By Sutapa das
Saturday 9th May 2015 marks the 400th anniversary of the completion of the Chaitanya Charitarmita. In a mood of gratitude and appreciation we are making this humble contribution entitled “CC Compact” available for free download.
Please visit the Tattva Blog to access the download (http://sutapamonk.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/cc-compact-free-e-book.html)
Introduction
Throughout cosmic history, Krishna periodically descends to Earth and reveals knowledge of the eternal reality. He re-establishes genuine spirituality and teaches the practical means to develop God consciousness. In 1486, Krishna appeared as Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. While a renaissance of philosophical and theological thought was going on in the world, Shri Chaitanya ushered in a spiritual revolution through His personal interactions, philosophical discourses and most importantly His joyous public chanting and dancing. He established a process of God consciousness that was open to everyone regardless of caste, colour or creed. He went beyond ritualistic worship, dry philosophising, and materialistic piety, instead emphasising the very essence of religion – unmotivated and unconditional love of God.
Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami’s Chaitanya-Charitamrita is considered the most accurate, authentic, and philosophical biography of Shri Chaitanya. At present, however, it remains a relatively unexplored literature. Since the studies of Bhagavad-Gita and Shrimad-Bhagavatam are vast in and of themselves, many neglect the opportunity to bathe in the delightful narrations of Shri Chaitanya’s life. CC Compact does not fully describe each episode of the Chaitanya-Charitamrita, since Shrila Prabhupada’s translation does that perfectly. The key objectives are as follows:
– To present an easy-to-follow overview of Shri Chaitanya’s life.
– To provide a road-map and framework for anyone who desires to explore the Chaitanya-Charitamrita in greater detail.
Above all, this book has been compiled in a spirit of self-improvement, with the ardent desire to increase my meditation on Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. I am far from qualified to write about this elevated subject matter, but my attempt is simply to encourage the reader to approach the original source of knowledge: Krishnadasa’s devotion-filled words translated by Shrila Prabhupada. Please forgive any mistakes I may make, which are likely due to my limited knowledge and lack of spiritual depth.