Pranam Mantra of Advaita Acharya:
maha-vishnur jagat-karta mayaya yah srijaty adah,
tasyavatara evayam advaitacarya ishvarah,
advaitam harinadvaitad acaryam bhakti-shasanat,
bhaktavataram isham tam advaitacaryam ashraye.
Appearance:
Advaita acharya was the incarnation of Lord Mahavishnu, and due to his prayers, Sriman Mahaprabhu descended on this earth. On Maghi Shukla Saptami Tithi, around 1434 AD Advaita Acharya appeared in a Varendra Brahmin family. His father was Kuvera Pandita and his mother was Srimati Nabha Devi. His birthplace was Navagrama, Shrihatta, now in Bangladesh. He was the incarnation of Lord Mahavishnu. When Advaita Acharya reached the age of six months, Kubera Pandita performed his Namakarana (giving a name) and Annaprashana (rice ceremony) with pomp and grandeur. The astrologer made the horoscope and verified the bodily symptoms of the little child. He identified the child to be an expansion of Lord Vishnu and gave him the name “Kamalaksha” (one who has lotus-shaped eyes).
When Kamalaksha learned how to talk, he first started uttering “Krishna Krishna”. From his childhood, he never ate anything except the prasadam offered to his family Shalagrama. He felt very happy by honoring Krishna prasadam. Everyone loved him. At the age of five, he started his education journey. Within a single month, he learned the Sanskrit alphabet. Kuvera Pandita performed the Upanayana Sanskara when Kamalaksha became older. Soon he became very proficient in literature and rhetoric.
The deity of Kali broke under the miraculous influence of Advaita Acharya:
Once King Divyasingha sat on a high seat with his associates in a Kali puja. At that time Advaitacharya came and entered the assembly without offering obeisances to Mother Kali. The king got angry and chastised him. Advaita Acharya said, “Sri Krishna is my only God and if we worship Him, there is no need to worship anyone else.” The king presented some counterarguments. But Advaitacharya refuted all of his arguments. Kuvera Pandita ordered Advaita Acharya to bow down before Kali Mata. Advaita Acharya followed his father’s instructions. As soon as he bowed down, the goddess suddenly disappeared and the deity broke.
Pilgrimage:
Advaitacharya became an erudite scholar at the age of fourteen. After the demise of Kuvera Pandita and Nabhadevi, Advaita Acharya went to Gaya to perform rites for his parents. During this time he traveled to all the pilgrimage places. When he came to Vrindavan, he came to know that Krishna would appear in Navadvipa. Advaita Acharya Prabhu received the service of Sri Madana Gopala deity. The banyan tree under which Advaita Prabhu stayed in Vrindavan is known as ‘Advaita Vata’. It is close to Dwadsha Aditya Tila and Madana Mohana temple. Advaita Acharya met Vidyapati in Mithila during his pilgrimage. Then he came to Navadvipa and spent a few days there. Finally, he arrived at Shantipur.
Initiation:
He came to Shantipur and made a Bhajana place on the banks of the Ganges. There he started expounding scriptures. Gradually many listeners came. After some days, Madhavendra Puri came to Shantipur on his way to Puri to bring sandalwood. There he met Advaita Acharya. A wonderful atmosphere was created in the union of the two. Madhavendra Puri embraced Adhaita Acharya and uttered “Krishna Krishna”. At Advaita Acharya’s prayer, Madhavendra Puri spent some days at Shantipur. Both of them felt a deep inner joy. Madana Gopala was installed in Advaita Bhavan. At that time, Advaita Acharya Prabhu took initiation from Madhavendra Puri.
Marriage:
There was an exalted Brahmin named Sri Nrisimha Bhaduri. Bhaduri had two daughters ‘Sitadevi’ and ‘Sridevi’. After the demise of his wife, Nrisimha Bhaduri was worried about his two daughters. One night he saw his two daughters in the form of Bhagavati and with Advaita Acharya Sadasiva in a dream. He approached Shyamdasa Acharya with the marriage proposal of his two daughters. Sri Advaita Acharya agreed and married his two daughters.
Sri Advaita Acharya’s prayer for the descent of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu:
Advaita Acharya appeared in the first quadrant of Kaliyuga. He became disappointed observing the sinfulness under the influence of Kali. The entire world was devoid of Krishna Bhakti. He thought that the world would only benefit if the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself descended on earth. He started worshipping Krishna with Ganges water and Tulsi leaves. Advaita Acharya began shouting and pleading for Krishna’s descent. By his roars of love, Krishna descended in Navadvipa as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Meeting with Ishwara Puri:
Shri Advaitacharya used to expound scriptures and discuss Krishna Katha in his own house in Nabadvipa, Mayapur. He and other Vaishnavas used to be extremely happy to hear the kirtan of Mukunda Ghosha, a well-known kirtana singer. One day Srila Iswara Puri came to Navadvipa and arrived at Advaita Acharya’s place. Advaita Acharya noticed the wonderful radiance of Ishwara Puri and came to know him as a Vaishnava monk. In this way, Shri Advaitacharya met his godbrother, Ishwara Puri.
Meeting with Mahaprabhu after His Sannyasa:
After taking Sannyasa from Kesava Bharati at Katwa, Mahaprabhu became overwhelmed in love for Krishna. He desired to go to Vrindavan. But Nityananda Prabhu wanted to show Mahaprabhu’s magnificent form as Sannyasi to the devotees of Navadvipa. He brought Mahaprabhu to Advaita Acharya’s place by various tricks. Later Mahaprabhu realised that Nityananda Prabhu had cheated Him and had taken Him cleverly to the west bank of Ganga in Shantipur. Advaita Acharya bathed and clothed Mahaprabhu and brought Him to his home in Shantipur. On hearing the news of Mahaprabhu’s arrival at Shantipur, Sachimata and other Navadvipa devotees he assembled there. Everyone saw the wonderful sannyasa form of Mahaprabhu.
Traveling to Nilachala:
About three years after Mahaprabhu’s Sannyasa the devotees of Navadvipa went to Puri to see Him. It was before Rathyatra and the beginning of Caturmasya. Their leader was Advaita Acharya Prabhu.
“advaita, nityānanda, mukunda, śrīvāsa
vidyānidhi, vāsudeva, murāri, — yata dāsa
prativarṣe āise saṅge rahe cāri-māsa
tāṅ-sabā lañā prabhura vividha vilāsa”
(CC Madhya 1.255-256)
Translation: Devotees headed by Advaita Ācārya, Nityānanda Prabhu, Mukunda, Śrīvāsa, Vidyānidhi, Vāsudeva and Murāri — used to visit Jagannātha Purī and remain with the Lord for four continuous months. The Lord enjoyed various pastimes in their company.
Every year Shri Advaita Acharya used to come to Puri. He assisted Mahaprabhu in Gundica Marjana, watersports in Narendra Sarovara, and Sri Jagannathdev’s Rath Yatra Festival. He was accompanied by his son Sri Achyutananda, the leading singer of the sixth group among seven. Advaita Acharya was the dancer and Swarupa Damodara was the main singer in the first kirtana group. Gopala Misra was Advaita Acharya’s other son. In the third year, the wives of the devotees also came to Puri with various gifts for Mahaprabhu.
Sending a sonnet to Sri Mahaprabhu:
When Sri Advaita Acharya returned to Shantipur from Puri, he met Jagdananda Pandita. Advaita Acharya was overjoyed to see him. When Jagadananda was returning to Puri, Advaita Acharya gave him a sonnet for Mahaprabhu. No one could understand its meaning except Mahaprabhu:
“prabhure kahiha āmāra koṭi namaskāra
ei nivedana tāṅra caraṇe āmāra”
Translation: In His sonnet, Advaita Prabhu first offered His obeisances hundreds and thousands of times unto the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He then submitted the following statement at His lotus feet.
“bāulake kahiha, — loka ha-ila bāula
bāulake kahiha, — hāṭe nā vikāya cāula“
Translation: Please inform Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is acting like a madman, that everyone here has become mad like Him. Inform Him also that in the marketplace rice is no longer in demand.
“bāulake kahiha, — kāye nāhika āula
bāulake kahiha, — ihā kahiyāche bāula”
(CC Antya 19.19-21)
Translation: Further tell Him that those now mad in ecstatic love are no longer interested in the material world. Also, tell Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that one who has also become a madman in ecstatic love [Advaita Prabhu] has spoken these words.
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura wrote the significance of the sonnet in his Amṛtāprabha bhāṣya, “Say to the Lord that, people are mad with love, and there is no place to sell rice (prema) in the market. Tell the Lord that people are no longer engaged in material attachments. This is the message from another madman, me. The significance is that the purpose of the appearance of Mahaprabhu is now fulfilled. Now Mahaprabhu can do whatever he wants .”
Disappearance:
Once Shri Advaitacharya Prabhu began to call loudly by saying “Where is my heart, Gauranga”. After a long time, he became pacified. Then he called his devotee sons and said – “O children, listen to my words. The wicked people criticize my Gauranga. Therefore I have decided to leave my body. Bring all the devotees here.” The eldest son Achyutananda informed all the devotees as per his father’s instructions. Knowing the order of Shri Advaita Acharya Prabhu, Virachandra Prabhu, Gauridas Pandit, Yadunandana Das and the devotees from Navadvipa and other places came to Shantipur. The beloved disciples of Sri Advaita Acharya Prabhu also came. Everyone paid prostrated obeisances and praised Sri Advaita Acharya Prabhu. Shri Advaitacharya Prabhu said to the assembled devotees: “All of you are my close ones. Now I am giving you an instruction.
The instruction is this: “Always preach the Name, Qualities and Pastimes of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Always stay away from the company of Pashandis – hateful, bigoted, uncivilized, selfish, and evil people. Everyone should sing the Name of the Lord and fulfill their eternal desires.” By hearing the words of Advaita Prabhu all the devotees felt divine love in their hearts. All of them started chanting the names and attributes of Sri Gauranga. Virachandra Prabhu started an ecstatic dance with the three sons of Advaita Acharya: Achyutananda, Krishna Misra, and Gopala. Narahari Dasa Thakura, Gauridasa Pandita, and Pandita Damodara joined them. Gradually the sankirtan increased. Advaita Prabhu was immersed in the ocean of divine love. The symptoms of ashta sattvika vikara appeared on his body.
He started crying by saying, “Where is my heart, Gauranga?” Goosebumps like a kadamba flower covered his body. Suddenly he entered the temple of Madangopala Deva and then disappeared. The devotees began to cry and roll in the dust for his disappearance. Sri Achyutananda Prabhu realized that his father had disappeared into Sri Madana Gopala. He said that one limb of the desire tree of Mahaprabhu has disappeared today. All the devotees wept unceasingly. On the second day, everyone bathed in the Ganges. Then Sri Achyutananda Prabhu arranged mahotsava in memory of Sri Advaitacharya Prabhu. Everyone accepted Mahaprasada and then went to their respective places.
Advaitacharya Prabhu disappeared on Shukla (bright) Trayodasi tithi in Pausha month, 1480 Shaka era.
