SRI ADVAITA ACHARYA – LIFE HISTORY – DIARY
(1) Sri Advaita Acharya appeared in shantipur, the village of Navagrama near the city of Sylhet.
His parents were the Varendra Brahmin Kubera Pandit and his wife Nabha Devi,
(2) BIRTH: Believed to have taken birth in 1434 AD On the seventh day of the waxing moon in the month of Magh.
(LORD JAGANNATHA OF PURI – A to Z DETAILS YOU SHOULD KNOW! READ HERE!)
(3) FAMILY: Advaita’s former name was Kamalaksa (Kamalakanta) Vedapancanana. Names of two wives: Sita Devi and Sri Devi. His son Acyutananda was born of Sita Devi (1425 Saka 1503 AD), followed by krishnadasa, Gopala, Balarama, Svarupa, and Jagadisa Misra. While Sri Devi gave birth to one son named Syamadasa (Premavilasa 24).
(4) Who was Addvaita Acharya? Kubera Pandit is identified in the Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika (v. 91) with the original god Kubera, who was Mahadeva’s friend and leader of the Guhyakas.
Sri Advaita Acharya is considered as an avatar of Sadashiva, the original Siva of the spiritual world and Maha Vishnu, the original purusha of the universal creation.
You can read about this Sadasiva in THIS POST.
(5) Lord Sadasiva descended into this world to assist Lord sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu by accepting the role of the servant of the servant.
(6)It was only because of Advaita Acharya’s deep compassion and fervent loud crying and prayers to Lord Krishna to save these conditioned souls of Kali Yuga like us, Krishna made Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to appear to spread the holy name of Krishna and save us from the clutches of maya.
(7) PASTIMES IN SHANTIPUR: (i) Meeting of Haridas Thakura and Advaita Acharya, (ii) pastimes of Nityananda Prabhu and Lord Caitanya, (iii) Lord Caitanya’s arrival at Shantipur after His sanyasa and (iv) the first meeting of Srila Raghunatha dasa Thakura with Lord Caitanya. (v) Visit of Srila Madhavendra Puri, the spiritual master of Sri Advaita Acharya while he was visiting Jagannatha Puri to get sandalwood for his Gopal in Govardhana. (vi) After Advaita Acharya’s parents both left this world when he was just a very young man, after performing the sraddha ceremony in Gaya, he decided to go and Tirth Yatra to visit the holy places through all of India. During his journey he met his spiritual master Madhavendra Puri and he accepted initiation from him.
(LORD BALARAMA (BALADEVA) -DIARY OF 12 INTERESTING POINTS! READ HERE!)
(8) Srila Prabhupada visited Shantipur during his grihastha days in 1940s and 1950s and \lso on the day before departing to USA on Jaladhuta in 1965
(9) The pujari of Shantipur temple asked him, “Who are you? I remember you coming for so many years.” Srila Prabhupada responded, “My name is Abhaya Charanavinda Bhaktivedanta Swami, and I am a disciple of that empowered soul, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada, who has come to deliver world. I have been coming here because my gurudeva has given me an impossible mission to perform. He has ordered me to take the message of Lord Caitanya and the Holy Names of Krishna across the ocean to spread all over the world. I have no qualification, no ability, people in the western world have never heard the name of Krishna or who is Radharani. How to convince them? Therefore, for all these years, I have been coming here. Because this is the place that Advaita Acarya, Lord Caitanya, and Nityananda Prabhu are eternally present. They are planning to take the Holy Names all over world. I have been coming here, praying to Them to empower me to fulfil my guru’s order. Tomorrow I am taking a cargo ship to New York City. But I don’t know what I will find there. I don’t know how I will do it. So I am crying to my gurudeva and to the Supreme Personality of Godhead to empower me.”
(10) Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Adi-lila chapter 6 says: “Advaita Acarya is the incarnation of Maha-Visnu, whose main function is to create the cosmic world through the actions of maya. Because He is non-different from Hari, the Supreme Lord, He is called Advaita, and because He propagates the cult of devotion, He is called Acarya. He is the Lord and the incarnation of the Lord’s devotee. His glories are beyond the conception of ordinary living beings. Maha-Visnu performs all the functions for the creation of the universes. Sri Advaita Acarya is His direct incarnation.”
(11) RAS YATRA FESTIVAL: Among many important festivals of Bengal, Ras Yatra in Shantipur is very ancient. This festival was started by Mathuresh Goswami, the grandson of Sri Advaita Acharya. During Ras Festival all the deities of Shantipur come out of Their temples. In special chariots known as Haoda, They visit the town. We were present there on the final day of the festival to witness ‘Kunja-Bhanga’, when after the Rasa Dance the deities return to Their respective temples.
(12) Lord Caitanya, Lord Nityananda and Advaita Acharya had prasadam and devised plans for spreading Krishna Consciousness in a house, as described in Caitanya Caritamrita, Madhya Lila, Chapter 3.
(SRILA PRABHUPADA LIFE HISTORY – DIARY! READ HERE!)
(13) Sri Advaita Acarya went to the state of in ecstasy as Lord Caitanya and Nityananda Prabhu honoured prasadam at Advaita Acarya’s house in Shantipur.
(14) Sri Advaita Path is a shrine marking where Advaita Acarya first met Madhavendra Puri, as described in Caitanya Bhagavata. This is the place where Sri Madhavendra Puri initiated Advaita Acarya.
(15) When Lord Caitanya came here immediately after taking sannyasa at Katwa, Mother Saci came, along with thousands of other residents of Navadvipa. When she embraced the Lord they both cried.
(16) Srila Haridasa Thakura was initiated by Advaita Acarya.
(17) PASTIME OF ADVAITA ACHARYA WITH HARIDAS THAKURA:
When Advaita Acharya performed Sraddha ceremony to his father, he invited Sri Haridasa Thakur who is born in an untouchable family instead of calling brahmanas. Haridasa Thakur asked “why me I am not even allowed to enter into any Hindu’s temples, I am untouchable, why are you giving to me?” Advaita Acharya explained to him because you are chanting the names of God and because you are a pure devotee of God, by giving you prasada I am feeding millions and millions and millions of Brahmans. That one’s quality, one’s devotion are the only single thing to be considered, we are not concerned with whether one is man or a women, we are not concern whether one is a out caste or a in caste, we are not concern whether one is born of any country of any color skin. The jiva soul is pure part of Krishna and any living being who is living according to the principles of dharma and chanting the holy name is to respected and worshiped with all regard. So in this way Haridasa Thakur and Advaita Acharya would spend their days blissfully dancing and chanting: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama, Rama Hare, Hare.
(18) Advaita Acharya built a little hut, on the bank of the Ganges in Navadvipa and there he would daily discussed the beautiful pastimes of Lord Krishna and the philosophy of Bhagavad-Gita and along with Srivas and the other Vaishnavas they would have wonderful kirtan.
(SRI NITYANANDHA PRABHU – DIARY OF EVENTS WHEN HE APPEARED ON EARTH! READ HERE!)
(19) HOW ADVAITA AACHARYA BROUGHT SRI CAITANYA TO THIS WORLD?
He made a vow that I am Maha Vishnu, I am the creator of this manifestation but Krishna is the source of everything, He is the source of Me and it is only if Krishna personally comes to this world is there any chance for this foolish people of Kali Yuga to attain the emancipation from suffering and love of God. So with this in mind a heart flooded with compassion Advaita Acarya began to fast and he made a vow that I will bring Krishna to this world and he began to worship the supreme Lord Krishna by offering Tulsi leave and Ganges water. One day while Advaita was reading the scriptures he heard a passage where the Supreme Personality of Godhead said that if one offers Me with love and devotion a little Ganges water and some Tulsi leaves I will fulfil all of their desire. So with Ganges water and Tulsi leaves Advaita Acarya was crying out with tears flowing profusely from his eyes Krishna, Krishna please come to this world and deliver these fallen souls you are their only hope. As he was appealing to the Lord with such devotion fervour, note how the supreme Lord takes the role of His own devotee. His voice penetrates all of the heavenly planets, penetrated the coverings of this material existence and entered right into the supreme abode of the Lord and on the basis of Sri Advaita Acarya heartfelt prayers the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna decided to appear within this world AS Lord Caitanya.
(20) Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu revealed His identity to Sri Advaita Acarya beautifully. These pastimes can be read in tomorrow’s Sunday Star Story.
GLORIES OF SRI ADVAITA ACHARYA
(21) He constantly offered water from the Ganges and tulasi manjaris while meditating on Krishna’s lotus feet, at the same time calling to Krishna with loud roars. This is the way that he caused Krishna to descend. This, then, is the chief reason that Krishna Chaitanya became incarnate on this earth. He who is the bridge of justice descends at the wish of the devotee. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.3.107-9)
(SRILA BHAKTI SIDDHANTA SARASVATI THAKURA LIFE HISTORY – DIARY OF 50 POINTS! READ HERE!)
(22) Sri Advaita Acharya dwelt in Shantipur. His body is the reservoir of devotional nectar and is not different from that of Chaitanya. Chaitanya, whose spotless fame has filled the earth, was brought down to this earth by him. My Advaita is not different from Gauranga, and his wife Sita is the mother of the universe. His roars brought Gauranga into this world and then he glorified him everywhere. (Bhakti-ratnakara 12.3753-6)
(23) All glories to Advaita Acharya, the most merciful, whose roars brought about Gauranga’s incarnation. Whoever takes shelter of his lotus feet will obtain the great prize of love for Gaura. (Bhakti-ratnakara 12.3761, 3764)
(24) He constantly served Krishna with great enthusiasm, offering Ganges water and tulasi manjaris. Absorbed in thoughts of Krishna, he worshiped him by roaring his name, the sound of which filled the entire universe, reaching up to Vaikuntha. Lord Krishna heard the sound of these roars of love and made himself visible to humanity, for he is controlled by his devotee. (Chaitanya Bhagavat 1.2.81-3)
(25) Sri Caitanya revealed that Advaita had caused him to descend to the earth by calling him.
“It is due to Advaita that I have become incarnate, for Naria’s roars rang in my ears. I was lying in the Milk Ocean, but Naria’s roar woke me up and brought me down here.” – (Chaitanya Bhagavat 3.9.297-8)
(26) Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati also writes in his Gaudiya-bhashya to the Chaitanya Bhagavat (2.10.162), “If someone takes Advaita Acharya to be the best of all the Vaishnavas, then he can be called a Vaishnava. On the other hand, if someone considers him to be the object of all religious life, the vishaya Krishna, and Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to be his devotee, or ashraya, then he will never be able to attain Krishna’s lotus feet.”
(27) DEATH: Sri Advaita Acharya passed away in the year 1558 AD at the age of 125 years, ie, 25 years after the disappearance of Lord Caitanya.
(GAURA PURNIMA : SRI CAITANYA MAHA PRABHU LIFE HISTORY – DIARY AND SIKSASHTAKAM! READ HERE!)