Introduction 9

mends this process as the most excellent mode of worship. He accepts the
Srimad-Bhagavata Purana as the spotless literature for understanding the
Lord, and He preached that the ultimate goal of life for all human beings
is to attain the stage of prema or love of God.

Many devotees of Lord Caitanya like Srila Vrndavana-dasa Thakur, Sri
Locanadasa Thakur, Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, Sri Kavikarnapira,
Sri Prabodhananda Sarasvati, Sri Ripa Gosvami, Sri Sanatana Gosvami,
Sri Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami, Sri Jiva Gosvami, Sri Gopala Bhatta
Gosvami, Sri Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami and in this latter age within two
hundred years, <i Vigvanatha Cakravarti, Sri Baladeva Vidyabhisana, Sn
Syamananda Gosvami, Sri Narottama-dasa Thakur, Sri Bhaktivinode Thakur
and at last Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur (our spiritual master) and
many other great and renowned scholars and devotees of the Lord, have
prepared voluminous books and literatures on the life and precepts of the
Lord. Such literatures are all based on the sastras like the Vedas, Puranas,
Upanisads, Ramdyana, Mahabharata and other histories and authentic
literatures approved by the recognized acaryas. They are unique in com-
position and unrivaled in presentation, and they are full of transcendental
knowledgé. Unfortunately the people of the world are still ignorant of
them, but when these literatures, which are mostly in Sanskrit and Bengali,
come to light the world and when they are presented before thinking
people, then India’s glory and the message of love will overflood this
morbid world, which is vainly searching after peace and prosperity by
various illusory methods not approved by the dcaryas in the chain of
disciplic succession.

The readers of this small description of the life and precepts of Lord
Caitanya will profit much to go through the books of Srila Vrndavana-dasa
Thakur (Sri Caitanya-bhagavata) and Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami
(Sri Caitanya-caritamyta). The early life of the Lord is most fascinatingly
expressed by the author of Caitanya-bhagavata, and as far as the teachings
are concerned, they are more vividly explained in the Caitanya-caritamrta.
Now they are available to the English speaking public in our Teachings
of Lord Caitanya.

The Lord’s early life was recorded by one of His chief devotees and
contemporaries, namely Srila Murari Gupta, a medical practitioner of that
time, and the latter part of the life of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was
recorded by His private secretary Sri Damodara Gosvami or Srila Svariipa
Damodara, who was practically a constant companion of the Lord at Puri.
These two devotees recorded practically all the incidences of the Lord’s
activities, and later on all the books dealing with the Lord, which are above
