Author Archives: Sevak

Ganga Dasa Pandit

Ganga Das’s Previous Identity

Ramachandra’s guru, Vasishtha Muni, appeared in two expansions in Gaura-lila as Ganga Das Pandit and Sudarshana. (Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 53) (In the image: Rishi Vasishtha with Rama and Lakshman).

purasid raghunathasya yo vashishtha-munir guruh

sa prakasha-visheshena gangadasa-sudarshanau

Ramachandra’s guru, Vasishtha Muni, appeared in two expansions in Gaura-lila as Ganga Das Pandit and Sudarshana. (Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 53)

acaryah shri-jagannatho gangadasa prabhu-priyah

asin madhuvane prag yo durvasa gopika-priyah

Jagannath Acharya and Ganga Das Pandit were previously Durvasa, who was so dear to the gopis in Madhuvana.

(Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 199)

Ganga Das was very dear to Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Anyone who remembers him will be freed from all material bondage.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.10.29)

In his Chaitanya Bhagavat, Vrindavan Das Thakur equates Ganga Das Pandit with Krishna’s guru Sandipani Muni:

There was in Navadwip a wonderful professor named Ganga Das Pandit, who resembled Krishna’s guru, Sandipani Muni.

(Chaitanya Bhagavat, 1.8.26)

In the Gaudiya Vaishnava Abhidhana, Hari Das Das suggests that Ramachandra’s guru Vasishtha entered into Sandipani Muni during Krishna-lila. Thus, these apparently conflicting statements can be true. In verse 52 of Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika, Kavi Karnapura identifies Keshava Bharati with Sandipani Muni.

Advaita Acharya is Mahavishnu’s incarnation. Out of a desire to see the salvation of all creatures in this world, he prayed and called to Krishna to descend to this earth. Indeed, it was through the heartfelt cries of Advaita that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu became incarnate. It was the Lord’s desire that all his eternally perfected associates from his previous incarnations who played the role of His seniors descend prior to His own appearance. Ganga Das Pandit was one of these elders who preceded the Lord.

Nityananda Prabhu appeared in the land of Rarha while Ganga Das Pandit, Murari Gupta and Mukunda also appeared elsewhere.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.13.61)

Many other associates of the Lord remained hidden in Navadwip, taken birth there prior to Him on His order. They included Chandrashekhara, Jagadisha, Gopinath, Shriman, Murari, Shri Garuda and Ganga Das.

(Chaitanya Bhagavat 1.9.98-9)

Nimai’s Vidya-Vilasa Lila

Jagannath took little Nimai to Ganga Das when the child expressed His desire to study with him. Ganga Das lived in the neighborhood known as Ganganagara. It is said that when Bhagiratha brought down the Ganges, the goddess waited on this spot for the arrival of Gauranga Mahaprabhu. During the parikrama of Navadwip Dham, the Devotees sit down at a spot near the Yoga Pith Temple to hear the glories of Ganga Das’s home, even though it is in fact situated in Simantadvipa.

In his commentary to Chaitanya Bhagavat, Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur writes: "Gaura-Narayan is the Lord of Vaikuntha, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is therefore the only reservoir of all scriptural knowledge, as well as the embodiment of the opulence of wisdom. Even so, it is his wont to accept human limitations during His incarnation and thus He desired to learn grammar and other arts and sciences just as Krishna did when He studied with Sandipani Muni. He did this to show that those who make a living as teachers should have genuine learning and not make a pretense of possessing knowledge."

(Gaudiya-bhashya, 1.8.24)

When Jagannath Mishra brought Nimai to Ganga Das, the scholar was overjoyed to accept Him as his student. He began to teach Him with as much care as if He were his own son. He was astounded by Nimai’s powerful memory and His intelligence. Though he had taught thousands of students, he had never had a pupil of such caliber. A student of quality brings glory to his teacher.

Nimai would ask trick questions of his fellow students Murari Gupta, Krishnananda, Kamala Kanta and others. He was able to explain a sutra in one way and then in a completely different way, thus baffling His classmates who were nevertheless impressed by His scholarship. Thus, the Lord’s education pastimes took place in the home of Ganga Das Pandit.

This is the house of Ganga Das Pandit, where the son of Sakhi studied grammar. Ever day he took delight in this study, even making his own explanatory comments on the codes. With a twinkle in his eye, he would ask tricky questions of Murari Gupta, Krishnananda, Kamala Kanta, and his classmates. Gaurasundara immersed Himself completely in the joys of learning — such pastimes are beyond the ken of the great gods themselves.

(Bhakti-ratnakara 12.2185-8)

The Lord studied grammar from Ganga Das Pandit. After hearing a lesson just once he would memorize both the sutra and its explanation.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.15.5)

Mahaprabhu After His Return from Gaya

After Nimai’s return from Gaya in 1509, all the Navadwip Devotees, Shrivasa Pandit, Shriman Pandit, Gadadhara Pandit, Sadashiva, and Shuklambara Brahmachari were amazed to see the transformation in His character. They also felt great joy to see how He had abandoned His attachment to His studies to turn to devotion to Krishna and preaching.

Even so, Mahaprabhu continued to set an example of how to serve the spiritual master, going to Ganga Das’s house and paying obeisances to his feet. Ganga Das also displayed the suitable behavior of a guru for His dear disciple by embracing Him with respect and affection. If one’s education does not lead to devotion to Krishna, then it is certainly a waste of time. Through devotion to Krishna, one’s ancestors, both on the father and mother’s side, are delivered. Ganga Das Pandit was also happy to see Nimai’s transformation, but he told Him to continue teaching.

Nimai’s guru said, "Your life is blessed, my child. Your mother and father’s forefathers have all been delivered. Neither You nor your students should open a book today, even if Brahma himself tells You to do so. You have now revealed Yourself, so go home today. Come back tomorrow, however, and continue teaching."

(Chaitanya Bhagavat 2.1.122-4)

Nimai paid His obeisances to Ganga Das Pandit’s feet, even though He Himself was the Lord of the Vedas and the husband of the Goddess of Learning as His disciples. What goals could be left for Ganga Das to achieve? His disciple is worshipable to the fourteen worlds. (Chaitanya Bhagavat 2.1.283-4)

Ganga Das at Shrivasa Angan

Nityananda Prabhu, the savior of the most fallen, also visited Ganga Das Pandit’s house one day after having been worshiped in Shrivasa Pandit’s house, when He was wandering through Navadwip in the mood of a child, playing with the boys of the town.

On the day that Mahaprabhu sat on Vishnu’s throne in the house of Shrivasa Pandit, displaying His effulgent form for 21 hours in the Mahaprakasha, He called all His Devotees one by one to give them His blessings. On this occasion He called Ganga Das as well, reminding him of the following event from the past.

One day, Ganga Das had left his home with his wife and children due to fear of the Muslim rulers. He was standing by the banks of the Ganges with his family, waiting for a ferry to come to take them across the river, but none came. This was causing him no small amount of anxiety, but even after waiting almost the whole night, no ferry docked at the quay. He began to cry in the fear that the Muslims would touch his family members and contaminate them. He thought that he would have to drown himself in the Ganges if this should happen.

At that very moment, Mahaprabhu Himself took the form of a ferry man and arrived at the riverbank. Ganga Das was so glad to see Him that he said:

(Chaitanya Bhagavat 2.9.116)

The Lord then took them on board and across the river after which He returned to His abode in Vaikuntha. When Ganga Das heard the Lord recount this event, which only he had known, he fainted in ecstasy.

Ganga Das Pandit in Puri

After the Lord took sannyas at Katwa, Nityananda Prabhu tricked Him into going to Shantipur to Advaita’s house. Ganga Das came there with the rest of the Navadwip Devotees to see Him. He was also one of the first Bengali Devotees to go to Puri to see the Lord there. The first time that the Devotees went there, the Lord was in Alalanatha due to His feelings of separation from Jagannath, who cannot be seen for a period following the Snana-yatra. The Lord returned to Puri to meet the Bengali Devotees. Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya pointed out these Devotees to King Prataparudra, naming them one by one, including Ganga Das.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.11.85)

When the Lord met Ganga Das on that occasion, He praised him to the Orissan Devotees and embraced him respectfully (Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.11.159-60). Ganga Das also participated in the kirtan before the Jagannath cart as a member of the chorus in the second kirtan group. Shrivasa Pandit was the lead singer in this group and Nityananda the chief dancer. Hari Das Thakur, Shriman Pandit, Shubhananda, Shrirama Pandit were some of the others in the same group.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.13.38-9)

[Excerpted from “Sri Chaitanya: His Life & Associates” by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj]

Oh Brother! Please save me this time. My caste, my life, my wealth and my body are all dependent on You. Help me by taking my family and me across the river. I will give You a silver coin and a pair of new garments. (Chaitanya Bhagavat 2.9.116) (In the image: Brajabasi is circulating Govardhana Hill with obeisances).

Dhananjaya Pandit – Biopraphy

vasudama sakha yash ca panditah shri-dhanaïjayah

Krishna’s friend Vasudama became Dhanaïjaya Pandit in Gaura-lila.

(Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 127)

Dhanaïjaya Pandit was Nityananda Prabhu’s dear servant; he was very renounced and full of love for Krishna.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.11.31)

Opinions vary about Dhananjaya Pandit’s birthplace and his parentage. In the Gaudiya Vaishnava Abhidhana, it is said that he was born in the village of Jariagrama in Chittagong district on the fifth day of the waxing moon in the month of Chaitra, 1485. His father’s name was Shripati Bandopadhyaya, his mother, Kalindi Devi. His wife was Haripriya.

In the book Gauranga Madhuri, another version is given: He was born in the village of Siyan Muluk, near Bolpur in the Birbhum district. His father’s name was Adideva Vachaspati and his mother, Dayamayi. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur subscribes to the former view in his Anubhashya.

Dhananjaya Pandit’s primary home was in the village of Shitalagrama which is served by the Kaichara post office in the precinct of Mangalakota, district of Burdwan. Shitalagrama is about one mile north of the Kaichara railway station, nine miles west of Katwa on the narrow gauge line to Burdwan city. He is also said to have had homes in the village of Sanchara Panchara and Jalandi. This first of these villages lies two miles south of Satadeula Tajapura, which is four miles from the Memari train station. Jalandi is about 10 miles east of Burdwan city and is served by Lokanagara post office. The home of Sanjaya Pandit is also found in this village who is said by some to have been Dhananjaya’s brother and by others his disciple. Dhananjaya had no descendants. Those who supervise the Shitalagrama Temple are descendants of his disciples.

It is also mentioned that he would prostrate himself in obeisances before Tulasi Devi three times a day. (In the image: Shrimati Tulasi Devi).

Both the Gaudiya Vaishnava Abhidhana and Gauranga Madhuri agree that Dhananjaya Pandit was married and that his wife’s name was Haripriya. It is also mentioned that he would prostrate himself in obeisances before Tulasi Devi three times a day. He was married when very young, but this did not stop him from leaving on a pilgrimage shortly after his wedding. His wealthy father gave him money for traveling expenses, but Dhananjaya gave it all to Mahaprabhu and carried only a begging bowl. This particular action has been recalled by the author of the Vaishnava-vandana:

vilasi vairagi vandon pandita dhanaïjaya

sarvasva prabhure diya bhanda hate laya

Dhananjaya’s main home or shripata in Shitalagrama. The Deities of Gopinath, Nitai-Gauranga and Damodar which he worshiped are still being served there. These Deities are brought into a field not far from the Temple where the disappearance day festival is held annually in the middle of Magh.

Dhananjaya Pandit participated for a few days with Mahaprabhu in His sankirtan pastimes in Navadwip. From there he returned to Shitalagrama hence he went on a pilgrimage to Vrindavan. Before travelling to Vrindavan, he stayed for a few days in Sanchara Panchara, leaving a disciple who was travelling with him in charge of the Deity service. At present, there is no further sign of this Temple in Sanchara Panchara.

Nityananda Prabhu delivered the most fallen and crushed the atheistic. These powers were manifest in his dear Devotee, Dhananjaya. Dhananjaya Pandit converted many robbers and atheists in the Shitalagrama area.

Dhananjaya Pandit was an extraordinarily great Vaishnava. Nityananda took up permanent residence in his heart.

(Chaitanya Bhagavat 3.5.773)

As one enters the Shitalagrama Temple, a small Tulasi altar stands on the left. This is the site of Dhananjaya Pandit’s samadhi tomb. His disappearance day is the Shukla-ashtami of Karttik month.

[Excerpted from the book “Sri Chaitanya: His Life and Associates” by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj.]

Devananda Pandit – Biography

Purananam artha-vetta sri devananda-panditah

Purasin nanda-parisat-pandito bhandarir munih

The scholar Devananda Pandit knew the meaning of all the Puranas. Previously, he was Bhandari Muni, the scholar in Nanda Maharaj's court. Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika 106

Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya's father was named Maheshvara Visharada. Mahaprabhu visited his house, which was situated on an embankment. Devananda Pandit, a peaceful Brahmin who desired liberation, made his home nearby. Chaitanya Bhagavata 2.21.6-7

The Lord delivered Devananda Pandit in the town of Kuliya. Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.1.152

According to Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada, Kuliya was a suburb of Navadwip situated on the west bank of the Ganges. In that time, the central part of the town of Navadwip, also known as Mayapur, was situated on the eastern bank of the river. The modern city of Navadwip stands on the site of the former Kuliya, which is also known as "the place where offenses are forgiven" (aparadha-bhanjaner pata). Proof of this is found in the old names of many neighborhoods, such as Koler Ganj, Koler Daha, and Gadkhali Kol. Gaudiya-bhasya to Chaitanya Bhagavata 2.9.98

Each of the nine islands of Navadwip Dham represents one of the nine types of devotional service. Koladwip is the island of service to the Lord's lotus feet (pada-sevana). The word kola had been distorted into the popular speech as Kuliya. (In the image: The Holy Navadwipa Dham).

Just look – this is Visharada's embankment. Here the Lord met Devananda Pandit and chastised him for the offense he had committed to Shrivas Pandit, causing him to repent. Bhakti-ratnakara 12.2976-7

From the above evidence from Chaitanya Bhagavata, Chaitanya Charitamrita and Bhakti-ratnakara, it is clear that Devananda Pandit's house was somewhere near to the house of Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya's father, Maheshvara Vishrada. It is thus clearly indicated that his school was situated somewhere in Juliya village.

Devananda's Offense

Devananda Pandit was a scholar and an ascetic who had been indifferent to the world from an early age. Although he had won a reputation for his erudition, he nevertheless had no real feeling of devotion to Krishna and so failed to understand that bhakti was the ultimate purport of the Srimad Bhagavatam. Being a mumuksu, or one who seeks impersonal liberation, moksa, Devananda Pandit praised dry austerities and renunciation in his discourses on the Bhagavatam and did not glorify devotional service.

Shrivas Thakur.

One day, Shrivas Pandit came to hear a Bhagavatam recital at Devananda's house. As he listened to the text of the Bhagavatam, Shrivas Pandit became absorbed in a mood of loving devotion and started to cry. Devananda Pandit's faithless disciples threw him out of the assembly for causing a disturbance. Since Devananda did not object to the action of his students, he was responsible for their offense to a Devotee. Mahaprabhu was thus angry with him.

The Lord said: "Whoever recites the Bhagavatam without glorifying devotional services is an ignorant fool who known nothing. This rascal recites the Bhagavatam and never mentions bhakti. I will go and tear up his manuscript, just watch Me." Chaitanya Bhagavata .21.20-21

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur comments on this verse as follows: "When those bereft of devotion forget their actual identify, they become completely indifferent to the service of the Lord. When they identify this indifference as the ultimate goal of life, they become a source of profound irritation to the Lord, even though He is by nature supremely merciful. Here Lord Gaurasundara shows His irritation and informs us that this attitude of the non-devotee is not only unnecessary, but reprehensible. He also indicates that both the acts of enjoying and renouncing the fruits of material actions are improper. The Devotees find great satisfaction in seeing the Lord become angry in this way.

Devananda Gains Faith in the Lord

Some time after Devananda Pandit committed this offense to Shrivas Pandit, Mahaprabhu passed nearby his house and saw that he was engaged in giving a discourse on the Bhagavatam. He became angry and rebuked him severely for his lack of faith in the Vaishnavas. Just as blasphemy of the Devotees is the best way to be deprived of the Lord's mercy and destined for downfall, glorying them and engaging in their service is the best way to find the mercy of the Lord and become freed from all sinful activity.

"Listen, Brahmin, if you want to be cured after consuming poison, you must ingest ambrosia through the very same mouth you took the poison. In this way, not only will the poison be digested, but your body will become immortal through the ambrosia's divine power." Chaitanya Bhagavata 3.3.449-50

Through great good fortune, Mahaprabhu's dear associate Vakreshvara Pandit came to stay at Devananda Pandit's house. Because Devananda took excellent care of Vakreshvara, Mahaprabhu softened towards him. Previously, Devananda had been completely without any faith in the Lord, but when he heard of Mahaprabhu's glories from Vakreshvara, his attitude changed. Through the association of the Lord's Devotee, he began to develop a taste for pure devotional service.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur writes in this regard, "For Devananda Pandit of Kuliya, the fruit of service to the Vaishnava was faith in Mahaprabhu's lotus feet. Vakreshvara Pandit's visit to his house was the source of this auspiciousness. Although Devananda was a Smarta, he was a great scholar and self-controlled. He studied nothing but the Shrimad Bhagavatam. He believed in God and had control of his senses. All he lacked was faith in Mahaprabhu. By the grace of Vakreshvara Pandit, this faulty intelligence was wiped away and he became a believer in Lord Gaurasundara."

Devananda was a scholar of the Bhagavatam, but it was through Vakreshvara's mercy that he was able to understand its meaning from Mahaprabhu. Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.10.77

Mahaprabhu told Devananda to explain the Bhagavatam in terms of devotional service. It was Devananda Pandit's great fortune that he was able to receive the mercy of the Lord in the form of a chastisement.

Devananda Pandit was a great pious soul, for Mahaprabhu verbally punished him. The chastisement of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the greatest pious act. Even if one should die as a result of the Lord's punishment, he still goes to Vaikuntha. Chaitanya Bhagavata 2.21.77-8

Devananda received this mercy due to living in Kuliya or Koladwip, the place where offenses are forgiven. Gopal Chapal was also forgiven his offenses in Kuliya.

Devananda Pandit's disappearance day is celebrated on the Krishna Ekadashi of the month of Paush.

[Excerpted from “Sri Chaitanya: His Life & Associates” by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj]

Damodar Pandit

shaivyo yasid vraje candi sa Damodar-panditah

kutashcit karyato devi pravishat tam sarasvati

The terrible-tempered gopi named Shaivya became Damodar Pandit in Gaura lila, though occasionally the goddess Saraswati also entered into him for some special purpose.

(Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 159)

Damodar Pandit is considered to be one of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s branches.

Damodar Pandit is another branch of the Chaitanya trunk. His love for the Lord was so intense that he even chastised Him. This verbal punishment so satisfied the Lord that he sent him to Nadiya. I will tell this story later.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.10.31-2)

Damodar Accompanies the Lord to Puri

After the Lord took sannyasa in Katwa, Nityananda Prabhu tricked Him into coming to Advaita Prabhu’s house in Shantipur. Many people came from Navadwip to see Him there, one of whom was Damodar Pandit. Mahaprabhu stayed ten days in Shantipur, after which He was asked by His mother to stay in Puri where she could always have news of Him. Damodar Pandit was one of the Devotees who accompanied the Lord on His trip to Jagannath Puri. The others were Nityananda Prabhu, Mukunda Datta and Jagadananda Pandit.

...He then had a vision of Mahaprabhu in a six-armed form which inspired him to compose a Sanskrit hymn to the Lord in a hundred verses. (In the image: Lord Chaitanya's shad bhuja - 6 armed form).

When Mahaprabhu arrived in Puri, He immediately went to the Jagannath Temple where He fainted in ecstasy upon seeing Lord Jagannath. Vasudeva Sarvabhauma then took Him to his own house to take care of Him. At that time, Sarvabhauma was convinced of the mayavada philosophy, but by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy, he gave up his predilection for these doctrines and took up the path of devotion. He then had a vision of Mahaprabhu in a six-armed form which inspired him to compose a Sanskrit hymn to the Lord in a hundred verses. He wrote the first two verses glorifying Mahaprabhu on a palm leaf and gave it to Jagadananda Pandit and Damodar Pandit to show to the Lord. Mukunda Datta was there when they came from Sarvabhauma’s house, and he took the precaution of copying the two verses down on the wall in front of the Lord’s residence before Jagadananda carried it in to show Him. As soon as Mahaprabhu saw the verses, which glorified Him as an incarnation of the Supreme Lord, He tore up the palm leaf, but because Mukunda had preserved the verses, the Devotees were able to memorize them. [Note: The verses are as found in the chapters on Jagadananda Pandit and Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya.]

Mahaprabhu took sannyasa during the fortnight of the waxing moon of Magh. He arrived in Puri in the month of Phalgun and delivered Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya in the following month of Chaitra. He departed alone on his pilgrimage to Southern India in the month of Vaishakh. Nityananda Prabhu and the other Devotees He left behind in Puri they suffered greatly in His separation. Nitai had tried to persuade the Lord to take one of them as a companion, but He refused. He then apparently criticized them, while in fact praising them. Of Damodar Pandit He said:

Even though I am a sannyasi and Damodar just a brahmachari, he is always telling me what to do, holding the rod of chastisement over me. He does not like me to act independently and so I do not know how to behave in front of him. By Krishna’s mercy, he does not care for public opinion whereas I cannot be indifferent to what people think.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.7.25-7)

When Mahaprabhu returned from South India, getting as far as Alalanath, He sent His servant companion Krishna Das to inform Nityananda and the other Devotees that He had arrived. Damodar Pandit joined Jagadananda, Nityananda and Mukunda joyfully rushed onto the main road where they met Him.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.9.339-40)

As soon as he heard that the Lord had arrived, Nityananda got up and started off to meet Him, as nothing could hold back his love. Jagadananda, Damodar Pandit and Mukunda all danced down the road, bursting with joy. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.9.339-40) (In the image: Lord Sri Chaitanya and Lord Sri Nityananda are embracing each other).

Once he had settled back in Puri, Mahaprabhu told Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya about the behavior of Krishna Das Vipra. While in the South, Krishna Das had been seduced away from his service to the Lord by a group of Bhattathari women. Mahaprabhu somehow managed to free him from their clutches and brought him back to Puri. He then told him that he was free to go wherever he liked as he was no longer welcome to stay in his company. Krishna Das started to cry at this rejection, and out of sympathy for him, Nityananda, Damodar Pandit, Jagadananda and Mukunda discussed what to do with him. Finally, they recommended to the Lord that he be sent to Navadwip with news of the Lord’s return from His pilgrimage. The Lord approved the proposal and Kala Krishna Das set off, delighting everyone in Bengal with the good news. Later, when Damodar Pandit went back to Bengal himself, he met Kala Krishna Das.

Damodar’s Brother Shankara Pandit

Mahaprabhu had a mixture of respect and affection for Damodar Pandit. Towards Damodar’s younger brother Shankara Pandit, however, he had pure affection unseparated by any distance. However, for his own good, he put Shankara in the care of his older brother because he knew that Damodar would keep him under strict discipline.

Seeing Shankara, the Lord turned to Damodar Pandit and said, "My love for you is mixed with reverence, whereas I love Shankara with all my heart. For this reason I am putting him under your care."

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.11.146-7)

Damodar answered, "Shankara is younger than me, but from this day on, by your grace, I will treat him as my elder." During Mahaprabhu’s later pastimes, Shankara stayed in His direct association, sleeping in the same room. The Lord would even sleep sometimes with His feet resting on Shankara’s body, as a result of which he received the nickname prabhu-padopadhana – "Mahaprabhu’s foot pillow".

Damodar’s Tendency to Criticize the Lord’s Behavior

One day, the Lord Himself began serving Prasad to His Devotees. Since He was engaged in serving, He was not eating. The other Devotees raised their hands and sat silently, refusing to eat until the Lord did so. Finally, Svarupa Damodar asked the Lord to sit down with Nityananda and to take Prasad. Svarupa Damodar, Jagadananda, Damodar Pandit and others then served. Only then did the Devotees feel capable of eating.

When the Lord returned from the South, Maharaj Prataparudra asked several times for permission to meet with Him. When Mahaprabhu refused, he became so distraught that he threatened to give up his kingdom and become a beggar. The Lord’s Devotees were all impressed by the King’s show of devotion and wished to intervene on his behalf. Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya suggested that instead of directly asking the Lord to meet with the King, they should simply praise his faith and devotion in the hope that this would change the Lord’s attitude. Following this policy, Nityananda told the Lord of the King’s intention to become a yogi beggar if he could not have a personal audience with him. Mahaprabhu was somewhat mollified upon hearing this, but nevertheless maintained a hardline attitude. He named Damodar Pandit as a reason for such strict behavior:

"It is your wish to take Me to Cuttack to meet with the King. Not only will my spiritual practice be affected by such an action, but people will criticize Me. If they do, that does not bother Me so much, but I am afraid that Damodar Pandit will chastise Me. I will not go to meet the King on your order alone. I will only go if Damodar tells Me to."

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.12.23-5)

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur comments on these verses in the following way: "Mahaprabhu said, 'I will not grant an audience to the King on your order alone. Only if Damodar Pandit commands Me shall I consider it.' These words had a particular significance: though the Lord appreciated Damodar’s devotion, his criticisms of the Lord’s behavior were often unnecessary. The Lord was thus hinting that Damodar should stop this tendency to unnecessary criticism."

(Amrita-pravaha-bhashya, 2.12.25)

"Mahaprabhu is the supremely independent Lord. He knows what should or should not be done. No insignificant jiva is going to dictate to Him what to do. The Lord is subject to devotion and the King is devoted to him, so He will surely meet with him some day. He may be supremely independent, but He is controlled by His Devotee’s love." (In the image: Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya in Puri).

When Damodar Pandit heard the Lord’s words, he muttered in response, "Mahaprabhu is the supremely independent Lord. He knows what should or should not be done. No insignificant jiva is going to dictate to Him what to do. The Lord is subject to devotion and the King is devoted to him, so He will surely meet with him some day. He may be supremely independent, but He is controlled by His Devotee’s love."

Other Pastimes in Puri

Damodar Pandit was also the Lord’s companion during the Rathayatra festival. He was one of the chorus singers in one of the seven kirtan groups in which Svarupa Damodar was the lead singer. Advaita Acharya danced in the same group.

When Mahaprabhu set off for Vrindavan through Gaudadesha with many of His associates, including Damodar Pandit. On this occasion, the Lord did not make it all the way to Vraja, as He changed His mind on Sanatana Goswami’s advice.

The following year, Mahaprabhu traveled through northern India, going as far as Vrindavan. He then returned to Puri with Balabhadra on the path through Jhariikhanda. When they received the news of the Lord’s arrival in Atharo Nala, all the Lord’s Devotees rushed there to welcome Him back. The Lord’s affectionately embraced each one of them.

Mahaprabhu and the Widow’s Son

There was an Orissan widow living in Puri while Mahaprabhu was there. She had a handsome young son who would come to visit the Lord daily. He would pay his obeisances to the Lord and then engage Him in a lengthy, affectionate conversation. The boy came to love the Lord as he loved himself and was not able to go through a day without seeing Him. The Lord also treated the boy with great warmth. Damodar Pandit, however, could not tolerate seeing the affectionate relationship between the Lord and this boy. Though he repeatedly forbade him, the boy continued to come to see the Lord. A child will naturally go where he receives affection and the Lord was indeed very affectionate to him.

One day, Damodar Pandit finally exploded and said sarcastically to the Lord,

"Everyone says You are very learned because of the instructions You so generously give to others. I shall see what kind of master You really are. Now people will glorify You for being a great master and You will truly be famous as a master throughout Puri."

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.3.11-12)

The Lord did not understand at first what Damodar was getting at and made him explain himself. The Pandit made himself more explicit, "Lord, You do as You like. No one has the authority to dictate to You. Even so, this is a world full of gossips whose speech no one can stifle. You are learned, so why don’t You Yourself see the implications of Your acts? Why do You behave so affectionately towards a widow’s child? She may be an austere and chaste Brahmin woman, but she has the fault of being young and beautiful. You too are a young and handsome man. Such a close relationship with her son gives the world occasion to whisper. Do You think that this is intelligent behavior?" With that, Damodar fell silent. Mahaprabhu was satisfied with his sentiments and said:

"This is what I call a wave of pure love! No one is as intimate an associate as Damodar."

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.3.17)

Mahaprabhu Sends Damodar to Nadiya

One day Mahaprabhu called Damodar Pandit and asked him to go to Sachi Mata in Navadwip and to help supervise her material affairs.

"No one is more suited than you to act in her protection, for you have warned even Me. Amongst My associates, there is no one more impartial than you. Religious principles can only be defended by someone who is free from bias or prejudice."

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.3.22-3)

After telling Damodar to return to Navadwip, He then consoled him by telling him to return to Puri from time to time. He also told him to pay repeated obeisances to His mother and gave him a confidential message to deliver to her:

"... During the last Magh-sankranti festival, she cooked a variety of vegetables, condensed milk, cakes and sweet rice for Me. She then offered the food to Lord Krishna, and while in meditation, I suddenly appeared and her eyes filled with tears. When she saw Me come there in great haste and eat everything, she felt great happiness. But a moment later, after she had wiped her eyes, she saw that the plate she had offered Me was empty and thought, 'I dreamt that Nimai was eating everything.'" (In the image: Lord Chaitanya is eating the offerings of Sachi Mata).

"Tell her that I am happy, as this will give her happiness. Tell her that I have sent you to tell you of My personal activities. After you have warmed her heart in this way, remind her of one most secret event: I come to her home repeatedly to eat all the sweetmeats and vegetables she offers. She experiences My coming and eating of the offerings to be real, but because of external separation, she thinks that it is nothing but a dream. During the last Magh-sankranti festival, she cooked a variety of vegetables, condensed milk, cakes and sweet rice for Me. She then offered the food to Lord Krishna, and while in meditation, I suddenly appeared and her eyes filled with tears. When she saw Me come there in great haste and eat everything, she felt great happiness. But a moment later, after she had wiped her eyes, she saw that the plate she had offered Me was empty and thought, 'I dreamt that Nimai was eating everything.'"

"In the condition of external separation, she again became bewildered, thinking that she had not offered any food to Lord Vishnu. She went back to the kitchen to look at the cooking pots and found that every one of them was still filled with food. So she cleansed the altar and made the offering once again. This is how I come again and again to eat everything she offers me, for I am attracted by her pure love. I reside in Nilachala only because she told Me to. Even still, she repeatedly pulls Me back to her out of her great love for Me."

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.3.19-39)

Mahaprabhu then gave some Jagannath Prasad to Damodar Pandit and told him to give it to Sachi Mata and the other Navadwip Devotees. Damodar set off and carried out the Lord’s instructions to the letter. With the Pandit there in Navadwip, the Devotees became very careful about their behavior. No one dared to act in an independent manner. If anyone of Mahaprabhu’s followers made even the slightest transgression in etiquette, Damodar Pandit would establish the standards of behavior by verbally punishing the offender.

The ignorance of atheism will flee from anyone who hears this history of Damodar Pandit’s chastisement of the Lord which has just been described.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.3.46)

Damodar Pandit is thus one of the great Devotees through whose preaching, the glories of the Holy Name have spread throughout the universe. Mahaprabhu glorified these great souls when He said,

"I have come to possess devotion to Krishna through the grace of all these great Devotees who have preached love for the Holy Name throughout the world."

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.7.50)

In the Bhakti-ratnakara, Narahari Chakravarti says that Narottama Das Thakur met Damodar Pandit in Navadwip. Narottama paid his obeisances to his feet in excitement at meeting a direct associate of the Lord.

(Bhakti-ratnakara 8.93)

[Excerpted from “Sri Chaitanya: His Life & Associates” by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj]

"I have come to possess devotion to Krishna through the grace of all these great Devotees who have preached love for the Holy Name throughout the world." (Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.7.50) (In the image: The Bhakti Sangam festival in Ukraine).

Candrasekhara Acarya – Biography

One of the great branches of the Chaitanya tree is called Acharyaratna, also known as Chandrasekhara; his entourage forms another group of branches and sub-branches. Mahaprabhu danced in his house in the mood of the goddess.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.10.12-13)

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur has written: “Chandrashekhara was one of the nine treasures, or the god Chandra. His home is known as Vrajapattana (or the place where Mahaprabhu enjoyed his pastimes of putting on a play about Vrindavan).” (In the image: Moon Demigod Chandra Dev).

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur has written: “Chandrashekhara was one of the nine treasures, or the god Chandra. His home is known as Vrajapattana [or the place where Mahaprabhu enjoyed his pastimes of putting on a play about Vrindavan].”

candrashekhara acaryash

candro jïeyo vicakshanaih

shriman uddhavadaso’pi

candraveshavatarakah

The wise know that Chandrasekhara Acharya is an incarnation of the moon god, while Uddhava Das is also a partial incarnation of the moon.

(Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 112)

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur writes in his Amrita-pravaha-bhashya that "according to some sources, Acharyaratna was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s meso, i.e, the husband of his mother’s sister.” This has been explained more conclusively in the Gaudiya Vaishnava Abhidhana, “He was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s uncle, that is he married Sachidevi’s sister Sarvajaya.”

In the book called Shakha-nirnayamrita by Srila Gadadhara Pandit Goswami’s disciple Yadunatha Das, Chandrashekhara Acharya’s identity is revealed in the following way:

paurnamasi-prithu-prema-

patram shri-candrashekharam

apara-karuna-pura-

paurnamasiti samjïakam

Chandrashekhara was the recipient of Paurnamasi Devi’s deepest love. He is known as the full moon of unlimited compassion. Chandrasekhara Acharya was also Born in Sylhet

Shrivasa Pandit, Sri Rama Pandit and Chandrashekhara Deva are all worshipable throughout the three worlds; they, as well as Murari Gupta, the physician who cures the material disease, all appeared in Sylhet.

(Chaitanya Bhagavat 1.2.34-5)

All of Mahaprabhu’s elders appear on this earth prior to His birth.

Many of them took birth prior to Him on the order of the Supreme Lord, and remained hidden in Nadia. They included Chandrashekhara, Jagadisha, Gopinath, Sriman, Murari, Sri Garuda, and Ganga Das.

(Chaitanya Bhagavat 1.2.98-9)

Sri Chandrashekhara lived just next door to Jagannath Mishra in Mayapur. The Chaitanya Math established by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur now stands on this site. Prior to Mahaprabhu’s appearance, Chandrashekhara and his wife would visit the Mishra household regularly and would look after their well-being, helping to manage their affairs. When Jagannath departed from this world, Chandrashekhara took over the complete responsibility for Sachi Devi’s household affairs.

Pastimes in Chandrashekhara’s House

After Mahaprabhu’s return from Gaya, when He commenced his sankirtan movement in the company of His Devotees, He would sometimes hold His nightly kirtans in the house of Chandrashekhara, just as He would in the house of Shrivasa Pandit.

All the Vaishnavas felt great enthusiasm when they heard that Mahaprabhu had begun His sankirtan movement. Every night, these kirtans took place in the house of Shrivasa Pandit, and on certain occasions, in the house of Chandrashekhara Acharya.

(Chaitanya Bhagavat 2.8.110-1)

Jagai and Madhai were two brothers who, though born in a high caste Brahmin family, had nevertheless adopted robbery as their livelihood. By Mahaprabhu’s causeless mercy, all of their sins were cleansed and they were given the opportunity to engage in sankirtan with the rest of His Devotees. (In the image: Lord Chaitanya wants to punish Jagai but Lord Nityananda praying to save his life & to give love for Godhead).).

Jagai and Madhai were two brothers who, though born in a high caste Brahmin family, had nevertheless adopted robbery as their livelihood. By Mahaprabhu’s causeless mercy, all of their sins were cleansed and they were given the opportunity to engage in sankirtan with the rest of His Devotees. Chandrashekhara Acharya was amongst the associates of the Lord who witnessed these wonderful events. “Vakreshvara Pandit and Chandrashekhara Acharya both know all the glories of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.”

(Chaitanya Bhagavat 2.13.240)

Mahaprabhu put on a play about Vraja lila in the house of Chandrashekhara Acharya. This lila has been described in great detail by Vrindavan Das Thakur in his Chaitanya Bhagavat, in the eighteenth chapter of the Madhya-khanda. Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami has briefly mentioned the event in his Chaitanya Charitamrita:

Then Mahaprabhu performed Krishna lila in the house of Chandrashekhara. He Himself took on the role of Rukmini and others as well, becoming in turn Durga, Lakshmi and the Divine Energy. Then he sat down on the Deity throne and distributed love of God to all the assembled Devotees.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.17.241-2)

Here is a brief summary of the story as found in the Chaitanya Bhagavat: One day Mahaprabhu revealed His desire to put on a play with His Devotees about His pastimes in Vrindavan. He told Sadashiva Buddhimanta Khan who would play which role and what they should wear.

Then Sachi’s son, completely absorbed in the kirtan of the Lord’s names called out to Sadashiva Buddhimanta Khan. “Today I will go to Chandrashekhara’s house where I will dance in the dress of Lakshmi. Arrange for conch bracelets, saris, bodices, golden ornaments and other paraphernalia that will be suitable for our costumes.” Having so ordered him, Mahaprabhu and his companions went down the path which led to Chandrashekhara’s house.

(Bhakti-ratnakara 12.1949-52)

According to his instruction, Buddhimanta then arranged for appropriate dress and makeup for those who would be in the play, pleasing Mahaprabhu immeasurably. Mahaprabhu announced that He would dance in the role of Lakshmi, but that only those whose senses were controlled would be able to sit in the audience. Advaita Acharya, Shrivasa Pandit and others sadly said that since they had no control over their senses they would be ineligible to watch. Mahaprabhu laughed slightly at hearing this and said that for that day at least everyone would become a great yogi and would not be bewildered by his performance.

In the next act, Mahaprabhu came out dressed as Rukmini. Totally absorbed in the mood of Rukmini, He recited Her letter to Krishna from the Bhagavatam, and as He did so, He cried and wrote on the ground with His toes. When the Vaishnavas saw this scene, they were overwhelmed by the ecstasy of divine love. (In the image: Krishna is kidnapping Rukmini with Her request).

Sachi Mata and Vishnupriya Devi came out of a desire to see Mahaprabhu dance as Lakshmi, and all the other Devotees also came with their families. Advaita Acharya took the role of the |vidushaka| or clown, while Hari Das Thakur played the role of the town constable and Shrivasa Pandit dressed up as Narada Muni. The performance began when Mukunda began to sing Krishna kirtan. Hari Das Thakur came dancing in, twirling his baton, and he told everyone to watch the play and the Lord’s dancing attentively. Shrivasa Pandit in the role of Narada Muni said, “I have been wandering through the universes hoping to get a glimpse of Krishna. I went to Vaikuntha, but found the door closed and the house empty. Then I heard that Krishna had come to Nadia and had dressed up as Lakshmi and was about to dance just as She would.” When Sachi saw Shrivasa in his identity as Narada she fainted in her amazement, but the other women brought her back to consciousness by chanting the name of Krishna.

Later on in the evening, Srila Gadadhara Pandit Goswami came onto the stage dressed as a gopi and began to dance like a woman in love. Mahaprabhu and Nityananda then entered the stage area, Mahaprabhu in the dress of the Adya shakti and Nityananda as an old woman, Radha’s maternal grandmother. When the members of the audience saw Mahaprabhu, each saw Him according to his or her own mood: some as Kamala, some as Lakshmi, others as Sita and yet others as Mahamaya. Even those who had known Nimai since His birth, including Sachi, were unable to recognize Him. In the guise of playing the roles of all the different female divinities, Mahaprabhu revealed His divine energies and taught the proper respect due to each one of them. While the Lord was thus dancing as the Adya shakti, Nityananda fainted and all the other Devotees began to cry loudly.

Then the Lord revealed another amazing pastime: He took on the mood of Maha Lakshmi, sat down on the Deity throne and placed the Gopinath Deity on His lap. When the Devotees saw this they began to sing hymns of praise to Maha Lakshmi. As this was going on, day suddenly broke and the Devotees were saddened to know that the wonderful night had come to an end. When He saw their sadness, Mahaprabhu took the form of the Mother of the Universe and one by one, took all the Devotees on His lap and gave her breast to drink. The Devotees’ sadness disappeared in a moment.

By the Lord’s inconceivable potencies, there remained a divine light in Chandrashekhara’s house for seven days and nights. It was so bright that people were not able to open their eyes there. When asked why this was so, the Vaishnavas would only smile in response.

Participation in Other Pastimes

Chandrashekhara Acharya was also present in the sankirtan procession through Navadwip when Mahaprabhu went to Chand Kazi’s house to deliver him. He was also present when Mahaprabhu took sannyas in Katwa, and he performed all the rituals on His behalf at that time.

So saying, Keshava Bharati went to Katwa. Mahaprabhu followed later to take sannyas. Nityananda, Mukunda Datta and Chandrashekhara accompanied Him and performed all the rituals.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.17.272-3)

Afterwards, Mahaprabhu became frantic to see Vrindavan and set off in that direction. However, Nityananda tricked Him into going to the bank of the Ganges opposite Shantipur, in the meantime, sending Chandrashekhara with a message for the people of Navadwip that Mahaprabhu had taken sannyas and was in Shantipur.

The children showed Mahaprabhu the way to the Ganges, and He set off in that direction, completely absorbed in Krishna consciousness. Nityananda Prabhu said to Chandrashekhara, “Go immediately to Advaita Acharya and tell him that I am coming there with the Lord. Tell him to wait for us with a boat. Then go to Navadwip and fetch Sachi Mata and the Devotees.”

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.3.19-22)

Chandrasekhara did as he was commanded and brought Sachi Mata to Advaita’s house in a palanquin. The Navadwip Devotees also accompanied them.

In the morning, Acharyaratna put Sachi in a palanquin and set off to Shantipur in the company of the other Devotees.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.3.137)

When Mahaprabhu came back from South India to Puri, He sent Kala Krishna Das (whom He had rescued from the Bhattahari women) with Nityananda and some other Devotees to inform the Bengali Vaishnavas of His return. Kala Krishna Das met with Chandrashekhara on that occasion. Chandrashekhara also regularly accompanied the other Devotees to Puri to spend Chaturmasya with Mahaprabhu. He participated with him in all the pastimes there, such as cleaning the Gundicha Temple, playing watersports in Narendra Sarovara, etc.

[Excerpted from “Sri Chaitanya: His Life & Associates” by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj]

...He participated with him in all the pastimes there, such as cleaning the Gundicha Temple, playing watersports in Narendra Sarovara, etc. (In the image: Lord Chaitanya and all other Devotees are cleaning Gundicha Temple to invite Lord Jagannath there).

Bhugarbha Goswami – Biography

Lokanatha Goswami was known as Lila Manjari in Krishna lila.

(Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 187)

Lokanatha is considered to be Mahaprabhu’s direct disciple and associate. Prior to coming to Nabadwip, he lived in the village of Talakharii in Jessore district in what is now Bangla Desh. Prior to that, he lived in Kacna Paria. His father’s name was Padmanabha Chakravarti and his mother Sita Devi. The Bhakti-ratnakara quotes an old verse which confirms this:

shrimad-radha-vinodaika-seva-sampat-samanvitam

padmanabhatmajam shrimal-lokanatha-prabhum bhaje

I worship Lokanatha Prabhu, the son of Padmanabha, whose life revolved around the wealth of service he possessed in his Deity Radhavinoda.

(Bhakti-ratnakara 1.297)

The descendants of Lokanatha’s brother, Pragalbha Bhattacharya are still living in Talakharii. Bhugarbha Goswami was Lokanatha’s closest friend and constant companion. He was Prema Manjari in Vraja.

(Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 187).

bhugarbha-thakkurasyasit purvakhya prema-maïjari

Bhugarbha Goswami’s initiating guru was Gadadhara Pandit Goswami. He is therefore considered to be Gadadhara’s branch. Sri Bhagavata Das, a fellow disciple of Srila Gadadhara Pandit Goswami, was also a close friend. (In the image: Gadadhar Pandit in the middle giving Bhagavatam class.)

According to the Sadhana-dipika, Bhugarbha was Lokanatha’s paternal uncle. The Shakha-nirnayamrita adds the following comments on Bhugarbha Goswami:

gosvaminam ca bhugarbham bhugarbhottham suvishrutam

sada mahashayam vande krishna-prema-pradam prabhum

shrila-govinda-devasya seva-sukha-vilasinam

dayalum premadam svaccham nityam ananda-vigraham

I offer my reverence to the illustrious Bhugarbha Prabhu, who is said to have been born from the bowels of the earth. He bestows love of Krishna; he takes pleasure in the service of Govinda Deva, is compassionate, simple and always joyful.

Bhugarbha and Bhagavata Das are branches of Gadadhara Pandit, both of whom went to live in Vrindavan.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi, 12.81)

Lokanatha and Bhugarbha go to Vraja

Lokanatha Goswami renounced the householder ashrama in 1431 of the Shaka era (1510) and came to meet Mahaprabhu in Navadwip. Mahaprabhu immediately told him to go and live in Vrindavan, telling him that it was his own intention to take sannyas very shortly and go there himself. Lokanatha started to cry when he imagined the Lord with his beautiful curls shorn and the distress the Devotees would feel at his departure. When the Lord saw Lokanatha’s anxiety, he embraced him and consoled him with various spiritual instructions and Lokanatha surrendered completely to Him. When Bhugarbha saw how unhappy Lokanatha was, he decided to accompany him to Vrindavan. The two companions walked through Rajmahal, Tajpur, Purniya, Lukhnow and many holy places before finally arriving in Braj.

Though he had come to Vrindavan on Mahaprabhu’s order, he constantly felt intense separation from the Lord, shedding copious tears in his desire to see him again. When he got the news that Mahaprabhu had taken sannyas and then gone to Puri and thence to the South on pilgrimage, Lokanatha hurried to Southern India in order to join Him. When he arrived in the South, he heard that Mahaprabhu was no longer there, but had gone to Vrindavan. Lokanatha immediately set off for Vrindavan, hoping to see the Lord there, but by the time he arrived, he heard that the Lord was now in Prayag. Lokanatha was disappointed, but still determined to see the Lord and decided to set off again for Prayag.

Lord Chaitania accepts sannyasa from Keshava Bharati.

This time, however, Mahaprabhu appeared to him in a dream and told him to stop running around and remain in Vrindavan and do his bhajana. Not long afterwards, Rupa, Sanatan, Gopal Bhatta Goswamis and others of the Lord’s associates started coming to live in Braj. Their association cheered him immensely.

When Rupa was getting old and unable to walk all the way to Govardhana, he missed being able to see Gopal. When this desire became strong, Gopal came to stay at the house of Vitthaleshvara in Mathura, ostensibly out of fear of Muslim iconoclasts, but actually to show mercy to Rupa Goswami. The Deity stayed there for a month, during which time Rupa came for His darshan with Lokanatha and other Gaudiya Vaishnavas. The extent to which Bhugarbha Goswami was dear to Lokanatha is described in Bhakti-ratnakara:

Lokanatha’s affection for Bhugarbha was well known everywhere. They only had different bodies, in spirit they were one.

(Bhakti-ratnakara 1.317)

Gopal Bhatta Goswami was extremely compassionate. Bhugarbha and Lokanatha are a goldmine of virtues.

(Bhakti-ratnakara 6.510)

Lokanatha Goswami worshiped Radha and Krishna in a state of separation, increasing the intensity of his renunciation. He was afraid of the slightest amount of fame. Thus he forbad Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami to write anything about him in the Chaitanya Charitamrita, with the result that only his name can be found mentioned there. Sanatan Goswami has also mentioned his name in the mangalacarana to the Hari-bhakti-vilasa, as well as in that to the Vaishnava-toshani commentary to the tenth canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam.

vrindavana-priyan vande shri-govinda-padashritan

shrimat-kashishvaram lokanatham shri-krishnadasakam

I pay obeisance to Kashishvara, Lokanatha and Krishnadas, to whom residence in Vrindavan is very dear and who have taken shelter of Govinda’s lotus feet.

Lokanatha and Radhavinoda

Srila Lokanatha Goswami-dear friend of Bhugarbha Goswami.

Lokanatha Goswami constantly travelled through Braj, ecstatically visiting the various holy places where Krishna had engaged in his pastimes. Once, he came to Khadiravana. Then he visited Kishori Kund near the village of Umarao by Chatravana. He was so impressed by the beauty of the site that he stayed there for some time to do his bhajana in isolation. After being engaged in this way for some time, he developed a deep desire to worship Radha and Krishna in the Deity form.

The Lord knows the desires of His Devotees and feels himself obliged to fulfill them. He came personally to give Lokanatha a Deity, telling him that its name was Radhavinoda before disappearing. Lokanatha was astonished to see the Deity and then filled with anxiety at the thought that the Lord Himself had come and gone. But Radhavinoda cast his sweet glance on Lokanatha and said to him, “I live here on the banks of Kishori Kund in the village of Umarao. I saw your eagerness to serve me and so I came here Myself. Who else would have brought Me to you? I am very hungry. Quickly prepare something for me to eat.”

When he heard these words, tears began to flow from Lokanatha’s eyes. He quickly started cooking for Radhavinoda and then made an offering which the deity ate with great satisfaction. He then made him a bed of flowers upon which he placed him, fanned him with branches and joyfully massaged his feet. Lokanatha devoted himself in body, mind and soul to Radhavinoda.

Sri Radhavinod-Deity isntalled by Srila Lokanath Goswami.

He wondered where he would keep the deity, and decided to make a large bag which became Radhavinoda’s temple. He kept his worshipable Lord constantly close to his heart like a necklace. This attracted the people of Braj to Lokanatha and they wanted to built a house for him and his deity, but he refused. He was so renounced that he accepted nothing other than what he absolutely needed for the deity’s service.

Narottama Das Becomes Lokanatha’s Disciple

After spending some time at Kishori Kund, Lokanatha came to Vrindavan. He learned that Rupa and Sanatan had ended their pastimes in this world and lamented their passing in great sadness. At around this time, Narottama Das, who was the son of the Raja Krishnananda Datta of Gopalpura in Rajsahi (now in Bangla Desh), came to Vrindavan and met him there. When Mahaprabhu told Nityananda to go to Puri, he cried in ecstasy in a place on the banks of the Padmavati river which is now known as Prematila. He buried his love there for Narottama’s later benefit. Years later, when Narottama took his bath in the river at that spot, he was immediately overcome with divine love and decided to cut off all family ties and go to Vrindavan.

Srila Narottam Das Thakur-disciple of Srila Lokanath Goswami.

Upon his arrival in Braj, Narottama met Rupa, Sanatan and Lokanatha. He received Lokanatha’s special mercy, for he became his one and only disciple. Lokanatha was extremely renounced and had made a vow not to take any disciples. Narottama Das too made a vow – to take initiation from no one other than Lokanatha. Narottama repeatedly asked Lokanatha to give him initiation, but Lokanatha was firm in his refusal. In order to win his favor, Narottama went in the middle of the night to clean the place he used as a toilet. Lokanatha was so surprised to see that the place was being kept clean by someone that he became curious to to find out who it was. One evening, he went and hid there, chanting japa the entire night in wait for the anonymous benefactor.

At midnight, he saw someone engaged in cleaning the place and asked him who he was. When he found out that Narottama, the son of a raja, was engaged in doing such a filthy task, he felt embarrassed and asked him what his purpose was in doing it. Narottama immediately began to cry. He fell at Lokanatha’s feet and said, “My life is useless unless I obtain your mercy.” When Lokanatha saw Narottama’s humility and pain, his resolve to never give anyone initiation softened and gave him the mantras.

This is a perfect example of how one can win over the worshipable Deity through honest and selfless service. Narottama Das took initiation from Lokanatha on the full moon day of the month of Shravan. Lokanatha and Narottama engaged in this pastime to show the value of selfless and sincere service to the entire world, but especially to the people of northern Bengal. Lokanatha was a very renounced Vaishnava, but he saw in Narottama someone who not only had a cultured background, but an enthusiasm and taste for dealing with people. As a result, he asked him to go back to his homeland to preach Krishna consciousness.

When one has taken full shelter of the Supreme Lord and is situated on the transcendental platform in full service to the Lord, then he usually has no enthusiasm for engaging in activities for the welfare of people on the bodily platform. When a Devotee goes against this principle, such activities increase in prestige. On the order of his spiritual master, Narottama returned to northern Bengal and began to preach pure devotional service and thus delivered the people of that country.

In his collection of songs known as Prarthana, Narottama Das Thakur has written:

After suffering much sadness, O Lord, you brought me to Braj, pulling me by the rope of mercy which you had tied around my neck. Maya and fate forced me back into the well of material existence by cutting loose that rope of mercy.

Lokanatha Goswami left this world somewhere around 1510 Shaka (1588-9 AD) in the month of Asharh, on the eighth day of the dark moon. His samadhi tomb is found in the Radha Gokulananda Temple in Vrindavan. His Radhavinoda Deity is also being served in the same Temple.

[Excerpted from “Sri Chaitanya: His Life & Associates” by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj]

Narottama immediately began to cry. He fell at Lokanatha’s feet and said, “My life is useless unless I obtain your mercy.” When Lokanatha saw Narottama’s humility and pain, his resolve to never give anyone initiation softened and gave him the mantras. (In the image: just a wallpaper.)

Bijali Khan

Sri Bijali Khan was a Pathan Muslim. Even so, after receiving Mahaprabhu’s mercy, he became well-known as a Vaishnava. His father was a rich man. Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami has described how he met the Lord and received His mercy in the eighteenth chapter of the Madhya-lila.

Mahaprabhu Leaves Vraja

Lord Chaitanya made all animals to chant and dance in the Jarikhanda forest.

That year, Mahaprabhu took the Jharikhanda route to Vrindavan after the Rathayatra festival. Ramananda Raya and Svarupa Damodar Goswami arranged for two people to accompany him, Balabhadra Bhattacharya and another Brahmin servant. As he travelled, his absorption in ecstatic love increased a hundredfold over that which he experienced in Puri. Upon arriving in Mathura, it increased a thousandfold, and when he went through the twelve forests of Vraja, it increased a hundred-thousandfold.

As he was wandering through the twelve forests, the Lord came to the place known as Akrura Ghat on the Yamuna. The Lord jumped into the water and remained immersed for a long time. Krishna Das, a Rajaputa who had been attracted by the Lord and was accompanying Him, became afraid that the Lord had drowned and started to cry out for help. Balabhadra Bhattacharya heard his shouts and quickly dove into the water to pull the him out.

Balabhadra was anxious about the Lord’s great distraction due to his divine ecstasies and so he discussed with Madhavendra Puri’s disciple, the Sanoriya Brahmin, about what could be done to protect him. After some discussion, they decided that the best thing to do was to propose to Mahaprabhu that he go to Soro-kshetra on the banks of the Ganges for the full-moon bath at the end of the month of Magh, known also as Makara-sankranti. From there, they could take him on to Prayag. The Rajaputa Krishna Das and the Mathura Brahmin were well acquainted with the route along the Ganges and so they remained with the Lord and the two Brahmins as guides.

As they tired from walking, the Lord sat down underneath a tree. Nearby, a herd of cows was grazing which reminded the Lord of Krishna’s Vrindavan lila. Suddenly, the cowherd began to play his flute causing Mahaprabhu to faint in ecstasy. He fell to the ground, his breathing stopped and foam accumulated around his mouth.

Bijali Khan Ties up the Lord’s Companions

At this very moment, the Muslim soldier, Bijali Khan was passing by with a troop of ten cavalrymen. His immediate suspicion on seeing the Lord’s condition was that the four men accompanying him had poisoned him with datura in order to steal his money.

The Pathan immediately bound the Lord’s four companions, intending to kill them, causing the two Bengali Brahmins to tremble in fear. The two others, however, were fearless and quickly thought of a way out of the situation. The Sanoriya Brahmin explained to the Pathan as follows: "I am a Brahmin from Mathura and I know hundreds of people in the Emperor’s court. This sannyasi is my Guru and he happens to be ill, which makes him faint from time to time. Tie us up and wait for a few minutes. He will regain consciousness and you will hear the truth from Him."

The Pathan listened and said, "I can understand what you two are saying. You are from Mathura, but these two Bengalis are trembling with guilt. They must have done something wrong."

The Rajaputa Krishna Das was acutely aware of the danger of the situation and said, "I live in the neighboring village. I have two hundred Turkish mercenaries with a hundred cannons at my command. I only have to shout and they will come here and take your horses and equipment. I think that you must be highwaymen, not these two Bengalis. You are only interested in robbing pilgrims like us."

The Muslim cavalrymen were cast into doubt by these fearless words. Meanwhile, the Lord came back to consciousness and in a transport of ecstasy, shouted out the names "Hari! Hari!" and began to dance. The Pathan soldiers were overcome by fear when they heard the Lord bellow and saw his ecstatic dancing. They immediately liberated their four prisoners and the Lord never saw his Devotees tied up. They were attracted by the Lord’s physical beauty and by his spiritual mood and they asked him the question which had been troubling them: were these four people robbers who had drugged Him in order to steal His possessions?

The Lord answered, "I am a sannyasi and I live by begging. I have no wealth. These four men are my followers. I sometimes suffer from epilepsy and fall unconscious as a result. These four companions mercifully stay with me when this happens to protect me and take care of me."

The Lord Discusses Religion with a Sufi

In the group of cavalrymen, one Muslim dressed all in black introduced himself as a Sufi practitioner. He was pleased by the Lord’s appearance and wished to discuss scriptures with him. He established that the Supreme Truth was impersonal on the basis of the Islamic scriptures. The Lord, however, displayed his own knowledge of the Qur’an and demonstrated the invalidity of the Sufi’s arguments, establishing the personal nature of the Supreme Truth and the Supreme Lord’s transcendental qualities. Then the Lord went on to show that the philosophies of karma, jïana and yoga did not hold the answers to the supreme goal of life, which is nothing other than pure love of God.

All the Pathans were enchanted by the Lord’s physical appearance and were even more attracted when they heard him speak on spiritual life and its goal. The Sufi Pathan began spontaneously to chant the names of Krishna. When Mahaprabhu hear the saintly Muslim chant the Lord’s names, he was pleased, thinking that all the sins that he had accumulated over millions of births had all been destroyed and that he had been purified. The Lord told them all to chant, which they did. He initiated the Sufi Pathan in the Holy Name and gave him the name Rama Das. When the prince Bijali Khan saw the good fortune of his own servant, he fell down at the Lord’s feet and repeated the name, "Krishna, Krishna." The Lord also blessed him.

"After bestowing his mercy upon them in this way, Mahaprabhu continued on his way. All the Muslim soldiers then became mendicants and were celebrated as the Pathan Vaishnavas. They toured all over the country, glorifying Mahaprabhu’s activities. Bijali Khan became a greatly advanced Devotee, and his fame was sung at every holy place of pilgrimage."

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.18.210-2)

[Excerpted from “Sri Chaitanya: His Life & Associates” by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj]

Buddhimanta Khan

...One night, Suvarna Sena saw Gaura and Gadadhara with all their associates in a dream. When he awoke, the King cried out in distress from the loss of the vision. Suddenly, he heard a voice from the sky which told him that when Mahaprabhu appeared again in the Age of Kali, then the King would also take birth as Buddhimanta Khan in order to expand the Lord’s pastimes. (In the image: Lord Gouranga and Gadadhara Pandit and Their associates perfroming Sankirtana yagya).

Buddhimanta Khan was very dear to Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He was one of the Lord’s greatest servants who obeyed him from the time of his birth.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.10.74)

Buddhimanta’s Previous Life

Buddhimanta Khan is considered to be one of Chaitanya’s branches. In his Nabadvipa-dhama-mahatmya, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur has written the following in connection with the village of Suvarna Bihar in Godrumadvipa: “In the Satya Yuga, a pious king named Suvarna Sena lived in this village of Suvarna Bihar. Through the blessings of Narada Muni, this king obtained love for Radha and Krishna as well as for their joined form, Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu. One night, Suvarna Sena saw Gaura and Gadadhara with all their associates in a dream. When he awoke, the King cried out in distress from the loss of the vision. Suddenly, he heard a voice from the sky which told him that when Mahaprabhu appeared again in the Age of Kali, then the King would also take birth as Buddhimanta Khan in order to expand the Lord’s pastimes.”

Buddhimanta's Charitable Works

Buddhimanta lived in Navadwip. He and Mukunda Sanjaya were amongst the richest people in the town. They performed charitable works such as providing medicines and treatment for the poor who fell ill. Once, when the Lord was undergoing ecstatic transformations as a householder, the other Devotees called Buddhimanta Khan in order to see to his treatment.

Buddhimanta paid for all the costs of Mahaprabhu’s wedding when he married for the second time, to Vishnupriya, the daughter of a local zamindar’s priest, Sanatan Mishra.

Buddhimanta paid for all the costs of Mahaprabhu’s wedding when he married for the second time, to Vishnupriya, the daughter of a local zamindar’s priest, Sanatan Mishra. He participated in all of Mahaprabhu’s Navadwip pastimes–in the kirtans at Shrivasa Angana, at Chandrasekhara’s house, in the public kirtans, the liberation of Jagai and Madhai, and the water sports in the Ganges.

Buddhimanta at Chandrasekhara’s House

One day Mahaprabhu revealed his desire to put on a play about Vraja lila and dance in the mood of Maha Lakshmi. He told Buddhimanta Khan that he wanted him to take responsibility for the costumes and decorations. He himself dressed Mahaprabhu.

Mahaprabhu said: "Buddhimanta Khan! Go quickly and arrange for costumes for today I shall dance.” Upon receipt of the order, Sadashiva [and] Buddhimanta Khan immediately returned home, feeling unlimited joy. The Devotees immediately put up an awning of bamboo and cloth and there started dressing the actors in the play. Buddhimanta brought the costumes and placed them before the Lord.

(Chaitanya Bhagavat 2.18.13-16)

Look here. This is the house of Chandrasekhara Acharya. The Lord came here with his dearest associates. Sadashiva and Buddhimanta Khan took charge of the costumes and dressing the actors.

(Bhakti-ratnakara 12.2902-3)

When Mahaprabhu took sannyasa in Katwa, he went to Shantipur where he met with all the Navadwip Devotees, including Buddhimanta Khan. He also accompanied the Bengali Devotees to Puri to see the Lord. The Lord also lovingly accepted Buddhimanta Khan and the Bengali Devotees’ gifts of foodstuffs, etc., which they brought to Puri for him.

Buddhimanta Khan, for whom the Lord’s order had been the only interest from his very birth, also went.

(Chaitanya Bhagavat 3.8.30)

[Excerpted from “Sri Chaitanya: His Life & Associates” by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj]

Bhagavan Acarya

Bhagavan Acharya was said to be Gauranga Mahaprabhu’s expansion.

acaryam bhagavantam tu tejomaya-kalevaram

yasya smarana-matrena gaura-prema prajayate

[I offer obeisances to] Bhagavan Acharya, whose powerful body is filled with effulgence. Just by remembering him, one will develop love for Gauranga Mahaprabhu.

(Shakha-nirnayamrita)

Bhagavan Acharya was originally from the town of Halisahar, which is in the 24 Pargana district. Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami writes that he is considered to be Chaitanya’s branch along with Brahmananda Bharati, Shikhi Mahiti and Murari Mahiti.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.10.136)

It is written in the Gaudiya Vaishnava Abhidhana that Bhagavan Acharya appeared in Sri Dham Nabadwip, but left to live in Halisahar. His father Shatananda Khan was a wealthy materialist, while he himself was a scholar and a great Vaishnava who worshiped in the mood of friendship. Bhagavan Acharya was a householder. His son was named Raghunath Acharya. Both he and his son accompanied Jahnava Mata to Kheturi.

(Bhakti-ratnakara 10.382)

The following further information is found in the Gaudiya Vaishnava Abhidhana: "Bhagavan Acharya was particularly advanced in the study of logic, so much so that he received the title of Nyayacharya. When his father saw that he was developing the renounced spirit at a young age, he arranged for his marriage with the daughter of Nabadwip’s Madhusudana Ghataka. Despite this, Bhagavan Acharya overcame the entanglements of his householder life to go to live in Puri with the Lord. Mahaprabhu enjoined him to return to his wife, however, and so he came back to Bengal. He had two sons Raghunath and Ramanatha. Nevertheless, Bhagavan Acharya was unable to remain for long in householder life and he ultimately gave the responsibility for his wife and children to his brother-in-law and disciples. He then took the renounced order and returned to Puri to live with the Lord."

Bhagavan Acharya in Puri

When the Devotees heard that Mahaprabhu had returned from South India, they rushed to see Him. Bhagavan Acharya renounced everything and came to live there near the Lord.

Ramabhadra Acharya and Bhagavan Acharya came to live near the Lord, giving up all other duties.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.10.184)

Bhagavan Acharya was a great Devotee, a scholar and a man of refined habits. He came to Purushottam to be with the Lord. He was an incarnation of a cowherd who served Krishna in the mood of friendship. His dealings with Svarupa Damodar were also those of a close friend. He was completely surrendered to the Lord’s lotus feet, and he occasionally invited him to eat at his residence. He made various vegetable preparations which he personally served to the Lord.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.2.84-7)

Bhagavan Acarya was present when Mahaprabhu went to greet Advaita Acharya, along with Kashishvara Pandit, Pradyumna Mishra and others. He was also present when Mahaprabhu went into an ecstatic trance and fell into the ocean, after taking the dunes on the beach to be Govardhana.

Bhagavan Acharya would not brook any materialistic conversation, only listening to Krishna’s name, form, qualities and pastimes (Chaitanya Bhagavat 3.3.188). He was one of the many Devotees who came to meet Mahaprabhu in Puri after the Lord delivered Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya.

The great personality Bhagavan Acharya arrived. Mundane topics never entered his ears.

(Chaitanya Bhagavat 3.3.188)

He was present when Mahaprabhu went to greet Advaita Acharya, along with Kashishvara Pandit, Pradyumna Mishra and others. He was also present when Mahaprabhu went into an ecstatic trance and fell into the ocean, after taking the dunes on the beach to be Govardhana.

Paramananda Puri, Brahmananda Bharati and others ran to the beach while Bhagavana Acharya, being lame, followed them as quickly as he could.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.14.90)

One day Bhagavan Acharya wanted to feed Mahaprabhu nicely and sent Chota Hari Das to beg for fine rice from Madhavi Devi. While eating, Mahaprabhu learned of this and became angry and ostracized Chota Hari Das. He said that for a renunciate to talk to a woman is worse than drinking poison.

prabhu kahe – vairagi kare prakriti sambhashana

dekhite na paron ami tahara vadana

The Lord said, "I cannot look upon the face of a someone who after taking the vows of renunciation continues to converse with women."

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.2.117)

Bhagavan Acharya’s Brother, Gopal

Bhagavan Acharya was a generous and unpretentious Vaishnava. Because of these qualities he was particularly dear to Mahaprabhu. The following account of his simplicity is given in the Chaitanya Charitamrita:

Bhagavan Acharya’s younger brother, Gopal Bhattacharya, had been to Kashi where he had studied Vedanta. After finishing his studies, he came to Puri to see his older brother who was quite pleased to hear that he had become learned in the field. With great enthusiasm, Bhagavan Acharya to introduce him to Mahaprabhu. The Lord, being the indweller of all beings, knew that Gopal was a mayavadi, so he was not delighted to meet Him. Even so, he formally showed a polite affection.

The simple, straightforward Bhagavan Acharya went to Svarupa Damodar and asked him to hear his brother speak on Shankara’s Vedanta-bhashya: "Gopal, my younger brother, has come here after finishing his study of Vedanta philosophy. Please come and hear the Vedanta commentary from him."

Svarupa Damodar Goswami, however, somewhat angry due to his love for Bhagavan Acharya, chastised him as follows:

"You have lost your intelligence in the association of Gopal, and now you are eager to hear the Mayavada philosophy. When a Vaishnava listens to the Shariraka-bhashya, the Mayavada commentary upon Vedanta-sutra, he gives up the attitude that the Lord is the master and the living entity is his servant. Instead, he considers himself to be the Supreme Lord. The Mayavada philosophy is so dangerous that even a highly elevated Devotee who has accepted Krishna as his life and soul changes his attitude if he studies it."

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.2.94-6)

Bhagavan Acharya continued, even though he had been chastised by Svarupa Damodar: "The Devotees are all fixed at the lotus feet of Krishna in heart and soul. Listening to the Shariraka-bhashya could not possibly have a negative effect on them."

Svarupa Damodar answered with a furhter warning about the dangerous effects of the Mayavada philosophy. He said, "When we hear the Mayavada philosophy, not only do we hear that Brahman is the only spiritual reality and that the universe of maya is false, but we gain no spiritual understanding. When a Devotee hears the Mayavadi say that the living entity is only imaginary and that the Supreme Lord is a manifestation of ignorance, it breaks his heart and soul."

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.2.98-99)

Svarupa Damodar’s remarks made Bhagavan Acharya ashamed and a little afraid, so sent his brother Gopal back to Bengal.

The poet from East Bengal

One day a poet came to Puri from eastern Bengal who wrote poetry according to his own whim. He had also written a play about Mahaprabhu. Since he knew Bhagavan Acharya personally, he read the play to him and afterwards to the other Devotees, all of whom praised his work. They felt that Mahaprabhu should hear his play, being under the impression that he would enjoy it. Svarupa Damodar would normally censor literary works before allowing them to be read to the Lord, however; he would examine them for improper presentation of devotional sentiment and doctrine. Only if he approved could any work of poetry be presented to Mahaprabhu for his enjoyment. Since his friend Bhagavan Acharya had praised the literary qualities of the play, Svarupa Damodar finally agreed to read it after repeated requests. As soon as the poet read the invocation verse and explained it, however, and even though all the Devotees were pleased, Svarupa Damodar pointed out two faults which had an offensive character.

"You are a fool and have brought ill fortune upon yourself, for you have no faith in either of the two Lords, Jagannathdeva or Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Lord Jagannath is completely spiritual and full of transcendental bliss, but you have said that he is nothing but a dull, destructible body composed of the inert, external energy. At the same time, you have said that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full in six opulences, is an ordinary living being, a spark of spiritual energy rather than the supreme fire. You have committed offenses to both Lords. This is what happens when someone who knows no theology tries to glorify the Lord.

The poet’s explanation was as follows:

"Lord Jagannath is a most beautiful body, and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is exceptionally grave, is the owner of that body. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has appeared here in Puri to spiritualize the entire dull material world."

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.5.114-5)

Hearing this glorification of the Lord, everyone present was delighted. Svarupa Damodar alone was not and he began to speak in great anger.

"Furthermore, you have made another great error. You have made a distinction between the Lord and His body. Such a distinction does not exist, for the Lord’s body and his identity are one. This is a great offense. At no time is there a distinction between the body and soul of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His personal identity and His body are made of blissful spiritual energy. There is no distinction between them."

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.5.117-122)

When he saw the poet’s distress at being criticized, Svarupa Damodar became compassionate and told him to take shelter of a pure Devotee,

jaho bhagavata pario vaishnavera sthane

ekanta ashraya karo caitanya-carane

caitanyera bhakta-ganera nitya karo sanga

tabe to janiba siddhanta-samudra-taranga

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.5.131-2)

Go and study the Bhagavat from a Vaishnava. Take exclusive shelter of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s lotus feet. Associate constantly with the devotees of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Only then will you be able to understand all the waves of the ocean of Vaishnava philosophy.

The Brahmin poet was amazed, ashamed and afraid, all at once. Svarupa Damodar was kind to him and showed him how his own verse could be reinterpreted to glorify Krishna. When he gave an elaborate explanation to the poet, he had a change of heart and surrendered to the Lord’s Devotees.

[Excerpted from “Sri Chaitanya: His Life & Associates” by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj]

Achyutananda

Some say that he was Karttikeya in his previous incarnation.

yogamaya bhagavati grihini tasya sampratam

sitarupenavatirna shrinamna tat-prakashatah

tasya putro’cyutanandah krishna-caitanya-vallabhah

shrimat-pandita-gosvami-shishyah priya iti shrutah

yah karttikeyah prag asid iti jalpanti kecana

kecid ahu rasavido “cyuta-namni tu gopika

ubhayam tu samicinam dvayor ekatra sangatat

karttikeyah krishna-mishras tat-samyad iti kecana

The goddess Yogamaya was Advaita Acharya’s wife, having appeared as Sita; his other wife Sri was her expansion. Advaita’s son Achyutananda was very dear to Sri Krishna Chaitanya. He became a dear disciple of Srila Gadadhara Pandit Goswami. Some say that he was Karttikeya in his previous incarnation, while others who are knowledgeable about sacred rapture say that he was the gopi named Achyuta. Both opinions are reasonable because both identities are joined in him. Some people hold that his brother Krishna Mishra was also Karttikeya, due to his similarity to him.

Achyutananda was born as the son of Advaita Acharya and Sitadevi in the town of Shantipur in the year 1428 Shaka (1506 AD). He was Advaita’s oldest son and is counted as a Chaitanya branch of the tree of devotion.

shri-caitanyamarataror dvitiya-skandha-rupinah

shrimad-advaita-chandrasya shakha-rupan numah

I offer my obeisances to all the branches of Sri Advaita Candra, who is the second trunk of the eternal Chaitanya tree.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.12.3)

Achyutananda was one of Advaita Prabhu’s major branches; from his very birth, he served Chaitanya’s lotus feet.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.12.13)

Advaita’s Six Sons

Advaita Acharya had six sons, of whom three, Achyutananda, Krishna Mishra and Gopal Mishra are considered to have understood the essence of spiritual life, while the other three, Balaram, Svarupa and Jagadisa, did not. The book Advaita-carita describes this as follows:

acyutah krishna-mishrash ca gopala-dasa eva ca

ratna-trayam idam proktam sitagarbhadi-sambhavam

acarya-tanayeshvete trayo gaura-ganah smritah

caturtho balaramash ca Svarupah païcamah smritah

shashthas tu jagadishakhya acarya-tanayo hi shat

The three sons Achyuta, Krishna Mishra and Gopal Das were born in the womb of Sitadevi and are called the three jewels. Amongst Advaita’s sons, these three were members of Gaura’s inner circle. His fourth son was Balaram, his fifth son Svarupa and the sixth, Jagadisa.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur paraphrases Krishnadas Kaviraj’s explanation in his Amrita-pravaha-bhashya: “At first, all of Advaita Prabhu’s followers were of a common opinion, but in the course of time, some unfortunately adopted differing doctrines. Those who followed the opinions of Advaita himself are considered to be pure Vaishnavas; those who under some fateful influence rejected his teachings and invented a new doctrine are considered useless. We have no need of knowing the names of the useless sons of Advaita Prabhu, but have listed them together in order to be able to distinguish them. Just as the useful rice grain is separated from the chaff by winnowing, so have the useful sons of Advaita been separated from the useless.”

The doctrines of Advaita Acharya are the essential teachings of spiritual life; those who ignored his orders became useless.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.12.10)

All those who took Achyutananda’s opinion belong to the group of Advaita Acharya’s associates. They are great Devotees who received his mercy and easily attained the lotus feet of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.12.73-4)

Mahaprabhu’s Mercy on the Child Achyutananda

After taking sannyas in Katwa, Mahaprabhu descended on Shantipur. Achyutananda was either three or five years old (as Vrindavan Das Thakur gives both ages in different places).

Advaita’s son Achyutananda, a gloriously effulgent naked child, was omniscient by the Lord’s inconceivable power. Greatly fortunate, he was Advaita’s worthy heir. His entire body was covered with dust, but knowing the Lord had arrived he came to see him, his face covered with laughter. He fell at the Lord’s feet and the Lord picked him up, dust and all, and held him on his lap.

(Chaitanya Bhagavat 3.1.213-6)

While holding him, Mahaprabhu said to Achyutananda: “Since Advaita is my father, you are my brother.” When he heard this, Achyuta responded by displaying a profound understanding of Mahaprabhu’s spiritual identity by saying that the Lord was the friend of every single living being, and that all scriptures say that he is the father of all the creation. The Devotees were astonished when they heard Achyuta say this.

The Wisdom of Achyutananda at Five

In the fourth chapter of the Antya-khanda, Vrindavan Das Thakur writes about Achyutananda’s single-minded devotion to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the following way: One day, a sannyasi came to visit Advaita Prabhu’s house and asked him what the relationship between Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Keshava Bharati was. Advaita answered in a conventional way, saying that Keshava Bharati was the Lord’s sannyas guru. The five year old child interjected angrily, “The Lord is the spiritual master of all the gurus of the world; he is the Supreme Lord Himself. How could anyone be His guru?” When Advaita heard this wisdom from the mouth of his five-year old son, he said, “This boy is my father and I am his son!” And he asked his son forgiveness for his offense–causing the lad to hang his head with embarrassment. Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami has also summarized this story beautifully:

When Achyutananda heard from his father that Keshava Bharati was Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s spiritual master, he was very unhappy. He told his father, “Your teaching about the supreme teacher, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, will wreak havoc in the country. Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the spiritual master of the fourteen worlds, but you say that someone else is his spiritual master. This is not supported by any revealed scripture.” When Advaita Acharya felt great satisfaction to hear his five-year-old son Achyutananda display such an understanding of doctrine.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.12.14-7)

Mahaprabhu appeared at Advaita’s house just when the entire household was and gave his blessings to Achyutananda. Prior to this occasion, Achyutananda accompanied his father to Navadwip when he was summoned by the Lord through Srirama Pandit just before his great epiphany (Maha-prakasha). He also witnessed the Lord’s punishment of his father for teaching impersonalism. In his Anubhashya, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur writes the following: “Sri Achyuta was the Lord’s Devotee from childhood. There is no information that Achyutananda ever married, but he is described as the foremost of the disciples of Advaita Acharya. On the other hand, in Yadunandana Das’s book describing the disciples of Gadadhara Pandit Goswami, Shakha-nirnayamrita, it is said that Achyutananda was a disciple and branch of Gadadhara. The passage there is as follows:

maharasamritanandam

acyutananda-namakam

gadadhara-priyatamam

shrimad-advaita-nandanam

[I offer obeisances to] Advaita Acharya’s son named Achyutananda, who takes great joy in the ocean of nectarean sacred rapture. He is Gadadhara’s dearest disciple.

Achyutananda in Puri

The kirtan around the Temple started and the seven groups began to sing. In each of the seven groups, one Devotee was the designated dancer: Advaita Acharya, Nityananda Prabhu, Vakresvara, Achyutananda, Srivasa Pandit, Satyaraj Khan, and Narahari Das. The Lord wandered from group to group, but all the Devotees thought that he was with them alone. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.10.58-61)

Near the end of Mahaprabhu’s life, Gadadhara remained permanently in Jagannath Puri. Achyutananda and Advaita’s other sons also came to stay in Puri to be near him. Achyutananda, the son of Advaita Acharya, lived in Jagannath Puri, taking shelter of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.10.150)

Achyutananda came to Puri every year to celebrate the Rathayatra festival during which he danced in the sixth kirtan group that came from Shantipur. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.13.45) He was also participated as a dancer in the beria-sankirtan, when the Lord danced around the Temple.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.10.58-61)

Achyutananda also participated in the cleaning of the Gundicha Temple. When Lord Jagannath was in the Gundicha Temple, Mahaprabhu would go there with the devotees to see him after his morning bath. They would go three times a day and perform sankirtan in the Gundicha temple courtyard. At the Lord’s behest, either Advaita Acharya, Nityananda Prabhu, Vakresvara Pandit, Achyutananda, or Hari Das Thakur would dance.

After bathing in the morning, the Lord would go to see Jagannath, taking the Devotees and dancing in sankirtan. He would sometimes make Advaita dance, sometimes Nityananda, sometimes Hari Das and sometimes Achyutananda, sometimes Vakresvara and sometimes other Devotees. The Lord performed sankirtan three times a day in the courtyard of the Gundicha temple.

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.14.70-72)

According to Narahari Chakravarti’s Narottama-vilasa, Achyutananda remained in Puri until Mahaprabhu’s disappearance. In Narahari’s opinion, he spent the rest of his life living at the family home in Shantipur. He also participated in the Kheturi festival.

[Excerpted from “Sri Chaitanya: His Life & Associates” by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj]