Advaita Tattva
A Comprehensive Guide to Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma
THE SIXTH JEWEL: ADVAITA-TATTVA
Advaita-tattva - The Advaita Principle
6.1
- mahavisnur-jagat-karta mayaya yam srjaty adam
- tasyavatara evayam advaitacarya isvaram
Lord Advaita Acaya is the incarnation of Mahavisnu, whose main function is to create the cosmic world through the actions of maya. (Caitanya-Caritamrta Adi 6.4)
6. 2
- advaitam harinadvaitacayam bhakti-samsanat
- bhaktavataramism tam advaitacaryam asraye
Because He is nondifferent from Hari, the Supreme Lord, He is called Advaita, and because He propagates the cult of devotion, He is called Acaya. He is the Lord and the incarnation of the Lord's devotee. Therefore I take shelter of Him. (Caitanya-Caritamrta Adi 1.12 - 13)
Mahavisnu, the Supersoul of material nature, is the efficent cause [nimitta] and Sri Advaita is the material cause [upadana] of the material creation.
6. 3
- apane purusa - visvera "nimitta - karana
- advaita-rupa "upadana" ha'na narayana
- "nimittamse" kare ti-ho mayate iksana
- "upadana" sri advaita karena brahmanda-srjana
Lord Visnu Himself is the efficient [nimitta] cause of the material world, and Narayana in the form of Sri Advaita, is the material cause [upadana]. Lord Visn, in His efficient aspect, glances over the material energy, and Sri Advaita as the material cause, creates the material world. (Caitanya-Caritamrta Adi 6.16 - 7)
Advaita is Sadasiva
6. 4 He who was Sri Sadasva is the bhakta-avatara, Sri Advaita Prabhu. (Gaura-Ganoddesa Dipika, 11)
6. 5 The meaning of the name Advaita
- mahavisnura amsa - advaita gunadhama
- isvare abheda, te-i "advaita" purna nama
Sri Advaita, who is a reservoir of virtues, is the main limb of Mahavisnu. His full name is Advaita, for He is identical in all respects with the Lord. (Caitanya-Caritamrta Adi 6.25)
Advaita Acarya is a preacher of krsna-bhakti
6. 7
- jiva nistarila krsna-bhakti kari' dana
- gita-bhagavate kaila bhaktira vyakhyana
He delivered all living beings by offering the gift of krsna-bhakti. He explained Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam in the light of devotional service. (Caitanya-Caritamrta Adi 6.27)
He is the avatara of Mahavisnu of and is the servant of Sri Caitanya.
6. 8
- advaitanacaya gosa-i saksat-isvara
- prabhu, guru kari' mane ti-ho ta' kinkara
Lord Advaita Acarya is directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although Lord Caitanya accepts Him as His preceptor, Advaita Acarya is a servant of the Lord. (Caitanya-Caritamrta Adi5.147)
Advaita and Nityananda are servants of Sri Caitanya
6.9
- eka "mahaprabhu," ara "prabhu" - duijana
- dui prabhu seve maharabhu carana
There is one "Mahaprabhu" [Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu] and two "Prabhus" [Advaita Prabhu and Nityananda Prabhu]. The two Prabhus serve the lotus feet of Maharabhu. (Caitanya-Caritamrta Adi 7.14)
The twofold branches among the followers of Advaita: saragrahi (those who accept the essence) and asaravahi (those useless persons who accept the nonessential).
6.10
- advaitanghryu-abhabhrngamstan sarasarabhrto 'khilan
- hitvasaran sarabhuto naumi caitanya jivanan
The followers of Sri Advaita were of two kinds. Some were real followers (saragrahi) and the others were false (sara-grahi). Rejecting the false followers, I offere my respectful obeisances to the real followers of Sri Advaita Acaya whose life and soul was Sri Caitanya Maharabhu. (Caitanya-Caritamrta Adi 12.1)
The Saragrahi followers of Advaita are devotees of Gauranga: the asara-grahi (useless) are those who act independently and reject Gauranga.
6.11
- prathame ta' ekamata acaryera gana
- pache dui mata haila daivera karana
- keha ta' acaryera ajnaya, keha ta' svatantra
- svamata kalpana kare daiva-paratantra
- acaryera mata yei, sei mata sara
- ta-'ra ajna langi' cale sei ta' asara
At first all the followers of Advaita Acaya shared a single opinion. but later they followed two different opinions as ordained by providence. Some of the disciples strictly accepted the orders of the acarya, and others deviated, independently concocting their own opinions under the spell of daivi maya. The opinion of the acarya is essential. Anyone who disregards his order is useless (asara-grahi) (Caitanya-Caritamrta Adi 12.8 - 10).
The useless followers of Advaita Acarya acted contrary to the principles of Sri Caitanya and thus became cut off from his mercy.
6.12
- ihara madhye mali-pache kona saha-gana
- na mane caitanya-mali durdaiva-karana
- srjaila, jiyaila ta're na manila
- krtaghna haila, ta're skandha ta're jala na sa-care
- jalabhave krsa-sakha sukhaiya mare
After the disappearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who was the gardener of the tree of love of Godhead, some of the sub-branches of the Advaita branch, for unfortunate reasons, deviated from His path. Some branches did not accept the original trunk that vitalized and maintained the entire tree. When they thus became ungrateful, the original trunk was angry at them. Thus Lord Caitanya did not sprinkly upon them the water of his mercy, and they gradually withered and died.