Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja
Sri Keshavaji Gaudiya Matha, Navadvipa, India: March 14, 2006

Today is the most auspicious appearance day of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu — Sri Gaura Purnima. On this very day, 520 years ago, during a lunar eclipse, millions of people were chanting harinama on the banks of the Ganges when Sacinandana Gaurahari appeared in Sridhama Mayapur, Navadvipa.

Why did Krishna come as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu? After completing His pastimes in Vrndavana and Dvaraka, Krishna had tasted the mellows of servitude (dasya-rasa), friendship (sakhya-rasa), parental affection (vatsalya-rasa), and conjugal love (madhurya-rasa). Yet even after tasting all of these, He remained unsatisfied. He saw that Srimati Radhika was tasting something extraordinarily sweet — a love that He Himself could not fully experience from His own side.

Krishna then felt three unfulfilled desires within His heart. He wanted to understand the glory of Radharani's love — what makes Her love so powerful that it overwhelms even Him. He wanted to taste the sweetness of His own nature as experienced through Her eyes. And He wanted to experience the extraordinary happiness that Radharani feels when she serves Him in the mood of manjari-bhava, the intimate service rendered by Her dearest maidservants.

To fulfill these three desires, Krishna accepted the mood and golden complexion of Srimati Radhika and descended as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Thus, Mahaprabhu appeared for two primary reasons: first, to personally taste these topmost mellows of divine love; and second, to freely distribute raga-marga bhakti — spontaneous devotional service — to all the fortunate souls of this world.

This is the distinction between raganuga and rupanuga bhajana. Raganuga means following in the footsteps of the ragatmika devotees of Vrndavana who are naturally, spontaneously attracted to Krishna. Rupanuga means following specifically in the footsteps of Rupa Gosvami and Rupa Manjari — the most intimate maidservants of Srimati Radhika. This special mood of manjari-bhava is Mahaprabhu's unique and most precious gift to humanity, the jewel He came to distribute.

The love of Srimati Radhika passes through many stages — from prema through sneha, mana, pranaya, raga, anuraga, bhava, and ultimately to mahabhava — the topmost form of divine love that only Srimati Radhika fully possesses. It is this mahabhava, this madanakya-mahabhava, that Krishna Himself wanted to taste. And by His mercy as Mahaprabhu, He opens the door for all of us to approach this highest realm through the path of devotion.

On this day of Gaura Purnima, we should remember that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came not only to taste these mellows for Himself, but to sprinkle them upon all living entities. He walked through the streets of Navadvipa and Puri, dancing and chanting, weeping in ecstatic love, and freely giving what no one had ever given before — the highest love of Godhead — to anyone who simply called out the Holy Names.

Let us pray on this auspicious day to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu that He may bless us with even a drop of that divine love. Let us glorify this most merciful incarnation, take His shelter wholeheartedly, and encourage all around us to take part in the chanting of the Holy Names:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare,
Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare.

Gaura premanande!