Lord Caitanya & Advaita Acharya
Advaita Bhavan
Opening Time
8:30am – 11:00am
3:30pm – 8:00pm
Information – Presiding Deities: Lord Caitanya (standing) and Advaita Acharya (sitting and offering Tulsi leaves and Ganga Water to Saligrama Sila).
Jiva, see the house of Sita-natha, Advaita Acharya, where the Vaishnavas would meet to discuss Krsna. Sri Advaita worshiped Krsna here and, calling loudly brought this treasure, My Lord Gauranga.
(Sri Navadvipa-Dhama-Mahatmya, Chapter 5)
This forgetfulness was so overwhelming that Advaita Prabhu was convinced that no one but Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself could enlighten people about devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Therefore Advaita requested Lord Kṛṣṇa to appear as Lord Caitanya. Offering tulasī leaves and Ganges water, He cried for the Lord’s appearance. The Lord, being satisfied by His pure devotees, descends to satisfy them. As such, being pleased by Advaita Ācārya, Lord Caitanya appeared.
(CC Adi 3 Summary)
Advaita Ācārya is the Lord’s partial incarnation, and therefore I offer my obeisances millions of times at His lotus feet.
(CC Adi 1.39)
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 6.4)
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 6.5)
Śrī Advaita Ācārya is indeed directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. His glory is beyond the conception of ordinary living beings.
(CC Ādi 6.6)
Mahā-Viṣṇu performs all the functions for the creation of the universes. Śrī Advaita Ācārya is His direct incarnation.
(CC Ādi 6.7)
Being a reservoir of all auspicious attributes, Śrī Advaita Ācārya is all-auspicious for the world. His characteristics, activities and name are always auspicious.
(CC Ādi 6.12)
In the form of Advaita He infuses the material ingredients with creative energy. Therefore, Advaita is the original cause of creation.
(CC Ādi 6.20)
Śrī Advaita Ācārya is the creator of millions and millions of universes, and by His expansions [as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu] He maintains each and every universe.
(CC Ādi 6.21)
Śrī Advaita is the principal limb [aṅga] of Nārāyaṇa. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam speaks of “limb” [aṅga] as “a plenary portion” [aṁśa] of the Lord.
(CC Ādi 6.22)
It is through Him [Advaita Ācārya] that Lord Caitanya spread the saṅkīrtana movement and through Him that He delivered the world.
(CC Ādi 6.35)
The glory and attributes of Advaita Ācārya are unlimited. How can the insignificant living entities fathom them?
(CC Ādi 6.36)
Śrī Advaita Ācārya is a principal limb of Lord Caitanya. Another limb of the Lord is Nityānanda Prabhu.
(CC Ādi 6.37)
Thinking “He [Śrī Advaita Ācārya] is a disciple of Śrī Mādhavendra Purī,” Lord Caitanya obeys Him, respecting Him as His spiritual master.
(CC Ādi 6.40)
To maintain the proper etiquette for the principles of religion, Lord Caitanya bows down at the lotus feet of Śrī Advaita Ācārya with reverential prayers and devotion.
(CC Ādi 6.41)
Śrī Advaita Ācārya, however, considers Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu His master, and He thinks of Himself as a servant of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
(CC Ādi 6.42)
He forgets Himself in the joy of that conception and teaches all living entities, “You are servants of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.”
(CC Ādi 6.43)
The conception of servitude to Śrī Kṛṣṇa generates such an ocean of joy in the soul that even the joy of oneness with the Absolute, if multiplied ten million times, could not compare to a drop of it.
(CC Ādi 6.44)
Out of His causeless mercy upon Me, Advaita Ācārya has also come here. I am indebted to Him for His affectionate behavior. This debt is impossible for Me to liquidate.
(CC Antya 12.70)
After this incident the Lord blessed Haridāsa Ṭhākura and vanquished the offense of His mother at the home of Advaita Ācārya.
PURPORT
On the mahā-prakāśa day, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced Haridāsa Ṭhākura and informed him that he was none other than an incarnation of Prahlāda Mahārāja. When Viśvarūpa took sannyāsa, Śacīmātā thought that Advaita Ācārya had persuaded Him to do so. Therefore she accused Advaita Ācārya of this, which was an offense at His lotus feet. Later Lord Caitanya induced His mother to take the dust of Advaita Ācārya’s lotus feet, and thus her vaiṣṇava-aparādha was nullified.
(CC Adi 17.71)
Information – The site of the famous Tol (school) of Sri Adwait Prabhu and the place of his residence in the old city of Nabadwip.
(THE HARMONIST AS IT IS VOL.2 (VOL. XXVI, June 1928 – May 1929), Page 188)
Every morning Śrī Viśvarūpa would take bath in the Ganges and then go to the gathering at Advaita Prabhu’s house. Viśvarūpa established devotional service to Kṛṣṇa as the essence of all scriptures. On hearing His explanation, Advaita Prabhu roared with happiness. Advaita left His Deity worship to embrace Viśvarūpa, and all the Vaiṣṇavas happily chanted, “Hari! Hari!” Then in the ecstasy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness all the devotees roared loudly like lions, and lamentation no longer remained in their hearts. The devotees had no desire to leave Viśvarūpa’s association to go home, nor did Viśvarūpa have any desire to leave them. After completing her cooking, mother Śacī told Viśvambhara, “Go quickly and bring Your elder brother.” On the order of His mother, the Lord came to Advaita Ācārya’s house to call His elder brother home. When the Lord arrived there, He saw all the Vaiṣṇavas engaged in discussing topics of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Hearing His glorification, Śrī Gaurasundara glanced mercifully on them. Each of the Lord’s limbs surpassed the topmost limits of beauty. Even millions of moons could not be compared with one of His toenails. Standing naked with His body covered with dust, Viśvambhara smiled and spoke to His elder brother. “My dear brother, please come to eat. Mother is calling You.” Viśvambhara then caught hold of His brother’s dhoti and followed Him home. On seeing the Lord’s enchanting form, all the devotees were stunned and they continually stared at Him. The devotees practically entered samādhi; they were even unable to speak about Kṛṣṇa. Devotees are by nature overwhelmed on seeing their Lord; indeed, even before the devotees realized His identity, the Lord stole away their hearts.
(Sri Caitanya Bhagavata Ādi-khaṇḍa 7.29 – 7.43)
For further reading, please refer to:
Sri Caitanya Bhagavata Madhya Khanda : Chapter Twenty-two: Delivering Śacīdevī from Offense and Descriptions of Nityānanda’s Qualities