From Caitanya-caritamrta we learn how Caitanya taught people to become immortal, and thus the title may be properly translated as "the immortal character of the living force." The supreme living force is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is also the supreme entity. There are innumerable living entities, and all of them are indiviual. This is very easy to understand: We are all indiviual in thought and desires, and the Supreme Lord is also an individual person. He is different, though, in that He is the leader, the one whom no one can excel.
Amongst the created living entities, one being can excel another in one capacity or another. The Lord is an individual, just as the living entites are individual, but He is different in that He is the supreme individual, God is also infallible, and in Bhagavad-gita He is addressed as Acyuta, which mens, "He who never falls down." This is indicated because in Bhagavad-gita Arjuna had fallen into delusion but Krsna had not. We often hear it said that God is infalliable, and in Bhagavad-gita Krsna states:
nanyam gunebhyah kartaram
yada drastanupasyati
gunebhyas ca param vetti
mad-bhavam so dhigacchati
"When you see that there is nothing beyond these modes of nature in all activities and that the Supreme Lord is transcendental to all these modes, then you can know My spiriutual nature."(Bg.14.19)
Thus we should not think that Krsna is overpowered by the material potency when He is in the material world. Krsna and His incarnations are not under the control of material nature. They are totally free. Indeed, in Srimad-Bhagavatam one who has a godly nature is actually defined as one who is not affected by the modes of material nature, although in material nature. If even a devotee can attain this freedom, then what to speak of the Supreme?
The real question is how can we remain unpolluted by material contamination while in the material world. It was Rupa Gosvami who explained that we can remain uncontaminated while in the world if we simply make it our ambition to serve Krsna. One may then justifiably ask, "How can I serve?"
Obviously this is not simply a matter of meditation, which is just an activity of the mind, but of practical work. Love of Krsna's service can only be attained by working for Krsna. In such work, we should leave no resource unused. Whatever is there, whatever we have, should be used for Krsna. We can use everything: typewriters, autmobiles, airplanes, missiles-anything. If we simply speak to people about Krsna consciousness, we are also rendering service.
If our minds, senses, speech, money and energies are thus engaged in the service of Krsna, we cannot be considered to be existing in material nature. By virtue of spiritual consciousness, or Krsna consciousness, we transcend the platform of material nature. It is a fact that Krsna, His expansions and His devotees- that is, those who work for Him - are not in material nature, although people with a poor fund of knowledge think that they are.
Caitanya-caritamrta teaches that the spirit soul is immortal and that our activities in the spiritual world are also immortal. The Mayavadis, who hold to the view that the Absolute is impersonal and formless, contend that a realized soul has no need to talk.
However, the Vaisnavas, who are devotees of Krsna, contend that when one reaches the stage of realization, he really begins to talk. "Previously we only talked of nonsense," the Vaisanvas said, "Now let us begin our real talks, talks of Krsna."
The Mayavadis are also fond of using the example of the water pot, maintaining that when a pot is not filled with water it makes a sound, but that when it is filled it makes no sound. But are we waterpots? How can we be compared to them? A good analogy utilizes as many similarites between two objects as possible. A water pot is not an active living force, but we are. Ever silent meditation may be adequate for a water pot, but not for us.
Indeed, when one had realized he has so much to say about Krsna, twenty-four hours in a day is not sufficient. It is the fool who is celebrated as long as he does not speak, for when he breaks his silence his lack of knowledge is exposed. Caitanya-caritamrta shows that there are many wonderful things to discover by glorifying the Supreme.
In the beginning of Caitanya-caritamrta, Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami writes: "I offer my respects to my spiritual masters." He uses the plural here to indicate the disciplic succession. It is not that he offers obeisances to his spiritual master alone but to the whole parampara, the chain of disciplic succession beginning with Lord Krsna Himself. Thus the guru is addressed in the plural to show the author's highest respect for all the Vaisnavas.
After offering obeisances to the disciplic succession, the author pays obeisances to all other devotees, Godbrothers, the expansion of Godhead and the first manifestation of Krsna's energy. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu(sometimes called Krsna Caitanya) is the embodiment of all of these; He is God, guru, devotee and the expansion of God.
As His associate, Nityananda, He is the first manifestation of energy;
as Advaita, He is an incarnation;
as Gadadhara, He is the internal potency;
and as Srivasa, He is the marginal living entity.
Thus Krsna should not be thought of as being alone but should be considered as eternally existing with all His manifestation, as described by Ramanuhacarya. In visistadvaita philosophy, God's energies, expansions and incarnations are considered to be oneness in diversity. In other words, God is not separate from all of these; everything together is God.
Actually Caitanya-caritamrta is not intended for the novice, for it is the postgraduate study of spiritual knowledge. Ideally, one begins with Bhagavad-gita and advances through Srimad-Bhagavatam to the Caitanya-caritamrta. Although all these great scriptures are on the same absolute level, for the sake of comparative study Caitanya-Caritamrta is considered to be on the highest platform. Every verse in it is perfectly composed.
Indeed, Lord Caitanya and Nityananda are compared to the sun and moon in that They dissipate the darkness of the material world. In this instance both the sun and moon have risen together, and it is proper to offer obeisances directly to Lord Caitanya and Nityananda.
In the Western world where the glories of Lord Caitanya are relatively unknown, one may inquire, "Who is Krsna Caitanya?" The scriptural conclusion in answer to that question is that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Generally in the personal aspect of the Absolute Truth is mentioned in the Isopanisad, where, after a description of the all-pervading, we find the following verse:
hiranmayena patrena
satyasyapihitam mukham
tat tvam pusann apavrnu
satya-dharmaya drstaye
"O my Lord, sustainer of all that lives, Your real face is covered by Your dazzling effulgence. Kindly remove that covering and exhibit Yourself to Your pure devotee."(Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 15)
The impersonalists do not have the power to go beyond the effulgence of God and arrive at the personality from whom this effulgence is emanating. At the end of Isopanisad, however, there is a hymn to the Personality of Godhead. It is not that the impersonal Brahman is denied; it is also described, but that Brahman is considered to be the glaring effulgence of the body of Caitanya. In other words, Krsna Caitanya is the basis of the impersonal Brahman. It is also stated by Krsna in Bhagavad-gita that the impersonal Brahman rests on Him (Brahmano hi pratisthaham, Bg.14.27).
The Paramatma, or Supersoul, which is present within the heart of every living entity and within every atom of the universe, is but the partial representation of Caitanya. Krsna Caitanya is therefore the basis of Brahman and the Supreme Personality of Godhead as well. As thr Supreme He is full in six opulences: wealth, fame, strength, beauty, knowledge and renunciation. In short, we should know that He is Krsna, God, and nothing is equal to or greater that Him. There is no superior to be conceived. He is the Supreme Person.
It was Rupa Gosvami, a confidential devotee taught for more than ten days continuously by Lord Caitanya, who wrote:
namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te
krsnaya krsna-caitanya-namne gaura-tvise namah
"I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya who is more magnanimous than any other avatara, even Krsna Himself, because He is bestowing freely what no one else has ever given-pure love of Krsna."
It is not that Caitanya teaches a long and elaborate path to God realization. He is completely spiritual, and He begins from the point of surrender to Krsna. He does not pursue the paths of Karma-yoga or jnana-yoga or hatha-yoga but begins at the end of material existence, at the point where one gives up all material attachment.
In Bhagavad-gita Krsna began His teachings by distinguishing the soul from matter and in the Eighteenth Chapter concluded at the point where the soul surrenders to Him in devotion. The Mayavadis would have all talk cease there, but at that point the real discussion only begins. It is the Vedanta-Sutra which begins: athato brahma-jijnasa: "Now let us begin to inquire about the Supreme Absolute Truth."
Rupa Gosvami thus praises Caitanya as the most munificent incarnation of all, for He gives the greatest gift by indicating the highest form of devotional service. In other words, He answers the most important inquiries that anyone can make.