Understanding Caitanya's Desires - From Purity to Preaching

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead appearing as a devotee, redefined the nature of ambition. While He categorically rejected the material allure of wealth and followers, He harbored an intense, transcendental desire to inundate the entire world with the chanting of the Holy Name. This article explores the duality of His mission: the internal relish of pure love and the external compassion to deliver every fallen soul through the saṅkīrtana movement.

The Definition of Pure Desire

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared to teach the world the standard of pure devotion. In His Śikṣāṣṭaka prayers, He categorically rejects the three pillars of material success: wealth (dhanam), followers (janam), and beautiful women (sundarīm). His only desire is for causeless devotional service, birth after birth. This prayer sets the benchmark for anyone aspiring to follow in His footsteps.

• Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches us in His Siksastaka: O almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor do I desire beautiful women, nor do I want any number of followers. I only want Your causeless devotional service, birth after birth.
• O Lord of the universe, I (Caitanya Mahaprabhu) do not desire material wealth, materialistic followers, a beautiful wife or fruitive activities described in flowery language. All I want, life after life, is unmotivated devotional service to You.

The Missionary Vision: Every Town and Village

Lord Caitanya's compassion manifested as a powerful desire to reclaim the fallen souls of the Kali-yuga. He explicitly desired that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement spread globally, beyond the borders of India. He envisions a world where the Holy Name is heard in every town and village, and He calls upon those born in India to take up this mission as their life's work.

• Caitanya desired that His name be spread in each and every town and village on the surface of the globe. Therefore, when the cult of Caitanya is spread all over the world, should those who embrace it not be accepted as Vaisnavas, brahmanas and sannyasis?
• The desire of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is that all over the world everyone, in every village and every town, know of Him and His sankirtana movement. These are the inner feelings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
• It is the desire of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu that the benevolent activities of the sankirtana movement, which was inaugurated five hundred years ago in Navadvipa, be spread all over the world for the benefit of all human beings.

The Internal Relish

Beyond His public preaching, Lord Caitanya had an internal purpose: to taste the happiness of Kṛṣṇa from the perspective of His devotee. He frequently expressed a deep desire to hear the confidential pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, particularly from Rāmānanda Rāya. In this mood, He relished the ecstasy of separation and the sweetness of the Lord's intimate dealings.

• In the mood of Srimati Radharani, He (Lord Caitanya) also fulfilled His own desires. This is the principal reason for His appearance.
• After hearing Ramananda Raya speak of the qualities of Srimati Radharani and Krsna, Lord Caitanya desired to hear from him about the reciprocal exchange of love between Them.
• Upon hearing the Lord (Caitanya's) request for permission to wash the Gundica temple, the padicha, the superintendent of the temple, said, "My dear Sir, we are all Your servants. Whatever You desire is our duty to perform."

The Duty of the Follower

The definition of a sincere devotee is one who makes the Lord's desire their own. The Six Gosvāmīs, led by Rūpa and Sanātana, dedicated their lives to writing books, excavating holy places in Vṛndāvana, and establishing temples solely to fulfill Lord Caitanya's orders. To align oneself with this mission—spreading the movement and preserving the teachings—is the perfection of discipleship.

• Our mission is to establish the desire of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. That is our business.
• Spreading Krsna consciousness is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission; therefore His sincere devotees must carry out His desire.
• Srila Rupa Gosvami could compose verses according to the desires of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and by His direction he wrote two books named Lalita-madhava and Vidagdha-madhava.

Conclusion

To understand Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is to understand His desires. He desires nothing for Himself in terms of material gain, yet He desires everything for the fallen souls—that they be delivered through the saṅkīrtana movement. Simultaneously, He desires to experience the confidential bliss of bhakti. By assisting in His external mission of preaching while cultivating the internal purity He exemplified, we fulfill the true purpose of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani

Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Caitanya's Desires. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.