Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu A Devotional Renaissance
In 1486, Sri Caitanya appeared in Mayapur, West Bengal, India. In His youth He became famous as a scholar and teacher of logic. But after His initiation from Isvara Puri, He absorbed Himself instead in the chanting of Lord Krishna’s names in devotional ecstasy. In opposition to the rigid social practices of the day, Sri Caitanya and His followers recognized no barriers to participation in sankirtan, the congregational chanting of the Lord’s holy names. Their devotional enthusiasm and egalitarianism gave birth to the sankirtan movement, inspiring people from all walks of life to experience the highest spiritual state, pure love of God, and to share it freely with others, regardless of caste, race, or creed.
Sri Caitanya accepted the renounced order of sannyasa in His twenties and traveled the length and breadth of India, teaching and promoting the practice of bhakti-yoga— especially the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra—for this age of Kali. He taught that spiritual development should be the central goal of human society. This was India’s devotional renaissance. He was not only accepted as a saint by common men, but also as a divine incarnation - the Golden Avatar - by His devout followers.
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