The tattva of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is very difficult to understand ordinarily for a common man. Lord Chaitanya is the Supreme Lord Shri Krishna but appearing in the mood of a devotee. Radhanath Swami gives a brilliant Shastric explanation of the tattva of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in one of his yatras. Some excerpts of this talk are given here:
Shri Radha’s love for Krishna is so deep, so profound that even Krishna who is the knower of everything, He doesn’t know this one thing- the Supreme nature of Shri Radha’s love. Krishna says in Gita:
vedaham samatitani vartamanani carjuna
bhavisyani ca bhutani mam tu veda na kascana
He knows everything- past, present and future. He also perfectly knows all living beings from within and without. There is only one thing in all of the spiritual and material existence that Krishna does not know- “What it is that makes Shrimati Radharani so blissful upon seeing Me! What is the nature of Her love! What is the sweetness and happiness that She experiences upon tasting Her love for Me! And what is it about Me that so much attracts Her heart to such ecstatic forms of Bhakti!” So Lord Shri Krishna in order to taste the divine love of Shrimati Radharani appeared in this world and also appears eternally in the spiritual world, as Lord Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Mahaprabhu is the combination of the Maha-Bhava of Shrimati Radharani and the Prabhu – Supreme Lord Rasaraj, Shri Krishna. Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu descends into this world to give the love of Shrimati Radharani to all living beings. The only price to attain this topmost wealth is simply to be sincere and willing to accept it. And he gave this love through the teachings of the six Goswamis. He gave this love through his own wonderful Leela, and it all culminates in bringing all the fortunate souls to the proper consciousness of serving the Vaishnavas and chanting offenselessly this most sacred and blessed of all mantras-
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE
There is nothing that pleases Shrimati Radharani so much as when She sees Her devotees lovingly praising the Supreme Personality Of Godhead. When Krishna hears us chanting the name “Hare”, He becomes eternally grateful and pleased that we are glorifying His beloved Shrimati Radharani.
Shri Krishna Chaitanya Radha Krishna nahi anya… The Supreme Absolute Truth has divided in two eternal forms for the purpose of the Supreme form of enjoyment and through their enjoyment giving all living beings who are part and parcel of them the opportunity to assist in the supreme Leela of love. It is explained by Jagadananda Pandit in Prema Vivarta that Radha and Krishna, the one became two but when Krishna wanted to experience the love of Shri Radha, They became one again in the form of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. So which came first, did the one first become two or did the two first become one. Jagadananda Pandit explains that in the spiritual there are no considerations of such limitations of time. They are both existing eternally. The one Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is eternally experiencing the love of Shri Radha for Krishna, and simultaneously They are eternally separate to enjoy the beautiful Leela of Vrindavan. But Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to this world to invite us all into the wonderful Leela of Vrindavan. It is to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the six Goswamis of Vrindavan that we owe so deeply for revealing Vrindavan Dham to all of us. So let us reconfirm our vows in this holy land of Vrindavan to be the humble servant of the servant of the servant of the Vaishnavas and to very carefully each and every day in a prayerful mood worship the Holy Names.
– Radhanath Swami
