Gaudiya Vaishnavism (also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism^[1]) is a Vaishnava religious movement founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534) in India in the 16th Century. Tirupati ( Telugu: తిరుపతి is the richest pilgrimage city (of any religious faith in the world located in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or its associated avatars principally as Rama and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (also transliterated Caitanya, IAST caitanya mahāprabhu) ( Bengali চৈতন্য মহাপ্রভূ (1486 - India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country "Gaudiya" refers to Gauḍadeśa (present day Bengal/Bangladesh) with Vaishnavism meaning the worship of Vishnu. Etymology and ethnology The exact origin of the word Bangla or Bengal is unknown though it is believed to be derived from the Dravidian-speaking tribe Bang ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific Its philosophical basis is primarily that of the Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavata Purana, as well as other Puranic scriptures and Upanishads such as the Isha Upanishad, Gopala Tapani Upanishad. The Bhagavata Purana (also known as Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, or simply Bhāgavatam) is one of the Puranic texts of Hindu literature For other meanings see Purana (disambiguation. The Puranas ( Sanskrit: sa पुराण purāṇa, "of ancient times" The Upanishads ( Devanagari: उपनिषद् IAST: upaniṣad also spelled "Upanisad" are Hindu scriptures that constitute the core teachings The Isha Upanishad ( īśa upaniṣad, otherwise Ishopanishad īśopaniṣad or īśāvāsya upaniṣad) is one of the shortest of the Upanishads Gopāla-tāpanī Upanishad is an Upanishad associated with the Atharvaveda.

The focus of Gaudiya Vaishnavism is the devotional worship (bhakti) of Radha and Krishna, and their many divine incarnations as the supreme forms of God, svayam bhagavan. Bhakti ( Devanāgarī: भक्ति) is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning devotion. For Radha the mother of Karna from Mahabharata see Radha (Mahabharata Radha (Devanagari राधा IAST Rādhā is the principal Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari kṛṣṇa in IAST, ˈkr̩ʂɳə in classical Sanskrit is a deity worshiped across many traditions of Hinduism Avatar or Avatara (अवतार IAST Avatāra) is often inaccurately translated into English as incarnation God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. This article is about a Hindu philosophical concept the original or absolute manifestation of God Most popularly this worship takes the form of singing Radha and Krishna's holy names, such as 'Hare', 'Krishna' and 'Rama', (most commonly in the form of the Hare Krishna mantra) which is known as kirtan. SACRED was a Cubesat built by the Student Satellite Program of the University of Arizona. Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari kṛṣṇa in IAST, ˈkr̩ʂɳə in classical Sanskrit is a deity worshiped across many traditions of Hinduism The Hare Krishna Mantra, also referred to reverentially as the Maha Mantra ("Great Mantra" is a sixteen-word Vaishnava mantra made well A mantra ( Devanāgarī मन्त्र (or mantram is a religious or mystical syllable or poem typically from the Sanskrit language Kirtan ( Sanskrit - "to repeat" is call-and-response chanting performed in India's devotional traditions The movement is sometimes referred to as the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya sampradaya referring to its traditional origins in the disciplic succession of spiritual masters (gurus) believed to originate from Brahma. Brahma is the Hindu god ( deva) of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. In Hinduism, a sampradaya ( IAST sampradāya) can be translated as ‘tradition’ or a ‘religious system’ although the word commands much more respect A guru (गुरु গুরু is a person who is regarded as having great knowledge wisdom and authority in a certain area and uses it to guide others Brahma is the Hindu god ( deva) of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. It classifies itself as a monotheistic tradition, seeing the many forms of Vishnu as expansions or incarnations of the one Supreme God, adipurusha. For the Celtic Frost album see Monotheist (album In Theology, monotheism (from Greek grc [[wiktμόνος μόνος]] For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific This article is about a Hindu philosophical concept the original or absolute manifestation of God

Contents 1 Philosophical concepts 1.1 Living beings 1.2 Supreme Person (God) 1.3 Inconceivable oneness and difference 2 Devotional activities 2.1 Bhakti Yoga (The Yoga of devotion) 2.2 Diet & lifestyle 3 History since Chaitanya Mahaprabhu 3.1 The Gaudiya Matha 4 Gaudiya and other Vaishnava schools 4.1 Theological sources 5 Notable modern-day personalities 6 Gaudiya Vaishnava organizations 7 See also 8 Footnotes 9 External links

Philosophical concepts

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Living beings

According to Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy, consciousness is not a product of matter, and is instead a symptom of the soul^[2]. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is an umbrella term for a wide variety of related religious traditions native to India. Within Hinduism a large number of personalities or 'forms' are worshiped as Murtis. Hinduism comprises numerous Sects or denominations The main divisions in current Hinduism are Shaivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism Hindu mythology is the large body of Mythology related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and Hindu philosophy is divided into six Sanskrit ''{{IAST|āstika}}'') schools of thought or darshanas (literally "views" Sankhya The Sanskrit term ( Devanāgarī: धर्म Pali transliteration dhamma) is an Indian spiritual and religious Artha ( Devanagari: अर्थ is a Sanskrit term meaning "purpose cause motive meaning notion" In Indian religions, Moksha ( Sanskrit: sa मोक्ष mokṣa) or Mukti ( Sanskrit: sa मुक्ति literally "release" Karma is a concept in Hinduism which explains Causality through a system where beneficial effects are derived from past beneficial actions Yoga ( Sanskrit: योग, IAST: yóga, joːgə refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India, to the Bhakti ( Devanāgarī: भक्ति) is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning devotion. Maya ( Sanskrit sa माया māyā) in Indian religions, has multiple meanings This article is about Hinduism. Puja or "pooja" may also refer to certain devotional practices performed by Balmikis Buddhists (see A Hindu temple or Mandir ( Sanskrit: मंदिर is a house of worship for Hindus followers of Hinduism. Literature regarded as central to the Hindu literary tradition was predominantly composed in Sanskrit, Indeed much of the morphology and linguistic "Veda" redirects here For other uses see Veda (disambiguation. The Upanishads ( Devanagari: उपनिषद् IAST: upaniṣad also spelled "Upanisad" are Hindu scriptures that constitute the core teachings The Rāmāyaṇa ( Devanāgarī: sa रामायण is an ancient Sanskrit epic attributed to the Hindu sage ( Maharishi) Valmiki For other meanings see Purana (disambiguation. The Puranas ( Sanskrit: sa पुराण purāṇa, "of ancient times" The following is a bibliography of Hindu scriptures and texts. The percentage of Hindu population of each country was taken from the US State Department's International Religious Freedom Report 2006. These are some of the most noteworthy Gurus and Saints of Hinduism (in alphabetical order A Hinduism is going through a phase of regeneration and reform through the vehicle of several contemporary movements collectively termed as Hindu reform movements. Ayurveda ( Devanāgarī: आयुर्वॆद the 'science of life' is a system of Traditional medicine native to India, and practiced in other The Hindu calendar used in ancient times has undergone many changes in the process of regionalization and today there are several regional Indian Calendars, as This article deals with social and cultural criticism of Hinduism The following is a glossary of terms and concepts in Hinduism. Jyotiṣa ( Sanskrit jyotiṣa, from jyótis- "light heavenly body" also spelled Jyotish and Jyotisha in English Prakrti or Prakriti (from Sanskrit language प्रकृ्रति prakṛti is according to Vedanta philosophy the basic matter of which the All living beings (jivas), are distinct from their current body - the nature of the soul being eternal, immutable and indestructible without any particular beginning or end^[3]. In Hinduism and Jainism, a jiva (जीव jīva alternate spelling jiwa) is a living being or more specifically the immortal essence of a living being Souls which are captivated by the illusory nature of the world (Maya) are repeatedly reborn amongst the various species of life on this planet and on other worlds in accordance to the laws of karma and individual desire. Maya ( Sanskrit sa माया māyā) in Indian religions, has multiple meanings Karma ( Sanskrit: कर्म, kárman - "act action performance" Pali: kamma) is the concept of "action" This is consistent with the concept of samsara found throughout Hindu belief. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent.

Release from the process of samsara (known as moksha) is believed to be achieveable through a variety of yoga processes. In Indian religions, Moksha ( Sanskrit: sa मोक्ष mokṣa) or Mukti ( Sanskrit: sa मुक्ति literally "release" Yoga ( Sanskrit: योग, IAST: yóga, joːgə refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India, to the However, within Gaudiya Vaishnavism it is bhakti in its puremost state (or pure love of God) which is given as the ultimate aim, rather than liberation from the cycle of rebirth^[4]

Supreme Person (God)

Gaudiya Vaishnavas believe that God has many forms and names, but that the name Krishna is the 'fullest' description because it means "He who is all-attractive"^[5], covering all of God's aspects such as being all-powerful, supremely merciful and all-loving. Bhakti ( Devanāgarī: भक्ति) is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning devotion. God is worshipped as the eternal, all-knowing, omnipresent, all-powerful and all-attractive Supreme Person. Omnipresence is the ability to be present in every place at any and/or every time unbounded or universal presence Names of God from other religious traditions such as Allah and Jehovah are also accepted as bonafide titles of the same supreme person. Allah ( Arabic: الله, ʔalˤːɑːh) is the standard Arabic word for ' Yahweh|God in Abrahamic religions Jehovah is an English reading of, the most frequent form of the Tetragrammaton, the name of God in the Hebrew Bible, in ^[6].

One of the defining aspects of Gaudiya Vaishnavism is that Krishna is worshipped specifically as the source of all incarnations of God. Avatar or Avatara (अवतार IAST Avatāra) is often inaccurately translated into English as incarnation This is based on quotations from the Bhagavata Purana such as krsnas tu bhagavan svayam, translated as "Krishna is the original Personality of Godhead"^[7] and from the Bhagavad Gita wherein Arjuna, when speaking to Krishna, states:

"You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate abode, the purest, the Absolute Truth. The Bhagavata Purana (also known as Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, or simply Bhāgavatam) is one of the Puranic texts of Hindu literature Arjuna or Arjun ( Sanskrit: अर्जुन arjuna) is one of the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, whose name You are the eternal, transcendental, original person, the unborn, the greatest. All the great sages such as Narada, Asita, Devala and Vyasa confirm this truth about You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me. "^[8].

Krishna is described elsewhere as the "seed-giving father of all living beings"^[9] and is worshipped within the Gaudiya tradition literally, as such - Krishna being the "sustaining energy of the universe"^[10].

Inconceivable oneness and difference

Main article: Achintya Bheda Abheda

A particularly distinct part of the Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy espoused by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the concept of Achintya Bheda Abheda, which translates to: inconceivable oneness and difference in the context of the soul's relationship with Krishna^[11], and also Krishna's relationship with his other energies (i. Achintya-Bheda-Abheda ( acintya bhedābheda in IAST) is a school of Vedanta representing the philosophy of inconceivable one-ness and difference Achintya-Bheda-Abheda ( acintya bhedābheda in IAST) is a school of Vedanta representing the philosophy of inconceivable one-ness and difference e. the material world). ^[12]

In quality, the soul (jiva) is described as being identical to God, but in terms of quantity the individual jivas are said to be infinitesimal in comparison to the unlimited Supreme Being. In Hinduism and Jainism, a jiva (जीव jīva alternate spelling jiwa) is a living being or more specifically the immortal essence of a living being Infinitesimals (from a 17th century Modern Latin coinage infinitesimus, originally referring to the " Infinite[[ th]]" member of a series have Infinity (symbolically represented with ∞) comes from the Latin infinitas or "unboundedness The exact nature of this relationship (being simultaneously one and different with Krishna) is inconceivable to the human mind, but can be experienced through the process of Bhakti yoga. Inconceivable was an American Primetime Television medical drama which was broadcast on NBC. Bhakti Yoga ( Devanāgarī: भक्ति योग is a term within Hinduism which denotes the spiritual practice of fostering loving devotion to God

This philosophy serves as a meeting of two opposing schools of Hindu philosophy, namely pure monism (God and the soul as one entity) and pure dualism (God and the soul as absolutely separate). Hindu philosophy is divided into six Sanskrit ''{{IAST|āstika}}'') schools of thought or darshanas (literally "views" Sankhya Monism is the metaphysical and Theological view that all is one that all reality is subsumed under the most fundamental category of being or existence Dualism denotes a state of two parts The word's origin is the Latin duo, "two". However, in practice Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy has much more in common with the dualistic schools as Krishna is worshiped as a Supreme person.

Devotional activities

Bhakti Yoga (The Yoga of devotion)

Main article: Bhakti Yoga

The practical process of devotional life is described as bhakti, or bhakti-yoga. Bhakti Yoga ( Devanāgarī: भक्ति योग is a term within Hinduism which denotes the spiritual practice of fostering loving devotion to God The two main elements of the bhakti-yoga process are vaidhi bhakti, which is devotional service through practice of rules and regulations (sadhana); and raganuga bhakti, which is a taken as a higher stage of more spontaneous devotional service based on a selfless desire to please one's chosen Ishta-deva of Krishna or his associated expansions and avatars. For Sadhana the actress see Sadhana (actress Sadhana (Sanskrit sādhanam) is a Sanskrit term for "a means of accomplishing something" Within Hinduism, an Ishta-deva or Ishta devata (Sanskrit iṣṭa-deva(tā, literally "cherished divinity " from iṣṭa Both of which are based on the chanting or singing of Krishna's names.

Within his Siksastaka prayers, Chaitanya compares the process of bhakti-yoga to that of cleansing a dirty place of dust, wherein our consciousness is the object in need of purification^[13]. The Siksastaka ( IAST Śrī Śikṣāṣṭakam ( Śikṣa means 'instruction' and aṣṭaka means 'eight' the only verses left by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu This purification takes place largely through the chanting and singing of Radha and Krishna's names. Japa ( Sanskrit: जप is a Spiritual discipline involving the meditative repetition of a Mantra or name of God. A Bhajan is a type of Hindu Devotional Song, often simple lyrical and expressing love for the Divine. Specifically the Hare Krishna mantra is chanted and sung by practitioners on a daily basis, sometimes for many hours each day. The Hare Krishna Mantra, also referred to reverentially as the Maha Mantra ("Great Mantra" is a sixteen-word Vaishnava mantra made well Famously within the tradition, one of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's close associates called Haridasa Thakur is reported to have chanted 300,000 holy names of God each day. Haridasa Thakur ( IAST Haridāsa (born 1451 or 1450 Besides being an ex-Muslim he is famous because of his dedication to the religious practice of constantly chanting the ^[14]

Diet & lifestyle

Gaudiya Vaishnavas follow a Lacto Vegetarian diet, abstaining from all types of animal flesh, including fish and eggs. A lactovegetarian diet is a vegetarian diet which includes Dairy products such as Milk, Cheese, Yogurt, Butter, Cream Onions and garlic are also avoided as they are believed to promote a more rajastic form of consciousness in the eater when taken in large quantities. In Samkhya philosophy one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy, rajas (Sanskrit rajas, or rajoguna) is the quality ( Guna) of activity Many are also known to abstain from intoxicating drinks such as alcoholic beverages.

All types of food are first offered to a deity of Krishna, and then the remnants are eaten as Prasadam. See also List of deities A deity is a Postulated Preternatural or Supernatural Being, who is always Prasāda ( Sanskrit: प्रसाद marathi:प्रसाद prasād / prashad ( Hindi) Prasāda in (Kannada prasādam This is based on a number instructions by Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita that:

• "If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it. " (9. 26)^[15]

• "The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin. " (3. 13) ^[16]

Lifestyle habits vary amongst practitioners, but orthodox Vaishnavas will avoid taking any recreational drugs or intoxicants and engage in sexual relations only within marriage, often for the sole purpose of procreation. Reproduction is the Biological process by which new individual Organisms are produced Many Gaudiya Vaishnavas will live for at least some time in their life as monks (brahmacarya), and the majority of senior gurus live as renunciates (Sannyasa) after the age of 50 years. Brahmacharya (brʌmatʃərɪə Devanagari: ब्रह्मचर्य is the first ashram in Vedic culture in which a person is dedicated to the quest for self realization A guru (गुरु গুরু is a person who is regarded as having great knowledge wisdom and authority in a certain area and uses it to guide others "Sanyasi" redirects here For the motion picture see Sanyasi (1975 film Sannyasa, ( Devanagari: संन्यास

History since Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Over the three centuries following the departure of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition evolved into the form in which we largely find it today in contemporary India. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT is the world's largest publisher of books concerning Krishna and the philosophy religion and culture of the Vedic tradition of India Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (also transliterated Caitanya, IAST caitanya mahāprabhu) ( Bengali চৈতন্য মহাপ্রভূ (1486 - In the early years of the tradition, the followers of Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Acharya and other companions of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu educated and initiated people, each in their own locales across Bengal. Nityananda ( Bangla: শ্রী নিত্যানন্দ (b 1474 CE a Vaishnava saint is famous as a primary religious figure within the Gaudiya Advaita Acharya ( 1434 - 1539) He is also considered to be a guru of great saint Haridasa Thakur. Etymology and ethnology The exact origin of the word Bangla or Bengal is unknown though it is believed to be derived from the Dravidian-speaking tribe Bang

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu requested a select few among his followers, who later came to be known as the Six Gosvamis of Vrindavan, to systematically present his theology of bhakti in their writings. Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective Bhakti ( Devanāgarī: भक्ति) is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning devotion. This theology emphasized the devotee's relationship to the Divine Couple, Radha and Krishna, and looked to Caitanya as the embodiment of both Radha and Krishna. For Radha the mother of Karna from Mahabharata see Radha (Mahabharata Radha (Devanagari राधा IAST Rādhā is the principal Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari kṛṣṇa in IAST, ˈkr̩ʂɳə in classical Sanskrit is a deity worshiped across many traditions of Hinduism The six saints and theologians were Rupa Goswami, Sanatana Goswami, Gopala Bhatta Goswami, Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami, Raghunatha dasa Goswami and Jiva Goswami, a nephew of the brothers Rupa and Sanatana. Rupa Goswami ( 1489 - 1564 CE is a devotional teacher poet and philosopher from the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. Sanatana Goswami ( 1488 - 1558 CE was a principal disciple of the Vaishnava saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Gopala Bhatta Goswami (1503 - 1578 is one of the foremost disciples of the Vaishnava Saint, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and a leading historical figure in the Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami (1505-1579 CE was a disciple of the Vaishnava saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and member of the influential Gaudiya Vaishnava group Raghunatha dasa Goswami, also known as Dasa Goswami was one of the principal disciples of the Vaishnava saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the primary six of which were Jiva Goswami (15??-1618 CEis one of the most prolific and important writers from the Gaudiya Vaishnava school of Hinduism, producing a great number of philosophical In the second generation of the tradition, Narottama, Srinivasa and Shyamananda, three students of Jiva Goswami, the youngest among the six Goswamis, were instrumental in spreading the established theology across Bengal and Orissa. Jiva Goswami (15??-1618 CEis one of the most prolific and important writers from the Gaudiya Vaishnava school of Hinduism, producing a great number of philosophical Etymology and ethnology The exact origin of the word Bangla or Bengal is unknown though it is believed to be derived from the Dravidian-speaking tribe Bang Orissa (ଓଡ଼ିଶା is a state located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal.

The festival of Kheturi (approx 1574)^[17], presided over by Jahnava Thakurani, the wife of Nityananda Rama, was the first time the leaders of the various branches of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's followers assembled together. Nityananda ( Bangla: শ্রী নিত্যানন্দ (b 1474 CE a Vaishnava saint is famous as a primary religious figure within the Gaudiya Through such festivals, members of the loosely organized tradition became acquainted with other branches along with their respective theological and practical nuances. That notwithstanding, the tradition has maintained its plural nature, having no central authority to preside over its matters. The festival of Kheturi allowed for the systemitization of Gaudiya Vaishnava Theology as a distinct branch of Vaishnava Theology. Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or its associated avatars principally as Rama and

In the 17th century, Vishvanath Chakravarti Thakur held great merit in clarifying core doctrinal issues over the practice of raganuga-bhakti through works such as Raga-vartma-chandrika. Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura ( 1626 ? - 1708 ? was a Gaudiya Vaishnava Acharya born in the village of Deva-gram within Nadia district His student Baladeva Vidyabhushan wrote a famous commentary on the Vedanta-sutra called Govinda Bhashya. Baladeva Vidyabhushana (? - 1768 was a prominent Gaudiya Vaishnava Acharya (religious teacher The Brahma sūtras, also known as Vedānta Sūtras, constitute the Nyāya prasthāna, the logical starting point of the Vedānta philosophy (Nyāya Govinda Bhashya is a Gaudiya Vaishnava commentary on Vedanta Sutra.

The 18th century saw a number of luminaries headed by Siddha Jayakrishna Das Babaji of Kamyavan and Siddha Krishnadas Babaji of Govardhan. Govardhan (गोवर्धन is a hill located near the town of Vrindavan in India, considered as Sacred by a number of traditions within Hinduism The latter, a widely-renowned teacher of the mode of internal worship (raga-bhajan) practiced in the tradition, is largely responsible for the current form of devotional practice embraced by some of the traditions based in Vraja.

From the very beginning of Chaitanya's bhakti movement in Bengal, Haridasa Thakur and others Muslim by birth were the participants. Bhakti ( Devanāgarī: भक्ति) is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning devotion. Haridasa Thakur ( IAST Haridāsa (born 1451 or 1450 Besides being an ex-Muslim he is famous because of his dedication to the religious practice of constantly chanting the A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion This openness received a boost from Bhaktivinoda Thakur's broad-minded vision in the late 19th century and was institutionalized by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur in his Gaudiya Matha in the 20th century. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur ( September 2, 1838 - June 23, 1914) a prominent figure among the Gaudiya Vaishnavas of Bengal Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur Prabhupada (February 31874 – January 1 1937 was a highly influential preacher of Gaudiya Vaishnavism throughout India in the late The Gaudiya Math organisation was formed in 1918 shortly after Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura took the renounced order of life ( Sanyasa) The twentieth century of the Common Era began on ^[18]

The Gaudiya Matha

Gaudiya Matha historians assert that in the 17th-18th century, there was a period of general decline in the movement's strength and popularity characterized by decreased preaching and appearance of persons following and promoting degraded teachings and practices^[19]. Pancha Tattva is a Sanskrit term wherein 'Pancha' means ' Five ' and ' Tattva ' means 'truth' or 'reality' Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (also transliterated Caitanya, IAST caitanya mahāprabhu) ( Bengali চৈতন্য মহাপ্রভূ (1486 - Nityananda ( Bangla: শ্রী নিত্যানন্দ (b 1474 CE a Vaishnava saint is famous as a primary religious figure within the Gaudiya Advaita Acharya ( 1434 - 1539) He is also considered to be a guru of great saint Haridasa Thakur. Gadadhara Pandita was a close associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, spending the majority of life since his teenage years alongside the saint Srivasa Thakura was a close associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and a member of the Pancha Tattva. The Gaudiya Math organisation was formed in 1918 shortly after Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura took the renounced order of life ( Sanyasa) These groups are called apasampradayas^[20]. This period was followed by a renaissance which began at the start of the 20th century. This change is believed to have happened largely due to the efforts of a particularly adept preacher known as Bhaktivinoda Thakur who also held the position of a deputy magistrate with the British government. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur ( September 2, 1838 - June 23, 1914) a prominent figure among the Gaudiya Vaishnavas of Bengal Bhaktivinoda Thakur's son grew up to be both an eminent scholar and highly influential Vaishnava preacher, known in his later life as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur Prabhupada (February 31874 – January 1 1937 was a highly influential preacher of Gaudiya Vaishnavism throughout India in the late In total Bhaktisidhanta Sarasvati Thakur founded sixty-four Gaudiya Matha monasteries in India and abroad. The Gaudiya Math organisation was formed in 1918 shortly after Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura took the renounced order of life ( Sanyasa)

The leading disciples of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura established their own temples (mathas) after his death in 1936. This movement was coined as the Saraswata Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition.

The branches of Gaudiya Matha are numerous. The Gaudiya Math organisation was formed in 1918 shortly after Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura took the renounced order of life ( Sanyasa) The most well-known branches are as follows:

• ISKCON, founded by A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

(became known as the 'Hare Krishnas' by many in the West)

• Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math of Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Maharaj
• Sri Chaitanya Gaudiya Math of Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaja
• Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti of Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Maharaja, co-founded with Srila Trivikrama Maharaja, A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and Srila Vamana Maharaja. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness ( ISKCON) also known as 'the Hare Krishna ' movement is one of several Vaishnava groups Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ( Sanskrit:, abhaya-caraṇāravinda bhakti-vedānta svāmī prabhupāda, Bangla: অভয়চরনাবিন্দ The Hare Krishna Mantra, also referred to reverentially as the Maha Mantra ("Great Mantra" is a sixteen-word Vaishnava mantra made well Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ( Sanskrit:, abhaya-caraṇāravinda bhakti-vedānta svāmī prabhupāda, Bangla: অভয়চরনাবিন্দ ^[21]
• Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math of Bhakti Promode Puri Goswami Maharaja
• Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mission of Bhakti Vaibhava Puri Goswami Maharaja.

By the end of 20th century, following the pioneering efforts of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (ISKCON), all of these societies had established branches in foreign countries and the present-day leaders of these Vaishnava communities are now actively spreading the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition throughout the world. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness ( ISKCON) also known as 'the Hare Krishna ' movement is one of several Vaishnava groups

Gaudiya and other Vaishnava schools

Although sharing a common set of core beliefs, there are a number of philosophical differences which distinguish Gaudiya Vaishnavism from other Vaishnava schools:

• Within Gaudiya Vaishnavism Krishna is seen as the original form of God, i. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. e. the source of Vishnu and not His avatar. For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific Avatar or Avatara (अवतार IAST Avatāra) is often inaccurately translated into English as incarnation

This is based primarily on verse 1. 3. 28 of the Bhagavata Purana (krsnas tu bhagavan svayam)^[22] and other scriptures. The Bhagavata Purana (also known as Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, or simply Bhāgavatam) is one of the Puranic texts of Hindu literature This belief is shared by the Nimbarka and Vallabha sampradayas, but not by the Ramanuja and Madhva schools who view Krishna as an avatar of Vishnu. Nimbarka ( Sanskrit: श्री निम्बार्काचार्य Śrī Nimbārkācārya) is known for propagating the Vaishnava Theology Sri Vallabhacharya (1479 &ndash 1531 was a devotional Philosopher, who founded the Pushti sect in India, following the philosophy of Shuddha In Hinduism, a sampradaya ( IAST sampradāya) can be translated as ‘tradition’ or a ‘religious system’ although the word commands much more respect Ramanuja ( traditionally 1017&ndash1137 also known as Ramanujacharya, was a Theologian, Philosopher, and Scriptural Exegete. For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific The Bhagavata Purana gives Krishna's pastimes in great detail, from his childhood in Vrindavan, to his later life as a Prince in Dwarka and thus is the most important Purana for Gaudiya Vaishnavas. Vrindavan (alternate spellings Vrindaban or Brindavan) or Vraj in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India is a town on WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Dwarka, also spelled Dvarka, Dwaraka, and Dvaraka, is a city and a Municipality It was elaborated on by Jiva Gosvami (one of Six Gosvamis of Vrindavan) in his Krishna sandarbha. Jiva Goswami (15??-1618 CEis one of the most prolific and important writers from the Gaudiya Vaishnava school of Hinduism, producing a great number of philosophical

Further information: Svayam bhagavan

• As Krishna's consort, Radha is similarly viewed as the source of all other Shaktis, including Lakshmi and Sita. This article is about a Hindu philosophical concept the original or absolute manifestation of God For Radha the mother of Karna from Mahabharata see Radha (Mahabharata Radha (Devanagari राधा IAST Rādhā is the principal Shakti, meaning sacred force, power, or energy, is the Hindu concept or personification of the divine feminine aspect sometimes referred Lakshmi or Mahalakshmi (pronunciation; Sanskrit: लक्ष्मी lakṣmī) is the Hindu Goddess of Wealth SITA is a multinational Information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the Aviation industry

• Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is worshipped as the most recent avatar of Krishna to descend in the current yuga, or age. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (also transliterated Caitanya, IAST caitanya mahāprabhu) ( Bengali চৈতন্য মহাপ্রভূ (1486 - Avatar or Avatara (अवतार IAST Avatāra) is often inaccurately translated into English as incarnation A Yuga ( Devanāgari: युग in Hindu philosophy is the name of an 'epoch' or 'era' within a cycle of four ages

Other sampradayas view Chaitanya as a devotee of Krishna only, and not Krishna himself or a form of avatar. According to his biographies Chaitanya did not display himself as Krishna in public, and would in fact avoid being addressed as such. In this regard A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami states, "[When] addressed as Lord Krishna, He denied it. Indeed, He sometimes placed His hands over His ears, protesting that one should not be addressed as the Supreme Lord"^[23]. Nonetheless Chaitanya's close associates 'detected' or believed him to be such, and in other instances it is claimed that Chaitanya appeared to certain devotees in dreams or visions - displaying his form as being that of Krishna. Rupa Goswami when first meeting with Chaitanya, composed the following verse showing his belief in Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's divinity:

"O most munificent incarnation! You are Krishna Himself appearing as Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Rupa Goswami ( 1489 - 1564 CE is a devotional teacher poet and philosopher from the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. You have assumed the golden color of Srimati Radharani, and You are widely distributing pure love of Krishna. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You. "^[24]

Although a controversial viewpoint outside of the Gaudiya tradition, Chaitanya's followers point at verses throughout the Puranic literatures as evidence to support this claim. ^[25][26]

Theological sources

Gaudiya Vaishnava Theology is prominently expounded by Jiva Goswami in his Sat-sandarbhas, six elaborate treatises on various aspects of God. Gaudiya Vaishnavism (also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism) is a Vaishnava religious movement founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534 in India Jiva Goswami (15??-1618 CEis one of the most prolific and important writers from the Gaudiya Vaishnava school of Hinduism, producing a great number of philosophical Other prominent Gaudiya Vaishnava theologians are his uncles, Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami, Visvanatha Chakravarti and Baladeva Vidyabhushana, author of Govinda Bhashya, a famous commentary on Vedanta Sutra. Rupa Goswami ( 1489 - 1564 CE is a devotional teacher poet and philosopher from the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. Sanatana Goswami ( 1488 - 1558 CE was a principal disciple of the Vaishnava saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura ( 1626 ? - 1708 ? was a Gaudiya Vaishnava Acharya born in the village of Deva-gram within Nadia district Baladeva Vidyabhushana (? - 1768 was a prominent Gaudiya Vaishnava Acharya (religious teacher Govinda Bhashya is a Gaudiya Vaishnava commentary on Vedanta Sutra. The Brahma sūtras, also known as Vedānta Sūtras, constitute the Nyāya prasthāna, the logical starting point of the Vedānta philosophy (Nyāya

Notable modern-day personalities

• A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
• Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja
• Gour Govinda Swami
• Bhakti Vaibhava Puri Goswami

Gaudiya Vaishnava organizations

• International Society for Krishna Consciousness
• Gaudiya Vaishnava Association
• Gaudiya Math

See also

• Hare Krishna
• Krishnology
• 108 names of Krishna
• Bhagavata

Footnotes

External links

• An overview of Gaudiya Vaishnavism - (gaudiya. com)
• Bhaktivedanta Book Trust portal - BBT (krishna. com)
• Satsvarupa dasa Goswami (writings and poetry) - {sdgonline. org}
• The International Society For Krishna Consciousness (iskcon. com)
• Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math (scsmath. com)
• The Bhaktivedanta Institute (binstitute. org)
• Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mission (srilapurimaharaja. org)
• Lake of Flowers Productions - Free media on Gaudiya Vaishnavism
• Biography of Sri Chaitanya by Swami Sivananda
• Official website of Narayana Maharaja - (purebhakti. com)
• World Vaishnava Association - An Umbrella Organisation of the Vaishnava faith
• VINA: Vaishnava Internet News Agency - Official News Site of the World Vaishnava Association

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