In Vraja lila he is Sudama, one of the twelve cowherd boys. (In the image: Sudama Gopa).
Water.
Seeing his absorption in Gauranga prema, they knew he was "an embodiment of Gaura-shakti, the energy of Shri Gauranga Mahaprabhu." (In the image: Shrinivasa Acharya
When his father left this world Shrinivasa visited the remaining associates of Lord Gauranga in Katva, Navadwipa, Jagannatha Puri. They blessed Shrinivasa and gave him valuable instructions for spiritual advancement. Seeing his absorption in Gauranga prema, they knew he was "an embodiment of Gaura-shakti, the energy of Shri Gauranga Mahaprabhu."
He came to Vrindavana, toured the twelve forests, and took diksha from Gopala Bhatta Goswami. Shri Jiva Goswami taught him the complete philosophy of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Acknowledging his vast learning, Shri Jiva gave Shrinivasa the title "Acharya."
Accepting Shri Jiva's order, Shrinvasa and his two friends Shyamananda Prabhu and Narottama Dasa Thakura pioneered the first transcendental book distribution party. Vrajabasi Sankirtana Party ki jai! They took a bullock cart of the Goswami's devotional writings from Vrindavana and passed them out all over Bengal and Orissa.
Shrinivasa Acharya initiated many disciples (Ramachandra Kaviraja and others), wrote songs full of bhakti (Sad Goswami-ashtakam), and introduced a special kirtana style. When leading kirtana he would sometimes lose his voice from chanting so long.
Besides his external activities of preaching and writing, Shrinivasa Acharya practised intensive raganuga bhajana. Raganuga bhajana is the spontaneous internal worship of Radha and Krishna based on the mood and sentiments of the eternal residents of Shri Vrindavana dhama, such as the gopis. While doing manasi seva (service to Radha-Krishna within one's mind in a mentally conceived spiritual form) he would often bring tangible paraphernalia from these meditations back with him upon returning to external consciousness. Once Shrinivasa sat Lord Gauranga on a jeweled throne within his mind. Then he worshiped the Lord with a golden handled chamara whisk and a five flower garland. Pleased with his service, Gaura Raya offered the garland back to Shrinivasa, who then immeditately awoke and lost the meditation. A surprised Shrinivasa found the sweetest flower garland he ever smelled hanging around his neck when he returned to external consciouness.
Another time Shrinivasa was in his siddha svarupa as Mani-manjari watching Shrimati Radharani, Shri Krishna, and the gopis in Holi lila (joyfully throwing colored powders and dyes on each other). The gopis told Mani-manjari to supply colors to Radhika and side with them in their "war" against Shyama. The earth shook from Their furious battle. Shrinivasa's meditation abruptly broke. His body was completely covered from head to toe with fragrant and exotic rainbow colored powders imported from the spiritual world. Holi lila ki jai! Shrinivasa Acharya's samadhi is in the Dhira Samira samadhis area.
Once Shrinivasa sat Lord Gauranga on a jeweled throne within his mind. Then he worshiped the Lord with a golden handled chamara whisk and a five flower garland. Pleased with his service, Gaura Raya offered the garland back to Shrinivasa, who then immeditately awoke and lost the meditation. A surprised Shrinivasa found the sweetest flower garland he ever smelled hanging around his neck when he returned to external consciouness. (In the wallpaper: Shri Viyaya Gauranga, ISKCON Hungary, Budapesht, flower garland and jewels).
Every year one month before chaturmasya (four month period of the rainy season) Shivananda Sena would lead a party of two hundred Devotees from Bengal to Jagannatha Puri to attend the annual Ratha-Yatra festival. He would pay for everyone's food, tolls, ferries, and lodging. He personally arranged for their comfort.
Shivananda Sena showed Vaishnava compassion for all living entities, be they man or beast. When a stray dog joined the party Shivananda Sena fed the dog and even paid his boat fare. When the dog disappeared one day Shivananda sent 200 men to search for him. Upon arriving in Puri, they saw Lord Chaitanya throwing coconut pulp to the dog. The dog became purified of all material contamination by eating the Maha-Prasadam remnants of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Not seeing the dog the next day, Shivananda Sena understood that the dog had attained liberation by the mercy of Lord Chaitanya.
Observing chaturmasya in Puri, Shivananda and the Devotees would regularly bathe in Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's blissful association. Shivananda used all his possessions in the service of Krishna and the Vaishnavas. His entire family and servants were ardent followers of Lord Gauranga.
Kavi Karnapura, the son of Shivananda Sena, says in Gaura-gannodesh-dipika: "Shivananda Sena is the embodiment of love of Shri Chaitanya Deva. And in Krishna lila he is Vira gopi, Shrimati Radharani's messenger." In one bhajana Devakinandana Dasa glorifies him, "I bow down to Shivananda Sena, who is full of divine love. His caste, life, and wealth are the two lotus feet of Shri Gaura Raya." His samadhi is in the 64 Samadhis Area.
Upon arriving in Puri, they saw Lord Chaitanya throwing coconut pulp to the dog. The dog became purified of all material contamination by eating the Maha-Prasadam remnants of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Not seeing the dog the next day, Shivananda Sena understood that the dog had attained liberation by the mercy of Lord Chaitanya. (In the wallpaper: Shri Vijaya Gauranga, ISKCON Hungary, Budapesht, a dog, coconut pulp).
Just after Shri Chaitanya's appearance, Sita Thakurani came to Mayapur. She brought a basket full of dresses, ornaments, silken children's clothes, jeweled necklaces, and tiger nails set in gold. To worship the golden baby she also brought auspicious articles such as fresh grass, tumeric, kum kum, sandalwood. The wonderful name "Nimai" was given to the Lord by Sita Thakurani. (In the wallpaper: Turmeric, Sandalwood powder, green grass and a child).
In Krishna lila, Sita Thakurani is Yogamaya or also Paurnamasi. At Krishna's birth ceremony she gave many instructions about child care to Nanda and Yashoda. Similarly, in Gaura lila Sita Thakurani would often help Sachimata nurture baby Nimai. Sita Thakurani and Sachi Mata were of one mind; their life and soul was Nimai. Because of Sita Thakurani's pure parental love, Sachi Mata often chose her as the first person to worship Nimai Pandit during any auspicious ceremony.
Later Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Shri Nityananda Prabhu often came to Shantipur to visit Advaita Acharya and Sita Thakurani. They would collect all the neighbors and hold an uproarious festival of Krishna nama-lila kirtana extending late into the night. When Lord Chaitanya moved to Jagannatha Puri Advaita Prabhu and Sita Thakurani would regularly visit Him.
Sita Thakurani would cook Mahaprabhu's favorite foods and offer lunch to the Lord. Sita Thakurani loved Lord Chaitanya as a son and He loved her as His mother.
An important branch of the Shri Chaitanya tree, Shri Sharanga Thakura (Sharanga Murari) lived in Mamagacchi, Modadrumadwipa (Navadwipa). Staying under a Bakula tree, Sharanga Thakura worked hard every day to please his worshipable Deity. Single handedly, he would collect fruits, vegetables and firewood. He would also beg rice, cook, bathe, dress, and feed his Lord. After a full day of Deity service Sharanga would cross the Ganges River to join Mahaprabhu's Hari-Nama sankirtana party in Mayapur. During one visit, Lord Gauranga noticed that Sharanga's beloved Bakula tree was drying up and almost dead. Lord Chaitanya embraced the tree with His beautiful golden arms. Completely rejunvenated, the tree burst forth with green leaves and fresh super fragrant flowers. To this day, Devotees of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu worship this special kalpa vriksha tree of Shri Dhama Mayapur. Some Devotees collect small pieces of wood, which occasionally fall off, and make neckbeads or worship it.
Sharanga Thakura vowed to never initiate disciples despite Lord Chaitanya's insistence. One day he relented and decided to initiate the first person he saw. While bathing in the Ganges he brushed against a floating corpse. Suddenly it sprang to life. Stunned, the man slowly identified himself and bowed down to Sharanga Thakura who had just miraculously renewed his life. After giving him mantra diksha, Saranga Thakura became famous as "Sharanga Murari Thakura," because the disciple's previous name was Murari.
In Vraja lila Sharanga serves Radha-Gopinatha as Nandimukhi-sakhi. By taking a forty five minute rikshaw ride from downtown Navadwipa, you an still see the Deities of Sharanga Thakura and the kalpa vriksha Bakula tree.
During one visit, Lord Gauranga noticed that Sharanga's beloved Bakula tree was drying up and almost dead. Lord Chaitanya embraced the tree with His beautiful golden arms. Completely rejunvenated, the tree burst forth with green leaves and fresh super fragrant flowers. To this day, Devotees of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu worship this special kalpa vriksha tree of Shri Dhama Mayapur. Some Devotees collect small pieces of wood, which occasionally fall off, and make neckbeads or worship it. (In the image: Bakula tree, Sharanga Thakur's house, Shri Mayapur dham).
"My dear Ramananda, both you and I are madmen and therefore we meet intimately on an equal level." Outwardly he acted as the Governor of Madras, but he was a poet, Sanskrit scholar, a dramatist well-versed in rasa literature, music, singing, dancing...(In the image: from left to right Ramananda Raya and Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu).
During their ten day meeting in Vidyanagara, Lord Gauranga and Ramananda Raya discussed all points of Krishna consciousness. Empowered by the Lord, Ramananda answered all questions posed by Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Gaudiya Vaishnava acharyas have given lengthy discourses on, "Talks between the Lord and Ramananda Raya." (Chaitanya-charitamrta Madhya Ch.8) These talks are called Ramananda Samvagh.
Ramananda Raya gave a series of answers to Lord Chaitanya's first question, "How to attain the ultimate goal of life?' He began with varnashrama-dharma, and progressed to karmarpana, karmatyaga, jnana-mishra-bhakti, Radha-bhakti, prema bhakti, (dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, madhurya prema), and Radha-prema. He also described Krishna-tattva, Radha-tattva, Radha-Krishna prema-tattva, and finally prema-vilasa vivarta. Confirming that this was the highest goal of life, Lord Chaitanya asked Ramananda how to attain it.
Ramananda Raya said, "Without adopting the mood of the gopis and following in their footsteps, one cannot enter the confidential pastimes of Radha-Krishna. There is no other way to achieve the service of Radha and Krishna within the pleasure groves of Vrindavana.
The gopis don't have any desires for their personal sense enjoy-ment. Their minds and bodies exist only for Krishna's enjoyment. If one is greedy to taste the nectar of gopi-bhava (spontaneous loving mood of the gopis), he will give up the world and the rituals of Vedic dharma to perform Krishna bhajana. One who worships Shri Krishna on the path of raganuga-bhakti will attain Vrajendra-Nandana in Vrindavana. However one cannot attain the blissful association of Krishna-chandra in Vrindavana by merely following vidhi-marga (path of serving Krishna by regulative principles). Therefore, one should accept gopi bhava and always remember Radha-Krishna all day and night." (Chaitanya-charitamrta Madhya 8.201-233).
After finishing his talk, Ramananda Raya saw something never seen before. Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu revealed Himself as both Shrimati Radharani and Shri Krishna. Seeing this, Ramananda fell unconscious in transcendental bliss.
In Jagannatha Puri, Shrila Svarupa Damodara Goswami, another topmost rasika Vaishnava, joined Ramananda Raya to intimately serve Shri Gauranga Mahaprabhu. Together they helped Mahaprabhu taste the loving ecstacies of madhurya rasa. In His Gambhira lila Shri Chaitanya would stay up all night enraptured in Shrimati Radharani's mood of separation from Shyamasundara. Singing his own songs and the poems of Vidyapati and Chandidasa, Ramananda Raya would delight Lord Gauranga with his enchanting melodies. Krishna Dasa Kaviraja says that when Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu felt intense pains of separation from Shri Krishna, only Ramananda's talks about Krishna and Svarupa Damodara's sweet songs kept Him alive.
Ramananda Raya was the first person to reveal the deep varieties of rasa which Lord Chaitanya privately savored within Himself. He saw Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as the combined form of Rasaraja-Mahabhava. Rasaraja Shri Krishna and Mahabhava svarupini-Shri Radha now appeared in one beautiful dazzling form.
Lord Chaitanya once said, "Although I am in the renounced order of life, still My mind is sometimes disturbed even upon seeing a wooden form of a woman. But Ramananda Raya is greater than Me. For he always remains undisturbed even when he touches a young woman." Of course, even in dreams, no one should attempt to imitate the extraordinary behavior of Shri Ramananda Raya. He was teaching young girls, the devi-dasis, to portray his rasa-laden dramas by dancing in the Temple for Lord Jagannatha's pleasure. He would also bathe, massage, and dress the bodies of the beautiful girls. In all of creation, only Ramananda Raya possesses this quality of total self-control and absolute detachment.
Upon meeting Bhavananda Raya, the father of Ramananda, Lord Gauranga said, "Indeed, you are "Pandu" and your five sons–Ramananda, Gopinatha, Vaninatha, Kalanidhi, Sudhanidhi–are the five Pandavas."
Ramananda Raya was the first person to reveal the deep varieties of rasa which Lord Chaitanya privately savored within Himself. He saw Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as the combined form of Rasaraja-Mahabhava. Rasaraja Shri Krishna and Mahabhava svarupini-Shri Radha now appeared in one beautiful dazzling form. (In the wallpaper: Shri Shri Radha Krishna in two sides and Shri Gauranga Mahaprabhu, ISKCON Chennai).
"Whether blind or dumb, anyone can drown in this flood of prema. In this way, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has filled everyone with love of God. But Ramachandra Dasa is so unfortunate that he couldn't even taste a drop of that nectar." (In the image: Shrila Ramachandra Kaviraja).
"Shriman Mahaprabhu is so kind that He manifests the nectar of the Hare Krishna mantra. The Holy Name will free all souls from the cycle of birth and death, from lower planets, from hell. The Holy Name will give one a taste of divine love for Radha-Madhava.
"Whether blind or dumb, anyone can drown in this flood of prema. In this way, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has filled everyone with love of God. But Ramachandra Dasa is so unfortunate that he couldn't even taste a drop of that nectar."
Ramachandra Kaviraja was one of the eight kavirajas, famous poet disciples of Shrinivasa Acharya. Ramachandra wrote Smarana Darpana, Smarana Chamatkara, Siddhanta Chandrika. He preached widely and initiated many disciples. Narottama Dasa Thakura and Ramachandra lived together as best friends. Narottama Dasa wrote, doya kore shri acharya prabhu shrinivasa; ramachandra sanga mage Narottama Dasa, "0 Shrinivasa Acharya Prabhu, please give me your mercy. Narottama Dasa always prays for the association of Ramachandra Kaviraja."
In the form of Karna manjari, he serves Shrimati Radharani in Vraja lila. His samadhi is in Dhira Samira Kunja next to Shrinivasa Acharya.
Narottama Dasa wrote, doya kore shri acharya prabhu shrinivasa; ramachandra sanga mage Narottama Dasa, "0 Shrinivasa Acharya Prabhu, please give me your mercy. Narottama Dasa always prays for the association of Ramachandra Kaviraja."...His samadhi is in Dhira Samira Kunja next to Shrinivasa Acharya. (In the wallpaper: Shrinivas Kunj, and Samadhi of Shrila Ramachandra Kaviraja).
Prabodhananda Saraswati serves Shri Radha in Goloka Vrindavana as Tungavidya-gopi, one of Her asta-sakhis. (In the image: Tungavidya Gopi, ISKCON Mayapur).
Good qualities and pure devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead ornamented his life. Even while sleeping he would remember Lord Caitanya. Prabodhananda Sarasvati was an extremely enthusiastic exponent of Shri Chaitanya's doctrine and divinity.
"Very austere and renounced, Prabodhananda Saraswati overflowed with love for the Devotees. His handsome form pleased the eyes. He was a learned poet and scholar. No one could compare with him in the arts of singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments." (Bhakti-ratnakar)
Leaving Shri Rangam, he lived a detached life in Shri Vrindavana as a fully dedicated servant of Radha-Govinda. He was a rasika acharya, perfect in describing the nikunja-lilas of Gandharvika-Giridhari. He glorifies Lord Chaitanya, Radha-Krishna, Navadwipa, and Vrindavana with enlightened devotion. Prabodhananda Saraswati's writings bless the beginner with bhakti and shower rasika Vaishnavas with pure nectar. Sangita Madhava, Navadwipa-sataka, Chaitanya-chandramrta, Radha-rasa-sudhanidhi, Vrindavana-mahimamrta are some of his books.
Prabodhananda Saraswati serves Shri Radha in Goloka Vrindavana as Tungavidya-gopi, one of Her asta-sakhis. His samadhi is behind Kaliya-ghat near the Kadamba tree of Krishna lila.
Parameshvara Dasa is one of the dvadasha gopalas named Arjuna. (In the image: Arjuna Gopa).