Elements of the four major sampradayas accepted by Mahaprabhu

In Sri Navadvipa-Dhama-Mahatmya, Chapters 15 & 16, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

has described his revelations regarding the svarupa of the transcendental abode

and the ma of the Lord performed in the area of Navadvipa. During these

narrations, sri Nityananda Prabhu took Srila Jiva Goswami on a tour of the nine

islands of Navadvipa, and told him many wonderful things. Herein it is

mentioned how Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu accepted two principles from each of the

four Vaisnava sarnpradayas, and incorporated these into His own sampradaya. It

is also mentioned that the four principal acharyas of these four lineages later

took birth as Lord Chaitanya's devotees during His manifest lila.

Ramanuja - of the Laksmi-sampradaya (who preached the philosophy of dasya-rasa)

-Was reborn as the Gaura-bhakta named Ananta (who lived near Vallabhacharya's

house):

1 ) concept of unalloyed devotion free from karma and jnana (ananya-bhakti)

2) service to the devotees bhakta-jana-seva

Madhava - of the Brahma-sampradaya:

1 ) complete defeat of mayavada philosophy (kevale-advaita-nirasana)

2) worship of the deity of Krishna, understanding it to be eternal

(krsna-murti-sevana)

Visnusvami - of the Rudra-sampradaya (who preached suddha advaita

philosophy)-Was reborn as the Gaura-bhakta named Vallabha Bhatta, who

perfected his own sampradaya by Gauranga's mercy:

1 ) the sentiment of total dependence on Krishna (tadiya-sarvasva-bhava)

2) the path of spontaneous devotional service (raga-marga)

Nimbarka - of the Kumara-sampradaya (who preached dvaitaadvaita philosophy)-Was

reborn as the Gaura-bhakta named Kesava Kasmiri (who perfected his worship of

bhava-marga with a mantra described in Sanat Kumara Samhita):

1 ) the necessity of taking exclusive shelter of Radhika

(ekanta - radhikasraya)

2) the exalted mood of the gopis' love for Sri Krishna (gopi-bhava)