Appearance day of Sri Advaita Acarya

[Harikatha of Nitya Lila Pravista Om Visnupada Astottara sata Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja Srila Gurudeva] [This transcription is a translation of Srila Gurudeva’s Hindi Hari-katha] Srila Gurudeva: Tomorrow is the appearance of Srila Raghunatha das Gosvami and it is the disappearance of Srila Vishvanatha Cakravarthi Thakura as well. Tomorrow is also the appearance day of Visnupriya-devi. Krsna’s rasa-lila also happened tomorrow. Many other pastimes manifested on that day as well. Today is the appearance day of Advaita Acarya. The Vaisnavas have observed a fast today. Advaita Acarya has a very special place in Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in the first half of Kali Yuga only because of Advaita Acarya. He appeared very quickly. The Vaisnavas will speak on Advaita Acarya. I will speak a few words as well. [After the Vaisnavas speak, Srila Gurudeva speaks on Advaita Acarya.] The Vaisnavas spoke very nicely on the glories of Advaita Acarya. Bhagavan is Advaita Acarya. There is no difference between Bhagavan and Him. Here, Bhagavan means Karanabdhisayi Visnu or Maha-Visnu. Don’t think of Bhagavan as Krsna in this case. Karanabdhisayi Visnu is Advaita Acarya. There are two causes—nimitta and upadana. They are the instrumental and efficient causes respectively. Karanabdhisayi Visnu desires for creation. When Krsna desired to lift Govardhana hill, then Govardhana was lifted. So what happened? As soon as Krsna desired, His sakti came and lifted Govardhana. Krsna only desired and who lifted Govardhana hill? His sakti. Anything that is in this world is not directly related to Krsna. Then to whom is this world related to? It is related to His sakti. All the universes and anything we see has been manifested by Krsna’s sakti. Krsna’s iccha-sakti manifests everything; but this is not seen. But, the root cause of everything is Krsna. Similarly, Krsna desires and His internal and external potencies act. Krsna desired, “Let there be creation.” Then two personalities manifested—Maha-Visnu and Advaita Acarya. What did Advaita Acarya do? In the form of the upadana-karana i.e. the efficient cause, He acted. Where did this mud come from? Where did air come from? Where did mahat-tattva come from? Mahat-tattva is the root of everything. Where did this mahat-tattva come from? It came from prakriti, nature. Where did prakriti come from? Advaita Acarya is the root of this phenomenon. The mahat-tattva underwent transformation and false ego manifested. Intelligence manifested from false ego and the mind manifested from intelligence. Consequently, the working and knowledge-acquiring senses were created. Then the human body and the material universes were created. Therefore, Maha-Visnu is the instrumental cause and Advaita Acarya is the efficient cause. Nature underwent transformation by His desire. We believe in sakti-parinamavada i.e. the transformation of Krsna’s sakti. Advaita Acarya did not undergo transformation; His sakti underwent transformation. Material nature underwent transformation and creation took place. The intelligence, mind, and all the material elements were created by His sakti. But nature or prakriti cannot act on her own. Who is performing the work? Advaita Acarya is. He is creating the material universes by the transformation of His potency. Therefore, Advaita Acarya is considered the efficient cause. And, Karanabdhisayi Visnu is the instrumental cause. Clay, water, rope, a stick, and a wheel are the ingredients. But who makes the earthen pots? The potter does. The potter makes many things from clay. But if there was no clay, then can the potter make pots? If there is clay but not water, then will only clay do? No. Clay, water, and all the material ingredients are needed. Yet, if all the ingredients are there but if there is no wheel, then can pots be made? No. Everything is needed. This is the work of nature. Nature is glanced upon and creation takes place. But whose nature is this? It is Advaita Acarya’s. Prakriti means sakti (potency). Sakti and Saktiman (the possessor of the potency) are non-different. In this way, Advaita Acarya is considered the root cause. This is Advaita Acarya who is Maha-Visnu. A light emerged from Karanabdhisayi-Visnu’s forehead. Devotee: Sada-Siva? Srila Gurudeva: Yes. Advaita Acarya is Sada-Siva as well. The gross and subtle elements are manifested by Sada-Siva. Thus, Sada-Siva acts as the efficient cause. Sankara also engages in this act. Everything is Sada-Siva’s or Advaita Acarya’s creation. In some places Sada-Siva is also considered as Advaita Acarya. This is also understood by proper perusal of the commentary on Brahma Samhita. Who is Advaita Acarya or Sada-Siva? He has come from Maha-Sankarsana. Sada-Siva has come from Him. And from Sada-Siva, Karanabdhisayi Visnu has come. Therefore, the two tattvas are one. The direct expansion of Sada-Siva is Advaita Acarya. Except for Krsna, Baladeva Prabhu and all His expansions up until Visnu have dasya-bhava, the mood of a servant. Only Krsna has the mood of Prabhu or master. Narayana has this mood as well. But Baladeva Prabhu’s expansions have dasya-bhava. Therefore, Advaita-Acarya or Maha-Visnu has dasya-bhava. From Maha-Visnu, Garbhodasayi, Ksirodasayi, and Sesa-Naga have manifested. Therefore, Advaita Acarya came first to this world because He had dasya-bhava. He made the platform for Mahaprabhu. At that time, everyone was the enemy of one who chanted Krsna’s name. They would clap hands and laugh at a devotee of Krsna. They would say, “Oh he has a tilak on his forehead. He puts wood around his neck.” Everyone was drowning in samsara. There were many great scholars in Navadvipa. They would fight with one another on the subjects of prakriti, purusa, and sankhya. They would fight on nyaya (logic) as well. They had no relationship with Bhagavan. Everyone would consume alcohol and engage in the worship of Goddess Durga. They would put alcohol in a skull and worship Durga. They would spend much money in getting cats married. They would be disgusted when they were told about Krsna-bhakti. They were completely against. Those days are now slowly coming again. In Bengal, people are very respectful. But in Uttar Pradesh, the people would not be respectful on seeing Vaisnavas. Earlier, even a child carrying stool would offer his obeisance to Vaisnava. He would say, “Pranama Baba. Radhe Radhe.” Presently, the people tease Vaisnavas. The Vaisnavas are not respected as before. The elderly respect Vaisnavas and their children offer their respect to some extent as well. But, their grandchildren are slowly becoming disdainful. The situation during Advaita Acarya was far worse and fearful. Advaita Acarya wondered on how He could correct the situation. He thought, “Until Mahaprabhu comes, the people will continue to be degraded.” Therefore, He worshiped Krsna. How did He do so? How did He call Him? He thought, “If I take some Tulasi leaves and offer them to salagrama with Ganga water, then Krsna will listen to My prayers.” But will Krsna accept your worship if you only offer Tulasi leaves with Ganga water? If there is no bhava (mood of loving devotion) then even the offering of Tulasi leaves and Ganga water will be futile. Without faith, can the offering be successful? No. The offering of Tulasi leaves and Ganga water will be not be in vain if one has a mood like Advaita Acarya. Upon listening to Advaita Acarya’s prayers, Mahaprabhu descended to this world. At the end of Mahaprabhu’s pastimes, Advaita Acarya recited a sonnet:

baulake kahiha loka ha-ila baula baulake kahiha hate na vikaya caula baulake kahiha ka ye nahika aula baulake kahiha iha kahiyache baula

Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila 19.20-21

The message of Advaita Acarya read, “Tell the transcendental mad man that there is no longer any need of rice.” Who is mad? Who is the person immersed in Krsna-prema? He is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He came to give this prema. The message read, “There was no rice in the market.” It means there was no prema. Mahaprabhu descended to this world with the “market” of Krsna-prema. When rice was available everywhere, there was no longer anyone in need of it. In other words, the flood of Krsna-prema inundated everyone’s homes. So, there was no need of the person who opened the marketplace of prema. Hence, Advaita Acarya told Mahaprabhu, “There is no need of rice in the market. Rice is freely available in all the four directions.” Advaita Acarya then had this message sent to Mahaprabhu. What is the meaning of this message? Prema was not available before. But now prema was freely available in everyone’s homes. Now there were no remaining recipients of prema. Therefore, the business of prema will no longer run. So, Advaita Acarya told Mahaprabhu, “It is time for You to depart. You should enter Your eternal pastimes.” When Mahaprabhu heard this message, He became grave. Only one more person understood this message. He was Sri Svarupa Damodar Gosvami. No one else understood this message. The devotees requested Mahaprabhu for the reason of His being grave. But He didn’t reply. He only said, “Krsna’s worship has been completed.” In other words, Mahaprabhu said, “Advaita Acarya called Me and My work here is finished. He now wants to take Me back to His abode.” After listening to Advaita Acarya’s message, Mahaprabhu became very grave. He only lived in a cave i.e. the Gambhira. He would become immersed in chanting Krsna’s names throughout the day and night. He would exhibit supra-mundane symptoms of transcendental ecstasy and in the end; He entered the deity of Gopinatha. After this no one saw Him anymore. Gadadhara Pandit left and as did Svarupa Damodar. All the devotees gradually started leaving this world because the person they had appeared for (Mahaprabhu) had now left. So, His associates started to depart this world as well. But Advaita Acarya didn’t leave immediately. He was sixty years older than Mahaprabhu. After Mahaprabhu’s disappearance, He remained for twenty five years more in this world. Why? He is Maha-Visnu. This world belongs to Maha-Visnu. He didn’t want the world to be plunged into chaos after Mahaprabhu’s disappearance. He remained to maintain the world. He preached for many years. When everyone was drowning in separation from Mahaprabhu, He pacified them. Our Raghunatha das Gosvami came to Vrndavana. Why did he come? He thought, “I will give up my life in Vrndavana by either drowning myself in the Yamuna or by jumping from the top of Govardhana hill.” Rupa-Sanatana pacified him and kept them with him. Nityananda Prabhu had also left this world. Advaita Acarya pacified everyone. Then three great devotees appeared in this world—Syamananda Prabhu, Narottama Thakura, and Srinivasa Acarya. When they came of age and started to preach, Advaita Acarya left this world and joined the service of His Prabhu. This is the tattva of Advaita Acarya. There are many more glories to be told about Him but there is no time. It is seven now. Therefore, I will stop for today. If it is possible then on another day, I will speak on more glories of Sri Advaita Acarya. [Srila Gurudeva leads the devotees in singing the Hare Krsna Mahamantra.]