The Golden Avatar – Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared during an eclipse on the full moon night of February/ March in Mayapur India about 550 years ago. During eclipses in India it is the custom of the people to go to the Holy rivers and chant mantras to invoke auspiciousness.
Thus at the time of Lord Chaitanya’s birth most of the people of India were engaged in chanting the Holy Names of the Lord congregationally. This chanting of the Holy Names would prove to be the mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. This is confirmed by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in one of his great literary works, the Sri Chaitanya-Caritamrta, a 17 volume set of books about the glories of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
It is stated in the 13th chapter text 21 of the Chaitanya-caritamrta:
“In jubilation everyone was chanting the Holy Name of the Lord–Hari-Hari–and Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu then appeared, after first causing the appearance of the Holy Name. At His birth, in His childhood, in His early and later boyhood, as well as in His youth, Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, under different pleas, induced the people to chant the Holy Names, especially the Hare Krishna maha-mantra:
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare HareHari Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
In different ages there are different methods for self-realization such as meditation, temple worship and various yoga practices to control the body and mind. This is the age of Kali-yuga which means that the people are short lived more than in other ages and prone to quarrels over insignificant matters.
Although this age of Kali is considered the worst of the four yugas: Satya, Treta, Dwarpa and Kali; it has some greater benefits than the other ages. One is the all-auspicious appearance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Since He is the color of molten gold He is called the golden avatar, thus this is also called the golden age of Lord Chaitanya. It is said that this golden age will last 10,000 years from the time of the appearance of Lord Chaitanya. Srila Prabhupada said that his books will be the spiritual lawbooks for the next 10,000 years also. So we have a window of opportunity now to get the mercy of Sri Sri Guru and Gouranga. The fortunate souls will take advantage of this priceless mercy.
One of the benefits of this age is that even by thinking good thoughts such as worshipping the Lord in your mind you get the benefit as if you actually did the worship etc. This is called manasa-puja, mental worship.
Another benefit of this age is that self-realization is now easy simply by chanting the Holy Names. One can become self-realized by chanting the Holy Names of the Lord, especially the most powerful Hare Krishna Mahamantra as taught and practiced by Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Himself.
Lord Chaitanya is described in the western encyclopedia as a great saint who travelled all over India and transcended the caste system; uniting all people as servants of God, Krishna. But He was more than a great saint, He is Radha and Krsna combined, acting like a devotee to teach us.
Lord Chaitanya performing so many miracles. He cured the sick and converted sinful people such as Jagai and Madhai into great saints.
Due to the prayers of Sri Advaita Acarya, Lord Chaitanya appeared within the womb of mother Sacidevi. When her husband, Jagannatha Misra saw her thus impregnated he said, “I see wonderful things! Your body is effulgent and it appears as if the Goddess of Fortune were now staying personally in my home. Anywhere and everywhere I go, all people offer me respect. Even without my asking, they voluntarily give me riches clothing and food.” Mother Sacimata replied, “I also see wonderfully brilliant human beings appearing in outer space, as if offering prayers.”Jagannatha Misra then replied, “In a dream I saw the effulgent abode of the Lord enter my heart. From my heart it entered your heart. I can therefore understand that a great personality will soon take birth.” (Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu)

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu lived in the cave at Gambhira, He was always thinking of Krsna and weeping. He came to this world to taste Radha-bhava, and His activities while in Gambira comprise a drop of the ocean He experienced. While living in Gambira He gave the deity of Gopinatha to Srila Gadadhara Pandita and told him, "Today I will give you a very good thing. Will you accept it?" Srila Gadadhara Pandita replied, "Yes, why not? I'll keep it on my head."In the mood of Radhika, Mahaprabhu began to search here and there in the sand. All of a sudden He touched the mukut (crown) of Gopinatha and told the others, "Take out the sand." He then placed Gopinatha in the lap of Gadadhara Pandita and said, "You should never leave Him."Srila Gadadhara Pandita built a hut there, and Mahaprabhu used to come daily to take darsana of Gopinatha. Whenever He went to Jagannatha Mandira and saw Subhadra and Baladeva, He did not experience very much pleasure. Rather, in front of Baladeva and His sister Subhadra He felt very shy and thought, "I have come to Kuruksetra." He was in the mood of Srimati Radhika at Kuruksetra where, in great separation, She tried to bring Krsna (Jagannatha) to Vrndavana. In the mood of Srimati Radhika, Mahaprabhu did not like to see Krsna in Kuruksetra, because all His associates, along with all His queens of Dvaraka, were there, and so many horses and elephants were there. There was no chance for Radhika to be with Him in private, and this is why Mahaprabhu always felt intense separation in Puri. In this way, being in Gambhira was like being in Vrndavana and feeling separation for Krsna in Dvaraka. The mood of separation was always present in Mahaprabhu in Puri. When Radhika went to Kuruksetra, She did not take rest with Krsna. Rather, She was given a separate accommodation in a tent, and Krsna lived with the Yadavas and His queens. When He went to His own accommodation, She felt great separation. In Puri, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu sometimes saw the sea as Yamuna and jumped in it, but there He wept still more, because Krsna would disappear. Sometimes He became like a tortoise, His limbs drawn into His body, and sometimes the joints of His hands and legs would become separated by eight inches, remaining connected only by skin. At that time He sometimes appeared like a ghost. When the devotees would see Him in that condition, they would all become fearful and begin to weep for Him. All this was due to separation from Krsna, and therefore, to get some relief, Mahaprabhu would come to Gopinatha. Seeing Gopinatha, He felt, "Oh, I have come to Vrndavana. My Prananatha (life of My soul) is here." In this way His tears of separation would subside.On one side of Gopinatha we see Srimati Radhika, on the other side Lalita, and both are black like Krsna. Being in the mood of Radhika, when Mahaprabhu used to see Gopinatha, He (She) became one in mood with Krsna and became black. Radha becomes black by seeing Her Prananatha and becoming absorbed in Him. She sometimes takes the flute of Krsna and begins to play it, and in this way also, She becomes black. This is the mood of Tota Gopinatha with Radhika and Lalita. Then, in the mood of Srimati Radhika, Krsna becomes Mahaprabhu, and Lalita becomes Sri Svarupa Damodara. You can see that Gopinatha is sometimes standing and sometimes sitting. Although you do not see any other vigraha (deity) sitting, He sits. Some say that when Srila Gadadhara Pandita became old, he could no longer offer garlands to Gopinatha, and therefore Gopinatha sat down. But this is not actually true. Caitanya Mahaprabhu disappeared at the age of 48, and Gadadhara Pandita was only one year younger. He left this world a year after Mahaprabhu disappeared, and thus there was no chance for him to become old. When Mahaprabhu disappeared, following the order of Mahaprabhu, he did not leave the worship of Gopinatha. Always feeling separation, he quickly became lean and thin and could not even stand to give a garland to Gopinatha. Seeing Gadadhara Pandita in such a state, Gopinatha sat down for him, and Gadadhara Pandita continued to offer the garlands along with his tears.There was a bhakta of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu named Mamu Thakura who used to render various services to Him. Soon after Mahaprabhu disappeared, Srila Gadadhara Pandita also disappeared, and at that time his disciple Mamu Thakura was appointed by the government of Puri to serve Gopinatha. He was old – about 84 years – and he could not properly offer garlands to Gopinatha. Some say that perhaps because Mamu Thakura could not give garlands to Gopinatha in his old age, Gopinatha sat down for him. Actually, however, Gopinatha sat only for Srimati Radhika. It is a common thing for Srimati Radhika that Krsna stands up and sits down for Her.