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{{Hindu scriptures}}
'''Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata''' ({{lang-bn|চৈতন্য ভাগবত}}) is a [[hagiography]] of [[Chaitanya Mahaprabhu|Caitanya Mahāprabhu]] written by [[Vrindavana Dasa Thakura]] (1507-1589 CE). It was the first full-length work regarding Chaitanya Mahaprabhu written in [[Bengali language]] and documents his early life and role as the founder of the [[Gaudiya Vaishnava]] tradition. The text details Chaitanya's theological position as a combined [[Avatar]] of both [[Radha]] and Krishna within the belief of his close associates and followers. The writing of Chaitanya Bhagavata was commissioned by [[Nityananda]], who was the [[guru]] of Vrindavana Dasa Thakura and close friend of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

==Name==
{{Vaishnavism}}
Initially, the Chaitanya Bhagavata was named ''Chaitanya Mangala''. [[Krishnadasa Kaviraja]] also mentioned this work by this name. According to the ''Premavilasa'' of [[Narottama Dasa]], when it was discovered that the poet [[Lochana Dasa]] had also written a work with this title, the leading members of the Vaishnava community in [[Vrindavan]] met and decided that Vrindavana Dasa's book would be known as the Chaitanya Bhagavata with Lochana Dasa's book remaining as the [[Chaitanya Mangala]].<ref>Sen, Sukumar (2007). ''Bangala Sahityer Itihas'' (in Bengali), Vol.I, Kolkata: Ananda Publishers, {{ISBN|81-7066-966-9}}, p.261</ref>

==Divisions==
The Chaitanya Bhagavata is divided into three parts: the ''Adi-khanda'', ''Madhya-khanda'' and ''Antya-khanda'':

;Adi-khanda
The Adi-khanda consists of sixteen ''adhyaya''s (chapters). It deals with the socio-religious situation of [[Bengal]] before the advent of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, his birth, education, and marriage to Lakshmi-priya; his defeating opposing scholars, his visit to [[East Bengal]], the passing of Lakshmi-priya, his marriage to [[Vishnupriya]] and his trip to [[Gaya, India|Gaya]] and subsequent [[diksha|initiation]] from [[Ishvara Puri]].

;Madhya-khanda
The Madhya-khanda consists of twenty-seven ''adhyaya''s (chapters). It narrates Chaitanya's growing external displays of [[bhakti|devotion]], the disciples which join his devotional creed, the conversion of the debauchees Jagai and Madhai, and Chaitanya's civil disobedience movement against the Muslim Chand Kazi who tries to stop the congregational chanting of the names of [[Krishna]].

;Antya-khanda
The Antya-khanda consists of ten ''adhyaya''s (chapters). It portrays Chaitanya's acceptance of [[sannyasa]] (the renounced order), his mother Saci-Mata's lamentation, his travels to [[Puri, Orissa|Puri]], his meeting with the logician [[Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya]] and his relationships and interactions with different devotees.

In two of the manuscripts of the ''Chaitanya Bhagavat'', three additional chapters are found at the end of the ''Antya-khanda'', which are not accepted as the part of the original text by most of the modern scholars.<ref>Sen, Sukumar (2007). ''Bangala Sahityer Itihas'' (in Bengali), Vol.I, Kolkata: Ananda Publishers, {{ISBN|81-7066-966-9}}, p.269</ref>

==Importance==
The Chaitanya Bhagavata (similarly to the [[Chaitanya Charitamrita]]) asserts that Chaitanya was not simply a saint or even a "regular" [[Avatar]], but was instead the direct incarnation of Krishna as [[Bhagavan]], or the Supreme [[God]] himself. The text gives Chaitanya's mission as one for the benefit of mankind, through beginning the ''[[yuga]]-[[dharma]]'' ([[hari]]nam-[[sankirtana]]) for the present age of ''[[Kali Yuga]]''. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is quoted within as saying "My holy name will be sung (preached) in every town and village of earth".<ref>pṛthivī-parjanta jata āche deŝa-grāma sarvatra sañcāra hoibek mora nāma, C.Bh. Antya 4.126</ref> The author, Vrindavana Dasa, has been considered by [[Gaudiya Vaishnava]]s to be the [[Vyasa]] of Chaitanya's pastimes because of revealing his true nature and mission.

The Bhagavata has been praised for its simplicity in that is does not cross into the ontological nuances that are found in [[Krishna Dasa Kaviraja]]'s [[Chaitanya Charitamrita]]. The Charitamrita of Krishna Dasa gives a more sophisticated and theological view of the life of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and provides more information on his years in Puri as an ascetic. Together, the texts of the Chaitanya Bhagavata and the Chaitanya Charitamrta provide a complete picture of the life and teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu although there are many more of his biographies and other writings<ref>[http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/encyclopedia/tattvas2.htm#1 Vedic Encyclopedia, Library]</ref> about him.

Scholars are of the opinion that [[Vrindavana Dasa]] wrote the Chaitanya Bhagavata somewhere in the mid-1540s.

==Notes==
<references/>

==References==
* Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata (Bengali), Published by Sri Chaitanya Matha, Mayapura, W.Bengal, 1993
* {{cite book |last=Stewart |first=Tony K |year=2012 |chapter=Chaitanya Bhagavata |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Chaitanya_Bhagavata |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}
* [https://archive.org/details/chaitanya-bhagavata Bhaktivedanta Archives]
* [http://causeofallcauses.com/bhagavat.htm Sri Caitanya Bhagavata] Read On-Line or Download
* [https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fJamUxYVYsByZo7N53paNL7wQaW49zS1 Sri Caitanya Bhagavata with the commentaries by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura] Listen or download the complete audiobook
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[[Category:Bengali-language literature]]
[[Category:Vaishnavism]]
[[Category:Hindu texts]]
[[Category:16th-century books]]
[[Category:16th-century Indian books]]

Chaitanya Bhagavata - Revision history

UpdateBot at 22:01, 20 April 2022