Sant Parampara

Devotees asked Kabir to define a true disciple. He called his son Kamal and said in broad daylight: I dropped my spindle, bring me a lamp to find it. Kamal immediately brought a lamp without questioning. Kabir explained: The moment you obey the Gurus command without question, meditation comes spontaneously and the Lord grants His darshan.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born in Mayapur, Bengal in 1486 during a lunar eclipse while devotees chanted the Hare Krishna Mahamantra. His golden complexion and auspicious marks indicated he was an incarnation of the Lord.

As a crawling infant, Nimai caught a snake that entered the courtyard and lay peacefully on its coiled body. When family members screamed in fear, He simply smiled. Some recognized the snake as Ananta Sesha, the divine serpent.

During Rathayatra in Puri, Lord Jagannathas chariot refused to move despite being pulled by wrestlers and elephants. Chaitanya placed His head against the back of the chariot and pushed lightly, causing it to roll forward effortlessly while the ropes lay slack.

When Nityananda Prabhu arrived in Nadia, He hid at Nandanacharyas house. Chaitanya sent devotees to find Him but they failed. Finally, the Lord Himself went directly to Nityananda, and their ecstatic reunion overwhelmed all who witnessed it.

As an infant, Nimai would cry constantly until the ladies around him chanted Hari Hari - only then would He smile radiantly. This pastime taught everyone to always chant the Lords holy names.

At age 16-17, Nimai visited Gaya to perform rituals for his deceased father. There he met Ishvara Puri, who initiated him with a Krishna mantra. After this initiation, Nimai completely transformed, abandoning scholarship for ecstatic devotion to Krishna.

On the banks of the Godavari River, Chaitanya met Ramananda Raya and engaged in profound spiritual discussions for ten days. The Lord posed questions while Ramananda explained progressive stages of devotion, culminating in the supreme love of Radha for Krishna.

At Benares, the Mayavadi sannyasis led by Prakashananda Saraswati criticized Chaitanya for singing and dancing instead of studying Vedanta. In a great assembly, Mahaprabhu brilliantly explained the true meaning of Vedanta, converting all the sannyasis to devotional service.

The leper Vasudeva, whose body was covered with worms, would carefully replace any worm that fell. When he missed meeting the Lord, he fainted in grief. Mahaprabhu returned and embraced him, instantly curing his leprosy and transforming him into a beautiful devotee.

The champion scholar Kesava Kashmiri, who had defeated pandits across India, was challenged by young Nimai Pandit. Nimai found faults in his spontaneously composed verses, defeating him. Goddess Saraswati later revealed to Kesava that Nimai was the Supreme Lord.

The great scholar Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya lectured on Vedanta to Chaitanya for seven days. When he finished, the Lord brilliantly refuted Shankaracharyas impersonal interpretations and established devotional service as the true meaning. Sarvabhauma surrendered and became one of the greatest Vaishnavas.

Madhavendra Puri secretly desired to taste the famous sweet rice offered to Gopinatha but felt it was an offense. That night, Lord Gopinatha stole a pot of sweet rice and hid it under His cloth for the devotee. The Deity became known as Khirachora Gopinatha.

The notorious criminals Jagai and Madhai had committed every sin. When Madhai struck Nityananda Prabhu with a pot, drawing blood, Chaitanya summoned His Sudarshana chakra. But Nityananda intervened, reminding the Lord of His mission to deliver sinners through love. Both brothers became great devotees.

When Sanatana Goswami refused to serve the Sultan any longer, he was imprisoned. Using gold coins left by his brother Rupa, he bribed the jailer and escaped. He traveled to Varanasi where he received two months of intensive spiritual instruction from Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

When Raghunatha Dasa approached Nityananda Prabhu seeking His mercy to join Chaitanya, the Lord playfully punished him by ordering him to feed all the devotees yogurt and chipped rice. This became the famous Panihati Chida-dahi Festival still celebrated today.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu composed only eight verses in His life, known as Shikshashtakam. These verses express the glory of the holy name, the humble attitude of devotion, and the intense feelings of separation from Krishna - considered the essence of His teachings.

When Chaitanya expressed concern about how Muslims could be saved, Haridas Thakur explained namabhasa - the shadow of the holy name. Even unintentionally uttering Gods name grants liberation, just as Ajamila was saved by calling for his son named Narayana.

Though Chaitanya initially refused to meet the King, Sarvabhauma arranged for Prataparudra to approach disguised as a common person during Rathayatra. When the King recited verses about Krishnas rasa dance, Chaitanya embraced him in ecstasy.

The Marathi saint-poet faced worldly troubles including the loss of his family and crops. His abhangas (devotional poems) to Lord Vitthal made him one of Maharashtras most beloved spiritual figures.