Was Lord Caitanya Predicted?

neophyte · March 15, 2005

Haribol ...

1. Does anyone if the appearance of Lord Caitanya is mentioned in the vedas and if so where?

2. He is not counted as on of the ten incarnations of God. Does He appear in every Yuga cycle? If not, why did he appear in this particular cycle??

Thankyou.

sumedh · March 15, 2005

Hare Krishna and dandavat pranam

He is mentioned in many places. Please see: http://www.gosai.com/dvaita/madhvacarya/Caitanya.html

2. He is not counted as on of the ten incarnations of God. Does He appear in every Yuga cycle? If not, why did he appear in this particular cycle??

The ten incarnations are given as a sort of "sample"; Bhagavatam mentions twenty-five incarnations.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.26

O brahmanas, the incarnations of the Lord are innumerable, like rivulets flowing from inexhaustible sources of water.

PURPORT

The list of incarnations of the Personality of Godhead given herein is not complete. It is only a partial view of all the incarnations. There are many others, such as Sri Hayagriva, Hari, Hamsa, Prsnigarbha, Vibhu, Satyasena, Vaikuntha, Sarvabhauma, Visvaksena, Dharmasetu, Sudhama, Yogesvara, Brhadbhanu and others of the bygone ages. Sri Prahlada Maharaja said in his prayer, “My Lord, You manifest as many incarnations as there are species of life, namely the aquatics, the vegetables, the reptiles, the birds, the beasts, the men, the demigods, etc., just for the maintenance of the faithful and the annihilation of the unfaithful. You advent Yourself in this way in accordance with the necessity of the different yugas. In the Kali-yuga You have incarnated garbed as a devotee.” This incarnation of the Lord in the Kali-yuga is Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. There are many other places, both in the Bhagavatam and in other scriptures, in which the incarnation of the Lord as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is explicitly mentioned. In the Brahma-samhita also it is said indirectly that although there are many incarnations of the Lord, such as Rama, Nrsmha, Varaha, Matsya, Kurma and many others, the Lord Himself sometimes incarnates in person. Lord Krsna and Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are not, therefore, incarnations, but the original source of all other incarnations. This will be clearly explained in the next sloka. So the Lord is the inexhaustible source for innumerable incarnations which are not always mentioned. But such incarnations are distinguished by specific extraordinary feats which are impossible to be performed by any living being. That is the general test to identify an incarnation of the Lord, directly and indirectly empowered. Some incarnations mentioned above are almost plenary portions. For instance, the Kumäras are empowered with transcendental knowledge. Sri Narada is empowered with devotional service. Maharaja Prthu is an empowered incarnation with executive function. The Matsya incarnation is directly a plenary portion. So the innumerable incarnations of the Lord are manifested all over the universes constantly, without cessation, as water flows constantly from waterfalls.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.27

All the rsis, Manus, demigods and descendants of Manu, who are especially powerful, are plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord. This also includes the Prajapatis.

PURPORT

Those who are comparatively less powerful are called vibhuti, and those who are comparatively more powerful are called avesa incarnations.

He appears in the yuga-cycle when Lord Krishna appears i.e. once in a day of Brahma. Because He is a "hidden" incarnation (channah avataara), He is not mentioned so explicitly in Vedic texts.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.38

ittham nr-tiryag-rsi-deva-jhasavatarair

lokan vibhavayasi hamsi jagat-pratipan

dharmam maha-purusa pasi yuganuvrttam

channah kalau yad abhavas tri-yugo ’tha sa tvam

My Lord, You kill all the enemies of the world in Your multifarious incarnations in the families of men, animals, demigods, rsis, aquatics and so on. Thus You illuminate the worlds with transcendental knowledge. In the Age of Kali, O Mahapurusa, You sometimes appear in a covered incarnation. Therefore You are known as Tri-yuga [one who appears in only three yugas].