Sri Advaita acharya appeared about 60 years before Lord Chaitanya's own appearance. He was the first among the associates of Lord Chaitanya to appear in the material world to deliver the conditioned souls. It was Advaita acharya who invited Lord Chaitanya to appear in the material world.

Even before Lord Chaitanya's advent, Advaita acharya had begun chanting Lord Krishna's names on the streets with devotees and holding discussions on scriptures regarding devotional service to Krishna. Advaita acharya's name indicates that He is avaita - i.e., nondifferent - from Lord Hari (Krishna), and He is called Acharya (one who teaches by example) because He taught bhakti. Advaita acharya lived in Santipura and Mayapur, now in West Bengal. He was the head of the Vaishnava community of Nadia.

When Advaita acharya noticed that the human society was full of materialistic activities and bereft of devotional service, which alone could save mankind from the threefold miseries of material existence, He, out of His causeless mercy and compassion for the age-worn human society, prayed fervently for the incarnation of the Lord and continually worshiped the Lord with Ganges water and tulasi leaves.