Picture of Swami Prakashanand Saraswati and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Glorious kirtan with Lord Chaitanya and Swami Prakashanand Saraswati

Glimpse of a wonderful chanting session with Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Swami Prakashanand Saraswati, two famous Saints of the 16th Century India, with hundreds of devotees. You can really feel the ecstatic joy of the devotees and the Lord as devotees play musical instruments and dance and sing and faint with joy. As the latest news of the Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Prakashanand Saraswati spread throughout the district, more and more people joined the chanting and felt blessed to be part of this blissful scene.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Prakashanand

Mahaprabhu and Prakashanand Saraswati

More about Swami Ji here.

After associating with Shree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Shree Rangam, Shree Swami Prakashanand Saraswati converted from Shree to Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Empowered by Shri Chaitanya, he taught Shrimad Bhagavatam and other devotional works to Gopala Bhatta Goswami, his nephew. His eloquent speech would engladden everyone.

Good qualities and pure devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead ornamented his life. Even while sleeping he would remember Lord Chaitanya. Prakashanand Saraswati was an extremely enthusiastic exponent of Shree Chaitanya's doctrine and divinity.

parama-vairagya-sneha murti manoram

maha-kavi gita vadya-nrtye anupam

"Very austere and renounced, Prakashanand Saraswati overflowed with love for the Devotees. His handsome form pleased the eyes. He was a learned poet and scholar. No one could compare with him in the arts of singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments." (Bhakti-ratnakar)

Leaving Shree Rangam, he lived a detached life in Shree Vrindavana as a fully dedicated servant of Radha-Govinda. He was a rasika acharya, perfect in describing the nikunja-lilas of Gandharvika-Giridhari. He glorifies Lord Chaitanya, Radha-Krishna, Navadwipa, and Vrindavana with enlightened devotion. Prabodhananda Saraswati's writings bless the beginner with bhakti and shower rasika Vaishnavas with pure nectar. Sangita Madhava, Navadwipa-sataka, Chaitanya-chandramrta, Radha-rasa-sudhanidhi, Vrindavana-mahimamrta are some of his books.

Prakashanand Saraswati serves Shree Radha in Golok Vrindavan as Tungavidya-gopi, one of Her asta-sakhis. His samadhi is behind Kaliya-ghat near the Kadamba tree of Krishna leela.

Swami Prakashanand Saraswati, one of the prominent disciples of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the spiritual Master of 16th Century Saint, Swami Prakashanand Saraswati

In the 16th century there were many descended Saints on this earth. At the same time, Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Who Graced this planet along with His eternal associates, was also present. Among His disciples, Swami Prakashanand Saraswati, Roop Goswami, Sanatan Goswami, Jeev Goswami and some others were prominent. In the next series of posts we're going to talk about Swami Prakashanand Saraswati, Shree Swamiji.

Followers of Swami Prakashanand Saraswati submitted to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Lord Chaitanya and followers such as Swami Prakashanand Saraswati

While at Benares, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had an interview with the learned. Sannyasis of that town, in the house of a Maharatta Brahmin, who had invited all the sanyasis. At this interview Chaitanya Mahaprabhu showed a miracle which attracted all the sanyasis to Him. Then ensued reciprocal conversation. The Sannyasis were headed by their most learned leader Swami Prakashanand Saraswati. 

After a short controversy, the followers of  Swami Prakashanand Saraswati submitted to Mahaprabhu and admitted that they had been misled by the commentaries of Shankaracharya. It was impossible even for learned scholars to oppose Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu for a long time, as there was some spell in Him which touched their hearts, and made them weep for their spiritual improvement. 

Sanyasis of Benares, including Swami Prakashanand Saraswati, soon fell at the lotus feet of Shri Chaitanya and asked for His grace (kripa). Shri Chaitanya then preached pure Bhakti and instilled into the hearts  of Swami Prakashanand Saraswati and his sanyasi followers, spiritual love for Krishna which obliged them to give up sectarian feelings. The whole of Benares, on this wonderful conversion of the Sannyasis, turned out Vaishnavas, and they made a master Sankirtan with their new Lord. After sending Sanatan to Vrindavan, Chaitanya Mahapraphu went to Puri again by the jungles with His comrade Balabhadra. Balabhadra reported that Mahaprabhu had shown a good many miracles on His way to Puri, such as, making tigers and elephants dance on hearing the Name of Krishna.

Who is Swami Prakashanand Saraswati?

Swami Prakashanand Saraswati's historic meeting the Lord Chaitanya

Swami Prakashanand Saraswati was a 16th Century spiritual leader. He was one of the main religious figures in Kashi at the time. Initially he opposed the Lord, but after a historic meeting with Him he became a follower of Chaitanya Mahapabhu along with tens of thousands of his followers. In this blog, we will have some visions of the Divinity of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and read accounts of his meeting with Swami Prakashanand Saraswati.