Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c9.s1.10

c9.s1.10

The theology and philosophy found in the writings of the Navadvīpa disciples are vague and unsystematic, and can be briefly summarised here. They are concerned more with simple and direct faith than with elaborate discussion; and their aim is to depict chiefly the passionately devotional life of Caitanya, rather than to set forth his teachings. Unlike the Vṛndāvana Gosvāmins, they take Caitanya as the centre of their thought and emotion, and regard him as the highest reality and object of adoration of their faith. This has been characterised as the Gaura-pāramya-vāda, which (whatever may have been their personal attitude) the Vṛndāvana Gosvāmins never discuss or set forth in their theological treatises. In the eyes of the contemporary composers of Padas on Caitanya, for instance, Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa himself who, in his recollection of Vṛndāvana, pines for Rādhā. They also believe in the Rādhā-bhāva of Caitanya, that is, they regard Caitanya as both Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā in one personality. They do not, however, consider it necessary to discuss the question but take it as already established by Anubhava or personal experience. Narahari and his disciple Locana, however, develop a doctrine of Gaura-nāgara-bhāva,¹ in which the devotee (in the Rāgānugā way) regards Caitanya as the Nāgara and himself as a Nāgarī; but this doctrine receives little credit in the orthodox circles. Murāri considers Caitanya as an incarnation (Avatāra) of the Bhagavat. He believes in two kinds of Avatāra—