Vraja’s Nandimukhi became Sharanga Thakur in Gaura-lila. Some people say that he is Prahlad, but that is not the opinion held by my father. (Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 172)

Shri Sharanga Thakur is mentioned in the listing of branches of the Chaitanya trunk of the tree of devotional service along with Rama Das, Kavidatta, Gopal Das and Bhagavata Acharya (Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.10.113). He is also known as Sharnga Thakur, Sharngadhara and Sharngapani.

He used to live in Godrumadwipa, which is the island in Navadwip which represents, of the nine types of devotional service, the service attitude. The name of the town is Mamagachi. He would sit in a secluded place by the banks of the Ganges to meditate and chant the Holy Names. Through these practices he obtained many miraculous powers.

At first, Sharanga Thakur did not want to make any disciples for fear of disturbances to his bhajana, but Mahaprabhu repeatedly encouraged him to do so. The following account is given in the Gaudiya Vaishnava Abhidhana,

Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur writes in his Anubhashya: Having been ordered by Mahaprabhu to take disciples, Sharanga Thakur decided that he would make a disciple of the first person that he met the following morning. As fate would have it, the next morning, a dead body washed up against him while he was taking bath in the Ganges. He revived the corpse and made him his disciple. This disciple was known as Thakur Murari, or sometimes as Sharnga Murari.

In the Gaudiya Vaishnava Abhidhana, it is further said that Murari was a boy who had been killed by snakebite and his parents had set his uncremated body afloat on a raft in the Ganges, as was the custom in that time. Sharanga Thakur himself become an empowered preacher of Mahaprabhu’s dharma. Descendents of his disciples still live in a village named Shava.

Sharnga Thakur’s Deities were served in the town of Mamagachi. The original Temple was built in front of a bakula tree. The Deities of Radha Gopinath can be seen in this Temple, as can the Deity of Mahaprabhu’s other parshad, Vasudeva Datta Thakur, Shri Madana Gopal. The Devotees who do parikrama of Navadwip Dhama visit this Temple for darshan. Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur established a Temple not far from the above-mentioned home of Sharnga Murari at the birthplace of Vrindavan Das Thakur.

Sharanga Thakur disappeared on the thirteenth day of the waning moon in the month of Agrahayan. An alternative opinion is that he disappeared on the Asharh Krishna chaturdashi.

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

Devananda Pandit – Biography

Sri Devananda Pandit used to live at Kuliya. He was a famous reciter of the Srimad Bhagavatam and many people used to study the Bhagavatam under his guidance.

One afternoon, Shrivasa Pandita came to hear Devananda Pandit's recitation of the Bhagavatam. Hundreds of students were seated around the Pandit and some were following his reading in their own personal copies of the manuscript.

Shrivasa Pandita was a very advanced Devotee and thus, when the sweet nectar of the Bhagavatam entered his ears, his heart became softened in love of God. He started to cry and roll on the ground, his body having become agitated by the waves of ecstatic love.

When the students of Devananda saw this, they thought, "This fellow must be crazy. He is disturbing our hearing of the recitation. Get him out of here." Thus they picked him up and carried him outside. Though Devananda saw all this taking place, he didn't prevent those foolish students of his from committing this offense. As the guru was ignorant, so his students were sinful.

Shrivasa said nothing, but simply went to his house feeling very sad. All of this occured before the appearance of Sri Gaurasundara.

During Mahaprabhu's exhibition of His divine position as the Supreme Personality of Godhead for twenty-one hours, He asked Shrivasa if he remembered this incident.

One day, when Mahaprabhu was taking a stroll around Nadiyanagara, He came to Maheshvara Visharada Pandit's house. At that time Devananda resided there. Mahaprabhu heard him reciting the Srimad Bhagavatam from outside and became very angry.

"What purport will that rascal explain? Not in any of his births has he understood the meaning of even one verse of the Srimad Bhagavatam. The Bhagavatam is the avatara of Sri Krishna in book form. Devotion is the only subject it teaches. The four Vedas are like yoghurt and the Bhagavatam is like butter. Srila Sukadeva Goswami did the churning and Maharaja Parikshit ate that butter. Sukadeva Goswami is very dear to Me. He knows very well that the Srimad Bhagavatam is meant to describe the truth about Me according to My own liking. Whoever sees any difference between Me, My own Devotees and the Srimad Bhagavatam simply brings destruction upon himself." [C.B. Mad 21.13]

Mahaprabhu made these statements in a voice loud enough for Devananda to hear. Then He turned to go back to His home. The Devotees following Him begged for more mercy. He continued, "All the scriptures state that the Srimad Bhagavatam enunciates the highest realization. Without having understood any of this, simply for the sake of name and fame as a religionist and a scholar, he poses himself as a teacher of this great book. But he doesn't know the purport.

"Only one who has understood that the Srimad Bhagavatam is verily the inconceivable intelligence of the Supreme Lord Himself knows that the only meaning of the Bhagavatam is devotion. In order to understand the book Bhagavata, one has to serve the Devotee-Bhagavata."

Devananda could hear all of these remarks from the distance, yet he thought nothing of it.

After some time Gaurasundara accepted sannyasa and went to live at Nilachala. It was then that Devananda at last began to feel some remorse. "Such a great soul, totally imbued with love of God, but I never went even once to have His association."

One day Srila Vakreshvara Pandita came to Kuliya to visit the house of one Devotee there. In the evening he held a festival of dancing and chanting the Holy Name. Devananda was present on this occasion, and was completely stunned by Sri Vakreshvara's effulgence and ecstatic chanting and dancing. As the night progressed more and more, people came to listen to his kirtan until there was finally a huge crowd. Devananda took a cane and began to control the crowd so that Vakreshvara's dancing wouldn't be disturbed.

When Vakreshvara fainted in ecstatic love, Devananda carefully put his head on his lap and brushed the dust from his body with his own upper cloth. Then he smeared that dust on his own body. That day his service to the Devotees had its auspicious beginning.

After some days, Mahaprabhu returned to Bengal to see his mother and the holy Ganges. He also came to Kuliya. At that time thousands upon thousands of people came to have darshana of His lotus feet. All of those who had previously committed offenses against Nimai Pandita by thinking Him to be an ordinary human being now came to seek His forgiveness; Mahaprabhu forgave each and everyone of them. Among those present was Devananda, who fell down on the ground to offer his obeisances to Mahaprabhu. From that moment he became one of the Lord's foremost Devotees.

Still, he felt a little hesitant, and thus upon getting up, he stood to one side. Mahaprabhu addressed him, "Because you have served My dear Devotee Vakreshvara, I am now pleased with you. By that service you have now been able to approach Me. Within Vakreshvara's person is Sri Krishna's complete potency. Whoever serves him must receive Krishna's mercy."

Devananda, in a faltering voice replied, "You are the Supreme controller. Simply for the sake of reclaiming fallen souls You have advented Yourself here at Nadiya. I am a sinful wretch and have never served Your lotus feet and thus was cheated of Your causeless mercy for so many years. Oh my Lord, Who resides with in the heart of all living entities, You are Supremely merciful.

"You are the Supreme controller. Simply for the sake of reclaiming fallen souls You have advented Yourself here at Nadiya. I am a sinful wretch and have never served Your lotus feet and thus was cheated of Your causeless mercy for so many years. Oh my Lord, Who resides with in the heart of all living entities, You are Supremely merciful..." (In the image: Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya, ISKCON Chennai, Tamil Nadu).

Only because You have shown Yourself to me have I been able to see You. O most compassionate One, please instruct me. Let me know the actual purport of the Srimad Bhagavatam."

Mahaprabhu replied, "Now hear Me, O brahmana, and know that the only way to explain the verses of the Bhagavatam is in terms of bhakti. In the beginning, middle and end of the Srimad Bhagavatam there is only one teaching: devotion to Vishnu, which is eternally perfect and which is never destroyed or diminished."

"As Krishna's various incarnations such as Matsya and Kurma appear and disappear in this world by Their sweet will, in the same way, the Srimad Bhagavatam is not made or composed by any person. It makes its appearance and disappearance by its own sweet will. Due to the appearance of devotion, the Bhagavatam blossomed forth from Vyasadeva's mouth, by the mercy of Sri Krishna.

"As the truths regarding the Supreme Authority are inconceivable, so are the truths of Srimad Bhagavatam. Many may pretend to know its meaning but they have no real grasp of the evidence the Bhagavatam presents. But whoever who simply remembers the Srimad Bhagavatam while admitting himself to be ignorant can understand the real meaning.

"The Bhagavata, which is saturated with loving devotion for Krishna, is an expansion of Krishna Himself and contains descriptions of His most confidential pastimes." [C.B. Ant. 3.505-516]

"Now you should beg forgiveness by catching hold of Srivasa Pandit's feet. The book Bhagavata and the devotee Bhagavata are not different. If the devotee Bhagavata is merciful to us, then the book Bhagavata manifests its true meaning."

Then Devananda fell at Shrivasa Pandita's feet and begged forgiveness. Shrivasa embraced him and his offense retreated far away. All the Devotees shouted in ecstasy, "Hari bol! Hari bol!"

His disappearance is on the 11th day of the dark fortnight in the month of Pausa.

Devananda Gaudiya Math :

Devananda Gaudiya Math, Sri Navadwip Dham.

In the area where this Temple is located is where Sri Chaitanya forgave Devananda Pandita for his offenses. Whoever comes here becomes free of all offenses. The Radha-Krishna Deities on the altar are named Radha-Vinod Bihari. There is a Varaha Deity on the left called Kola Varahadeva. In Satya-yuga, Lord Varaha appeared before one of His Devotees who lived in Navadwipa, named Vasudeva. He told him how He would advent Himself in Kali-yuga as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Lord Chaitanya also showed His Varaha form in this area.

This Math was established by Bhakti Prajnan Keshava Goswami Maharaja. His samadhi mandir is here. He appeared on January 1, 1898, within Gaura Mandala, in the district of Barisal in Bengal, in the village of Banari Para. Before going to university he would read Bhagavad-gita, Chaitanya Charitamrita and Srimad Bhagavatam. In 1915 he took first initiation from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur. In 1919 on Gaura Purnima he took Vaishnava initiation. He preached in Puri, Allahabad, Assam, Mathura and many other places. He took sannyasa from Srila Sridhar Maharaja in 1941 in Katwa. Soon after this he established this Temple. He gave sannyasa to A C Bhaktivedanta Srila Prabhupada.

How To Get There?
To get here you first go to the town of Navadwipa. You then take a rickshaw. From the boat ghata it takes about 15 minutes. The sign over the gate says Sri Devananda Gaudiya Math. There are statues of two elephants and lions fighting on the gate and devotees with folded hands.

The Radha-Krishna Deities on the altar are named Radha-Vinod Bihari. There is a Varaha Deity on the left called Kola Varahadeva. In Satya-yuga, Lord Varaha appeared before one of His Devotees who lived in Navadwipa, named Vasudeva. He told him how He would advent Himself in Kali-yuga as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Lord Chaitanya also showed His Varaha form in this area.

Saranga Thakura – Biography 3

Shri Sharanga Murari Thakura used to reside at Modadrumadwipa Mam-gachi, where his Deities of Shri Shri Radha-Gopinath are still present. There is also a Bakul tree there which is perhaps existing since the time of Saranga Thakura. There is a local legend concerning this tree. One day when Mahaprabhu came there, He noticed that the Bakul tree in the courtyard of Sharanga's Temple was dying. So He asked Sharanga, "This Bakul tree is dying, so what are you going to do?"

Sharanga Thakura replied, "Besides Your mercy Prabhu, I don't see any hope for this tree." Then Mahaprabhu embraced that tree, which has remained healthy to this day and is now quite large.

Sharanga Thakura had resolved that he would not accept any disciples but Mahaprabhu nevertheless repeatedly requested him to do so. Finally he relented and agreed by saying, "Tomorrow morning the first person I see I will initiate with the divine mantra."

The next day, in the early morning, he went to take his bath in the Ganges. By chance a dead body came and touched his feet as he entered the water. Picking up this body he said, "Who are you? Get up." From behind Mahaprabhu who was witnessing everything called out, "Sharanga! Say the mantra in his ear!" Then when Sharanga said the mantra into the ear of that dead child, the body became consious. He said, "My name is Murari. I am your servant. Please bestow your mercy upon me."

On the day when this boy was to be invested with the sacred thread he was by chance bitten by a snake and died. As he was only a boy, the custom was not to burn the body but rather to place it on a raft of banana trees and float it down the Ganga. When his parents received the news that their child was alive, they came there to take him home. However Murari declined to accompany them to his former home. He told them, "I will remain in the service of he who has given me life again, for I am indebted to him."

Vrindavana dasa Thakura has described this Shri Sharanga Murari Thakura as follows: "There was an external consiousness present in Chaitanya dasa's transcendental body. He would enter into the forest just to chase tigers. Sometimes he would jump on the back of a tiger, who by his influence remained inert. At other time he would put a phython on his lap and play with great delight. It was by the mercy of Avadhuta Mahasaya (Nityananda Prabhu) that he was able to play in this way with tigers and snakes. Shri Nityananda Raya is very affectionate to his servants, and thus by a simple wink of his eye they are able to enjoy mellows which are not even accessible to Lord Brahma.

"Shri Sharanga Murari Thakura was constantly in forgetfulness of himself, absorbed as he was in the bliss of speaking his inner thoughts. Sometimes he would remain within the water for 2 or 3 days without suffering any bodily inconveniences. He appeared to be almost insen-tient and therefore his activities were imperceivable. Such was the fierce intensity of his immeasurable prowess. How much can I describe of the interminable transformations of his devotional sentiments?" [Chaitanya Bhagavat Antya-lila. 5:426-434] The descendants of his family are still residing at Shargram in Barddhaman district.

According to Gaur-Ganoddesa-Dipika (text 172.) Sharanga Thakura was previously Nandi Mukhi, in Braja lila.

vraje nandimukhi yasit
sadya saranga-thakkurah
prahlado manyate kaishchin
mat-pitraa na sa manyate

"The Vraja-brahmani Nandimukhi-devi appeared as Sharanga Takura. Some people think that Sharanga Thakura was the incarnation of Prahlada Maharaj. My father (Shivananda Sena – the father of Kavi-karnapura) did not agree with them."

His appearence is on the 14th day of the dark fortnight of the month of Asar. His disappearance is on the 13th day of dark fortnight af the month Agrahayon (Mrigashirsha – November-December).

There was an external consiousness present in Chaitanya dasa's transcendental body. He would enter into the forest just to chase tigers. Sometimes he would jump on the back of a tiger, who by his influence remained inert. At other time he would put a phython on his lap and play with great delight. It was by the mercy of Avadhuta Mahasaya (Nityananda Prabhu) that he was able to play in this way with tigers and snakes. Shri Nityananda Raya is very affectionate to his servants, and thus by a simple wink of his eye they are able to enjoy mellows which are not even accessible to Lord Brahma. (In the wallpaper: Shri Nityananda Prabhu, ISKCON Chennai, tiger and a snake).

Narahari Sarakara Thakura – Biography

Shri Narahari Sarkar Thakura participated in all of Shri Gaurasundara's pastimes. Bhakti Ratnakara states: "Shri Sarkar Thakura's glories are most uncommon. In Braja he is known as Madhumati, whose good qualities are unlimited." (In the image: Shrila Narahari Sarakara Thakura).

Shri Narahari Sarkar Thakura was born at Shri Khanda. Shri Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami describes that the residents of Shri Khanda formed a branch of the desire tree of love of God. "Shri Khan davasi (the residents of Shri Khanda) Mukunda and his son Raghu nandan were the thirty ninth branch of the tree, Narahari was the fortieth, Chiran Jiva the forty first and Sulochana the forty second. They were all big branches of the all merciful tree of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. They distributed the fruits and flowers of love of Godhead anywhere and everywhere. [Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi-lila 10:78-79] Shrila Jagannatha das Babaji Maharaj once stated – "Navadwip is the abode of Goloka. Vrindavana is the abode of Gokula. And Shri Khanda is the abode of Vaikuntha."

One day, Nityananda Prabhu arrived at Shri Khanda and said to Narahari, "All right, we know who you are. So where's the honey, Madhu' ?" In Krishna-lila, Narahari is the sakhi Madhumati, whose service is to supply honey for Shri Shri Radha-Govinda and Their associates. So he immediately went to a nearby pond and filled a pot which immediately turned into honey of the most nectarean kind. Nityananda Prabhu and His associates drank from this pot to their full and unlimited satisfaction.

Narahari dasa Sarakara was a very famous Devotee. Lochana dasa Thakura, the celebrated author of Shri Chaitanya-mangala, was his disciple. In the Chaitanya-mangala it is stated that Shri Gadadhara dasa and Narahari Sarakara were extremely dear to Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, but there is no specific statement regarding the inhabitants of the village of Shrikhanta. (A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi-lila 10:78-79.purport)

Shri Lochana dasa Thakura was the dear disciple of Shri Narahari Sarkar. In his book Chaitanya mangala he introduces his guru in this way: "My Thakur (spiritual master) is Shri Narahari das Thakura, who is very influential amongst the medical caste. He is continuously absorbed in Krishna-prema, and in fact his body knows nothing but Krishna. To his followers he speaks about nothing other than love of Krishna. He was previously known in Vrindavana-lila as Madhumati and was a storehouse of sweetness (honey), and very dear to Radharani. Now he is now present in Kali-yuga with Shri Gaurasundara as Shri Narahari. He is the keeper of the storehouse of love of Radha and Krishna." [Shri Chaitanya Mangal, Sutrakhanda]

This is supported in Gaura Ganod-desh dipika of Kavi-karnapura 177., wherein it is said:

pura madhumati prana-
shakhi vrindavane sthitaa
adhuna naraharya-akhyah
saarakarah prabhoh priyah

"Shrimati Radharani's dear friend, the Vraja-gopi named Madhumati-devi, appeared as Narahari Sarakaara, who was very dear to Lord Chaitanya".

Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, in his Gaura-arati kirtana, sings of some of that intimate service to that he performed for Lord Chaitanya: 'kiba narahari adikari chamara dhulaya' "Narahari is fanning Gaurasundara with a yak-tail (chaumara) fan."

Shri Narahari Sarkar Thakura was a very expert singer as well as poet. He has composed many songs about the pastimes of Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda. He composed a Sanskrit work entitled Shri Bhajanamrta. Gaurviraha-gita pada kalpataru is also attributed to him, although some scholar Devotees doubt whether it is really his own composition.

Most of Narahari Sarkar Thakura's songs have gotten mixed up with Narahari Chakravarti Thakura's compositions (Narahari Chakravarti Thakura is the author of Bhakti-ratnakara). Therefore is difficult to ascertain which are actually his. Before the appearance of Shri Gaurasundara he also composed many songs about the pastimes of Shri Shri Radha and Krishna.

Narahari was the only Devotee who had the adhikara (right) to do Gaura-kirtana in Gaurasundara's presence. Ordinarily, if anyone would praise Mahaprabhu in His presence, or chant His Holy Name, He would block His ears and call out "Vishnu! Vishnu!" Narahari, however, enjoyed the special privilege of being able to sing about Mahaprabhu in a very unique mood and with sweet descriptions of His transcendental beauty without objection from Mahaprabhu.

His disappearance is on the Ekadasi tithi day, of the dark fortnight, in the month of Agrahayon (Mrigashir – Nov-Dec).

Kashishvara Pandit – Biography

Shri Kashishvara Pandita Goswami had a Temple near Shri Rampura at Catara. Mahaprabhu sent him to Vrindavana later on in his life. His disciple was Shri Govinda Gosai, the pujari of Shri Govinda Deva.

When Shrila Rupa Goswami discovered Shri Govinda Deva's Shri Vigraha at Gomati tila, he immediately sent word to Mahaprabhu at Puri. Mahaprabhu in turn requested Shri Kashishvara Pandita to go to Vrindavana. Kashishvara however expressed that "to have to give up Your association will cause my heart to be split in two. Therefore please consider how I can honor Your request without giving up my life."

Mahaprabhu could understand the heart of Kashishvara and therefore He gave him a self manifested Deity of Himself. Mahaprabhu sat down along with this Vigraha and accepted Prasad at which Kashishvara's faith was kindled. Mahaprabhu intimated to Him with this Deity and established Him on the right side of Shri Govinda Deva. Then He began to serve Them with great love.