Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Ādi 7.6
Kṛṣṇa Manifests in Five Devotional Forms
“Let me offer my obeisances unto Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who has manifested Himself in five as a devotee, expansion of a devotee, incarnation of a devotee, pure devotee and devotional energy.”
What the purport teaches
- Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa manifests as a devotee, an expansion of a devotee, an incarnation of a devotee, a pure devotee and devotional energy. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself.
- Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is bhakta-rūpa, the form of a devotee, and Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu is bhakta-svarūpa, the expansion of a devotee. Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu is His immediate expansion, with a transcendental body full of ecstasy in devotional service.
- Śrī Advaita Prabhu, the incarnation of a devotee, is viṣṇu-tattva. Devotees serve in neutrality, servitude, friendship, parenthood and conjugal love, and the Lord’s energies are varied.
Try this today
Offer obeisances to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, remembering His five devotional manifestations described in the translation.
Ask yourself
What does Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s appearance as a devotee help me appreciate about devotional service?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport; the practice and question are plain words for trying the verse today.