SRI CHAITANYA JAYANTI

526th Holy Advent Anniversary of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

On the evening of February 18, 1486, when the full moon was eclipsed and loud chants of the name of Hari surcharged the sky, the Supreme Lord Sree Krishna Chaitanya made His appearance at Sridham Mayapur, in the house of Sri Jagannath Mishra and Sri Sachidevi. In the 15th century, when due to politial turmoil one side, and rigid casteism on the other, masses of people in the country were oppressed and rampant conversion was going on. To save the Sanatana Dharma the Supreme Lord Himself made His Advent as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and by propagating the relligion of Love and Fraternity brought the people into one foldthat of devotees without any distinction of caste, creed, colour or nation. To Him, the Love is only the criterion before which no other socio-religious distinction could prevail. He proclaimed the equality of human race in the field of God-love. With His hurricane tour in preaching the religion throughout the country, He flooded the entire country with the current of Bhakti or devotion to the God. People from all walks of life, particularly the intelligentsia not only subscribed to Him, but they also dedicated themselves to the cause of the mission Sri Raya Ramananda, the then Governor of South Zone of Orissa Kingdom, Sri Sanatana and Sri Rupa, the ministers of King Hussain Shah, Sri Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya, the greatest Vedantic scholar, who was the court-pandit of king Pratapa Rudra and host of others dedicated themselves to His cause. So in no time, a vast literature grew up which is the spiritual guide of people for all times. His mission was carried out to its pristine glory by the Goswamis of Vrindavan. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had a special love for South India. He made an extensive tour of South India which took about two years. Therefore, the Founder Acharya of Sri Chaitanya Math, Jagadguru Prabhupad Srimad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur also had a special interest for South, and established several branches in the South for propagating the cult for the spiritual benefit of the people. In due course Sri Gaudiya Math, Madras became one of the principle centres in the South. It has now become very popular among the people of the South for philosophical and theological culture. Besides the masses, the men of letters are now closely associated with the Math. Due to innumerable publications in English, Tamil, Telugu and also through the medium of discussions and discourses, bhajans, kirtan and occasional religious celebrations,holding seminars and symposiums, this Madras centre has become a great centre of religious culture.

Prabhupad Srimad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur was pre-eminently a philosopher. His ideas were rational and always logical, that is why he never failed to attract the intelligentsia. He asked the people not to have blind faith. Faith, if not solidly based on a philosophical concept, is likely to be shaken. He is a democrat of the democrats. He says: God is worshipped not only by Brahmins. Everyone has the right to call upon Him and worship Him. Get rid of your sins and impurities and you become a Brahmin and not otherwise by the accident of your birth. To preach the teachings of Lord Sri Chaitanya he started so many magazines in different languages. THE GAUDIYA is one of such magazines serving spiritually hungry devotees with the teachings of Lord Sri Chaitnaya. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, Life remains unfulfilled without the vision of Truth. As we see the world through our mortal eyes so also we can see the Ultimate Reality Who is known as God through the eye of intutive wisdom when the soul is recognized by an exalted devotee of God Who out of His infinite causeless mercy, may open our inner spiritual eyes, long sealed in the gloom of nescience, by applying the collyrium of Transcendental Knowledge. Lord Sri Chaitanya says, Ye those who are born in India attaining highest good in life do good unto others. Unalloyed

service to Krishna and kindness to all creatures shoud be the motto of life then life becomes purposeful and fruitful.

The Gaudiya Math aims at the following: To show the light of Transcendence by eliminating all dirts of empiricism and mundane bearings. That Sri Radha Govinda, the Absolute Divine Couple, is the only Object of worship that the way of worship shown by the Transcendntal milkmaids of Vraja. Back to God and Back to Home is the Message of Gaudiya Math. To arrest the pervertdly current tide and to redirect it towards the Eternal Source is the seemingly unpleasant duty of the Gaudiya Math. This year Sri Chaitanya Jayanti, the 526th Advent Anniversary falls on Thursday, the 8th March 2012, which is grandly celebrated at the Birth-site of Lord Sri Chaitanya, at Sridham Mayapur, West Bengal and all other its branches including our Sri Gaudiya Math, Chennai also. Swami Sri Lalit Krishna Brahmachari Sri Gaudiya Math, Chennai.