Purusottama

“We should not accept any rascal as God or an incarnation of God, for God displays special features in His various activities. Therefore, the Lord Himself says in Bhagavad-gita (4.9): “One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” The activities of the Lord are not common; they are all transcendentally wonderful and not able to be performed by any other living being. The symptoms of the Lord’s activities are all mentioned in the sastras, and after one understands them one can accept the Lord as He is.” (SB 9.10.15)

To prove His Supreme identity, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu exhibited His six-armed form known as the Sadbhuja-rupa on multiple occasions. The form displays the two arms of Rama (holding the bow and arrow), the two arms of Krishna (holding the flute) and the two arms of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (holding the staff and waterpot). The Supreme Person (Purusottama) thus assumes different identities, each with a specific purpose and mood.

Krishna is known as Lila-Purusottama – the form of the Lord who attracts the world by displaying profoundly sweet and intimate pastimes with His devotees. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is known as Prema-Purusottama - the form of the Lord who embodies and freely distributes the wonderful gift of pure love of Godhead to the entire world. Ramacandra is known as Maryada-Purusottama – the form of the Lord who establishes the ideal example for the world to follow. He was the ideal person, the ideal husband, the ideal ruler and the ideal follower of Vedic culture and etiquette in all respects.

In Canto Eleven, Narada Muni recites an exquisite verse which depicts the Sadbhuja-rupa. When translated in different ways, the Sanskrit text simultaneously describes Lord Rama, Lord Krishna and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu:

tyaktva su-dustyaja-surepsita-rajya-laksmim dharmistha arya-vacasa yad agad aranyam maya-mrgam dayitayepsitam anvadhavad vande maha-purusa te caranaravindam (SB 11.5.34)

Lord Krishna – “O Maha Purusa, you gave up the opulence of Mathura which is desired even by demigods. To obey the loving order of Vasudeva and Devaki, You went to the forest village of Vrindavana. Due to the inconceivable love of Srimati Radharani, You become easily controlled by Her just like ‘a toy animal.’ You run here and there in Vrindavana, protecting the cows, playing with your friends and engaging in countless intrigues of love with Srimati Radharani and the gopis, tightly under the control of their love.”

Lord Chaitanya – “O Maha Purusa, I worship Your lotus feet. You accepted sannyasa and gave up the association of the goddess of fortune and all her opulence, which is most difficult to renounce and is hankered after by even the great demigods. Being the most faithful follower of the path of religion, You thus left for the forest in obedience to a brahmana’s curse. Out of sheer mercifulness You chased after the fallen conditioned souls, who are always in pursuit of the false enjoyment of illusion, and at the same time engaged in searching out Your own desired object, Lord Syamasundara.”

Lord Ramacandra – “O Maha Purusa, you gave up the Kingdom of Ayodhya, which was very opulent, difficult to renounce and hankered after by even great demigods. By the order of Maharaja Dasaratha, who was just like Your guru, You gave up everything and went to the forest. There You exhibited Your great affection for mother Sita and chased after the golden deer, which was especially desired by Srimati Sitadevi.”

Rama demonstrated how to live according to dharma: right action or sacred duty according to one’s occupation and social situation. Indeed, His entire life was a demonstration of selflessness, nobility of spirit and being prepared to sacrifice one’s own comfort for a higher cause.