Lord Caitanya is Non-different from
Lord Nrsimhadeva

BY: SUN STAFF

Bhaktivedanta Book Trust

Sep 28, 2016 — CANADA (SUN) —

There are several verses found in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta and Caitanya Bhagavata which establish that Lord Caitanya is non-different from the form of Lord Nrsimhadeva. In Caitanay Bhagavata, Madhya-khanda, chapter 2, 253-269 we find this glorious passage:

"Walking by the riverbank, He (Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu) saw a herd of cows. They were mooing and drinking water. With raised tails some ran in the four directions. Some fought. Some napped. Some drank water. Seeing them, the Lord began to roar. I am He! I am He!" The Lord shouted again and again. In this way He ran to Srivasa's house.

Srivasa, what are you doing now?", the Lord roared. Within his home, Srivasa was worshiping Lord Narasimha. Pounding again and again, Sri Caitanya broke the door open. Whom do you worship? On whom do you meditate? Look! The person you worship has come!" the Lord roared.

Srivasa saw a form like blazing fire, Then his meditation broke. He looked in the four directions. He saw Sri Caitanya sitting in a virasana yoga posture. Sri Caitanya had four arms. He held a conch-shell, cakra, club, and lotus. He roared like a maddened lion. Slapping the palm of His hand against His left shoulder, He made a great sound. Seeing all this, Srivasa trembled. Then he became stunned. He did not move.

The Lord roared, O Srivasa! For so many days you did not know My true identity? Because of your loud sankirtana I left Vaikuntha and came here with all My associates. Not knowing Me, You left Me and went to Santipura. I will rescue the devotees. I will kill all the demons. Don't worry. Now recite prayers to Me." Gazing at the Lord, Srivasa wept tears of love. The fears in his heart died. Now He was confident. His whole body was filled with joy.

He offered dandavat obeisances. Then, folding his hands, he recited prayers. By his nature, Srivasa Pandita was a great devotee of the Lord. He accepted the Lord's order. By the Lord's desire, he recited prayers." In Caitanya Bhagavat we read:

gadadhara parena summukha bhagavata
suniya prakase prabhu prema-bhava yata
prahlada-caritra, ara dhruvera-caritra
sata-vrtti kariya sunena sarhita

"Whenever Sri Gadadhara would recite the Prahlada-caritra and Dhruva-caritra from Bhagavatam, the Lord would manifest various symptoms of love. The Lord would hear the glories of Prahlada and Dhruva hundreds of times."
(Sri Caitanya-bhagavata, Antya.10.13-14)

In Caitanya-caritamrta we read about Sri Krsna Caitanya's pastimes in which he demonstrated the mood of Lord Narasimha, running through a village in Navadvipa and roaring like Narasimhadeva, picking up a huge club. He did this after hearing Srivasa Pandita chanting the 1,000 Names of Lord Visnu. As soon as the name of Lord Narasimha came up (which is in the beginning of the Visnu Sahasra-nama), the Lord ran through the street scaring everyone. Lord Caitanya expressed unhappiness about this even, but His pure devotee Srivasa Thakura pacified the Lord and assured Him that everyone who had just witnessed His demonstration of the mood of Lord Narasimha would be eternally liberated.

From Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 17.90:

"One day the Lord ordered Srivasa Thakur to read the Brhat-sahasra- nama [the thousand names of Lord Visnu], for He wanted to hear them at that time.

CC Adi 17.91: As he read the thousand names of the Lord, in due course the holy name of Lord Nrsimha appeared. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu heard the holy name of Lord Nrsimha, He became fully absorbed in thought.

CC Adi 17.92: In the mood of Lord Nrsimhadeva, Lord Caitanya ran through the city streets, club in hand, ready to kill all the atheists.

CC Adi 17.93: Seeing Him appearing very fierce in the ecstasy of Lord Nrsimha, people ran from the street and fled here and there, afraid of His anger.

CC Adi 17.94: Seeing the people so afraid, the Lord came to His external senses and thus returned to the house of Srivasa Thakur and threw away the club.

CC Adi 17.95: The Lord became morose and said to Srivasa Thakur, "When I adopted the mood of Lord Nrsimhadeva, people were greatly afraid. Therefore I stopped, since causing fear among people is an offense."

CC Adi 17.96: Srivasa Thakur replied, "Anyone who takes Your holy name vanquishes ten million of his offenses immediately.

CC Adi 17.97: "There was no offense in Your appearing as Nrsimhadeva. Rather, any man who saw You in that mood was immediately liberated from the bondage of material existence."

CC Adi 17.98: After saying this, Srivasa Thakur worshiped the Lord, who was then greatly satisfied and returned to His own home.

Bhaktivedanta Book Trust

There are many references to Lord Caitanya's "lion-like qualities" and His lion-like Form. Sri Krsnadas Kaviraja states:

simha griva simha-virya simhera hunkar

"He has the shoulders of a lion, the powers of a lion, and the loud voice of a lion."

From Srila Prabhodananda Sarasvati Thakura:

simha skandham...

"May Lord Chaitanya, whose shoulders are like a lion..."

CC Madhya 7.95:

"Almost like a mad lion, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went on His tour filled with ecstatic love and performing sankirtana, chanting Krishna's names as follows."

CC Madhya 7.96:

"The Lord chanted: Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! he Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! he Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! raksha mamKrishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! pahi mam That is, "O Lord Krishna, please protect Me and maintain Me." He also chanted: Rama! Raghava! Rama! Raghava! Rama! Raghava! Raksha mamKrishna! Kesava! Krishna! Kesava! Krishna! Kesava! Pahi mam That is, "O Lord Rama, descendant of King Raghu, please protect Me. O Krishna, O Kesava, killer of the Kesi demon, please maintain Me."

And the very famous slokas about Lord Caitanya's lion-like qualities, found in Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 3.30-31:

Adi 3.30

caitanya-simhera navadvipe avatara
simha-griva, simha-virya, simhera hunkara

SYNONYMS

caitanya-simhera -- of the lionlike Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu; navadvipe -- at Navadvipa; avatara -- the incarnation; simha-griva -- having the neck of a lion; simha-virya -- the strength of a lion; simhera hunkara -- the roar of a lion.

TRANSLATION

Thus the lionlike Lord Caitanya has appeared in Navadvipa. He has the shoulders of a lion, the powers of a lion, and the loud voice of a lion.

Adi 3.31

sei simha vasuk jivera hridaya-kandare
kalmasha-dvirada nase yanhara hunkare

SYNONYMS

sei -- that; simha -- lion; vasuk -- let Him sit; jivera -- of the living entities; hridaya -- of the heart; kandare -- in the cavern; kalmasha -- of sins; dvi-rada -- the elephant; nase -- destroys; yanhara -- of whom; hunkare -- the roar.

TRANSLATION

May that lion be seated in the core of the heart of every living being. Thus with His resounding roar may He drive away one's elephantine vices.

Another famous instance when Lord Caitanya disclosed Himself as being non-different from Lord Narasimha is described in Caitanya-caritamrta, when Nrsimhananda Brahmacari wanted to see Mahaprabhu as non-different from Lord Narasimha. Lord Caitanya accepted the offering made for Lord Narasimha, and afterwards showed the brahmacari His form as Sri Nrsimhadeva.

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