Śrīman Mahāprabhu

nānā-mata-grāha-grastān dākṣiṇātya-jana-dvipān
kṛpāriṇā vimucyaitān gauraś cakre sa vaiṣṇavān

“divijā bhuvi jāyadhvaṁ jāyadhvaṁ bhaktarūpiṇaḥ kalau saṅkīrtanārambhe bhaviṣyāmi śacisutaḥ” “O devatās, take birth on earth as devotees! In the Kali-yuga, at the beginning of the saṅkīrtana movement, I shall appear as the son of Śacī.” [Vāyu-purāṇa, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 14.28]

The characteristic of Vāyupurāṇa given in Matsyapurāṇa “śvetakalpaprasaṅgena dharmānvāyurihābravīt yatra tadvāyavīyaṃ syād rudramāhātmyasaṃyutam caturviṃśasahasrāṇi purāṇaṃ tadihocyate” has 24000 ślokas while the present version in print only has a maximum count of 11-12 thousand verses, which gets completed only if these khaṇḍas are added. This Khaṇḍa has a commentary by Śrīla Rāmanārāyaṇa Gosvāmi called “Prabhā”. Most of the content of Vāyupurāṇa got distributed among Śivapurāṇa and Skanda Purāṇa’s Revākhaṇḍa thus parts of it are found in localised portions one such is this part called the Śeṣakhaṇḍa.

śrībhagavānuvāca— “loke bhāgavatā ye ca bhagavadbhaktamānasāḥ , teṣāṃ tuṣṭo na sandeho rakṣāmyetāṃśca sarvadā . ahameva dvijaśreṣṭha nityaṃ pracchannavigrahaḥ , bhagavadbhaktarupeṇa lokākrakṣāmi sarvadā .” “Those who are Bhāgavatas (followers of Bhagavān) in this world, and whose hearts are absorbed in devotion to Bhagavān, there is no doubt that I am pleased with them and I always protect them. O best of the twice-born (dvija-śreṣṭha), I Myself, in a perpetually hidden form (pracchanna-vigraha), assuming the form of a devotee of Bhagavān, eternally protect the devotees.” [Nāradapurāṇa 1.5-46-47]

As in the Bhāgavataṁ “itthaṁ nṛ-tiryag-ṛṣi-deva-jhaṣāvatārair lokān vibhāvayasi haṁsi jagat pratīpān dharmaṁ mahā-puruṣa pāsi yugānuvṛttaṁ channaḥ kalau yad abhavas tri-yugo ’tha sa tvam”, “In this way, Oh Supreme Person, You incarnate Yourself, as a human or a subhuman being, as a sage or a god, or as a fish and protect the world, and kill the enemies of the people. You uphold the path of righteousness suitable to that particular Yuga (epoch). You remain in a hidden form [channaśchādite] in the Kali age and hence You are designated Triyuga.” That is why it is said “pratyakṣa-rūpa-dhṛg-devo dṛśyate na kalau hariḥ” as found in “āsan varṇās trayo hy asya gṛhṇato 'nuyugaṃ tanūḥ, śuklo raktas tathā pīta idānīṃ kṛṣṇatāṃ gataḥ.” ‘In previous ages, the Lord assumed three different colors when He appeared in different yugas — white, red, and yellow. Now, in this age (Dvāpara), He has assumed a dark (kṛṣṇa) complexion.’ This talks about Bhagavān’s previous appearance as Mahāprabhu as we know from description in the Bhaviṣyapurāṇa which deals with Aghora Kalpa. Otherwise “namo buddhāya śuddhāya daitya-dānava-mohine mleccha-prāya-kṣatra-hantre namas te kalki-rūpiṇe” in Akrura’s prayer will also become redundant, the past tense used in reference to the yellow avatāra is in the sense of eternity of that form as found in the statement of Bhagavān in Nāradapurāṇa “ahameva dvijaśreṣṭha nityaṃ pracchannavigrahaḥ”.

In the same chain of thought “kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ” “In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform the congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord to worship the incarnation who is known as Kṛṣṇa, but who is not blackish in complexion. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons, and confidential companions.", this pāṭha ‘tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ’ [tviṣā-akṛṣṇaṁ , akaḥ savarṇe dīrghaḥ]  is commented upon by Śrīla Śridhara Svāmi, Śrī Vīrarāghavācārya etc., while the ‘kalau kṛṣṇaṁ’ is followed only among Mādhvas. The meanings of kṛṣṇavarṇaṁ as glossed by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi and other Ācāryas of our sampradāya are 1. One who has the word ‘kṛṣṇa’ in his name, In the third [canto], in the statement of Śrī Uddhava—beginning with samāhutāḥ (Bhāgavatam 3.3.3)—regarding the phrase śriyaḥ sa-varṇena, it is also seen in the commentary by Śrīdhara Svāmī-pāda:“The one whose name consists of the same two syllables (varṇa-dvaya) as Śrī (i.e., Rukmiṇī) is called ‘sa-varṇa’, namely Rukmī.”

Alternatively , he is called kṛṣṇa-varṇa because he describes or glorifies Kṛṣṇa—that is, being overwhelmed with joy by the remembrance of Kṛṣṇa’s own supreme blissful pastimes, he sings of Him himself, and out of supreme compassion he instructs all people in the world about Him—that very Kṛṣṇa.

Or, although he is not blackish in color (akṛṣṇaṁ) but golden (gauraṁ), he is still kṛṣṇa-varṇa because through his own special beauty he reveals Kṛṣṇa or because he is the teacher of Kṛṣṇa. The meaning is that by merely seeing him, Śrī Kṛṣṇa manifests in the hearts of all just like Nārada is called “yasmai yasmai yathā prāha nārado deva-darśanaḥ”.

Or, although appearing as golden (gaura) to the general vision of all people, from the perspective of special devotees, by his exceptional luster he is kṛṣṇa-varṇa—that same Śyāmasundara himself. This is seen in the arena of Mathurā “mallānām aśanir nṛṇāṁ nara-varaḥ strīṇāṁ smaro mūrtimān gopānāṁ sva-jano ’satāṁ kṣiti-bhujāṁ śāstā sva-pitroḥ śiśuḥ mṛtyur bhoja-pater virāḍ aviduṣāṁ tattvaṁ paraṁ yogināṁ vṛṣṇīnāṁ para-devateti vidito raṅgaṁ gataḥ sāgrajaḥ” or in the Eyes of Śrī Hanumāna “siṃhaskandhau mahāsattvau samadāv iva govṛṣau āyatāś ca suvṛttāś ca bāhavaḥ parighottamāḥ sarvabhūṣaṇabhūṣārhāḥ kim arthaṃ na vibhūṣitaḥ”.  As in the Mahākūrmapurāṇa quoted by Śrīmad Madhvācārya “channoʼnyeṣāṃ na tu svasya bhagavānpuruṣottamaḥ”, One may ask then why couldn’t the Madhva etc. Ācāryas recognise him ?, it is to be understood like as in the case of Jāmbavān, though he was a great devotee of Lord Rāma, He couldn’t recognise Kṛṣṇa as said “sa vai bhagavatā tena yuyudhe svāmīnātmanaḥ puruṣam prākṛtaṁ matvā kupito nānubhāva-vit”, or as in the story of Kenopaniṣad where the Devas couldn’t recognise the Lord yet Śrī Haimvatī could do so “sa tasminnevākāśe striyamājagāma bahuśobhamānāmumām̐ haimavatīṃ tām̐hovāca kimetadyakṣamiti”. In the Praśna saṁhitā "avatāreṣu tatkāle paśyanto'pi janā bhuvi, avajānanti munayo jānanti jñānino rame."

Therefore, because in every way he manifests the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the sense is that he is Kṛṣṇa Himself directly appeared—svayam saḥ, He Himself.

All this is put in a kārikā śloka—’antaḥ kṛṣṇaṁ bahir gauraṁ darśitāṅgādi-vaibhavam kalau saṅkīrtanādyaiḥ sma kṛṣṇa-caitanyam āśritāḥ’ “Internally He is Kṛṣṇa, externally Gaura; displaying the opulence of His limbs, we have taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa Caitanya in Kali-yuga through saṅkīrtana and related practices.” by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi.

“pracchanno bhaktarūpeṇa kalāvavatariṣyati, bhuvaṁ prāpte tu govindaścaitanyākhyo bhaviṣyati” “In the Kali-yuga, He (Govinda) will incarnate in a concealed manner, in the form of a devotee. When He appears on Earth, He will be known by the name 'Caitanya'.” [Kṛṣṇa Yāmala 14.28],  similar descriptions are found in Śrī Brahmayāmala, Śrī Urdhvāmnāya tantra etc. following the statement of Bhāgavatam “nānā-tantra-vidhānena kalāv api tathā śṛṇu”.

An entire section of Bhaviṣyapurāṇa’s Pratisargaparva describes Mahāprabhu’s appearance and pastimes “anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandīpitaḥ sadā hṛdaya-kandare sphuratu vaḥ śacī-nandanaḥ” etc. from the Pratisargaparva [3.4.10.-19 etc.], the stories of Bhaṭṭoji etc. are of  Aghorakalpa. There is no discrepancy as Mahāprabhu also appears in every kalpa, in the following kaliyuga of Kṛṣṇāvatāra of each Kalpa. Mahāprabhu has been enlisted in the 42 avatāra list of Mānavopapurāṇa [attested in Wikipedia], “aham eva kvacid brahman sannyāsāśramam āśritaḥ hari-bhaktiṁ grāhayāmi kalau pāpa-hatān narān” [Kṛṣṇa to Vyāsa, quoted in Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛtaṃ], This Upapurāṇa has been enlisted in the upapurāṇa list in Vīramitrodaya —

Śrī Garga Saṁhitā also prophesised about a yellow avatāra in kaliyuga described in Bhāgavatam “śrīmad-bhāgavataṃ divyaṃ purāṇaṃ vacanaṃ tadā gaurānvayasya samprāptir bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ” “Then he [Janamejaya] will hear the splendid Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Purāṇa, which predicts that the Supreme Personality of Godhead will appear here [koladvīpa] in a fair-complexioned form. Of this there is no doubt.”, Garga Saṁhitā is an authentic text which is listed multiple times in the index of pañcarātra texts given in some other Pañcarātras, its the 26th in the Kapiñjala list, 81st in the Pādma list, 87th in the Puruṣottama list, 28th in the Bhāradvāja list and many other lists like Agnipurāṇa, Hayaśirṣa and is quoted by  Nimbārki vaiṣṇavas and also Gauḍīya vaiṣṇavas like Nārāyaṇa bhaṭṭa Gosvāmi [Gadādhara Parivāra] also Puṣṭimārgis, Vedāntadeśika mentions it in his Pañcarātra-rakṣā “vāsiṣṭha-gārgya-vihagendrāhirbudhnyādi sahita-ukta-prakriyaiva śaraṇam”. Several other texts like Īśāna saṁhitā etc. describe the appearance of Mahāprabhu. Thus there are ample upabṛṁhanas that can be used by us to rightly claim that the śrutis like “mahān-prabhur vai puruṣaḥ sattvasyeṣa pravarttakaḥ surnimalām imaṃ śāntīmīśāno jyotiravyaḥ”, “yadā paśyaḥ paśyate rukma-varṇaṃ kartāram īśaṃ puruṣaṃ brahma-yonim tadā vidyān puṇya-pāpe vidhūya nirañjanaḥ paramaṃ sāmyam upaiti” etc. Śrīman Baladeva Vidyābhuṣaṇa has rightly glossed the eight names “suvarṇa-varṇo hemāṅgo varāṅgaś-candanāṅgadī… sannyāsa-kṛcchamaḥ śānto niṣṭhā-śānti-parāyaṇaḥ” from Śrī Viṣṇu-sahasranāma as referring to Śrīman Mahāprabhu , This is found in the Bhāgavatam “dhyeyaṁ sadā paribhava-ghnam abhīṣṭa-dohaṁ tīrthāspadaṁ śiva-viriñci-nutaṁ śaraṇyam bhṛtyārti-haṁ praṇata-pāla bhavābdhi-potaṁ vande mahā-puruṣa te caraṇāravindam, tyaktvā su-dustyaja-surepsita-rājya-lakṣmīṁ dharmiṣṭha ārya-vacasā yad agād araṇyam māyā-mṛgaṁ dayitayepsitam anvadhāvad vande mahā-puruṣa te caraṇāravindam”, Śrīla Baladeva Prabhu comments —  Again, by great personalities like Giriśa (Śiva), Parameṣṭhi (Brahmā), and others such as Viriñci (another name for Brahmā)—by these devas, He is always and eternally worshipped and served. Now, someone may raise a doubt: “But in His presence (in this Kali-yuga avatāra), those devas are not seen.” This is answered by the word “dhṛta” ("assumed" or "accepted"). —In the Kṛṣṇa avatāra, they directly worshipped Him in person. —Here, in the Gaurāṅga avatāra, they worship Him in the forms of His devotees like Śrī Advaita Ācārya, Haridāsa Ṭhākura, and others. That is the intended meaning. He is attained by those who bear love (praṇaya) and deep affection toward Him, and those who attain that love. What does He do? He teaches His own unique method of bhajana (nija-bhajana-mudrā), the proper path of devotion (bhakti-paripāṭi) to His own devotees like Svarūpa Dāmodara and others—this bhakti is pure, not covered by karma, yoga, etc.. This is the sense of the verse: kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam | yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ || In the Eleventh Canto (Bhāg. 11.5.32), this verse defines the Yuga-avatāra for the fourth yuga (Kali). That same avatāra is none other than Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, who promotes the Yajña of Hari-kīrtana, which has uncommon characteristics. Indeed, by such unique characteristics alone a particular object (lakṣya) is recognized, as in the sūtra: "janmādy asya yataḥ" — Just as Brahman is identified by being the cause of the world's creation and so on. This avatāra is served by the devas, as said: “dhyeyaṁ sadā paribhava-ghnam abhīṣṭado’haṁ tīrthāspadaṁ śiva-viriñci-nutaṁ śaraṇyam” (He is always meditated upon, the remover of contempt, the giver of cherished desires, the holy place incarnate, praised by Śiva and Brahmā, the ultimate shelter) Following that, it is also shown that He appears again and again, even the śruti indicates this: "mahān prabhur vai puruṣaḥ sattvasyaiṣa pravartakaḥ" (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3.12) "This great Lord is the Supreme Person, the initiator of sattva (goodness)." 

This is not a sectarian viewpoint, Śrī Bhaktamāla [a 16th century compendium of 200+ saints of different sampradāyas] by a Rāmānandi  ācārya Śrī Nābhādāsa Gosāiñjī described Śrīman Mahāprabhu as “"jasumatisuta" soī "śacīsuta gaura bhaye, naye naye neha nācai nija gana maiṁ” ‘That same son of Yaśodā has now become the son of Śacī (Śacīsuta Gaura); with ever-new love, He dances among His own associates.’, In the sanskritized version of Mādala-pañjī [Temple and Royal record of Jagannātha Pūri] we find in the section dealing with Gajapati Mahārāja Śrī Pratāparudradeva “tatsamaye gauḍadeśāccaitanyadevo nāmāgatya śrīnīlādrināyakasya darśanaṁ kṛtvān, rājñe ṣaḍbhujaḥ pradarśitaḥ” ‘At that time, Caitanya Deva came from the land of Gauḍa and, after having the darśana of Śrī Nīlādrī-nāyaka (Lord Jagannātha), He revealed His six-armed form (ṣaḍbhuja) to the king.’ An engraving of this form is seen in the Pithapuram Kunti Madhav Temple, Andhra Pradesh  [Rebuilt in the 17th century of Padmanāyaka rulers] —

Not only this the foot impressions of Śrīman Mahāprabhu are found throughout the places he blessed with his divine presence, like Ramgarh of Jharkhand state, stone slabs in Jagannātha temple of Puri, Śrī Alārnāthajī temple, Śrīvāsaṅgana [Navadvipa], Maṅgalāgiri etc. The seven Tāla trees like Śrī Rāma had pierced the seven Sālas were sent to Vaikuṇṭha by Śrīman Mahāprabhu “‘saptatāla-vṛkṣa’ dekhe kānana-bhitara ati vṛddha, ati sthūla, ati uccatara saptatāla dekhi’ prabhu āliṅgana kaila saśarīre saptatāla vaikuṇṭhe calila”. What more remains to be said ?

“Thus, even though His direct identity as the Lord is firmly established, if someone with dull intelligence shows lack of faith, it should be known that this is due to lack of His mercy. As the Kaṭha Upaniṣad (1.2.20) says: “tam akratuḥ paśyati vīta-śokaṁ dhātuḥ prasādān mahimānam īśam” ("He who has no desires sees the grief-less Lord of all glory by the grace of the Creator.") And as the Smṛti says: “athāpi te devapadāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi | jāgāti tattvaṁ bhagavan mahimno na cānya eko’pi ciraṁ vicinvan ||” ("O Lord! Only one who receives a trace of mercy from Your lotus feet truly awakens to Your greatness; none else, no matter how long they speculate.") Hence, it is understood through both direct and inverse reasoning that His mercy alone is the cause of perceiving Him. This is clearly seen in examples like Vāsudeva Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya)” — Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Prabhupāda

Sārvabhaumabhaṭṭācārya a prominent scholar of that time whose disciples include the great Naiyāyīka Raghunāthaśiromaṇi, the Nibandhakāra Raghunandana [Smṛti tattva] etc. writes — kālān naṣṭa bhakti-yogaṁ nijaṁ yaḥ prāduṣkartuṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmā, āvirbhūtas tasya pādāravinde gāḍhaṁ gāḍhaṁ līyatāṁ citta-bhṛṅgaḥ. “The mind, like a bee, should deeply and intensely merge at the lotus feet of Him who is known as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, who has appeared to revive His own lost bhakti-yoga due to the influence of time.” Many other scholars like Prakāśānanda Sarasvati, Tapana Miśra, Pakṣadhara Miśra etc. accepted Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s divinity. To those who are still not convinced for them Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmi writes “pratyakṣe dekhaha nānā prakaṭa prabhāva alaukika karma, alaukika anubhāva, dekhiyā nā dekhe yata abhaktera gaṇa ulūke nā dekhe yena sūryera kiraṇa” “One can directly see Lord Caitanya's manifest influence in His uncommon deeds and uncommon Kṛṣṇa conscious realization, but faithless unbelievers do not see what is clearly evident, just as owls do not see the rays of the sun.”  

Ending this with the words of Śrīla Viśvanātha Ṭhākura “tātparyārtha-dhāraṇāvatī yeṣāṁ buddhiḥ śobhamānā bhavet, ta eva nānye ity arthaḥ” “Only those whose intellect is endowed with the capacity to grasp the essential meaning (tātparya-artha) and in whom such intellect shines—only they (understand it), not others; that is the meaning [of the term “sumedhasā”].”

yasya nāsti svayaṁ prajñā śāstraṁ tasya karoti kiṁ
locanābhyāṁ vihīnasya darpaṇaḥ kiṁ kariṣyati

iti śam