How Do We Know that Lord Caitanya is Krishna?
There are many scriptural references to prove that Lord Caitanya is Krishna, that He is God Himself. So we should never have any doubt about His identity. Here are ten of them:
sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam
yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair
yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ
"In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the holy name of Krishna. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krishna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions."
kṛṣṇa-varṇam—repeating the syllables kṛṣ-ṇa; tviṣā-with a luster; akṛṣṇam—not black (golden); sa-aṅga—along with associates; upa-aṅga—servitors; astra—weapons; pārṣadam—confidential companions;
kṛṣṇa-varṇam: This word denotes that Lord Caitanya belongs to the category of Krishna or in other words He is Krishna Himself. krsna-varnam also means one who constantly chants the name of Lord Krishna.
tviṣā-with a luster
akṛṣṇam—not black (golden)
sangopangastra-parsadam: Lord Caitanya is always accompanied by His confidential associates like Lord Nityananda, Advaita Acharya, Sri Gadadhara Pandita, Srivasa Acharya, Haridasa Thakura, etc. In other incarnations, the Lord sometimes made use of His weapons to defeat or kill the demons, but in this age the Lord subdues the demonic mentality with His all-attractive figure of Caitanya Mahaprabhu who freely distributes Krishna-prema, pure love of Krishna. That is His weapon.
yajñaiḥ—by sacrifice
saṅkīrtana-prāyaiḥ—consisting chiefly of congregational chanting
yajanti—they worship
hi—certainly
su-medhasaḥ—intelligent persons.
(2) Vishnu-sahasra-nama stotra from Mahabharata
Each of the 1000 names contained in the Vishnu-sahasra-nama stotra that is found in the Mahabharata, glorifies one or more aspects of the Supreme Lord’s transcendental forms, qualities, pastimes, etc.
The following names indicate the bodily features of Lord Caitanya.
suvarna-varno hemango varangas candanangadi
suvarna-varna: He has a golden complexion.
hemanga: He has the appearance of molten gold.
varanga: He is exquisitely beautiful.
candanangadi: The Lord’s body is smeared with sandalwood pulp.
Lord Caitanya’s qualities and activities are described in the following names.
sannyasa-krc chamah santo nistha-santi-parayanah
sannyasa-krt: He accepts the renounced order of life. (Lord Caitanya accepted sannyasa at the age of 24.)
sama: He is fully sense-controlled or equipoised.
santa: He is completely peaceful.
nistha: He is rigidly fixed in the chanting of the holy name of Lord Krishna.
santi-parayana: He is the highest abode of devotion and peace. He silences the impersonalist philosophers. (Lord Caitanya defeated many eminent mayavadis in philosophical debates and converted them to Vaishnavism.)
(3) Garuda Purana on Caitanya Mahaprabhu
The Supreme Lord says:
aham purno bhavisyami yuga-sandhyau visesatah
mayapure navadvipe bhavisyami saci-sutah
"In the first part of Kali-yuga, I will appear in my complete spiritual form in Mayapura, Navadvipa and become the son of Saci."
Sri Caitanya was born in Mayapura (a subsection of the holy town of Navadvipa, West Bengal) as the son of Srimati Saci devi in the year 1486, about 4,500 years after the beginning of the Kali-yuga.
It is also stated in this Purana:
kaleh prathama-sandhyayam laksmi-kanto bhavisyati
daru-brahma-samipa-sthah sannyasi gaura-vigrahah
"In the first part of Kali-yuga, the Supreme Lord in the golden complexion will become the husband of Lakshmi. Then He will become a sannyasi and reside near Lord Jagannatha."
Sri Caitanya married His eternal consort Srimati Lakshmipriya and later took sannyasa at the age of 24. After the acceptance of sannyasa, He left Navadvipa and resided in Puri, the holy city of Lord Jagannatha in Orissa. Lord Jagannatha in Puri is also referred to as daru-brahma in the Puranas as the Deities here are made from Neem wood. The word daru means wood in Sanskrit.
yo reme saha-ballavi ramayate vrndavane ‘har-nisam
yah kamsam ni jaghana kaurava-rane yah pandavanam sakha
so ‘yam vainava-danda-mandita-bhujah sannyasa-vesah svayam
nihsandeham upagatah ksiti-tale caitanya-rupah prabhuh
"The Supreme Lord who took delight in His pastimes with the gopis, who filled the residents of Vrindavan with joy day and night, who slew Kamsa, and who made friends with the Pandavas in the battle between the Kauravas, will without any doubt, come again to the earth. He will be a sannyasi with the name Caitanya whose arm will be decorated with a bamboo stick."
It is clear from this verse that Lord Krishna Himself appeared as Caitanya Mahaprabhu. According to the custom, a sannyasi is supposed to carry a bamboo stick (danda). Lord Caitanya carried a single bamboo stick as He was an eka-danda sannyasi.
(4) Narasimha Purana on Caitanya Mahaprabhu
satye daitya-kuladhi-nasa-samaye
simhordhva-martyakrtis
tretayam dasa-kandharam
paribhavan rameti namakrtih
gopalan paripalayan vraja-pure
bharam haran dvapare
gaurangah priya-kirtanah
kali-yuge caitanya-nama-prabhuh
"The Supreme Lord who assumed the form of a half-man, half-lion in the Satya-yuga to cure a dreadful disease that had devastated the Daityas, and who appearing as Rama conquered the ten-headed Ravana in the Treta-yuga, and who removed the burden of the earth in the Dvapara-yuga and protected the cowherd men of Vraja-pura, will be the Lord by name Chaitanya in the Kali-yuga. He will have a golden form and He will take pleasure in chanting the Lord’s holy names."
(5) Padma Purana on Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
The Supreme Lord states:
kaleh prathama-sandhyayam gaurangotham mahi-tale
bhagirathi-tate ramie bhavisyami saci-sutah
"I shall take birth as the son of Shachi assuming a golden form in a beautiful place on the bank of the Bhagirathi (Ganges) on the earth in the first part of Kali-yuga."
Mayapura, the birth place of Sri Caitanya is on the banks of the Ganges. There is a similar verse in the Brahma Purana predicting the appearance of Lord Caitanya.
(6) Narada Purana on Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
The Supreme Personality of Godhead says:
aham eva kalau vipra nityam pracchanna-vigrahah
bhagavad-bhakta-rupena lokan raksami sarvada
"O brahmana, I will deliver all the worlds, concealing myself in the form of a devotee of the Lord in Kali-yuga."
divija bhuvi jayadhvam jayadhvam bhakta-rupinah
kalau sankirtanarambhe bhavisyami saci-sutah
"O demigods, please advent on the earth as devotees in Kali-yuga. To inaugurate sankirtana, I will incarnate as the son of Saci."
(7) Bhavishya Purana on Caitanya Mahaprabhu
The Supreme Lord states:
anandasru-kala-roma-harsa-purnam tapo-dhana
sarve mama eva draksyanti kalau sannyasa-rupinam
"O austere sage, everyone will see My transcendental form as a sannyasi in the age of Kali. I will be displaying symptoms like shedding tears of bliss and hairs standing on end out of ecstasy."
Lord Caitanya was always merged in the ocean of transcendental ecstasy while chanting the names of Krishna and dancing during sankirtana. He felt intense separation from the Lord and due to those devotional feelings displayed various ecstatic symptoms of pure love for Krishna, such as incessant tears, voice choking up, hairs on the body standing on end etc.
(8) Vayu Purana on Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
The Supreme Lord says:
paurnamasyam phalgunasya phalguni-rksa-yogatah
bhavisye gaura-rupena saci-garbhe purandarat
ISKCON Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, ordered his disciples to become gurus and deliver the world. Sankarshan Das Adhikari has taken this order very seriously and is thus accepting disciples all over the world and has dedicated himself fully to the mission of making the entire world Krishna conscious as soon as possible. He requests your help in this most urgent world deliverance mission to save the suffering humanity from gliding down to the animal kingdom in their next births.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari email: sd@worldleader.com
(1) Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.32)
kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁsāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam
yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair
yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ
"In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the holy name of Krishna. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krishna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions."
kṛṣṇa-varṇam—repeating the syllables kṛṣ-ṇa; tviṣā-with a luster; akṛṣṇam—not black (golden); sa-aṅga—along with associates; upa-aṅga—servitors; astra—weapons; pārṣadam—confidential companions;
kṛṣṇa-varṇam: This word denotes that Lord Caitanya belongs to the category of Krishna or in other words He is Krishna Himself. krsna-varnam also means one who constantly chants the name of Lord Krishna.
tviṣā-with a luster
akṛṣṇam—not black (golden)
sangopangastra-parsadam: Lord Caitanya is always accompanied by His confidential associates like Lord Nityananda, Advaita Acharya, Sri Gadadhara Pandita, Srivasa Acharya, Haridasa Thakura, etc. In other incarnations, the Lord sometimes made use of His weapons to defeat or kill the demons, but in this age the Lord subdues the demonic mentality with His all-attractive figure of Caitanya Mahaprabhu who freely distributes Krishna-prema, pure love of Krishna. That is His weapon.
yajñaiḥ—by sacrifice
saṅkīrtana-prāyaiḥ—consisting chiefly of congregational chanting
yajanti—they worship
hi—certainly
su-medhasaḥ—intelligent persons.
(2) Vishnu-sahasra-nama stotra from Mahabharata
Each of the 1000 names contained in the Vishnu-sahasra-nama stotra that is found in the Mahabharata, glorifies one or more aspects of the Supreme Lord’s transcendental forms, qualities, pastimes, etc.
The following names indicate the bodily features of Lord Caitanya.
suvarna-varno hemango varangas candanangadi
suvarna-varna: He has a golden complexion.
hemanga: He has the appearance of molten gold.
varanga: He is exquisitely beautiful.
candanangadi: The Lord’s body is smeared with sandalwood pulp.
Lord Caitanya’s qualities and activities are described in the following names.
sannyasa-krc chamah santo nistha-santi-parayanah
sannyasa-krt: He accepts the renounced order of life. (Lord Caitanya accepted sannyasa at the age of 24.)
sama: He is fully sense-controlled or equipoised.
santa: He is completely peaceful.
nistha: He is rigidly fixed in the chanting of the holy name of Lord Krishna.
santi-parayana: He is the highest abode of devotion and peace. He silences the impersonalist philosophers. (Lord Caitanya defeated many eminent mayavadis in philosophical debates and converted them to Vaishnavism.)
(3) Garuda Purana on Caitanya Mahaprabhu
The Supreme Lord says:
aham purno bhavisyami yuga-sandhyau visesatah
mayapure navadvipe bhavisyami saci-sutah
"In the first part of Kali-yuga, I will appear in my complete spiritual form in Mayapura, Navadvipa and become the son of Saci."
Sri Caitanya was born in Mayapura (a subsection of the holy town of Navadvipa, West Bengal) as the son of Srimati Saci devi in the year 1486, about 4,500 years after the beginning of the Kali-yuga.
It is also stated in this Purana:
kaleh prathama-sandhyayam laksmi-kanto bhavisyati
daru-brahma-samipa-sthah sannyasi gaura-vigrahah
"In the first part of Kali-yuga, the Supreme Lord in the golden complexion will become the husband of Lakshmi. Then He will become a sannyasi and reside near Lord Jagannatha."
Sri Caitanya married His eternal consort Srimati Lakshmipriya and later took sannyasa at the age of 24. After the acceptance of sannyasa, He left Navadvipa and resided in Puri, the holy city of Lord Jagannatha in Orissa. Lord Jagannatha in Puri is also referred to as daru-brahma in the Puranas as the Deities here are made from Neem wood. The word daru means wood in Sanskrit.
yo reme saha-ballavi ramayate vrndavane ‘har-nisam
yah kamsam ni jaghana kaurava-rane yah pandavanam sakha
so ‘yam vainava-danda-mandita-bhujah sannyasa-vesah svayam
nihsandeham upagatah ksiti-tale caitanya-rupah prabhuh
"The Supreme Lord who took delight in His pastimes with the gopis, who filled the residents of Vrindavan with joy day and night, who slew Kamsa, and who made friends with the Pandavas in the battle between the Kauravas, will without any doubt, come again to the earth. He will be a sannyasi with the name Caitanya whose arm will be decorated with a bamboo stick."
It is clear from this verse that Lord Krishna Himself appeared as Caitanya Mahaprabhu. According to the custom, a sannyasi is supposed to carry a bamboo stick (danda). Lord Caitanya carried a single bamboo stick as He was an eka-danda sannyasi.
(4) Narasimha Purana on Caitanya Mahaprabhu
satye daitya-kuladhi-nasa-samaye
simhordhva-martyakrtis
tretayam dasa-kandharam
paribhavan rameti namakrtih
gopalan paripalayan vraja-pure
bharam haran dvapare
gaurangah priya-kirtanah
kali-yuge caitanya-nama-prabhuh
"The Supreme Lord who assumed the form of a half-man, half-lion in the Satya-yuga to cure a dreadful disease that had devastated the Daityas, and who appearing as Rama conquered the ten-headed Ravana in the Treta-yuga, and who removed the burden of the earth in the Dvapara-yuga and protected the cowherd men of Vraja-pura, will be the Lord by name Chaitanya in the Kali-yuga. He will have a golden form and He will take pleasure in chanting the Lord’s holy names."
(5) Padma Purana on Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
The Supreme Lord states:
kaleh prathama-sandhyayam gaurangotham mahi-tale
bhagirathi-tate ramie bhavisyami saci-sutah
"I shall take birth as the son of Shachi assuming a golden form in a beautiful place on the bank of the Bhagirathi (Ganges) on the earth in the first part of Kali-yuga."
Mayapura, the birth place of Sri Caitanya is on the banks of the Ganges. There is a similar verse in the Brahma Purana predicting the appearance of Lord Caitanya.
(6) Narada Purana on Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
The Supreme Personality of Godhead says:
aham eva kalau vipra nityam pracchanna-vigrahah
bhagavad-bhakta-rupena lokan raksami sarvada
"O brahmana, I will deliver all the worlds, concealing myself in the form of a devotee of the Lord in Kali-yuga."
divija bhuvi jayadhvam jayadhvam bhakta-rupinah
kalau sankirtanarambhe bhavisyami saci-sutah
"O demigods, please advent on the earth as devotees in Kali-yuga. To inaugurate sankirtana, I will incarnate as the son of Saci."
(7) Bhavishya Purana on Caitanya Mahaprabhu
The Supreme Lord states:
anandasru-kala-roma-harsa-purnam tapo-dhana
sarve mama eva draksyanti kalau sannyasa-rupinam
"O austere sage, everyone will see My transcendental form as a sannyasi in the age of Kali. I will be displaying symptoms like shedding tears of bliss and hairs standing on end out of ecstasy."
Lord Caitanya was always merged in the ocean of transcendental ecstasy while chanting the names of Krishna and dancing during sankirtana. He felt intense separation from the Lord and due to those devotional feelings displayed various ecstatic symptoms of pure love for Krishna, such as incessant tears, voice choking up, hairs on the body standing on end etc.
(8) Vayu Purana on Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
The Supreme Lord says:
paurnamasyam phalgunasya phalguni-rksa-yogatah
bhavisye gaura-rupena saci-garbhe purandarat
"On the full moon day of the month of Phalguna, conjoined with the star Phalguni, I will appear in a golden form begotten by Purandara in the womb of Saci."
Lord Caitanya was born on the full moon day in the month of Phalguna. His father was known by the names Jagannatha Mishra and Purandara Mishra.
svarnadi-tiram asthaya navadvipe janasraye
tatra dvija-kulam prapto bhavisyami janalaye
"I will appear in a brahmana family in Navadvipa, by the shore of the Ganges."
bhakti-yoga-pradanaya lokasyanugrahaya ca
sannyasa-rupam asthaya krsna-caitanya-nama-dhrk
"In order to engage the people in devotional service and bestow mercy upon them, I will take sannyasa, accepting the name Krishna Caitanya."
(9) Matsya Purana on Caitanya Mahaprabhu
The following statement is made by the Lord:
mundo gaurah su-dirghangas tri-srotas-tira-sambhavah
dayaluh kirtana-grahi bhavisyami kalau yuge
"In the age of Kali, I will be golden colour. I will be tall and will have a shaven head. The place where I take birth will be a meeting point of three rivers. I will be very merciful and I will keenly engage in chanting the holy names."
Lord Caitanya was born on the full moon day in the month of Phalguna. His father was known by the names Jagannatha Mishra and Purandara Mishra.
svarnadi-tiram asthaya navadvipe janasraye
tatra dvija-kulam prapto bhavisyami janalaye
"I will appear in a brahmana family in Navadvipa, by the shore of the Ganges."
bhakti-yoga-pradanaya lokasyanugrahaya ca
sannyasa-rupam asthaya krsna-caitanya-nama-dhrk
"In order to engage the people in devotional service and bestow mercy upon them, I will take sannyasa, accepting the name Krishna Caitanya."
(9) Matsya Purana on Caitanya Mahaprabhu
The following statement is made by the Lord:
mundo gaurah su-dirghangas tri-srotas-tira-sambhavah
dayaluh kirtana-grahi bhavisyami kalau yuge
"In the age of Kali, I will be golden colour. I will be tall and will have a shaven head. The place where I take birth will be a meeting point of three rivers. I will be very merciful and I will keenly engage in chanting the holy names."
Lord Caitanya, being an eka-danda sannyasi had a completely shaven head as was the custom for such sannyasis. Three rivers – the Ganges, the Yamuna and the Saraswati (which is currently in her hidden form) – flow at Navadvipa.
(10) Skanda Purana on Caitanya Mahaprabhu
The Supreme Lord states:
antah krsnah bahir gaurah sangopangastra-parsadah
saci-garbhe samapnuyam maya-manusa-karma-krt
"Inwardly Krishna but outwardly of golden form, I will be accompanied by My associates, servants, weapons, and confidential companions. Taking My birth in the womb of Saci, I will accept the role of a human being."
We are unlimitedly blessed that Lord Krishna has appeared as Lord Caitanya to teach us by His perfect example how we can all be pure devotees of Krishna.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
(10) Skanda Purana on Caitanya Mahaprabhu
The Supreme Lord states:
antah krsnah bahir gaurah sangopangastra-parsadah
saci-garbhe samapnuyam maya-manusa-karma-krt
"Inwardly Krishna but outwardly of golden form, I will be accompanied by My associates, servants, weapons, and confidential companions. Taking My birth in the womb of Saci, I will accept the role of a human being."
We are unlimitedly blessed that Lord Krishna has appeared as Lord Caitanya to teach us by His perfect example how we can all be pure devotees of Krishna.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
P.S. Thank you for reading Thought for the Day. If you have not already done so, please make this your regularl daily habit. You derive great benefit by doing so.
Please accept my most humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I have been reading so many disturbing comments on Quora about ISKCON. Their answers have left me in deep confusion. They recounted how bad their experience in ISKCON was and how we disrespect Adi Shankaracharya and many movements especially the Rama Krishna mission. They told how we are a money making organisation is, how Prabhupada calls Shiva names and Swami Vivekananda a rascal. They also told how the ISKCON Logo, when upside down is a fallen angel. They think that we are like those spiritual organisations that brain wash people and claimed that we cannot accept any philosophy that is not ISKCON, that Shiva is also supreme and how we always condemn the advaita philosophy. They also told how ISKCON is an abrahmaic organisation.
My question is what is ISKCON? Is Adi Shankaracharya really a bogus Guru? Are we really an abrahmaic organisation? Who is Shiva and is He also like Krishna? Why can't we be one with Brahman? Does ISKCON really not accept any other philosophy other than the one we follow?
What is your answer to these claims? How do respond to such people?
Please forgive me for believing in all these claims 🙏 and for thinking bad of Prabhupada.
Hare Krishna
Your most foolish soul
Apoorva
My Dear Apoorva,
Please accept my blessings.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
We have the highest respect for Sankaracarya because he is an incarnation of Lord Shiva, who is Krishna's pure devotee. He appeared for a certain purpose to bring India back to acceptance of the Vedic scriptures. Therefore he taught a philosophy that was temporary bridge between the atheism of Buddhism and the theism of the Vedas.
We rightfully criticize Vivekananda and the Rama Krishna Mission because they teach "yata mata, tata patha" that everyone can manufacture their own religion. On the basis of this philosophy Rama Krishna was such a rascal that he wanted to eat cow's flesh. This is nonsense. Religion can only be given by God. It cannot be manufactured according to our whims.
ISKCON is engaged in the highest welfare activity of delivering the entire world population from going down to the animal species in their next births, which is the karmic reaction they are going to get for all their sinful activities.
Shiva is not the Supreme Lord. He's a pure devotee of Narayana, Lord Krishna. He told Parvati:
"Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, never fear any condition of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation and the hellish planets are all the same, for such devotees are interested only in the service of the Lord."
Everything is not one, like the impersonalists affirm. If everything is one, why don't you eat stool?
The real and highest philosophy is acintya bhedabheda tattva, that the Absolute Truth is simultaneously, inconceivably one and different.
There is one Supreme Authority and that is Krishna. All those teach in accordance with Krishna's teachings. All the great Vaisnava acharyas are also authorities. Krishna says this knowledge of the Absolute Truth comes to us through the line of disciplic succession: Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (Bhagavad-gītā 4.2)
Here it is:
THE DISCIPLIC SUCCESSION
1. Kṛṣṇa
2. Brahmā
3. Nārada
4. Vyāsa
5. Madhva
6. Padmanābha
7. Nṛhari
8. Mādhava
9. Akṣobhya
10. Jaya Tīrtha
11. Jñānasindhu
12. Dayānidhi
13. Vidyānidhi
14. Rājendra
15. Jayadharma
16. Puruṣottama
17. Brahmaṇya Tīrtha
18. Vyāsa Tīrtha
19. Lakṣmīpati
20. Mādhavendra Purī
21. Īśvara Purī, (Nityānanda, Advaita)
22. Lord Caitanya
23. Rūpa, (Svarūpa, Sanātana)
24. Raghunātha, Jīva
25. Kṛṣṇadāsa
26. Narottama
27. Viśvanātha
28. (Baladeva) Jagannātha
29. Bhaktivinoda
30. Gaurakiśora
31. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī
32. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Envious fools and rascals who do not want to surrender to Lord Krishna as He has ordered us to do in the Bhagavad-gita will naturally criticize and find fault with ISKCON to justify their position of not surrendering to Krishna.
The dogs and jackals may howl, but the caravan will pass. We do not care for their criticism. It is simply the barking of dogs. We speak the truth as given to us by Lord Sri Krishna and Srila Prabhupada.
I hope this meets you in the best of health.
Your ever well-wisher,
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
P.S. Barking dogs don't stop the caravan.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Appearing as His Own Devotee
Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom
Question: How to Respond to Critics?
Hare KrishnaPlease accept my most humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I have been reading so many disturbing comments on Quora about ISKCON. Their answers have left me in deep confusion. They recounted how bad their experience in ISKCON was and how we disrespect Adi Shankaracharya and many movements especially the Rama Krishna mission. They told how we are a money making organisation is, how Prabhupada calls Shiva names and Swami Vivekananda a rascal. They also told how the ISKCON Logo, when upside down is a fallen angel. They think that we are like those spiritual organisations that brain wash people and claimed that we cannot accept any philosophy that is not ISKCON, that Shiva is also supreme and how we always condemn the advaita philosophy. They also told how ISKCON is an abrahmaic organisation.
My question is what is ISKCON? Is Adi Shankaracharya really a bogus Guru? Are we really an abrahmaic organisation? Who is Shiva and is He also like Krishna? Why can't we be one with Brahman? Does ISKCON really not accept any other philosophy other than the one we follow?
What is your answer to these claims? How do respond to such people?
Please forgive me for believing in all these claims 🙏 and for thinking bad of Prabhupada.
Hare Krishna
Your most foolish soul
Apoorva
Answer: Tell Them the Truth
From: Austin, Texas USAMy Dear Apoorva,
Please accept my blessings.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
We have the highest respect for Sankaracarya because he is an incarnation of Lord Shiva, who is Krishna's pure devotee. He appeared for a certain purpose to bring India back to acceptance of the Vedic scriptures. Therefore he taught a philosophy that was temporary bridge between the atheism of Buddhism and the theism of the Vedas.
We rightfully criticize Vivekananda and the Rama Krishna Mission because they teach "yata mata, tata patha" that everyone can manufacture their own religion. On the basis of this philosophy Rama Krishna was such a rascal that he wanted to eat cow's flesh. This is nonsense. Religion can only be given by God. It cannot be manufactured according to our whims.
ISKCON is engaged in the highest welfare activity of delivering the entire world population from going down to the animal species in their next births, which is the karmic reaction they are going to get for all their sinful activities.
Shiva is not the Supreme Lord. He's a pure devotee of Narayana, Lord Krishna. He told Parvati:
"Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, never fear any condition of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation and the hellish planets are all the same, for such devotees are interested only in the service of the Lord."
Everything is not one, like the impersonalists affirm. If everything is one, why don't you eat stool?
The real and highest philosophy is acintya bhedabheda tattva, that the Absolute Truth is simultaneously, inconceivably one and different.
There is one Supreme Authority and that is Krishna. All those teach in accordance with Krishna's teachings. All the great Vaisnava acharyas are also authorities. Krishna says this knowledge of the Absolute Truth comes to us through the line of disciplic succession: Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (Bhagavad-gītā 4.2)
Here it is:
THE DISCIPLIC SUCCESSION
1. Kṛṣṇa
2. Brahmā
3. Nārada
4. Vyāsa
5. Madhva
6. Padmanābha
7. Nṛhari
8. Mādhava
9. Akṣobhya
10. Jaya Tīrtha
11. Jñānasindhu
12. Dayānidhi
13. Vidyānidhi
14. Rājendra
15. Jayadharma
16. Puruṣottama
17. Brahmaṇya Tīrtha
18. Vyāsa Tīrtha
19. Lakṣmīpati
20. Mādhavendra Purī
21. Īśvara Purī, (Nityānanda, Advaita)
22. Lord Caitanya
23. Rūpa, (Svarūpa, Sanātana)
24. Raghunātha, Jīva
25. Kṛṣṇadāsa
26. Narottama
27. Viśvanātha
28. (Baladeva) Jagannātha
29. Bhaktivinoda
30. Gaurakiśora
31. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī
32. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Envious fools and rascals who do not want to surrender to Lord Krishna as He has ordered us to do in the Bhagavad-gita will naturally criticize and find fault with ISKCON to justify their position of not surrendering to Krishna.
The dogs and jackals may howl, but the caravan will pass. We do not care for their criticism. It is simply the barking of dogs. We speak the truth as given to us by Lord Sri Krishna and Srila Prabhupada.
I hope this meets you in the best of health.
Your ever well-wisher,
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
P.S. Barking dogs don't stop the caravan.
The Most Urgent World Deliverance Mission
ISKCON Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, ordered his disciples to become gurus and deliver the world. Sankarshan Das Adhikari has taken this order very seriously and is thus accepting disciples all over the world and has dedicated himself fully to the mission of making the entire world Krishna conscious as soon as possible. He requests your help in this most urgent world deliverance mission to save the suffering humanity from gliding down to the animal kingdom in their next births.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari email: sd@worldleader.com
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