So this is going on. They do not know what is God, and still, there are so many incarnations of God. And foolish people accept that "Here is an incarnation of God." He does not know what is God, and he accepts, "Here is incarnation." We do not do so. If there is incarnation of God . . . That is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Their activities are mentioned, wonderful activities. We accept Lord Rāmacandra as God, Lord Kṛṣṇa as God, Caitanya Mahāprabhu as God, because They are mentioned in the śāstras, all the incarnations, even this age. One may say that "Lord Rāmacandra is accepted God, Lord Kṛṣṇa is also accepted, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is the greatest devotee of God, but . . ." There are some persons in the Nimbārka-sampradāya, they put this argument. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu's name is there in the śāstra, many Upaniṣads, especially in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that in the Kali-yuga this incarnation of God should be worshiped. What is that description?
- kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ
- sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam
- yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair
- yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ
- (SB 11.5.32)
Clearly Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣā akṛṣṇam. He is Kṛṣṇa. Or kṛṣṇaṁ varṇayati, iti kṛṣṇa-varṇam. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the most authoritative ācārya of our sampradāya, he has explained like this. Kṛṣṇa-varṇam means always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇaṁ varṇayati, describing Kṛṣṇa, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa." This is description of Kṛṣṇa, addressing Kṛṣṇa. So therefore kṛṣṇa-varṇam, or varṇam means category, just like brāhmaṇa-varṇa, kṣatriya-varṇa. So in that way kṛṣṇa-varṇa means He is Kṛṣṇa, in the category of Kṛṣṇa. Either you take this meaning or that meaning, kṛṣṇa-varṇam. But Kṛṣṇa is black, and He is tviṣā, by the complexion, akṛṣṇa. Akṛṣṇa means not Kṛṣṇa. Now, there are so many colors. So everything is akṛṣṇa. That color, all the colors are mixed together, it becomes black. Otherwise there are many different colors. So akṛṣṇa means different color, "not kṛṣṇa," not black. So what is the actual? That we have to refer to śāstra again, that Kṛṣṇa, in how many categories of color He appears? That is stated in the Bhāgavatam. When Kṛṣṇa was born, then Gargamuni was calculating about His horoscope, and he said to Nanda Mahārāja that "This your child . . ." Idānīṁ kṛṣṇatāṁ gataḥ. Śuklo raktas tathā pīta idānīṁ kṛṣṇatāṁ gataḥ (SB 10.8.13): "Your child had formerly white color." White color . . . Sometimes some critics criticize us that "Kṛṣṇa everywhere, He is black. Why in your temple white?" But it is said that śukla, śuklo raktas tathā pīta idānīṁ kṛṣṇatāṁ gataḥ: "Your son had other colors also, white and red and yellow, and now He has assumed blackish color."
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, tviṣā akṛṣṇam. He is not blackish. Then He must be other form—śukla, rakta or pīta. So He assumed the pīta, yellowish color. Therefore tviṣā akṛṣṇam. Tviṣā means by complexion. So kṛṣṇa-varṇam, kṛṣṇaṁ varṇayati, iti kṛṣṇa-varṇam, or kṛṣṇa iti kṛṣṇa-varṇam, and tviṣā, by complexion, akṛṣṇa, pīta, idānīṁ pīta-varṇam. Pīta-varṇa gaura, golden avatāra. And sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam: He is always surrounded by associates, specially by Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsādi. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, He is Kṛṣṇa, then Nityānanda, then Advaita, then Gadādhara, then Śrīvāsa, and many other devotees always followed. That is the life of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Wherever He went, many followers chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, plus these principal associates were with Him. Therefore sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣa . . . And these sāṅga upāṅga were His astra. Astra. Astra means weapon.