The Beginning of the Sankirtana Movement
The Sankirtana movement began when Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu returned from Gaya, having received initiation from His spiritual master Ishvara Puri. Upon returning home, He knew nothing but the Holy Name. In the house of Shrivasa Thakura, they began closed door kirtans, allowing no one but the most intimate followers of Nimai. After some time, the fame of the kirtans spread throughout Navadvipa. Atheists and envious people blasphemed, while Vaishnavas lamented that they could not participate in these sankirtana pastimes themselves.
Nityananda Prabhu – The Nama Hatta Acharya
Gradually, through His associates Haridasa Thakura and Nityananda Prabhu, Chaitanya spread sankirtana throughout Navadvipa. Devotees performed kirtans in their own homes. Thus, Lord Nityananda is the Nama Hatta Acharya.
Expansion of the Movement
When Lord Chaitanya accepted sannyasa, over the course of 6 years He undertook two great journeys: one to Vrindavana and the other through South India. Wherever He went, people became Vaishnavas simply by seeing Him and hearing Him.
In Bengal
When the Lord resided in Jagannatha Puri, He continued His sankirtana lila by sending Nityananda Prabhu to preach in Bengal in 1512. He ordered him to marry and propagate while being a householder. Lord Nityananda took two wives – Jahnavi and Vasudha, and demonstrated how one can be a family man and be in full Krishna Consciousness. He spread Nama Hattas throughout Bengal and inspired all Vaishnavas to hold programs in their homes and invite guests.
In Vrindavana
The Lord sent His other devotees, Rupa and Sanatana, to Vrindavana. There they were later joined by the other Goswamis. Their greatest contribution was the Vaishnava shastras, through which the philosophy and practice of Krishna Consciousness spread. They also restored Vrindavana, which had been practically completely destroyed.
The Six Goswamis of Vrindavana
After the Lord's departure, Vrindavana became the center of Vaishnavism. The six Goswamis lived there: Rupa and Sanatana, Jiva, Gopala Bhatta, Raghunatha Bhatta, and Raghunatha Dasa Gosvamis, who wrote many books and established the rules of Krishna conscious practice for all Vaishnavas, along with Bhugarbha Goswamis, Lokanatha Goswami, and Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami. After Rupa and Sanatana Goswamis left the world, Jiva Goswami became the shiksha guru for most Vaishnavas, including Srinivasa, Narottama, and Shyamananda.
Rupa Goswami
Sanatana Goswami
Jiva Goswami
Gopala Bhatta Goswami
Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami
Raghunatha Dasa Goswami
History and Acharyas
When Chaitanya was preparing to leave this world, He was concerned about who would spread the sankirtana further when He, Nityananda Prabhu, and Advaita Acharya departed. Therefore, He decided to incarnate once again as Srinivasa Acharya, who was the embodiment of Gaura prema, Narottama Dasa Thakura, who was the embodiment of Nityananda prema, and Shyamananda Pandita – the embodiment of Advaita prema.
In Bengal, Jahnava Mata, the wife of Nityananda, became the pillar of Vaishnavism. At that time, Srinivasa, Narottama, and Shyamananda were sent to Bengal to deliver the writings of the Goswamis, but on the way, they were stolen. After some time, Srinivasa found all the scriptures, and the thief king and his wife became Srinivasa's disciples. They ordered their subjects to copy all the books and distribute them. Thus began book distribution.
Narottama was directed to Kheturi, where he widely spread Krishna Consciousness, while Shyamananda went to Orissa, where together with Rasika Murari, he made all of Orissa Vaishnavas. Rasika Murari is said to have been constantly in such ecstasy that he converted even tigers and mad elephants to Vaishnavism.
Narottama Dasa Thakura was also blessed as the kirtana acharya. He started a new type of rhythmic and simultaneously melodious kirtans. He also started the Gaura Purnima festivals.
Later Acharyas
Srinivasa, Narottama, Shyamananda
Chaitanya decided to incarnate again as Srinivasa Acharya (embodiment of Gaura prema), Narottama Dasa Thakura (embodiment of Nityananda prema), and Shyamananda Pandita (embodiment of Advaita prema).
Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura
Three generations later (in the parampara), Srila Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura appeared, who wrote many wonderful books.
Baladeva Vidyabhushana
His disciple was Sri Baladeva Vidyabhushana, who established the philosophy of Gaudiya Vaishnavism by writing the commentary on the Vedanta Sutra, "Govinda Bhashya". In 1726, before a general assembly of Vaishnavas, he defended Gaudiya Vaishnavism as an authoritative teaching, and since then Gaudiya Vaishnavas have been recognized as a Vedanta school.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura
After that, the tradition moved more into the realm of bhajana, where most Vaishnavas became babajis and preaching took place on a local scale. Then the next prominent acharya was Bhaktivinoda Thakura, who revived Vaishnavism in India and began propagating it in the West by sending articles and books in English to libraries in England and the USA. He revolutionized the Nama Hatta in India.
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati
His son – Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, remarkably demonstrated how to apply the principle of yukta vairagya – using everything, even modern achievements, in service to Krishna. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati used the most modern technical achievements: automobiles, electricity, printing presses, to attract people to the Krishna Consciousness movement. His influence in India was very great, and he succeeded in defeating all false philosophies and spreading the ideas of Vaishnavism in this way.
Brief Chronology (from Vaishnava Digdarshani)
- 1434 Advaita Acharya was born.
- 1441 Sachi Mata – Nimai's mother – was born.
- 1449 Haridasa Thakura was born.
- 1473 Nityananda Prabhu was born. His father was a Radhiya brahmana named Hado Ojha or Sri Mukunda, and his mother was Padmavati devi. Born in Ekachakra – an old village in the Radha-desha province.
- 1482 Sanatana Goswami was born.
- 1485 Nityananda Prabhu left home. He left with an ascetic who visited his home.
- 1485 Srila Rupa Goswami and Lokanatha Goswami were born.
- 1486 Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born.
- 1496 Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami – author of Chaitanya Charitamrita – was born. In 1496 Vishnupriya devi – Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's wife – was born, who, after Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's departure, together with Jahnavi Mata became the leaders of the Vaishnavas.
- 1498 Raghunatha Dasa Goswami was born.
- 1500 Bashah Sikandar Lodi destroys Mathura.
- 1503 Gopala Bhatta Goswami was born.
- 1505 Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami and Haridasa Thakura were born.
- 1507 Vrindavana Dasa Thakura – author of Chaitanya Bhagavata – was born.
- 1509 Jahnavi Thakurani – wife of Nityananda Prabhu – was born.
- 1514 The first Gaura-Nitai Deities were installed in Gauridasa's home.
- 1516 Sanatana moves to Vrindavana.
- 1517 Jiva Goswami was born.
- 1518 While traveling to Nilachala, Sanatana contracted a serious skin disease and wanted to give up his life, but Chaitanya Mahaprabhu forbade him to do so. At the same time, He kept Sanatana with Him for a year and made him a powerful Vaishnava. Then He sent Sanatana to Vrindavana to discover the places of Krishna's pastimes.
- 1518 Srinivasa Acharya was born.
- 1521 Nityananda Prabhu married Jahnava devi.
- 1525 Namacharya Haridasa Thakura left the world.
- 1531 Narottama Thakura was born.
- 1531 Gopala Bhatta Goswami arrived in Vrindavana after the death of his parents.
- 1533 Mahaprabhu left the world. For the last 18 years He never left Nilachala, living in the small Gambhira temple, where He enjoyed the nectar of Krishna prema with His most intimate associates: Svarupa Damodara, Ramananda Raya, Shikhi Mahiti, and Malati. When He left the world while entering the Tota Gopinatha temple, Svarupa Damodara fell unconscious and never woke up again.
- 1534 Ramananda Raya and Gadadhara Pandita left the world.
- 1541 Nityananda Prabhu's Avyabhava (departure).
- Vaishnava movement in Bengal is led by Vishnupriya and Jahnava.
- 1547 Jiva Goswami accepts sannyasa and leaves for Vrindavana.
- 1557 Advaita Acharya leaves the world.
- 1564 Sanatana Goswami left the world.
- 1574 Srinivasa, Narottama, and Shyamananda go to Bengal with books.
- 1575 The book "Chaitanya Bhagavata" was written.
- 1578 Gopala Bhatta Goswami left the world.
- 1582 Krishnadasa Kaviraja finished Chaitanya Charitamrita.
- 1583 Gaura Purnima festival in Kheturi. During the kirtana led by Narottama, Sri Chaitanya and Nityananda Themselves appeared.
- 1586 Raghunatha Dasa Goswami left the world.
- 1588 Lokanatha Goswami and Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami left the world.
- 1589 Vrindavana Dasa Thakura left the world.
- 1610 Srinivasa Acharya left the world.
- 1611 Narottama Dasa Thakura left the world.
- 1630 Shyamananda Pandita left the world.
- 1646 Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura was born.
- 1718 Baladeva Vidyabhushana wrote "Govinda Bhashya".
- 1747 Gauranga's birthplace in Mayapur sank into the Ganges river.
- 1755 Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura left the world.
- 1792 Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's birthplace was discovered. The temple built there with Radhavallabha Deities later sank into the Ganges river.
- 1803 Mathura comes under British rule.
- 1838 Kedarunatha Datta (Bhaktivinoda Thakura) was born.
- 1873 Bimala Prasad Datta (Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura) was born.
- 1896 Abhay Caran De (Srila Prabhupada) was born.
- 1914 Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Gaurakishora Dasa Babaji left the world.
- 1937 January 1, 5:30 AM, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati left the world.
Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya
1. Lord Krishna
2. Brahma
3. Narada Muni
4. Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa
5. Madhvacharya
6. Padmanabha
7. Nrihari
8. Madhava
9. Akshobhya
10. Jayatirtha
11. Jnanasindhu
12. Dayanidhi
13. Vidyanidhi
14. Rajendra
15. Jayadharma
16. Purushottama
17. Brahmanyatirtha
18. Vyasatirtha
19. Lakshmipati
20. Madhavendra Puri
21. Nityananda, Advaita, Ishvara Puri
22. SRI KRISHNA CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU
23. Svarupa Damodara
24. Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami
25. Jiva Gosvami, Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami
26. Krishna das Kaviraja (intimate friend of Lokanatha Goswami)
27. Narottama Dasa Thakura
28. Ganga-narayana Chakravarti
29. Krishna-charana Chakravarti
30. Radha-ramana Chakravarti
31. Visvanatha Chakravarti
32. Baladeva Vidyabhushana
33. Uddharan Dasa
34. Madhusudana Dasa
35. Jagannatha das Babaji
36. Bhaktivinoda Thakura (also Bhagavata das babaji)
37. Gaura Kishora das Babaji
38. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada
39. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Spiritual Identity (Manjari)
In their pure spiritual manjari forms, the six Goswamis along with Lokanatha and Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami comprise the inner circle of Manjaris. Since the time of Lord Chaitanya, all Gaudiya Vaishnava acharyas in their spiritual Manjari forms serve Lalita, Vishakha, and Radha-Shyamasundara, under the guidance of Rupa Manjari (Rupa Goswami).
1. Rupa Goswami => Rupa Manjari
2. Jiva Goswami => Vilasa Manjari
3. Sanatana Goswami => Labanga Manjari
4. Raghunatha das Goswami => Rati, Rasa Manjari
5. Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami => Raga Manjari
6. Gopala Bhatta Goswami => Guna, Ananga Manjari
7. Krishnadas Kaviraja => Kasturi Manjari
8. Lokanatha Goswami => Manjulali Manjari
9. Narottama das Thakura => Chamak Manjari
10. Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura => Vinoda Manjari
11. Jagannatha das Babaji => Rasika Manjari
12. Bhaktivinoda Thakura => Kamala Manjari
13. Gaura Kishora das Babaji => Guna Manjari
14. Bhaktisiddhanta => Nayana Manjari
Self-Check Questions
- List the main spiritual masters, followers of Sri Chaitanya?
- Who was the pioneer of Nama Hatta?
- List the 6 Goswamis of Vrindavana.
- Who started the book distribution mission?
- What is Narottama Dasa Thakura famous for?
- Who wrote the Gaudiya Vaishnava commentaries on the Vedanta Sutra?