Krishna-Chaitanya, His Life and His Teachings (book)
"Kṛṣṇa-Caitanya, The Hidden Treasure of India: His Life and His Teachings" (originally in German "Kṛṣṇa-Caitanya, Sein Leben und Seine Lehre") is the main work of the Austrian scientist, poet, writer, indologist, historian of religion, preacher of bhakti and guru of Gaudiya Vaishnavism Walther Eidlitz (1892-1976), also known as Vamandas (Sanskrit - Vāmandās, Devanagari - वामन्दास्). The book consists of two parts, with the first part (264 pages) being a kind of extensive introduction to the second one. The second part (287 pages) represents the biography of Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534 ) composed of several translations of various earlier biographies: Chaitanya-Bhagavata by Vrindavana Dasa Thakura (1557), Kadacha by Murari Gupta (1540), Chaitanya-Chandrodaya-Nataka by Kavi Karnapura (1576), Chaitanya-Charitamrita by Krishnadasa Kaviraja (1614), Chaitanya-Chandramritam by Prabodhananda Sarasvati (1599) and other early sources. Translations are made respectively from Sanskrit and from medieval Bengali, predominantly West Bengali dialect. The followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism consider Krishna Chaitanya to be the descent of the original supreme God, who, according to their understanding of the scriptures of Hinduism, is the divine couple in love – Radha and Krishna themselves. Therefore the first part of the  book "details" the Hindu scriptures’ (Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavatam and esoteric scriptures of Gaudiya Vaishnavism) viewpoint on the essence of God and his various energies, "elucidates" the simultaneous multiplicity of God’s worlds, the nature of his lila (divine play) and his avataras (descents), "describes" the appearance of Krishna on Earth and the subtleties of the lila of Radha and Krishna and "explains" the process of bhakti yoga (selfless loving service to God), starting from the very initial stages and up to the most perfect one. All of this is presented in the first part of the  book so that later on, reading the biography of Krishna Chaitanya (the second part), the reader can independently identify the events described, without needing the additional detailed comments, and thus not being distracted from what is happening. “Krishna-Caitanya” (560 pages) was originally published in German by Stockholm University (1968) as a part of the scientific series "Stockholm Studies in Comparative Religion" and was used in several universities throughout Europe. It is the first book on Chaitanya in German, the first complete exposition of Chaitanya's life and teachings in a European language, and so far (2022) remains the only  university-commissioned translation of Chaitanya's biography. The book received positive reviews in the scientific community and Mircea Eliade (1907-1986) offered Walther Eidlitz his assistance in publishing "Krishna-Caitanya" in English in America. In 1975 Walther Eidlitz was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Lund for his scientific work and, above all, for his book “Krishna-Caitanya”. In 2014 “Krishna-Caitanya” was published in English and Swedish. The translations were prepared by a group of Walther Eidlitz’ friends. Nowadays, after the death of Walther Eidlitz, the copyright for the publication of the book "Krishna-Caitanya" belongs to  Kid Samuelsson and Katrin Stamm. Uniqueness and method. Walther Eidlitz' book is not just the first Western translation of Krishna Chaitanya’s biography published under the auspices of the university, it is also a unique compilation of the most important biographies of Chaitanya, which harmoniously complement each other, showing the reader a complete picture of Chaitanya's life from the description of his companions originating even before the appearance of Chaitanya on Earth and up to his departure from this world. Thus, published in English "Sri Chaitanya: His Life and Precepts" by Bhaktivinoda Thakur (1896), "The Career and Teachings of  the Supreme Lord Sree Krishna-Chaitanya" by Nishikanta Sanyal (1934), “Sree Chaitanya” by Swami B.H. Bon (1940), "Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu" by Bhakti Pradip Tirtha (1947), "Teachings of Lord Caitanya" by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (1968), "Chaitanya: His life and doctrine" by A.K. Majumdar (1969), “The Philosophy and Religion of Sri Caitanya” by O.B.L. Kapoor (1976), “Sri Chaitanya`s Life And Teachings” by Steven J. Rosen (2017) as well as published in French “Caitanya et sa théorie de l’amour divin (prema)” by Sukumar Cakravarti (1933), “Chaitanya et la dévotion a Krishna” by Robert Sailley (1986) are the statements of philosophy and a  retelling of a biography, but not the translations. In turn, the English translation of Chaitanya-Charitamrta by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (1974) as well as various translations of Chaitanya's biographies such as Chaitanya-Bhagavata, Chaitanya-mangala etc., are only the translations of these particular biographies. Why was it important to write namely a compilation from different sources? In fact the authors of early biographies were writing their works in different periods of time and were well aware of the biographies which had been already written by their predecessors. Therefore they did not include the detailed descriptions of the events which  had already been displayed by the other authors— just because their contemporaries were similarly aware of them by reading the previous biographies. In case of the Western reader who was still new to the literature on Chaitanya (1962), it was necessary to create a kind of universal book, compiled from several biographies, taking the best passages from each of them. Because the Western reader was much less able to read all the major biographies of Chaitanya at once and put them together in the overall picture. In this regard, Walther Eidlitz' book is still unprecedented (2022). In the introduction to  the book, the author makes his methodology very clear:"„I have deliberately refrained from undertaking a critical evaluation of the authors’ theses or a comparative criticism of the texts. My attempt has been to vitalize the spirit of the sources and thus to create a foundation for an unbiased critical work about Krishna Chaitanya yet to be written. I had to confine myself to the works of the contemporary associates of Chaitanya and of the subsequent generation of disciples.<...> I wish to emphasize that the subject matter of the first part, as well as the small printed explanations  within the text of the second part, do not reflect my personal opinions, but give the essence of what is expounded in the philosophical-theological parts of the Chaitanya-Charitamrita and in the manifold works often written on the request of Chaitanya by Sanatana Gosvami, Rupa Gosvami, Raghunatha Dasa, and Jiva Gosvami.“" (diacritics omitted) Writing. The author himself believed that the book was started as soon as he arrived in India in 1938 and the whole work on it took 30 years. During the World War II he was imprisoned behind barbed wire in an Indian internment camp for German , Austrian and Italian citizens, where he met his bhakti-guru Sadananda (Ernst Georg Schulze, 1908-1977), a disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati (1874-1937). In 1946 Sadananda writes to Vamandas (Walther Eidlitz): "“I think it is time for us to make a beautiful book about the Lord of love [Chaitanya] and visit the lila-bhumi [lila places] of the Lord. But know that the reality there is much worse than the ideas we perceive from books."" (3.5.46) After being released from the camp Vamandas was forced to leave India. He settles in Sweden, starts preaching bhakti on the radio, gives lectures , organizes summer bhakti courses, writes and publishes his first books on bhakti. Gradually a group of supporters and students forms around him. All this time Sadananda continues to help Vamandas by sending him materials for his books, translations from Hindu scriptures and explanations of philosophical and esoteric questions. In 1961 Sadananda had to return to Europe for health reasons. After recovering from the operation he immediately begins to help Vamandas with the work on a book about Chaitanya. So, in 1962 he writes to one of his friends: "“I dictated to Vamandas all the material needed for a book about  Chaitanya. Now he has everything to finish the book before Christmas."" (5.4.62) Such an active correspondence, directly related to the work on the book, continues until its publication. Though the first Vamandas’ book on bhakti "Love of God" (1955) frustrated Sadananda tremendously, making him write several hundred (!) pages of corrections to it, since it abounded in fundamental philosophical errors, "Krishna-Caitanya" was thoroughly rechecked by him and only stylistic moments gave rise to cause for complaint. In general, the book really turned out the way it was once conceived. English translation. The English translation was made by a group of  Sadananda's students and their friends, viz. Mario Windish (Mandali Bhadra Das) - a former translator of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami's texts into German, Kid Samuelsson and Bengt Lundborg - the translators of "Krishna-Caitanya" into Swedish, and Katrin Stamm - an Indologist at the University of Flensburg and the manager of the archive of Sadananda's work and the spiritual works by Walther Eidlitz . Here is what the translators themselves have to say about the new edition of "Krishna-Caitanya":“"It is a revised edition of Vamandas’ book, which includes later corrections by the author and some additional explanations and translations from the  original sources, provided by his guru, Svami Sadananda Dasa. When we came across passages, we thought needed clarification, we made annotations in square brackets or added a translators’ note."" Reviews. After the release of the first edition prof. (1907-1978) from the University of Marburg (Germany) wrote to Walther Eidlitz about his book “Krishna-Caitanya”:"“I can only congratulate you sincerely that you have managed to combine the results of your rich studies in India and your insights into the sources – that are hardly or not at all available in Europe – into such a well fashioned overview. Moreover, I consider it  a very significant achievement, that for the first time, as far as my modest knowledge of the matter is concerned, a realistic account of the historical personality of Chaitanya is presented. Especially in the Indian history of ideas most often the great personalities are completely covered by myths. No less rewarding is your successful translation of the teachings of Chaitanya into a form that is accessible to our German language and concepts of philosophy of religion.”" [English translation] Prof. Jan Gonda (1905-1991), the famous Indologist from the University of Utrecht (Netherlands), named “Krishna-Caitanya” a “"very valuable work"”. Prof.  Mircea Eliade (1907-1986) the historian of religion, writer and philosopher from the University of Chicago (USA), suggested to assist to publish the English translation of “Krishna-Caitanya”. The Swedish academic, humanist and philosopher Alf Ahlberg (1892-1979) wrote in his review about “Krishna-Caitanya”: "“Of course, only professional linguists can have a well-founded opinion about the quality of translations, and these translations have received the highest praise from them, also the work itself has been described as one of the most remarkable works on the history of religions published in our country in the last twenty years. The  layman reader has the definite impression that in these translations and in the other parts of the book the scientist and the poet have entered into a happy union… The author is not an unknown man. He has previously published a number of fascinating books, both about his personal experiences in India and about Hinduism in Swedish. Unfortunately, they are all sold out, although they are in high demand. But the work now mentioned is his magnum opus. It is the fruit of thirty years of research, nine of which were spent in India, where Eidlitz studied from native teachers , associated in close friendship with prominent representatives of the devotional tradition, to which Chaitanya belongs, and even during his long stay in our country was in constant contact with them.”" [English translation]Not only Indologists but also other followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism warmly welcomed the book of Vamandas. The famous guru and preacher of Gaudiya Vaishnavism in the West A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (1896-1977) spoke highly of Walther Eidlitz's book and called it authoritative:"“You know that I have got already one German God-brother [Sadananda], and he has influenced another German scholar, Vamana dasa [Walther Eidlitz], who has written a  very nice book on Lord Chaitanya, in German.”"In his review of the English edition of Krishna-Chaitanya, a Gaudiya Vaishnavism researcher and student of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Steven J. Rosen (born 1955) writes:"“I remember reading, years ago, how the original German edition was used as a text at universities throughout Europe, and I noticed that it was quoted in numerous books by eminent scholars from around the world. Indeed, it was one of the first and only books on Sri Chaitanya in a European language at the time, making Mahaprabhu and His teachings available to the Western world in  both academic language and through the lens of a believing Vaishnava… So, it should be clear that Prabhupada [Bhaktivedanta Svami] thought fondly of both teacher and student, Sadananda and Eidlitz, and had even specifically praised Eidlitz’s work on Sri Chaitanya. As a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, I can think of no better endorsement.”" Influence. In addition to the fact that Walther Eidlitz' book is represented in many university libraries and is still used by students and teachers, it is important to note the profound impact the book still has on those who are interested in Hinduism, Gaudiya Vaishnavism and  bhakti in the West, without seeking participation in any formally organised religion, since "Krishna-Caitanya" is a universal textbook on bhakti, the first part of which is theoretical and the second is practical. All the ideas and confirmations from the scriptures (shastras) needed for the practice of bhakti are collected here, in one place, and presented in the form of clear structure. Moreover, despite the fact that Walther Eidlitz was quite popular and that he gave esoteric spiritual initiation into the mantras of Gaudiya Vaishnavism (so-called "Vaishnava diksha") to some of his friends, he never created any organization around  him. The idea of transmitting sacred knowledge, the so-called "bhagavata-marga", is based in his view, as well as in the view of his guru Sadananda, and in the view of the Sadananda’s guru Bhaktisiddhanta, etc., on spiritual knowledge itself and not on the sacrament of initiation (i.e. "pancaratrika-marga"). That is why the only spiritual heritage of Walther Eidlitz is his books on bhakti and first of all "Krishna-Caitanya" - the crown of his life's efforts. Due to the missionary work of many other preachers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism in the West, such as A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami  (1896-1977), Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaj (1921-2010) etc., the interest of the Western reader in the personality of Chaitanya, and the philosophy and practice of bhakti continues to grow: now this topic is of interest not only to scientists. Therefore, Walther Eidlitz' book continues to be relevant to this day (2022). The first part of the book gives the reader a kind of theoretical training, the so-called sambandha-jnana. While reading the second part, the reader can simultaneously carry out the fundamental practice of bhakti yoga, i.e. perceive the original source about the lila of God (the so-called  shravana process), as well as comprehend and ponder what has been read (the so-called "smarana" process). Content. "The Introduction" describes the history of the book. The following is a scheme of the correct "pronunciation" of Sanskrit, including stresses. "The Preface" provides an overview of the literature on Chaitanya and describes the main difficulties associated with the choice of the early sources. I. The first part of the book consists of "four sections", gradually preparing the reader for the perception of Chaitanya-lila. (There are given 680 verses from the Shastras.) II. The second part is a compilation of translations  of various biographies of Chaitanya and consists of three sections. The translations are provided with brief notes. (2,760 verses from the Shastras are given.) In the Supplement 5.1 the "Chronology" (Delhi Sultanate, Orissa, Bengal, Portuguese India, Krishna Chaitanya) is given; 5.2 The c"lassification" of the Vedas (samhitas, brahmanas, aranyakas, upanishads, itihasas, sattvika-, rajasika- and tamasika-puranas, upa-puranas, upa-veda, vedangas, uttara-mimamsa, ekayana, smriti) is stated; 5.3 The h"ierarchy" of avataras of God is explained "in detail," according to the degree of their divine shake manifestation (lila-, manvantara-, yuga-, purusha-, guna- and avesha-avatars); 5.4 The information regarding the  Language, dialect and poetic meter of Bengali primary sources is given. 5.5 The following is a detailed "Bibliography" with an analysis of the authenticity of the sources used (texts attributed to Chaitanya; texts by senior friends of Chaitanya; texts by Chaitanya's disciples and their disciples, as well as later texts, including those in the Oriyan language; 36 works in total) and the used scientific literature, including literature on the history of Bengali literature and literature on the history of the Chaitanya tradition (30 works in total). Bibliography. Books by Walther Eidlitz on Bhakti and Hinduism In English: In German : In Swedish: In Russian: Krishna Chaitanya by Walter Eidlitz in libraries. In Germany: in Berlin, Bremen, Erfurt, Göttingen, Halle, Hamburg, Kiel and Münster. In Sweden: in Stockholm, Umeå, Uppsala, Dalarna, Göteborg und Lund. Sources. "Cited books written by Walther Eidlitz and Svami Sadananda Dasa:" "Mentioned books about Krishna Chaitanya:" "Used sources about Walther Eidlitz:" "Used sources on Indological issues:"