According to the Vedic pramana (sruti, Puranas, Mahabharata, and Srimad-Bhagavatam) Sri Caitanya is none other than Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has descended in Kali-yuga in the guise of a devotee. The Vedic evidences describe the avatara of the Kali-yuga according to His qualities and characteristics such as His complexion, His dress, His activities; and even His mother’s name is mentioned.

When Krsna appears in Kali-yuga He appears as the son of Saci (the Mother of the universe), He assumes the dress of a sannyasi and His complexion is the color of molten gold. He propagates the chanting of Krsna nama as the yuga-dharma (socio-religious-function for the age) and He is accompanied by His friends and associates. This is confirmed in the sruti as follows:

"The Personality of Godhead, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, is brilliantly effulgent and imperishable like molten gold. He is the Supreme Controller, He controls the mode of goodness and through sankirtana bestows spiritual intelligence on the living beings. In the guise of a sannyasi, He is the source of spiritual purity and liberation. He is therefore known as "Mahaprabhu". (Svetasvatara Upanisad 3.12)

The confirmation that the Lord will appear as the son of Mother Saci is found in the following verses from the Vayu Purana and the Brahma-yama1a.

"In the age of Kali when the sankirtana movement is inaugurated, I shall descend as the son of Sacidevi." (Vayu Purana)

"Sometimes I personally appear on the surface of the world in the garb of a devotee. Specifically, I appear as the son of Saci in Kali-yuga to start the sankirtana movement."(Brahma-yama1a)

Even though Krsna appears in every yuga, namely Satya, Treta, Dvarapa, and Kali, He is nonetheless called Triyuga (one who incarnates in three ages), because in Kali-yuga His appearance is hidden. In all other yugas the Lord is easily recognizable but in Kali-yuga He is hidden. That is, in Kali-yuga the Supreme Lord appears in the form and mood of His devotee.

In Srimad-Bhagavatam Prahlada Maharaja addresses Krsna as Triyuga:

"O Krsna, O protector of religious principles, in the age of Kali, You do not assert Yourself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because Your incarnation is hidden in the age of Kali, You are known as Triyuga, or the Lord who manifests His supremacy in only three ages." (Bhag. 7.9.38)

In the Caitanya-caritamrta we find the following verses composed by the learned scholar Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya:

"Let me take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, who has descended in the form of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu to teach us real knowledge, His devotional service, and detachment from whatever does not foster Krsna consciousness. He has descended because He is an ocean of transcendental mercy. Let me surrender unto His lotus feet." (Cc. Madhya-lila 6.253)

"Let my consciousness, which is like a honeybee, take shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has just now appeared as Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu to teach the ancient system of devotional service to Himself. This system had almost been lost due to the influence of time." (Cc. Madhya-lila 6.254)

These verses by Sarvabhauma are perfectly in line with the statements of the revealed scriptures. In every yuga the Supreme Lord descends to establish the principles of religion. This is stated in Bhagavad-gita as follows:

"Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion, at that time I (Krsna) descend Myself." (Bg. 4.7)

Realization of Sri Caitanya as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is expressed thus in the Mundaka Upanisad:

"When one realizes the golden form of Sri Caitanya, who is the ultimate actor and the source of the Supreme Brahman, he attains the highest knowledge. He transcends both pious and impious activities, becomes free from worldly bondage, and enters the divine abode of the Lord." (Mundaka Upanisad 3.3)

Srimad-Bhagavatam also confirms that in Kali-yuga Krsna will appear to spread the sankirtana movement along with His eternal associates. In the eleventh canto the sage Karabhajana Muni, while describing the avataras (incarnations) of the four yugas to King Nimi gives the following verse:

"In the age of Kali, Krsna appears in a golden form, chanting the two syllables krs-na. He descends along with His weapons, limbs, energies, and eternal confidential associates. Those with intelligence worship Him with the sankirtana yajna." (Bhag. 11.5.32)

Here it is being described that the two syllables krs-na are always in the mouth of the Kali-yuga avatara. He always describes Krsna with great pleasure. These are the two meanings of the words "krsna varna." Indeed, nothing but Krsna issues from His mouth. If someone tries to describe the Kali-yuga avatara as blackish then the use of the word tvisakrsnam immediately restricts him. That the avatara for Kali-yuga is not blackish indicates that His complexion is golden.

The fact that Krsna sometimes appears in a golden color is also confirmed by the astrologer Garga Muni who performed the name giving ceremony after the appearance of Krsna. Garga Muni informed Krsna’s father, Nanda Maharaja, as follows:

"This boy, Krsna, has three other colors: white, red, and yellow as He appears in different ages. Now, in this Dvarpa-yuga, He has appeared in a transcendental blackish color." (Bhag. 10.8.13)

In the Visnu-sahasranama, the book containing one thousand names of Visnu, there is a description of Sri Caitanya as follows:

"Krsna appears as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and in His early pastimes He appears as a householder with a golden complexion (suvarna-varna and hemanga). His limbs are beautiful (varanga), and His body is smeared with the pulp of sandalwood, seems like molten gold (candanangadi)." (Visnu-sahasra-nama 92)

In his commentary on Visnu-sahasranama called the Namartha-sudhabhidha, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, commenting on this verse, asserts that Sri Caitanya is the Supreme Absolute Truth according to the evidence of the Upanisads. He explains that suvarna-varno means golden complexion and that the word varanga means "exquisitely beautiful." He also quotes the Vedic injunction yada pasyah pasyate rukma-varnam kartaram isam purusam brahma-yonim. Rukma-varnam kartaram isam, he says, refers to the Supreme Absolute Truth as the Supreme Person having a complexion the color of molten gold. Purusam means the Supreme Person, and braha-yonim indicates that He is also the Supreme Brahman. This evidence proves that Sri Caitanya is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna.

In a similar verse the Dan-dharma, chapter 149 of Mahabharata also describes the appearance of Krsna as Sri Caitanya:

"When Krsna appears as Sri Caitanya (Sri Gauranga), in His early pastimes His complexion is golden (suvarna-varna), His limbs are the color of molten white gold (hemanga), His body is extremely beautiful (varangas), and He is decorated with sandalwood pulp (candanangadi). He accepts sannyasa (sannyasa-krt) and shows equanimity (sama). He is peaceful (santa). His mind is always fixed on Krsna and thus He is nistha, or fixed, in performing the great sacrifice of the holy name of Krsna. He silences the non-devotees and impersonalists who are opposed to the service of the Lord by promoting the cause of devotion. Thus He distributes real peace. He is therefore an abode of the highest spiritual peace and devotion."

Therefore, after consulting various Vedic scriptures the conclusion is that the name, form, attributes, and pastimes of Sri Caitanya are indeed eternal.

The eternality of Sri Caitanya is further confirmed in the Agni Purana:

"O best of the brahmanas, My distinguished form is eternal. In this way, with My own form hidden from ordinary sight I take the form of a devotee and appear among the people in general in order to establish and protect religious principles."

Although Sri Caitanya is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and verifiably so according to the sruti etc., still the smarta-brahmana community in India strongly opposes the worship of gaura-mantra. They consider gaura-mantra to be a concoction of the modern day sect of Sri Caitanya.

That this is not so is shown by the following two references which prove that the gaura-mantra was chanted during and even before the time of Sri Caitanya.

In the Caitanya-caritamrta we find the incident wherein Nakula Brahmacari spoke to Sivananda Sena revealing the worshipable mantra of Sivananda. Nakula Brahmacari said:

"You are chanting the gaura-gopala mantra composed of four syllables." (C.c. Antya-lila 2.31)

This gaura-gopala mantra of four syllables is gau-ra-an-ga as in gaura mantra (klim gauraya namah). Some Vaisnavas say that gaura-gopala mantra is ra-dha krs-na as in Radha-Krsna (Radha being gaura, golden, and Krsna being gopala, the cowherd boy). Yet other Vaisnavas say that the gaura-gopala mantra means Sri Caitanya who is Krsna (gopala) appearing in a golden color. Both these opinions are correct due to there being no difference between Radha-Krsna and Sri Caitanya, sri-krsna-caitanya radha-krsna nahe anya. Those who chant the name of Gauranga and those who chant the names of Radha-Krsna are on the same level.

The second reference proving that gaura-mantra was chanted even before the appearance of Sri Caitanya is found in the ¨rddhvamnaya-samhita wherein Vyasa answers the inquiry of Narada Muni as to which mantra is used in the worship of Bhagavan Sri Gauranga (Sri Caitanya). Vyasa replied;

"This gaura-mantra (gauraya namah) is worshiped using the bija mantras of maya, rama, ananga, and saraswati. For example, just as we say klim gauraya namah, similarly we may also say hrim gauraya namah, srim gauraya namah, etc. In this way, this six syllable mantra is honored. When people of the world combine gauraya namah with kama-bija and chant klim gauraya namah, they receive the gift of divine love. I have chanted to you this sadaksara-mantra-bija, which is like a kalpa-druma because it fulfills all one’s desires." (¨rddhvamnaya-samhita 3.16)

Thus the Gaudiyas chant the gaura-mantra and gaura-gayatri preceded by the kama-bija as follows:

"I worship Sri Gauranga (Sri Caitanya) who is the abode of Krsna prema and who is the bestower of that divine love upon the living entities. Let us always remember Sri Krsna Caitanya, the maintainer of the universe, who maintains His pure devotees by sprinkling the drops of nectar upon them, who is Krsna within, whose mood and complexion is like that of Sri Radha and who enthuses our capacity of devotional service. As He so enthuses us let us meditate upon Him ."

Vidmahe means, let us try to know or to concentrate upon Sri Krsna Caitanya. The word visvambhara stems from the verbal root "dubhrn" which indicates nourishing and maintaining. Tan no gaurah pracodayat means (gaurah — Sri Caitanya) who ethuses our meditation (dhimahi). That the gaura-gayatri is preceded by the word "klim" meaning the seed of divine love, indicates that Sri Krsna Caitanya nourishes and maintains the three worlds by distributing love of God. One who chants this gayatri will surely receive the gift of divine love.

It is also observed that, following the rule of Sanskrit grammar found in the book Varnagama-bhasvadi, the letter "ya", when followed by the letter "vi" is considered to be a half syallable — the gaura-gayatri is thus composed of twenty three and one half syllables. The kama gayatri (kamadevaya vidmahe puspabanaya dhimahi tan no `nangah pracodayat), which is taken to be nondifferent from Sri Krsna, replete with the pastimes of madhurya-rasa, is composed of twenty four and one half syllables following the same rule of grammar. Thus the kama-gayatri and the gaura-gayatri are identical in that they awaken divine love of God. We find only one difference between these two mantras and that being the one syllable which is extra in kama-gayatri.

When the two syllables krs-na are added to the beginning of gaura-gayatri (as is the case of those in the disciplic succession of the renowned acarya and bhakti-raksaka—the guardian of devotion, Srila Sridhara Deva Goswami Maharaja, it surpasses the kama-gayatri in that it is completed in twenty five and one half syllables (krsna caitanyaya vidmahe visvambharaya dhimahi tan no gaurah pracodayat). This additional one syllable, which appears after gaura-gayatri has been reconstructed, may thus be taken to represent the magniminity of Sri Caitanya. Kama-gayatri is Krsna-lila — madhurya-rasa. Madhurya means that which is sweetest. When magniminity is added to madhurya it is called audarya. Audarya-lila means the wholesale distribution of the mellow sweetness of conjugal love (madhurya-rasa). This is the sublime characteristic of gaura-gayatri and Sri Caitanya.

"O most munificent incarnation. You are Krsna Himself appearing as Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Srimati Radharani, and You are widely distributing pure love of Krsna (Krsna-prema). We offer our respectful obeisances unto You." (C.c. Madhya-lila 19.53)

The use of the word dhimahi in the gaura-gayatri meaning "Let us meditate upon" is also significant. Dhimahi appears here in the plural which is generally taken to advocate worship or devotion. And how is Sri Caitanya worshiped in Kali-yuga? Srimad-Bhagavatam, 11.5.32 says, yajnaih sankirtana-prayair, that He is worshiped by the performance of the sankirtana yajna or the congregational chanting of the holy name. This is the method of worship to be adopted by all classes of intelligent men and women, yajanti hi su-medhasah.

If someone suggests that dhimahi cannot be taken as such, we point to the ontology of brahma-gayatri and Srimad-Bhagavatam. Brahma-gayatri says dhimahi, and Srimad-Bhagavatam also says dhimahi in its opening and closing stanzas. This is an advocacy that the brahma-gayatri is explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam (the purport of gayatri), and Srimad-Bhagavatam’s final verse recommends sankirtana:

"I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Hari, the congregational chanting of whose holy names destroys all sinful reactions, and the offering of obeisances unto whom relieves all material suffering." (Bhag. 12.13.23)

Srila Sridhara Deva Goswami Maharaja has said in commenting on this verse:

Papa means all anomalies, all undesirable things; in one word, sin. Material enjoyment and liberation are also included as anomalies; sinful activities. Why is liberation considered sinful? Because it is an abnormal condition. Our natural function is to serve Krsna, but we do not do that in salvation. Mere salvation does not include service to Krsna, so that is an abnormal position and therefore it is also a sin. To ignore our natural duty and stand aloof cannot but be sinful.

The concluding verse of the Srimad-Bhagavatam says, "Krsna’s holy name can relieve us from all undesirable sinfulness, all filthy characteristics and all miseries. Let us bow down to Him.’ Uttering this verse, the Srimad-Bhagavatam stops; that great treatise becomes silent. The last word in the Srimad-Bhagavatam is nama-sankirtana. The Srimad-Bhagavatam has given such great importance to chanting the holy name of Krsna, and Sri Caitanya developed it from there. Srila Vyasadeva, the compiler of Vedic literature, in his last publication took theism to that stage, and gave it to the public announcing, ‘Chant the name of Krsna! Do this, nothing more is necessary. Take this!’ This is the very conclusion of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the greatest spiritual gift of Vyasadeva: ‘Chant the holy name of Krsna and begin your life in this dark age with the most broad and wide theistic conception."

Thus the conception that the gaura-gayatri advocates sankirtana, the congregational chanting of the holy name — taking us beyond liberation to the divine life of service, is by all means bona fide.

Sankirtana as the most effective method of worship in Kali-yuga is also supported in the following verses:

"In this age of Kali those who are intelligent perform the congregational chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, worshipping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who appears in this age along with His associates to inaugurate the sankirtana movement, or chanting of the holy names. That incarnation is yellowish in hue.'' (Bhag. 11.5.32)
 
 

"In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way." (Brhad-naradiya Purana)

"My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra (sankirtana) one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom." (Bhag. 12.3.51)

"Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Visnu, in Treta-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dvapara-yuga by serving the Lord’s lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra." (Bhag. 12.3.52)

"In this age of Kali, the holy name of the Lord, the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, is the incarnation of Lord Krsna. Simply by chanting the holy name, one associates with the Lord directly. Anyone who does this is certainly delivered." (C.c. Adi-lila 17.22)

"Those who are advanced and highly qualified and are interested in the essence of life, know the good qualities of Kali-yuga. Such people worship the age of Kali because in this age, simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, one can advance in spiritual knowledge and attain life’s goal." (Bhag. 11.5.36)

"In the Dvapara-yuga people should worship Lord Visnu only by the regulative principles of the Narada-pancaratra and other such authorized books. In the age of Kali, however, people should simply chant the holy names of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." (Narayana-samhita)

"I shall personally inaugurate the religion of the age — nama-sankirtana, the congregational chanting of the holy name. I shall make the world dance in ecstasy, realizing the four mellows of loving devotional service." (C.c. Adi-lila 3.19)

Sri Caitanya is Krsna, the maintainer of the universe (visvambhara), and He has appeared to show us how to perform sankirtana. His mood is just like that of a devotee — not just any devotee, but He appears in the mood of His topmost devotee, Srimati Radharani.

"The loving affairs of Sri Sri Radha Krsna are transcendental manifestations of the Lord’s internal pleasure-giving potency (hladini). Although Radha and Krsna are one in Their identity, They separate Themselves eternally. Now these two transcendental identities have again united in the form of Sri Krsna Caitanya. I bow down to Him who has manifested Himself with the sentiment and complexion of Srimati Radharani although He is Krsna Himself.

"Desiring to understand the glory of Radharani’s love, the wonderful qualities in Him that She alone relishes through Her love for Him, and the happiness She feels when She realizes the sweetness of His love, the Supreme Lord Hari, richly endowed with Her emotions, appears from the womb of Srimati Sacidevi, as the moon appears from the ocean." (C.c. Adi-lila 1.5-6)

Based on all the above evidences that the identity of Sri Caitanya is non-different from that of Krsna (Sri Sri Radha- Krsna), it has also been recognized that brahma-gayatri (om bhur bhuvah svah tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo nah pracodayat om) indicates the worship of Sri Caitanya.

The word savitur of brahma-gayatri is taken as indicative of the personality to whom the brahma-gayatri ultimately refers. In his purport to Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 8.265, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains that savitur means the source of all intelligence (savitri). Ultimately that "savitri", he says, is Sri Caitanya because as the Supreme Godhead, Sri Caitanya is the source of all intelligence in the universe. Furthermore, it is also said that Sri Caitanya is the original source of the brahma-gayatri because of His non-dual identity with Krsna. We find no difference between Krsna and Sri Caitanya except that the later has the characteristic of audarya (magnanimity) added to the characteristic of madhurya (sweetness). The personified essense of such magnaminity is Srimati Radharani.

The Srimad-Bhagavatam has been explained by Sripad Jiva Goswami as the purport on brahma-gayatri. According to the acarya the first verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam states that the topmost servitor of Krsna is Srimati Radharani, and meditation on Her is the subject of dhimahi. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura has given a similiar purport on the first stanza of Srimad-Bhagavatam. He reveals that the Bhagavatam begins by announcing the appearance of Sri Caitanya, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

In the Caitanya-caritamrta, Ramananda Raya confirms that indeed Sri Caitanya is non-different from that very Narayana (Visnu) who enlightened Brahma from within the heart:

"You (Lord Caitanya) have manifested many transcendental truths in my heart. This is exactly the way Narayana educated Lord Brahma. The Supersoul within everyone’s heart speaks not externally but from within. He instructs the devotees in all respects, and that is His way of instruction." (C.c. Madhya-lila 8.264-5)

Srimad-Bhagavatam also confirms that brahma-gayatri is a meditation on Sri Caitanya. After the verse following the verse krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam we find:

"O Mahaprabhu, Your lotus feet are the highest object of meditation, for they not only destroy the pain of material existence, but they bestow the greatest fulfillment to all souls who take shelter beneath them. Your lotus feet even purify all saintly persons and holy places. Lord Siva and Lord Brahma aspire to take shelter beneath Your lotus feet. O Mahaprabhu, You give shelter to all who simply bow down before You. You relieve all the miseries of Your surrendered servants. In the grand ship of Your lotus feet, we can cross over this ocean of material miseries. O Mahaprabhu, I bow down before Your lotus feet." (Bhag. 11.5.33)

It is also the opinion of our acarya, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, that this verse directly indicates Sri Caitanya in that the word maha-purusa means Mahaprabhu Sri Caitanya, and the word dhyeyam means dimahi, which directly indicates the brahma-gayatri. The opinion of Srila Saraswati Thakura regarding Sri Caitanya as being the hidden subject of Srimad-Bhagavatam and brahma-gayatri, is also supported by previous acaryas such as Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura.

In the following verse from the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the revered Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura also draws the subject to Sri Caitanya, whereas the generally accepted explanation is that the verse applies to Lord Ramacandra. This opinion is further supported by the fact that this verse directly follows the two verses krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam and dhyeyam sada paribhava-ghnam abhista-doham, which clearly refer to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

"O Mahaprabhu, You gave up the Goddess of Fortune and Her great opulence, which is most difficult to abandon, and is sought after even by the Gods. In order to perfectly establish the principles of religion, You left for the forest to honor the Brahmin’s curse. To deliver the sinful souls who chase illusory pleasures, You search after them and award them Your devotional service. At the same time, You are engaged in search of Yourself, in search for Sri Krsna, Reality the Beautiful." (Bhag. 11.5.34)

Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says, "tyaktva su-dustyaja-surepsita-rajya-laksmim means He left imperial prosperity which is hard to abandon. Generally this is found in the case of Lord Ramacandra, but here surepsita-rajya-laksmim means the valuable devotional company of Visnupriya-devi. To the casual observer this may not appear materially substantial, but the dedication that Visnupriya has shown in Her heart for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is greater than any imperial standard. And Mahaprabhu had to leave that behind. Such a standard of sacrifice and service is never found even among the great society of the Gods. For the sake of the public welfare, Sri Caitanya had to ignore the serving, loving attitude of Visnupriya"

Thus in this essay we have established the eternality of gaura-mantra and gaura-gayatri, with references to the revealed scriptures. In so doing we have also shown that Srimad-Bhagavatam and the brahma-gayatri are also a meditation on Sri Caitanya. Gaura Haribol! Gaura Haribol!