Chaitanya Dictionary

superconscious mind: Karana chitta.

The mind of light, the all-knowing intelligence of the soul. The psychological term is turiya, "the fourth," meaning the condition beyond the states of wakefulness (jagrat), "dream" (svapna), and "deep sleep" (sushupti). At its deepest level, the superconscious is Parashakti, or Satchidananda, the Divine Mind of God Siva. In Sanskrit, there are numerous terms for the various levels and states of superconsciousness. Specific superconscious states such as: vishvachaitanya ("universal consciousness"), advaita chaitanya ("nondual consciousness"), adhyatma chetana ("spiritual consciousness").

See: mind, chitta, consciousness, samskara, Satchidananda, vasana, Three phases of mind, Five states of the mind.

(See also: Superconscious mind , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Svarupa Damodara Goswami

Lord Chaitanya’s secretary and constant companion who helped the Lord experience the attitude of Radharani.

(See also: Svarupa Damodara Goswami , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Ranganatha

The reclining Deity of Vishnu residing near Tiruchchirapalli in Tamil Nadu. In the neighborhood of this temple Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu stayed with Venkata Bhatta and his family for four months.

(See also: Ranganatha , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Gaura-Nitai

Lord Chaitanya (Gaura) and Lord Nityananda (Nitai).

(See also: Gaura-Nitai , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Garuda-stambha

The pillar, found in front of many Vishnu temples, on top of which stands Garuda, Lord Vishnu’s carrier. While having darshana of Lord Jagannatha at Puri, Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would usually stand behind the Garuda-stambha.

(See also: Garuda-stambha , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Gauda

The ancient kingdom of West Bengal where Lord Chaitanya’s eternal abode, nondifferent from Vrindavana, manifests itself on earth.

(See also: Gauda , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Gauda (-desha)

The ancient kingdom of West Bengal where Lord Chaitanya’s eternal abode, nondifferent from Vrindavana, manifests itself on earth.

(See also: Gauda , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Haridasa Thakura

a great devotee of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu; known as the namacharya, the master who taught the chanting of the holy names by his own example.

(See also: Haridasa Thakura , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

antahkarana: (Sanskrit) "Inner faculty." The mental faculty of the astral body, sukshma sharira, comprising intellect, instinct and ego - in Sanskrit, buddhi, manas and ahamkara - which are a three-fold expression of chitta, consciousness. Chitta is sometimes listed as a tattva, or part of a tattva, at the Prakriti level, in Saiva Siddhanta. In Vedanta, chitta, "mind stuff," is often understood as a part of antahkarana; while in the Saiva Siddhanta, Yoga and Sankhya Darshanas, it is generally viewed as the total mind, of which manas, buddhi and ahamkara are the inner faculties. Thus, while Vedanta describes antahkarana as four-fold, Sankhya and Yoga discuss it as three-fold. Siddha Siddhanta views antahkarana as five-fold, with the inclusion of chaitanya as "higher consciousness." See: consciousness, mind (individual mind), tattva.

(See also: Antahkarana , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Saci-nandana

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, “the darling son of Saci.”

(See also: Saci-nandana , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

madhya-lila

the pastimes Lord Chaitanya performed during the middle part of His manifest presence, while He was traveling throughout India; the portion of Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita recounting those pastimes.

(See also: madhya-lila , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Vaishnavism (Vaishnava): (Sanskrit) "Way of Vishnu."

One of the four major religions, or denominations of

Hinduism, representing roughly half of the world's one

billion Hindus.

It gravitates around the worship of Lord

Vishnu as Personal God, His incarnations and their

consorts. The doctrine of avatara (He who descends),

especially important to Vaishnavism, teaches that

whenever adharma gains ascendency in the world, God

takes a human birth to reestablish "the way." There are

either 10, 22 or 34 avataras of Vishnu, according to

various scriptures. The most renowned avataras were

Rama and Krishna. The last to come will be Kalki, the

harbinger of a golden age on Earth.

Vaishnavism stresses

the personal aspect of God over the impersonal, and bhakti

(devotion) as the true path to salvation. The goal of

Vaishnavism is the attainment of mukti, defined as

blissful union with God's body, the loving recognition that

the soul is a part of Him, and eternal nearness to Him in

Vaikuntha, heaven. Foremost among Vaishnava scriptures

are the Vaishnava Agamas, Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavata

Purana. Among the earliest schools were the Pancharatras

and the Bhagavatas.

The five major contemporary schools

(founded between 1000 and 1500) are those of Ramanuja

(Sri Vaishnavism), Madhva, Nimbarka, Vallabha and

Chaitanya. Philosophically they range from Madhva's pure

dualism to Vallabha's lofty monistic vision.

(See also: Vaishnavism , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

five states of the mind: A view of the mind in five parts: conscious mind, subconscious mind, subsubconscious mind, superconscious mind and subsuperconscious mind.

Also about the three phases of mind: A perspective of mind as instinctive, intellectual and superconscious: individual mind, universal mind and instinctive mind.

(See also: Mind , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

bhedabheda

The doctrine of simultaneous difference and nondifference between God and His energies. Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu taught a version of this bhedabheda philosophy qualified as acintya (“inconceivable”).

(See also: bhedabheda , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Jiva Gosvami

One of the six Gosvamis of Vrindavana, principal followers of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who rediscovered the forgotten places of Krishna’s pastimes in Vraja, reestablished the worship of the principal Vraja Deities, and made literary contributions to establish the science of Krishna consciousness for the modern age. Sri Jiva Gosvami was the greatest scholar of the Gaudiya sampradaya. His most important works were his six Sandharbhas and Gopala-campu.

(See also: Jiva Gosvami , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

sampradaya

A school of philosophy or religion. According to the Padma Purana, there are four authorized Vaishnava sampradayas, founded by Lord Brahma, the goddess Lakshmi, Lord Siva, and the four Kumara sages. In Kali-yuga these schools have been reestablished by the acharyas Madhva, Ramanuja, Vishnu Svami, and Nimbarka. The sampradaya of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is officially connected with the Madhva line, but incorporates teachings of all four sampradayas.

(See also: sampradaya , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Mahachaitanya mahacaitanya (Sanskrit) [from maha great + chaitanya consciousness, intelligence]

The living consciousness or intelligence of the universe or of all nature. Daiviprakriti is, strictly speaking, the mahachaitanya "of the whole cosmos, the one energy, or the only force from which spring all force manifestations" (N on BG 71), this one energy or force being essentially and inherently conscious and intelligent.

(See also: Mahachaitanya, mahacaitanya , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Ratha-yatra

The yearly festival in Puri during which Lord Jagannatha, His brother Lord Baladeva, and Their sister Subhadra move in procession, each on their own cart, from their temple to the Gundicha temple, which represents Vrindavana. Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would observe this Gundicha-yatra with great festivity in the company of His devotees.

(See also: Ratha-yatra , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

maha-bhava

The ultimate limit of devotional ecstasy, found only in Sri Radha and some of Her intimate servants. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who was Sri Krishna in the mood of Sri Radha, also displayed such ecstasy.

(See also: maha-bhava , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Vaishnavism (Vaishnava): (Sanskrit) "Way of Vishnu."

One of the four major religions, or denominations of Hinduism, representing roughly half of the world's one billion Hindus.

It gravitates around the worship of Lord Vishnu as Personal God, His incarnations and their consorts. The doctrine of avatara (He who descends), especially important to Vaishnavism, teaches that whenever adharma gains ascendency in the world, God takes a human birth to reestablish "the way." There are either 10, 22 or 34 avataras of Vishnu, according to various scriptures. The most renowned avataras were Rama and Krishna. The last to come will be Kalki, the harbinger of a golden age on Earth.

Vaishnavism stresses the personal aspect of God over the impersonal, and bhakti (devotion) as the true path to salvation. The goal of Vaishnavism is the attainment of mukti, defined as blissful union with God's body, the loving recognition that the soul is a part of Him, and eternal nearness to Him in Vaikuntha, heaven. Foremost among Vaishnava scriptures are the Vaishnava Agamas, Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavata Purana. Among the earliest schools were the Pancharatras and the Bhagavatas.

The five major contemporary schools (founded between 1000 and 1500) are those of Ramanuja (Sri Vaishnavism), Madhva, Nimbarka, Vallabha and Chaitanya. Philosophically they range from Madhva's pure dualism to Vallabha's lofty monistic vision.

(See also: Vaishnavism , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Mayapur

a town in West Bengal, India, where Lord Chaitanya appeared.

(See also: Mayapur , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Navadvipa

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s eternal abode, nondifferent from Krishna’s abode Vrindavana. On earth Navadvipa is manifest in the district of Nadia, West Bengal.

(See also: Navadvipa , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)