One may say that "Lord Ramacandra is accepted God, Lord Krsna is also accepted, but Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He is the greatest devotee of God, but…" There are some persons in the Nimbarka-sampradaya, they put this argument. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu's name is there in the sastra, many Upanisads, especially in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, that in the Kali-yuga this incarnation of God should be worshiped. What is that description?
krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam
sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair
yajanti hi sumedhasah
[SB 11.5.32]
Clearly Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Krsna-varnam tvisa akrsnam. He is Krsna. Or krsnam varnayati, iti krsna-varnam. Srila Jiva Gosvami, the most authoritative acarya of our sampradaya, he has explained like this. Krsna-varnam means always chanting Hare Krsna. Krsnam varnayati, describing Krsna, "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna." This is description of Krsna, addressing Krsna. So therefore krsna-varnam, or varnam means category, just like brahmana-varna, ksatriya-varna. So in that way krsna-varna means He is Krsna, in the category of Krsna. Either you take this meaning or that meaning, krsna-varnam. But Krsna is black, and He is tvisa, by the complexion, akrsna. Akrsna means not Krsna. Now, there are so many colors. So everything is akrsna. That color, all the colors are mixed together, it becomes black. Otherwise there are many different colors. So akrsna means different color, "not krsna," not black. So what is the actual? That we have to refer to sastra again, that Krsna, in how many categories of color He appears?
That is stated in the Bhagavatam. When Krsna was born, then Gargamuni was calculating about His horoscope, and he said to Nanda Maharaja that "This your child…" Idanim krsnatam gatah. Suklo raktas tatha pita idanim krsnatam gatah [SB 10.8.13]:…"Your son had other colors also, white and red and yellow, and now He has assumed blackish color."
So Caitanya Mahaprabhu, tvisa akrsnam. He is not blackish. Then He must be other form — sukla, rakta or pita. So He assumed the pita, yellowish color. Therefore tvisa akrsnam. Tvisa means by complexion. So krsna-varnam, krsnam varnayati, iti krsna-varnam, or krsna iti krsna-varnam, and tvisa, by complexion, akrsna, pita, idanim pita-varnam. Pita-varna gaura, golden avatara. And sangopangastra parsadam: He is always surrounded by associates, specially by Sri Advaita, Gadadhara, Srivasadi. Sri Krsna Caitanya, He is Krsna, then Nityananda, then Advaita, then Gadadhara, then Srivasa, and many other devotees always followed. That is the life of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Wherever He went, many followers chanting Hare Krsna, plus these principal associates were with Him. Therefore sangopangastra-parsa… And these sanga upanga were His astra. Astra. Astra means weapon.
God advents for two purposes. What are the two purposes? Paritranaya sadhunam [Bg. 4.8]: just to give relief and deliver the devotees. The devotees are always anxious to see God, so God comes down to give relief to the devotee, being present before them. Paritranaya sadhunam. Another: vinasaya ca duskrtam, to annihilate the demons. So there…, for annihilating, for killing, you require weapons. Krsna has His weapon, sudarsana-cakra. Lord Ramacandra has His weapon, bow and arrow. What is the weapon of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu? Sangopangastra-parsadam. His associates are His weapons. This is astra…
So in this age, Kali-yuga, to kill the demons means to stop their demonic activities by the astra, kirtana, hari-sankirtana, which is spread by His associates. Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, Srivasa-adi-gaura-bhakta-
So sangopangastra-parsadam. This is the description of God, Krsna, in this age. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
(From Srila Prabhupada's class on Bhagavad-gita 7.2 — March 10, 1975, London)
