Śrī Caitanya’s Implicit and Explicit Regard for Animals

Abstract

This article examines Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's (1486-1533) attitudes and relationships with animals, as depicted in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (CC), to highlight the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava tradition's ethical framework concerning non-human beings. It analyzes key episodes, including Caitanya's confrontation with the Chand Kājī over cow-killing, his interactions with animals in the Jhārikhaṇḍa forest, and the story of Nārada and the hunter. The author argues that these narratives demonstrate Caitanya's implicit and explicit regard for animal personhood, advocating for a holistic ethic that integrates cow protection, vegetarianism, nonviolence (ahiṃsā), and the recognition of animals as integral members of a moral and spiritual community, capable of advanced spiritual attainment.