Today is the day when we honor that personality who has brought the descent of Lord Caitanya into this world Sri Advaita Acarya. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is Mahavishnu, He is the personality who created this entire cosmic manifestation and knowing the purpose of the cosmic manifestations to send everyone back to Godhead that same Mahavishnu incarnated within this material world slightly over five hundred years ago. 1*

Sri Advaita Acarya was born in Navagram, Bengal to Sri Kubera Pandit and Srimati Nabha devi. They were originally inhabitants of Navagram village near Sri Hatta, but later moved to Shantipur on the banks of the Ganga.

He is a disciple of Srila Madhavendra Puri and forms one of the figures of the Sri Sri Pancha Tattva – Sri Krishna Chaitanya, Prabhu Nityananda, Sri Advaita, Gadadhar Pandit, and Srivasa.

(Cc Adi 3.102)

“My name, ‘Advaita,’ will be fitting if I am able to induce Krsna to inaugurate the movement of the chanting of the holy name.”

Purport: The nondualist Mayavadi philosopher who falsely believes that he is nondifferent from the Lord is unable to call Him like Advaita Prabhu. Advaita Prabhu is nondifferent from the Lord, yet in His relationship with the Lord He does not merge with Him but eternally renders service unto Him as a plenary ativan portion. This is inconceivable for Mayavadis because they think in terms of mundane sense perception and therefore think that nondualism necessitates losing one’s separate identity. It is clear from this verse, however, that Advaita Prabhu, although retaining His separate identity, is nondifferent from the Lord.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu preached the philosophy of inconceivable, simultaneous oneness with the Lord and difference from Him. Conceivable dualism and monism are conceptions of the imperfect senses, which are unable to reach the Transcendence because the Transcendence is beyond the conception of limited potency. The actions of Sri Advaita Prabhu, however, give tangible proof of inconceivable nondualism. One who therefore surrenders unto Sri Advaita Prabhu can easily follow the philosophy of inconceivable simultaneous dualism and monism.
On the auspicious occasion of the holy appearance day of Sri Advaita Acarya who is an incarnation of Sada- Shiv and Vishnu, we pray to him to bestow his causeless mercy upon us so that we may develop unflinching faith in the lotus feet of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

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Sri Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya wrote a beautiful ashtakam in the glorification of Sri Advaita Acarya, one verse of which is as follows:

yad-dhunkaraih prema-sindhor vikarair
akrstah san gaura-goloka-nathah
avirbhutah sri-navadvipa-madhye
srila advaitacaryam etam prapadye

-Let me surrender to Srila Advaita Acarya. Attracted by His loud calls, the golden Lord of Goloka Vrndavana who is an ocean of ecstatic love appeared in Sri Navadvipa.

Advaita Acarya appeared 50 years prior to the coming of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He lived in Shantipur, with his wife and family, and became a very well-known Vaishnava encouraging everyone to follow the path of bhakti – loving service to Sri Krishna. Sri Chaitanya’s older brother Vishwarup also use to visit Advaita Acarya every day to engage in chanting and dancing.

Advaita Acarya found himself in deep distress when he saw how people of contemporary times had started indulging in extreme sense gratification instead of satisfying the Lord through loving devotional service. In order to deliver the fallen conditioned souls, he prayed fervently to the Lord for several months by worshiping his shaligram shilas (a stone that Vaishnavas worship as a form of Vishnu) lovingly with sacred Tulasi leaves and Ganges water. He roared in agony, calling out aloud to the Lord to manifest and enlighten all conditioned by the dreadful darkness of ignorance…

Hearing his unrelenting loud cry, Sri Krishna advented Himself as Sri Krishna Chaitanya in Mayapur, Bengal as the son of Sri Jagannath Mishra and Saci Devi.

jaya jaya advaita isvara avatara
krsna avatari kaila jagat-nistara

“All glories to Advaita Prabhu, the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He induced Krsna to descend and thus delivered the entire world.”

According to the Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika, the divine Yogamaya took the form of Advaita’s wife Srimati Sita devi, and that Sri is her prakasha expansion of the Narasimha shaligram shila and Deities made in the image of Sri Sri Madan-Gopal that were worshiped by Sri Advaita Acarya are still to be found at Shantipur in Madan-Gopal Para.

The place on the banks of the Ganga where Sri Advaita Acarya worshiped the shaligram shila and called out to the Lord to descend to the world is known today as Babla. A temple has been built in memory of Advaita Acarya’s pastimes there.

All glories to Sri Advaita Acarya, the incarnation of Sada-Shiva and Mahavishnu, who is an intimate associate of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

1= Mayapur.com: https://www.mayapur.com/2021/appearance-day-of-sri-advaita-acharya-19th-feb-2021/