caitanya

See CONSCIOUSNESS.

Caitanya, also Kø•æa Caitanya

(‘Kø•æa Consciousness’) (1486–1533)

Born Viÿvambhara Miÿra, the second

son of a VAI•¢AVAbrahmin family, at

Nadia (Navadvip, Bengal) he married

Lak•mïprïyä at the age of 19, and, after

her death, Vi•æuprïyä. He began teach-

ing secular literature. At the age of 22

he went to Gayä to perform ŸRADDHA

for his deceased father and his first wife.

Suddenly overcome by a strong emo-

tional attraction to Kø•æa, he was initi-

ated by Ïÿvara Pürï and became the

spiritual leader of the Vai•æavas of

Nadia. In 1510 he took SAMNYÄSAfrom

Keÿava Bhärati and began travelling

throughout India proclaiming Kø•æa’s

name. In 1516 he settled in Purï, regu-

larly worshipping at the JAGANNÄTHA

temple and instructing disciples. He

died in 1533, when walking in a trance

into the sea. His life has been described

by his followers Vøædävanadäsa

(Caitanya-bhägavata) and Kø•æadäsa

Käviräja (Caitanya-caritämøta).

His school, which became known as

Gauõïya Vai•æavism, is characterized

by its strong emotional Kø•æa BHAKTI

and its devotion to RÄDHÄ, Kø•æa’s

beloved. By his followers he was regard-

ed as an incarnation of both Kø•æa and

Rädhä. While only a short poem of

eight verses is ascribed to him

(Ÿïk•ä•flaka), his immediate followers,

the six Gosvämis, who revived

VØNDÄVANAas a centre of Kø•æa wor-

ship in the 16th century, produced

under his inspiration and command

voluminous literature in which the

teachings of Gaudïya Vai•æavism are

laid out. The most important of these

are RÜPAGOSVÄMI’s Bhakti-rasämøta-

sindhuand Ujjvala-nïlämaæïand Jïva

Gosvämi’s Æat-sandarbha.

Gauõïya Vai•æavism was revived in

Bengal in the late 19th century by

Thäkura Bhaktisiddhänta (1838–1914).

His son, Bhaktivinode Thäkur (1874–

1937), organized the Gauõïya Math,

consisting of a number of temples and

ashrams dedicated to teaching and pub-

lishing. One of his disciples,

Abhaycaran De, a Calcutta business-

man, better known under his monastic

name Swami A. C. Bhaktivedanta,

founded the INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY

FORKRISHNACONSCIOUSNESS(ISKCON;

‘Hare Krishna Movement’) in New

York in 1966 and gave the Caitanya

movement a worldwide following.

cakra (1) (‘wheel’, ‘discus’, ‘circle’)

One of the weapons of Vi•æu.

cakra (2)

Symbol for the whole earth: a

Cakravartin is a universal ruler.

C

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