In Sri Krsna-Chaitanya-Dvadasa-Nama-Stotram, Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya writes about 12 important names of Lord Chaitanya. He further says that these glorious names of Chaitanya if chanted daily brings auspiciousness in life.
Twelve principal names of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu are:
(1) caitanyah krsna-caitanyo gaurango dvija-nayakah
yatinam dandinam caiva nyasinam ca siromanih
(2) raktambara-dharah sriman navadvipa-sudhakarah
prema-bhakti-pradas caiva sri-saci-nandanas tatha.
Sri Krsna-Chaitanya-Dvadasa-Nama-Stotram by Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya:
Meaning of each of the 12 names of Lord Chaitanya are as follows:
- Chaitanya — The living force
- Krsna-Chaitanya — The all-attractive Supreme living force
- Gauranga — He of fair bodily complexion
- Dvija-Nayaka — The hero amongst the twice-born brahmanas
- Yatinam Siromani — The crest jewel of sannyasis (who wander freely)
- Dandinam Siromani – The crest jewel of sannyasis (who carry staffs)
- Nyasinam Siromani — The crest jewel of sannyasis (who renounce everything).
- Raktambara-Dhara — He who wears red cloth
- Sriman — The supreme opulent one
- Navadvipa-Sudhakara — The source of nectar in Navadvipa
- Prema-Bhakti-Prada — The bestower of ecstatic loving devotion
- Sri-Sachi-Nandana — The delightful son of mother Sachi.
One who recites these twelve holy names of the Lord three times a day (in the morning, at noon time and at dusk) will attain complete perfection in their life and will surely attain pure devotion unto the lotus feet of Lord Chaitanya which is the ultimate shelter of all living entities.
Re-established religious principles in true spirit
After Lord Krishna completed his pastime in this mortal world and left for his eternal world, religious principles started declining. In fact, before the advent of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, there was almost no religion because no one was following the scriptures as it is. In fact, people had forgotten the purpose of scriptures. There was no scriptural discussion and hardly anyone chanted the names of Krishna.
If anyone chanted the names of Krishna, the general belief was that such people are either fool or because of poverty are hungry so are helplessly crying the name of God. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu re-established religious principles. His profound teachings dispelled all the misconception which people had regarding religion and the unscrupulous religious leaders who were misguiding people in the name of religion got exposed and defeated.
Living corpse to lively devotee
Chaitanya means living force. His advent brought life because people were able to forgo painful material life and joyfully started living happy Krishna Conscious life.
Material life is no life because God is not the centre of life, so it is full of suffering. If we fail to understand that we are parts and parcels of God then we are as dead and dull as stone. Just like stone has no life, similarly we are nothing but living corpse.
But Chaitanya Mahaprabhu taught us that for our own benefit, we should rise above material consciousness and situate ourselves into Krishna Consciousness. If we do so, then we can live happily forever in the association of Krishna who is source of all happiness.
Krishna who is not black
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna who is not black. He has golden complexion. Also he is in the mood of the topmost gopi of Vrindavan. Many times experienced devotees do not put peacock feather on him because if we put peacock feather then it means that we are interfering with the mood of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Most of the time Mahaprabhu is in the mood of Srimati Radharani, and we know that Radharani does not put peacock feather. He is always absorbed in the thoughts of Krishna. He is not stable; he is always agitated for Krishna prema.
Why he came here?
There are many reasons why Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came. One of the reasons is that he came to pay debt to the gopis. When Krishna left Vrindavan then gopis continuously cried for Krishna in separation. So, as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu he always cried like the gopis feeling separation from Krishna.
In Bhagavad Gita 4.11, Krishna says, ye yatha mam prapadayante, “As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly.” So, Krishna is eager to give something to the devotees, but pure devotees of Krishna do not ask anything from him. They only want to give something to Krishna. They always want to serve him.
Sanatana Goswami says that when Krishna asks devotees to ask something from him then devotees say three times “no”. He explains that three times no means – in past no, in present no and in future no. So, to pay debt to such dear devotees who have no personal desire or motive, Krishna comes as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to give them prema.
He is always keen to distribute prema, pure love of Godhead. But he gives prema to only those who are simple and not duplicitous and have no ulterior motives.
Advaita Acharya told to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu that do not give prema to those who are proud of wealth, power and beauty. Give prema to those who are simple and chant the names of Krishna.
He will award prema if our heart is free of prema for sense enjoyment
So, if we want to get prema of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu then we should be simple hearted and have love for the holy names.
We see Haridas Thakura had no material opulence, but he got Chaitanya Mahaprabhu prema. He did not get any higher material education neither he possessed any wealth or wielded any power.
But he was simple, humble and had no ulterior motives, was not duplicitous in his behaviour and was always eager to chant the name so Krishna, so Chaitanya Mahaprabhu awarded him love for Krishna and he came to be known as Namacharya.
If with humility and simplicity, we accept the shelter of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu then all opulence of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu will manifest. .
We should not have any material desires. Even if the desires are there then we should ignore it and not try to think about it especially when we are chanting the names of Krishna. It is because whatever is in the mind when we chant will manifest. So, if we have material desires then those desires will get fulfilled but it will pull us way from Krishna.
We should always be humble. And many times, without humiliation, we don’t become humble. For eg Keshav Kashmiri was very proud of his scholarship but when he was defeated by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu he became humble and fell at his lotus feet. When we offer our obeisances, it shows our humility and it burns our pride.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in this world to destroy our pride and our false attachment to this material world. So, let us all be under the shelter of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and continuously chant his holy names.
Note: This article is based on a Srimad Bhagavatam class given by His Holiness Bhakti Dhira Damodar Swami Maharaj at Iskcon Newtown Kolkata, India.
