Sri Caitanyacaritamahakavya

This book was compiled by the author soon after Lord Caitanyas disappearance and was read by many of the Lords associates, including Advaita Acarya and Srivasa Thakura. As indicated at the end of this book, it was compiled by the author soon after Lord Caitanyas disappearance and was read by many of the Lords associates, including Advaita Acarya and Srivasa Thakura, and they all greatly appreciated it. As indicated in a purport by Srila Prabhupada to the Sri Caitanya caritamrta of Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami: By this time (of the compilation of the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta), contemporary and near-contemporary scholars and devotees had already written several biographical works on the life of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. These included of Sri Caitanya -carita, by Murari Gupta, Caitanya-mangala, by Locana dasa Thakura, and Caitanya-bhagavata. It is very interesting to note that the other biographies of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu utilized the notebooks of Murari Gupta for their information, thus indicating that all the great associates of Lord accept his accounts as accurate and reliable. In a purport to the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada wrote: The Lords early life was recorded by one of His chief devotees and contemporaries, namely Srila Murari Gupta, a medical practitioner of that time, and the later part of the life of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was recorded by His private secretary Sri Damodara Gosvami, or Srila Svarupa Damodara, who was practically a constant companion of the Lord at Puri. These two devotees recorded practically all the incidents of the Lords activities, and later on all the books dealing with the Lord, which are above mentioned, were composed on the basic of Kadacas(notebooks) by Srila Damodara Gosvami and Murari Gupta. Murari Gupta was one of the Lords principal associates at Navadvipa and he figured in many of His pasties. The importance of Murari Gupta can be gauged by this verse of the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta: Murari Gupta, the twenty-first branch of the tree of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, was a storehouse of love of Godhead. His great humility and meekness melted the heart of Lord Caitanya.