the panca-tattva;
1) bhakta-rupa - Sri Chaitanya, the form of the devotee 
2) svarupakam - Nityananda, His expansion who is non-different from the original form of the devotee 
3) bhakta-avatara, Sri Advaita, the form of the incarnation
4)bhaktakhyam - Gadadhara, the devotional manifestation
5) and Srivas, the bhakta-saktikam devotional energy. 
These five features have recently appeared and are known by the names: 
Sri Krsna Chaitanya, Prabhu Nityananda, Sri Advaita Gadadhara, Srivas - Adi Gaura Bhakta-Vrinda 
jaya jaya sri-caitanya jaya nityananda 
jaya advaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vrnda 
All glories to Sri Caitanya and Nityananda! Glory to Advaita-Chandra! And glory to all the devotees of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabu!


Following tradition, after offering obeisances to the spiritual master and Lord Caitanya and His associates one should offer obeisances to the primeval Lord Sri Krsna.


Three primary Deities of Vrindaban named Madana-Mohana, Govinda and Gopinatha have absorbed the hearts and souls of all the followers of Sri Caitanya. I therefore worship Their lotus feet, for They are the Lords of my heart.


jayatam suratau pangor
mama manda-mater gati
mat-sarvasva-padambhojau
radha-madana-mohanau
All Glories to the all-merciful Sri Sri Radha Madana-Mohana!

Although I am spiritually crippled being foolish and devoid of any good intelligence, Your lotus feet are my refuge, and are everything to me. 
divyad-vrndaranya-kalpa-drumadhah
srimad-ratnagara-simhasana-sthau
srimad-radha-srila-govinda-devau
presthalibhih sevyamanau smarami
In a temple of jewels in Vrndavana, underneath a desire tree, Sri Sri Radha-Govinda, served by Their most confidential associates, sitting upon an effulgent throne. I offer my humble obeisances unto Them.


sriman rasa-rasarambhi
vamsivata-tata-sthitah
karsan venu-svanair gopir
gopi-nathah sriye 'stu nah
Sri Srila Gopinatha, who originated the transcendental mellow of the rasa dance, stands on the shore in Vamsivata and attracts the attention of the cowherd damsels with the sound of His celebrated flute. May they all confer upon us their benediction. 


Simply by remembering the spiritual master and the devotees of the Lord along with Sri Caitanya and His associates, and finally the Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna, I have invoked their benedictions. Such remembrance destroys all difficulties and very easily enables one to fulfill his own desires.


Now let us describe the truth of these three; 
Guru Tattva 
"All glories to Cintamani, whom I honor as my first Guru, that is, my vartma-pradarsaka guru, for although by profession she was a prostitute, it was she who directed me to the Lotus feet of Krsna. 


All glories to my initiating spiritual master, my diksa guru, Somagiri, who initiated me into the divine service of the Lord. And lastly, All glories to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, the caitya-guru of all, who wears peacock feathers in His crown, who personally acted as my siksa-guru, instructing spiritual master.

Under the shade of His lotus feet, which are like desire trees, Jayasri, Radharani, enjoys the transcendental mellow of an eternal consort." 
Although I know that my spiritual master is a servitor of Sri Caitanya, I also know Him as a plenary manifestation of the Lord. 
According to the opinion of all revealed scriptures, the spiritual master is to be seen as non-different from Krsna for Lord Krsna comes in the form of the spiritual master to deliver His devotees. 
Krsna in the Bhagavatam states "One should know the acarya 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." 
One should also consider the instructing spiritual master to be the Personality of Krsna. Lord Krsna manifests Himself internally as the Supersoul and caitya guru and externally as the guru and devotee of the Lord. 
From the Bhagavatam: 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 Brahma, for You appear in two features -- externally as the acarya and internally as the Supersoul -- to deliver the embodied living being by directing him how to come to You.

 
In the Bhagavad Gita Krsna says; "To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me." 
Since one cannot visually experience the presence of the Supersoul, He appears before us as a liberated devotee. Such a spiritual master should be seen as none other than Krsna Himself.


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


The spiritually powerful message of Godhead can be properly discussed only in the company 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." 


A pure devotee constantly engaged in the loving service of the Lord is identical with the Lord, who is always seated in his heart. 
Pure devotees are of two types: the parisats, the eternal associates of the Lord and sadhakas, those devotees who have achieved perfection by the practice of sadhana. 
"

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."


"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." 


The Bhagavat Tattva of the Brahma Sampradaya 
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the svayam bhagavan, as the Adi-Guru, first taught Brahma, the first created being, and enlightened him in self-realization.


These instructions to Brahma are found in the Srimad Bhagavatam where it is stated: 
"Dear Brahma, please hear attentively what I now speak to you, for transcendental knowledge about Me is not only scientific but also full of mysteries. 
"By My causeless mercy, be enlightened in truth about My personality, manifestations, qualities and pastimes. 
"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. 
"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.


"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. 
"

A person interested in transcendental knowledge must therefore always directly and indirectly inquire about it to know the all-pervading truth." 
"This great scripture know by the name of Srimad-Bhagavatam, was compiled by Maha-muni Vyasadeva from four original verses and 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 Srimad-Bhagavatam." 


The darkness of ignorance, called kaitava, is that which cheats the soul out of his highest good, these may include dharma, artha, kama and moksha - religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and liberation if performed outside of devotion to Krsna. 


The foremost process of cheating is desire to achieve liberation by merging into the Supreme, for this causes the permanent disappearance of loving service to Krsna. 
Thus the Srimad-Bhagavatam indicates that even the desire for liberation which is contrary to devotion to Krsna should be completely rejected." 
All kinds of activities, either auspicious and inauspicious, which are detrimental to the discharge of transcendental loving service to Lord Sri Krsna are to be considered actions of the darkness of ignorance. 


By the grace of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda, this darkness of ignorance is removed and the truth is brought to light. 
The Absolute Truth is Sri Krsna, and loving devotion to Sri Krsna exhibited in pure love is achieved through congregational chanting of the holy name, which is the essence of all bliss. 
These two brothers Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda dissipate the darkness of the inner core of the heart, and thus through there mercy one is brought into the association of the two kinds of bhagavatas. 
The first bhagavat is the great scripture Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the other is the pure devotee absorbed in the mellows of loving devotion. 


Through the actions of these two bhagavatas 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. 
Simply by hearing submissively from these two bhagavats one will free one's heart from all the faults of ignorance, and thus one will achieve deep love for Krsna. This is the path of peace. 



Bhagavan Tattva
The Absolute Truth Sri Krsna, the purna-avatar, appears in three categories of incarnations: 1) partial incarnations, 2) qualitative incarnations and 3) empowered incarnations. 
The purusas and Matsya are examples of partial incarnations, in comparison to the purna-avatara, as the various aspects of the moon are all partial degrees of the Full Moon. 
Brahma, Visnu and Siva are qualitative incarnations possessing the qualities of raja, sattva and tama respectively. 
Empowered incarnations include persons such as the Kumaras, King Prthu and Maha-muni Vyasadev, the compiler of the Vedas, who are empowered devotees of the Lord. 


The Personality of Godhead also exhibits Himself in two kinds of forms know as prakasa and vilasa. 
When the Personality of Godhead expands Himself in many forms, all non-different in Their features, as Lord Krsna did when He married sixteen thousand queens and when He performed His rasa dance, such forms of the Lord are called manifested forms or prakasa-vigraha. 
Examples of the Prakasa-Vigraha are described in these verses of the Srimad Bhagavatam: 
"It is astounding that Lord Sri Krsna, who is one without a second, expanded Himself in sixteen thousand similar forms to marry sixteen thousand queens in their respective homes." 
"When Lord Krsna, surrounded by groups of cowherd girls, began the festivities of the rasa dance, the Lord of all mystic powers placed Himself between each two girls." 


"When the cowherd girls and Krsna thus joined together, each girl thought that Krsna 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." 
*****
If numerous forms, all equal in their features, are displayed simultaneously, such forms are called prakasa-vigrahas of the Lord. 
When the Lord displays numerous forms with different features by His inconceivable potency, such forms are called vilasa-vigrahas, these numerous forms will be slightly different from one another. 
Examples of such vilasa-vigrahas or expanded forms are Baladeva, Narayana in Vaikuntha-dhama, and the catur-vyuha -- Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. 



The consorts of the Supreme Lord are His shaktis or energies like rays of the sun.

They are three kinds: 1) the Laksmis of Vaikuntha 2) the queens in Dvaraka and 3) the gopis in Vrndavana. 
The gopis are the considered the best of all, for they have the privilege of serving Sri Krsna, the primeval Lord, the son of the King of Vraja in the great intimacy of conjugal rasa. 
All these various aspects of the Lord are non-different than the Lord. 
The personal associates of the primeval Lord, Sri Krsna, who are His devotees, are also seen as identical with Him as He is only complete with His entourage of devotees. 
This is the conclusion of all the revealed scriptures. Like the Sun with all it's various aspects like the sun-god, the globe and the rays with it's heat and light - all are one and yet distinct. 



In conclusion; "I offer my respectful obeisances unto Sri Krsna Caitanya and Lord Nityananda, who are like the sun and moon. They have arisen simultaneously on the horizon of Gauda to dissipate the darkness of ignorance and thus wonderfully bestow benediction upon all." 
Krsna and Balarama, the Personalities of Godhead, had formerly appeared in Vrndavana and were millions of times more effulgent than the sun and moon, now they have arisen over the eastern horizon of Gauda-desa West Bengal, being compassionate for the fallen state of the world. 
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. 
The appearance of Sri Krsna Caitanya and Prabhu Nityananda has surcharged the world with happiness.


These two, Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda, who are like the sun and moon, are very kind to the people of the world. Thus for the good fortune of all, They have arisen on the horizon of Gauda. 
The first wonder is that both brothers appeared simultaneously, and the other is that They illuminate the innermost depths of the heart. 
Let us therefore worship the holy feet of these two Lords and thus be rid of all difficulties on the path to the Absolute Truth. 
If one patiently hears the glories of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Nityananda Prabhu and Sri Advaita Prabhu -- along with Their devotees, devotional activities, names and fame, and the mellows of Their transcendental loving exchanges -- one will come to realize the essence of the Absolute Reality, Krsna, Lord of Vraja.


Bande Rupa-Sanatanau Raghu-Yugau Sri-Jiva-Gopalakau 
Sri Gauranga Nityananda Sri Advaita-Sita 
Hari, Guru, Vaishnava, Bhagavat, Gita 
Sri Gauranga Nityananda Sri Advaita-Candra 
Gadadhara Srivas Adi Gaura Bhakta Vrinda 
Sri Krsna Caitanya Prabhu Niityananda 
Hare Krsna Hare Rama - Sri Radha Govinda 
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare 
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare 
Sri Gurudev


Acarya Sripad Turiya Das Mahasaya


Om Bhadram Te
Blessings and Auspiciousness
With Guru-Purnima coming up on Saturday, I thought I would mail out Chapter two of the Sri Chaitanya Amrta Sara as an offering to the Guru-Parampara.
Jaya Sri Radhe Shyam,
Gurudev
Sri Chaitanya Amrta Sara
Extracted and edited from the Chaitanya Caritamrita of Krsna Das Kaviraj 
Chapter 2 - The Supreme Truth
by Acarya Sripad Turiya Das Mahasaya


"Essential truth spoken concisely is true eloquence."


oṁ 
ajñāna-timirāndhasya
jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
gurur brahma gurur vishnuh
gurur devo maheshvarah
gurur sakshat parabrahma
tasmai shree gurave namah
.


Invocation


jaya jaya sri caitanya jaya nityananda
jayadvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vinda
All glories to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Nityananda.
All glories to Advaitacandra, and all glories to the devotees of Lord Gauranga.
sri caitanya-prabhu vande:
I offer my obeisances unto Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu:
by whose mercy even one who is ignorant can swim the ocean of conclusive truth, which is full of crocodiles of various speculative theories.
O my merciful Lord Caitanya may the nectarean Ganges waters of Your transcendental activities flow on the surface of my desertlike tongue. 
Beautifying these waters are the lotus flowers of singing, dancing and the loud chanting of Krsna’s holy name:
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
.

The Supreme Truth
vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvah yaj jnanam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
bhagavan iti sabdyate
"Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth say that this non-dual knowledge is called the impersonal Brahman, localized Paramatma and Bhagavan - the Personality of Godhead."


This verse appears in the First Canto, Second Chapter, eleventh verse of Srimad Bhagavatam. 
In terms of His various manifestations, The Supreme Truth is known in three features, the impersonal Brahman, the localized Paramatma and Bhagavan - the Personality of Godhead. 
The impersonal Brahman, localized Paramatma and Bhagavan - the Personality of Godhead are the three subjects of true wisdom, they are realized as the glowing effulgence (Brahman), the partial manifestation or the Lord in the heart (Paramatma) and the original form of the Personality of Godhead (Bhagavan). 
What the Upanisads describe as the impersonal Brahman is but the effulgence of His transcendental body, and the Lord known as the Paramatma, the Supersoul is but His localized plenary portion. These are but the features of Bhagavan Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, who is full with six opulences. He is the Absolute Truth and no other truth is greater than or equal to Him. 
.


The Brahman Feature of the Lord 
What the Upanisads call the transcendental, impersonal Brahman is the glowing effulgence of the Supreme Person, Sri Krsna, the original form of the Personality of Godhead, the summum bonum - all-pervading Visnu. He is perfect knowledge and perfect bliss, He is the Supreme Transcendence. 
The Mundaka Upanisad states;
"In the spiritual realm, beyond the material covering, is the unlimited Brahman effulgence, which is free from material contamination. That effulgent white light is understood by transcendentalists to be the light of all lights. In that transcendental realm there is no need of sunshine, moonshine, fire or electricity for illumination. Indeed, whatever illumination appears in the material world is only a reflection of that supreme illumination. That Brahman effulgence is in front and in back, in the north, south, east and west, and also overhead and below.
In other words, that supreme Brahman effulgence spreads throughout both the material and spiritual skies.
yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti
kotisu ashesha-vasudhadi-vibhuti-bhinnam
tad brahma nishkalam anantam ashesha-bhutam
govindam adi-purusham tam aham bhajami
Lord Brahma prays:

"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is endowed with great power.
The glowing effulgence of His transcendental form is the impersonal Brahman, which is absolute, complete and unlimited and which displays the varieties of countless planets, with their different opulences, in millions and millions of universes. 
As with the naked eye one cannot know the sun except as a glowing substance, merely by philosophical speculation one cannot understand Lord Krsna’s transcendental varieties. 
The opulences of the impersonal Brahman spread throughout the millions and millions of universes. That Brahman effulgence is but the bodily effulgence of Govinda. 
Brahma prays, "I worship Govinda. He is my Lord. Only by His grace am I empowered to create the universe." 


The Paramatma Feature of the Lord
He who is described in the yoga-sastras as the indwelling Supersoul- the antayami, the Paramatma situated in the heart is but a plenary portion of Govinda’s personal expansion. 
As the one sun appears reflected in countless jewels, so Govinda manifests Himself as the Paramatma in the hearts of all living beings. 
In the Bhagavad Gita - The Personality of Godhead, Krsna says: "What need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge, know that with a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe.” (10.42) 
Grandfather Bhisma also says: "As the one sun appears differently situated to different seers, so also do You, the unborn, appear differently represented as the Paramatma in every living being. But when a seer knows himself to be one of Your own servitors, no longer does he maintain such duality. Thus I am now able to comprehend Your eternal forms, knowing well the Paramatma to be Your plenary portion." Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.9.42) 


The Bhagavan Feature of the Lord 
The Personality of Godhead is He who is described as the purna, the Absolute Whole in the Vedas, Bhagavatam, Upanisads and other transcendental literatures. No one is equal to Him. 
Those who walk the paths of knowledge and yoga worship only Him, for it is He - Bhagavan, whom they perceive as the impersonal Brahman and localized Paramatma. 
It is Krsna, who is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead; Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. 


Only the Personality of Godhead, the source of all other Divinities, is eligible to be designated as the svayam bhagavan, or the primeval Lord. 
When from one candle many others are lit, one should consider that one the original. 
In the same way, Krsna is accepted as the cause of all causes and all incarnations. 


The Visnu forms of Krsna 
From Bhagavan Sri Krsna, Narayana of the transcendental Vaikuntha realm is manifested as the example of the one candle lighting another. 
Lord Narayana - Sri Visnu, is the Lord of the transcendental realm of Vaikuntha and is described as full in six opulences, As such He is the Personality of Godhead, the Lord of the goddess of fortune. He is a partial manifestation of our Lord Sri Krsna. 
Narayana and Sri Krsna are the same Personality of Godhead, but although They are identical, Their bodily features are different. 
The Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna has two hands and holds a flute, whereas the Narayana has four hands, with conch, wheel, mace and lotus. 
Narayana of the spiritual world manifests into three visnu forms for the purpose of creation.


"Karanodakasayi, Garbhodakasayi and Khirodakasayi Visnu are the three forms of Narayana who all create in cooperation with the material energy. In this way They have some connection with the maya-shakti. 
"These three Visnus are the Supersoul of everything. The Karanadashayi Visnu is the Supersoul of all the universes and is known as the first purusha. 
"Garbhodakasayi Visnu is the Supersoul of the aggregate of living entities, while Khirodakasyi Visnu is the Supersoul of each individual living being. 
"Thus these three purushas have some relationship with the maya-shakti, but above them, in the turiya or fourth dimensional state, is Lord Krsna, who has no contact with the material energy.


"In the material world the Lord is designated as virat, hiranyagarbha and karana. But beyond these three designations, the Lord is ultimately in the turiya or fourth dimension, the realm of transcendence.’ 
"

But still, although these three features of the Lord deal directly with the material energy
ultimately none of them are touched by it for they are all beyond illusion. 
"This is the opulence of the Lord: “Although situated in the material nature, He is never affected by the modes of nature. Similarly, those who have surrendered to Him and have fixed their intelligence upon Him are not touched by the modes of nature.”


"The source of these three features is the Narayana of the spiritual sky the vilasa expansion of Krsna.”


According to the authority of Brahma, Narayana is the predominating Deity in the transcendental world and is the vilasa or pastime feature of Krsna. 
"Although the three purushas are the shelter of all the universes, Lord Krsna is the original source of these purushas. 



"The Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna thus enjoys Himself through His expanded incarnations. 
"Those expanded forms of the Lord are innumerable but although there are many, they are all forms of Krsna and as such there is no difference between them. 
"These incarnations are of two kinds, both partial and empowered. 
"Through these forms Krsna expands Himself just to establish His supremacy throughout the universe. 
"

These are the principal manifestations and expansions of the Personality of Godhead and His three energies. They are all emanations of Sri Krsna, the Supreme Transcendence. They all have their existence in Him. 


In the Bhagavatam, Brahma states; "Both in this material world and in the transcendental world, You see all the deeds of all living beings, in the past, present and future. Since You are the witness of all such deeds, You know the essence of everything. 
"All the worlds exist because You oversee them. None can live, move or have their existence without Your supervision thus You oversee the wanderings of all living beings.” 
Through service the devotees can see that Personality of Godhead, just as the denizens of heaven can see and know Suriya, the personality of the sun. 


One understands the glories of the Lord through the different modes of worship, as the example of the sun illustrates. 
"Thus the Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna is the original primeval Lord, the source of all other expansions. All the revealed scriptures accept Sri Krsna as the Supreme Bhagavan. 
These truths indicated are the essence of the Srimad-Bhagavatam. This conclusion applies everywhere. 
Not knowing that the Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan are all all features of Krsna, foolish scholars speculate in various ways. 



The Shaktis of the Lord 
Krsna is also the source of three principle Shaktis, these three Shaktis of the Lord are known as the Chit-Shakti, Maya-Shakti and the Tatathsta-Shakti. 
"The chit-sakti, which is also called svarãpa-sakti or antaranga-sakti (the internal potency), displays many varied manifestations. It maintains and sustains the Vaikuntha realm, the kingdom of God and all its paraphernalia. 
"The external energy, called maya-sakti, is the cause of innumerable material universes with varied material potencies. 
"The marginal potency, exists between these two and consists of the numberless living beings. These are the three principal energies, which have unlimited categories and subdivisions. 
"One who knows the true features of Sri Krsna along with His three different energies cannot remain ignorant about Him. 


Krsna as the Svayam Bhagavan 
isvarah paramah krsnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam
"Krsna, who is known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause of all causes.” Brahma-samhita (5.1) 
vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvah yaj jnanam advayam
brahmeti param.tmeti
bhagavan iti sabdyate
"Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth say that this absolute non-dual knowledge is called impersonal Brahman, localized Paramatma and the Personality of Godhead." Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.11). 
"All the incarnations of Godhead are either plenary portions or parts of the plenary portions of the purusa-avataras. While Krsna is the primeval Lord, the SupremePersonality of Godhead Himself. In every age He protects the world through His different incarnations." 
Krsna is that Supreme Personality of Godhead, the fountainhead of all incarnations. 
It is Lord Krsna who is the one undivided Absolute Truth, the ultimate reality who manifests Himself in three features--as Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan. 
The Tenth Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam reveals the highest object of truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the shelter of all surrendered souls. He is known as Sri Krsna, and He is the ultimate source of all the universes. Let me offer my obeisances unto Him.’ 
"The Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna is the shelter and abode of everything. All the universes rest within His body.”



The Features of Svayam Bhagavan, Sri Krsna 
"The Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna, who is eternally an adolescent, is the primeval Lord, the source of all incarnations. 
Although eternally an adolescent He also appears in the two ages of childhood and boyhood for a full display of His transcendental lilas and the taste of bhava or the mood of devotion expressed by His devotees in each rasa. 



The Conviction Krsna Das Kaviraja 
By conclusive study I have come to know the glories of Lord Caitanya. Only by knowing these glories can one become strong and fixed in attachment to Him. 
Just to enunciate the glories of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, I have described the glories of Sri Krsna in detail. 
My conclusion is that Lord Caitanya is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, the son of the King of Vraja. 
He whom Srimad-Bhagavatam describes as the Son of Nanda Maharaja has descended to earth as Lord Caitanya. 
That Govinda has personally appeared as Sri Caitanya. No other Lord is as merciful in delivering the fallen souls as He. 
That same Lord Krsna, the fountainhead of all incarnations who is known as the son of the King of Vraja has now descended personally as Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, I offer my obeisance to Him taking shelter at His Lotus Feet. 
Praying at the lotus feet of Sri Rupa and Sri Raghunatha, always desiring their mercy, I, Krsna dasa, have narrated the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, following in their footsteps. 


Vande Rupa-Sanatanau Raghu-Yugau Sri-Jiva-Gopalakau 



Sri Krsna Caitanya Prabhu Nityananda 
Sri Advaita Gadadhara, Srivas -Adi Gaura Bhakta-Vrinda


Sri Gurudev
 Acarya Sripad Turiya Das Mahasaya



A Chaitanya Vaishnava Sanga Publication