Deities of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

The worship of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is central to the spiritual lives of all Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, as He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead descending in the mood of His own devotee. Śrīla Prabhupāda continuously emphasized that Lord Caitanya is the ultimate worshipable Deity, whose lotus feet are sought after by the greatest demigods and topmost paramahaṁsas. Because He is the most magnanimous incarnation, He is exceptionally merciful, allowing for leniency in His Deity worship compared to the strict standards required for other forms of the Lord. His magnificent six-armed form, known as ṣaḍ-bhuja, perfectly integrates the divine appearances of Kṛṣṇa, Rāmacandra, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself. Throughout history, pure devotees have established His Deities to facilitate the global saṅkīrtana movement. By understanding the practical guidelines, devotees worldwide can properly honor, serve, and please the Deity of Lord Caitanya, easily attaining the highest perfection of life.

The Supreme Worshipable Deity

Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not an ordinary person; He is the Supreme Lord and the master of all creation. He is the supreme object of worship, revered even by the principal demigods who disguised themselves just to offer Him their loving devotion.

• Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is always the most worshipable Deity of the demigods, including Lord Siva and Lord Brahma, who came in the garb of ordinary men, bearing love for Him.
• O Supreme Lord, You (Lord Caitanya) are the Supreme Mahesvara, the worshipable Deity of all the demigods and the Supreme Lord of all lords. You are the controller of all controllers, the Personality of Godhead, the Lord of everything worshipable.
• He is the only worshipable Deity for the paramahamsas, who have attained the highest stage of the fourth order (sannyasa). May that Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Caitanya, show us His great causeless mercy.

The Six-Armed Form (Ṣaḍ-bhuja)

The ṣaḍ-bhuja-mūrti is a spectacular six-armed manifestation of the Lord that conclusively proves His divine identity. By worshiping this unique Deity, devotees can realize the unified essence of Lord Rāmacandra, Lord Kṛṣṇa, and Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

• Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya was so fortunate as to see the six-armed form of Lord Caitanya known as Sadbhuja. A Sadbhuja Deity is still situated at one end of the Jagannatha temple. Daily sankirtana performances take place in this part of the temple.
• In Saptagrama there is still a temple with a six-armed Deity of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu that was personally worshiped by Srila Uddharana Datta Thakura.
• The best purpose of human life can be fulfilled by worshiping the sad-bhuja-murti, the form of the Lord with six arms-two arms of Ramacandra, two arms of Krsna and two arms of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Standards of Deity Worship

Because Lord Caitanya is the most merciful incarnation, the worship of Gaura-Nitāi is more forgiving of offenses than the worship of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda still provided specific directives for Their proper care, such as how They should be dressed and bathed.

• In your Western countries Lord Caitanya should be entirely covered, He should not appear bare-chested.
• Irregularity in worshiping Guru and Gauranga can be tolerated, as they are always kind and forgiving, but irregularity in worshiping Lord Jagannatha and Sri Sri Radha Krishna is not good.
• There is no question of bathing Caitanya deity. Of course He is bathed many times daily by Hare Krishna Mantra, but for bathing of such deities requires Salagrama Sila, and I have not introduced yet, but I shall do so later.

Establishing Deities and Preaching

The establishment of Lord Caitanya's Deities has been a foundational practice for centuries to expand the mission of saṅkīrtana. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that bringing these Deities from town to town is a potent preaching method to distribute the holy name and prasādam.

• Every year on the date of Ananta-caturdasi there is a festival to commemorate the passing away of Haridasa Thakura. At the same place, Deities of Nityananda Prabhu, Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Advaita Prabhu were established about one hundred years ago.
• A gentleman named Bhramaravara from Kendrapada, in the province of Orissa, contributed funds to establish these Deities (of Nityananda, Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Advaita) in the temple. The management of the temple was under the Tota-gopinatha gosvamis.
• Its (Krsna Consciousness Movement's) members are going from village to village and town to town with Deities of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, teaching people how to worship the Lord by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra, offering prasadam and distributing prasadam to people in general.

Conclusion

The teachings surrounding the Deity of Lord Caitanya reveal Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, worthy of worship by the highest celestial beings and the most advanced devotees. Through His enchanting forms, such as the six-armed ṣaḍ-bhuja-mūrti, He proves His supreme identity. While He is remarkably kind and accepts worship with great leniency, proper standards and devotion remain essential. By establishing His Deities and following the path given by Śrīla Prabhupāda to propagate the chanting of the holy names, devotees continue the glorious legacy of distributing love of Godhead to everyone.

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