Category Archives: More About Gaudiya Saints

Gadadhara Dasa Thakura – Biography

Sri Gadadhara dasa Thakura used to live in Navadwipa dhama, but after the disappearance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he moved to Katwa. Finally he moved to a village called Endiyadaha-grama, where he made his ultimate residence.

Gadadhara dasa Thakura had a disciple in Katwa named Yadunandana Chakravarti. Gadadhara dasa was one of the eternal associates of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu. The Gaura-ganodesa-dipika mentions Gadadhara dasa as the extension of Shrimati Radharani's beauty and luster. There it is written:

"The gopi named Chandrakanti, who was a vibhuti (expansion) of Sri Radha, appeared in Gaura-lila as Gadadhara dasa, a close associate of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu."

The Gaura-ganodesa-dipika mentions Gadadhara dasa as the extension of Shrimati Radharani's beauty and luster. (In the image: Shrimati Radharani, Chandra doya Mandir, Shri Mayapur Dham).

Sri Gadadhara dasa was not one of the Gopalas who served Nityananda Prabhu in the mood of sakhya-rasa, friendship. Rather he was always merged in the mellow of madhurya-rasa. Shripad Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja writes as follows of Gadadhara dasa in his Chaitanya-Charitamrta commentary: "About eight or ten miles from Calcutta on the banks of the Ganges is a village known as Endiyadaha-grama. Shrila Gadadhara dasa was known as an inhabitant of this village…After the disappearance of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Gadadhara dasa came from Navadwipa to Katwa. Thereafter he came to Endiyadaha-grama and resided there. He is stated to be the luster of the body of Srimati Radharani, just as Shrila Gadadhara Pandita is an incarnation of Shrimati Radharani Herself. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is sometimes explained to be radha-bhava-dyuti-suvalita, or characterized by the emotions and bodily luster of Shrimati Radharani. Gadadhara dasa is this dyuti or luster. He counts among the associates of both Shrila Gaurahari and Nityananda Prabhu….Even though he was an associate of Lord Nityananda Prabhu, he was not among the cowherd boys but was situated in the transcendental mellow of conjugal love. He established a Temple of Shri Gaurasundara in Katwa."

In 1434 sakabda (1534 A.D.) when Lord Nityananda Prabhu was empowered by Lord Chaitanya to preach the sankirtana movement in Bengal, Shri Gadadhara dasa was one of Lord Nityananda's chief assistans. He preached the sankirtana movement by requesting everyone to chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. When Srila Gadadhara dasa was preaching the cult of hari-kirtana, there was a magistrate who was very much against his sankirtana movement. Following in the footsteps of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Shrila Gadhadhara dasa one night went to the house of the Kazi and requested him to chant the "Hare Krishna" mantra. The Kazi replied, "All right, I shall chant "Hare Krishna" tomorrow." On hearing this, Shrila Gadadhara dasa Prabhu began to dance, and he said, "Why tomorrow? You have already chanted the "Hare Krishna" mantra, so simply continue."

"…Srila Gadadhara dasa is considered to be a united form of Chandrakanti, who is the effulgence of Shrimati Radharani, and Purnananda, who is an expansion of Lord Balarama's dear girlfriend. Thus Srila Gadadhara dasa was one of the associates of both Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu. Once while Srila Gadadhara dasa Prabhu was returning to Bengal from Jagannatha Puri with Nityananda Prabhu, he forgot himself and began talking very loudly as if he were a girl of Vrajabhumi selling yogurt, and Srila Nityananda Prabhu noted this.

Another time, while absorbed in the ecstasy of the gopis, he carried a jug filled with Ganges water on his head as if he were selling milk. When Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in the house of Raghava Pandita while going to Vrindavana, Gadadhara dasa went to see Him, and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was so glad that He put His foot on his head. When Gadadhara dasa Prabhu was present in Endiyadaha he established a Balagopala murti for worship there. Shri Madhava Ghosh performed a drama known as Dana-khanda with the help of Shri Nityananda Prabhu and Shri Gadadhara dasa."

"The tomb of Gadadhara dasa Prabhu, which is in the village of Endiyadaha, was under the control of the Satyogi Vaishnavas and later under the direction of Siddha Bhagavan dasa Babaji of Kalna. By his order, Shri Madhusudana Mullik, one of the members of the aristocratice Mullik family of the Narikeladanga in Calcutta, established a padavadi (monastery) there in the Bengali year 1256. He also arranged for the worship of a Deity named Sri Radhakanta. His son, Balaichanda Mullik, established Gaura-Nitai Deities there in the Bengali year 1312. Thus on the throne of the Temple are both Gaura-Nityananda Deities and Radha-Krishna Deities."

When Chaitanya Mahaprabhu sent Nityananda Prabhu to Bengal to preach the nectar of the Holy Name, he sent Shri Rama dasa and Shri Gadadhara dasa with him. Once when he was carrying a waterpot on his head, Gadadhara dasa, in the mood of a gopi called out "Who will buy milk? Who will buy yogurt?" Saying this, he laughed at the joke.

The details of how Gadadhara dasa delivered the Kazi are as follows: One day, Gadadhara dasa went to the house of the Kazi, overwhelmed with Krishna-prema, madly dancing and performing hari-sankirtana. When he arrived at the Kazi's door, he began loudly calling for the Kazi. The Kazi, enraged, went outside his house ready to chastise Gadadhara dasa for disturbing the peace. But when he beheld the beautiful form of Gadadhara dasa, who was the personification of Shri Radhika's divine luster, he was stunned. When Gadadhara dasa embraced the Kazi with great affection the Kazi said, "Thakura! Why have you come?" Gadadhara dasa said, "I want to have a talk with you."

"What do you wish to talk about?"

"Gaura-Nityananda have appeared upon this earth to deliver humankind with divine love by distributing the sweet nectar of the Holy Name of Hari. Why don't you chant this sweet name of Hari?"

"Tomorrow I shall chant the name Hari."

"Why chant the Holy Name tomorrow? I have come to deliver you with the Holy Name of Krishna. Now you have begun your life of auspiciousness by vibrating the Holy Name of Hari. From today on all your sins and miseries will disappear by the grace of the Holy Name if you simply continue this chanting – this is why I have come: to deliver you."

Hearing the words of Gadadhara dasa, the Kazi was bewildered. At length, he smiled and again said, "Tomorrow I will chant the Holy Name of Hari."

Upon hearing the Holy Name of Hari issuing from the mouth of the Muslim Kazi, Gadadhara dasa at once became mad in the ecstasy of Krishna prema.

At last he said, "Why tomorrow! Just now you have said the name "Hari". All your sins will now melt away and you will become supremely purified by the power of the Holy Name."

Purified by the grace of Gadadhara dasa and the Holy Name of Krishna, the Kazi took shelter of the holy feet of Gadadhara dasa. In this way, Gadadhara dasa delivered countless sinners, nonbelievers, and yavanas with the Holy Name of Krishna. He disappeared on the eight day of the full moon in the month of Kartika.

Devananda Pandit – Biography

Devananda Pandita lived in Navadwipa-dhama, in the section known as Kuliya, or Koladwipa (near where the present-day Sri Chaitanya Saraswata Math of Srila Shridhara Maharaja is now located). Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used him to manifest the glories of Srimad-Bhagavatam to the world. Devananda Pandita was highly renowned for his expertise in considering the sayings of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Many people used to go and study the Srimad-Bhagavatam under him.

One day Shrivasa Pandita went to hear the Srimad-Bhagavatam class given by Devananda Pandita. After some time, Devananda began giving his lecture. He was surrouned on all four sides by his students, who listened carefully to his reading. Shrivasa Pandita was a highly exalted rasika bhakta, a Devotee experienced in tasting the mellows of devotion. Hearing the sweetness of the verses of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Shrivasa Thakura fell to the ground with tears of ecstasy in his eyes. Weeping and wailing with tears of ecstasy in his eyes, he began rolling on the ground with his voice choked up with emotion.

Seeing all this, the students of Devananda said, "This man is mad. He is not properly giving his attention to the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Throw him out! Eject him!"

Devananda Pandita saw all this, but did nothing to prevent his disciples from ejecting Shrivasa Pandita from the class. If a disciple commits a sin as a result of the guru's ignorance, the guru partakes of the sinful reaction. Therefore Devananda Pandita also partook of the sinful reaction of offending Shrivasa Pandita. Without saying a word of this to anyone, and without telling anyone of his suffering at the hands of Devananda Pandita, Shrivasa Thakura returned home. All these events took place before the advent of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu.

At length, the advent of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu took place, as the Supreme Lord made His appearance within this material world. Gradually He manifest His childhood pastimes, His studies, His pastimes of learning, and His pastimes as a young professor, as well as the revelation of His divinity in the house of Shrivasa Thakura.

At the time of that divine manifestation, when the Lord revealed His Mahaprakasa in the Temple of Shrivasa Thakura amidst all the Devotees, He told Shrivasa, "Shrivasa! Don't you remember the time when you went to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam at the house of Devananda Pandita? When you fell to the ground in ecstasy upon hearing the nectarine verses of the Bhagavatam, then the disciples of Devananda – as a result of his ignorance of your exalted devotion – threw you out of the class. At that time you went home, feeling distressed, but you told no one of the incident. Do you remember this?" Hearing the words of the Lord, Shrivasa was astonished and fell at his lotus feet, catching hold of them.

One day, as Mahaprabhu was wandering through the towns of Navadwipa, He came upon the road near where Sarvabhauma's father, Maheshvara Visarada Pandit used to live. There was the house of Devananda Pandita. And at that time, within the house of Devananda Pandita a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam was being held. From a long way off, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu could hear this. Upon hearing Devananda's Bhagavatam class, Mahaprabhu became enraged.

Chaitanya Bhagavata records: With sharp words, the Lord said, "What does this fellow know about the meaning described by the Bhagavatam? He will never know the Bhagavatam even in many lifetimes. The Srimad-Bhagavatam is the literary avatara of Krishna Himself. The Bhagavatam promotes bhakti as the ultimate goal of life. The Srimad-Bhagavatam is the essence of the four Vedas; it is the literary form of divine love. The four Vedas are like milk; the Srimad-Bhagavatam is like butter. Shukadeva Goswami is the churner of the butter, which was eaten by Parikshita Maharaja. That Shukadeva Goswami, who is dear to me, knows the meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Shukadeva expressed the truths about Myself; he expressed My own opinions. Me and My servants are glorified in the Srimad-Bhagavatam; one who finds a difference between Myself and My servants will find all his good intelligence destroyed. An irreligious person who rejects bhakti and finds some other meaning in the Srimad-Bhagavatam will never understand the Bhagavatam."

...The Bhagavatam promotes bhakti as the ultimate goal of life. The Srimad-Bhagavatam is the essence of the four Vedas; it is the literary form of divine love. The four Vedas are like milk; the Srimad-Bhagavatam is like butter. Shukadeva Goswami is the churner of the butter, which was eaten by Parikshita Maharaja. That Shukadeva Goswami, who is dear to me, knows the meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Shukadeva expressed the truths about Myself; he expressed My own opinions...(In the image: Shukadeva Goswami reciting Srimad Bhagavatam to the sages and to the king Parikshit).

After saying all these things in an angry mood, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, began to flee away from the house of Devananda Pandita, which He considered condemned. The Devotees caught hold of Him and begged Him not to go.

The Lord again said, "All the scriptures sing of the Srimad-Bhagavatam as being highly mysterious, inconceivable. It cannot be understood by vast learning or powerful austerity. One who attempts to know the Srimad-Bhagavatam through scholarship will never understand it. One who recognizes that the Bhagavatam is nondifferent from the inconceivable Supreme Controller knows that the essence of the Bhagavatam can be known only through devotion and not through scholarship."

"One who understands that Srimad-Bhagavatam is Krishna Himself can understand Srimad-Bhagavatam. One can only understand the Bhagavatam's meaning through divine love. If one wants to understand this he must served both the book Bhagavata and the Devotee Bhagavata."

In this way, Mahaprabhu spoke many different truths to His followers and then returned to His own home, accompanied by the Devotees. From far away, Devananda Pandita could hear all these different instructions. But at the time, he did not pay any mind to all this.

After some time, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa and went to Jagannatha Puri. At that time, Devananda remembered the instructions the Lord had given. He began to think, "Such a great person as this came near my residence, and I did not get to meet him? I could not understand the glories of such a great and exalted Personality as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who was filled with Krishna-prema?"

One day in Kuliya, or Koladwipa as it is now known, Sri Vakreshvara Pandita went to visit the house of a Devotee. That evening Vakreshvara Pandita was absorbed in kirtana and dancing. Hearing the news of this, people gathered from all around to take part in the kirtana. As the night went on, more and more Devotees began arriving there. Hearing this news, Devananda Pandita could not maintain his steadiness. He also hurried to the place where the kirtana was going on.

Seeing the empowered figure of Vakreshvara Pandita and hearing his sweet kirtana Devananda Pandita was astonished. He stood transfixed for what seemed like hours. As the night wore on, the crowd grew and, in attempts to push forward and see the dancing of Vakreshvara Pandita, it became boisterous and rowdy. At that time, Devananda Pandita, with a cane in his hand, held the crowd back and quieted the mob.

Srila Vakreshvara Pandita.

When Vakreshvara Pandita, after dancing and dancing, fell to the ground overwhelmed by ecstasy, Devananda Pandita carefully picked him up and held him on his lap. With his own scarf, Devananda wiped the dust from the holy body of Vakreshvara Pandita. In this way, it was on that day that Devananda Pandita began his bhakta-seva, his service to Devotees.

One day, five years after He took sannyasa, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu returned to Navadwipa-dhama from Jagannatha Puri. Upon His return the Devotees felt that their lives had returned. Their joy knew no bounds. In order to see the lotus feet of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu thousands of people gathered there. Whoever had previously committed offenses to the lotus feet of the Lord when He had manifested His lila in Navadwipa was eager to be forgiven. They all came there to beseech the Lord's forgiveness for whatever offenses they might have committed.

At that time, in the place known today as the aparadha-bhanjanam, or the place of amnesty (where Srila Shridhara Maharaja now has his Temple), Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu granted forgiveness to all who gathered there and instructed them in the science of devotion.

At that time, Devananda Pandita took darsana of the lotus feet of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Offering his obeisances unto the lotus feet of Sri Chaitanya at a distance, Devananda cowered and shrank away from the Lord, standing off to one side. At that time the Lord saw him and said, "You are the servant of my dear Devotee Vakreshvara Pandita. By your service to him you have greatly pleased Me. As a result of your service to him you have come close to Me. Vakreshvara is empowered by Krishna-sakti. By serving my dear Devotee Vakreshvara Pandita you have attained the mercy of Krishna."

Hearing these words of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Devananda was overwhelmed with the sentiments of bhakti. His voice was choked with divine emotion, and he said, "O My Lord; O Supreme Master – You have appeared in Navadwipa just to deliver all the fallen souls. I am a sinner. I have commited great sins against divinity. I have failed to worship your lotus feet. As a result of this, I have cheated myself out of your causeless mercy. O Lord of all creation; Supersoul of all that lives! You are supremely merciful. By your causeless mercy I have been able to take darshan of your holy feet on this day. O Supremely Merciful one – please be kind upon me and instruct me in the goal of life. Please explain the meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam to me as well."

... In a trance of bhakti-yoga Vyasa compiled the Srimad-Bhagavatam. It passed through him and appeared on his tongue as a result of the mercy of Krishna. If one doesn't understand that the Srimad-Bhagavatam is divine truth on the level of God Himself he will never realize its meaning...(In the image: Shrimad Bhagavatam Books with the purports of Srila Prabhupada).

Hearing this humble request of Devananda Pandita, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu spoke as follows: "Listen carefully, o brahmana. Always praise Srimad-Bhagavatam. Never let any explanation of Srimad-Bhagavatam other than bhakti issue forth from your lips. From beginning, middle to end, this is its meaning: constant devotion to Krishna is eternally perfect flawless, and infallible. It is the highest goal of life. The Supreme Lord appears in innumerable avataras beginning with Kurma. His appearance and disappearance is transcendental. In the same way, Srimad-Bhagavatam is not a material creation: its appearance and disappearance is completely divine.

In a trance of bhakti-yoga Vyasa compiled the Srimad-Bhagavatam. It passed through him and appeared on his tongue as a result of the mercy of Krishna. If one doesn't understand that the Srimad-Bhagavatam is divine truth on the level of God Himself he will never realize its meaning. This is the verdict of all authorized scriptures. One who understands the Srimad-Bhagavatam in that way has real knowledge. If one approaches the Srimad-Bhagavatam with material knowledge he will never understand it. If, however, one is unlearned but takes shelter of the Srimad-Bhagavatam he will be enlightened with its meaning. The Srimad-Bhagavatam is filled with divine love, prema. It is an extension of Krishna Himself and it reveals his confidential pastimes of divine love.

O brahmana! Previously you committed an offense to the lotus feet of Shrivasa Pandita. You must go to him and beg forgiveness at his lotus feet. There is no difference between the book Bhagavata and the Bhakta Bhagavata. If you get the mercy of the Bhakta Bhagavata then you will easily attain the mercy of the book Bhagavata."

Having thus heard the words of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Devananda Pandita immediately went to Shrivasa Thakura and begged forgiveness for his offenses. At that time, Shrivasa Thakura embraced Devananda and forgave his offenses. The four directions were filled with the sound of the Holy Name of Hari as the Devotees were all jubilant upon Mahaprabhu's return to Navadwipa-dhama. From that day on, Devananda Pandita was accepted in the midst of the followers of Mahaprabhu as a great Devotee. Devananda Pandita's disappearance day falls on the dark moon Ekadashi of the month of Pausha, which corresponds to the month of December.

"...There is no difference between the book Bhagavata and the Bhakta Bhagavata. If you get the mercy of the Bhakta Bhagavata then you will easily attain the mercy of the book Bhagavata." (In the image: Srila Prabhupada).

Baladeva Vidyabhushana – Biography

Baladeva Vidyabhusana.

Shrimad Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhu was a pure Devotee of the highest order, who cared for nothing but the service of the Lord. He didn't have a spot of desire for name and fame. He was the composer of many scriptures which are as priceless as precious gems, for the ultimate benefit of all those who have taken human birth. The exact location of his birth, the names of his mother and father, and their family tree is not known. The exact circumstances of his birth and childhood are, therefore, unknown. Still, some are of the opinion that he took birth in a place called Baleshvara, a village neighboring Remuna, in the early part of the 18th century A.D, as the son of a vaishya, an agriculturist.

At an early age he became learned in Sanskirt grammar, poetry, rhetoric, and logic. After becoming expert in all these subjects, he began wandering to different places of pilgrimage. After wandering about in this way for some time, and after visiting many holy places, he happened to stay at a Temple of the Tattvavadi followers of Sri Madhvacharya. There, he became fluent in his understanding of the tattvavada-siddhanta, that is, the philosophical and theological conclusions of the followers of Madhva. After this, he took sannyasa, and preached the tattvavada-siddhanta very vigourously throughout the length and breadth of India.

As he wandered from one place to the next, he gradually came to Jagannatha Puri. There he remained and preached for a few days. At that time, he chanced to meet one of the foremost disciples of Sri Rasikananda Deva, Pandit Sri Radha-Damodara, with whom he discussed devotional principles. At that time, Srimad Radha-Damodara deva Goswami instructed Baladeva on the subject of Sri Gourasundara's pastimes of mercy and His teachings on Gaudiya Vaishanva siddhanta to Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya. After hearing the divine wisdom spoken by Sri Radha-Damodara Goswami, Baladeva's heart was deeply moved. After a few days of hearing from him, he accepted initiation into the Radha-Krishna mantra, and began studying the Sat-Sandarbhas of Jiva Goswami at the holy feet of his gurudeva, Radha-Damodara Goswami.

After a short time, Baladeva became expert in the Gaudiya Vaishanva siddhanta. After staying with Radha-Damodara Goswami for some time, he was ordered to further his studies in Gaudiya Vaishnavism by going to Vrindavan and taking shelter at the holy feet of Vishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. After first visiting Navadwipa, he soon arrived in Vrindavan. Sri Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakur (Sri Harivallabha dasa), was very happy to see Baladeva's submission, modesty, learning, and renunciation. From that day forward, for some time, he kept Baladeva by his side and taught him the acintya-bheda-abheda philosophy of Sri Chaitanya and many other important siddhantas related to the Gaudiya Vaishnava conception of Krishna-bhakti. From this point on, Sri Baladeva's life and soul was fully dedicated to the theistic conception of the Gaudiya Sampradaya. His mind was fixed on this, and with one-pointed determination, he now began preaching this line to the exclusion of all others.

One day, in Jaipur, in the royal court, the Ramanuja sampradaya began arguing a case in connection with the Gaudiya sampradaya. They informed the king that the Gaudiya sampradaya had no commentary on the most important revealed scripture of Vedic religion Vedanta; therefore they had no siddhanta and no real sampradaya, or school. As a consequence they should give up their service of the Deities of Govinda and Gopinatha, and entrust with those who were bona fide members of a genuine sampradaya. At that time, the king of Jaipura was a follower of the Gaudiya sampradaya. He immediately sent word of the controversy by messenger to Vishvanatha Cakravarti Thakur in Vrindavan, wanting to know if the Gaudiya sampradaya actually did have any commentary on the Vedanta. If there was, the king wanted that the commentary be sent immediately to Jaipur to satisfy the scrutiny of the pandits from the Ramanuja Sampradaya.

At this time, Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarti was very old and infirm. It was impossible for him to make the arduous journey to Jaipur. He sent his student and disciple, Sri Baladeva, in his place. Baladeva Vidyabhusana was an expert scholar in all the important scriptures. In the midst of a huge assembly of pandits from the Ramanuja sampradaya, Baladeva challenged them all to argue with him in scholarly debate. A long, and hard-fought debate took place, with tumultuous arguing from the Ramanuja school. Still, none of them could stand before his conclusive statements, keen scholarship, and penetrating intellect. Baladeva argued that the founder of the Gaudiya Sampradaya, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu established the Srimad-Bhagavatam as the topmost commentary on Vedanta. The Bhagavatam itself claims that it is bhashyanam brahma-sutranam, the natural commentary on Vedanta. This is confirmed on the basis of evidence given by Jiva Goswami in his Sat Sandarbha. Therefore, the Gaudiya sampradaya has chosen to accept Srimad-Bhagavatam as the original commentary on Vedanta, and sees no need for a separate commentary.

Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana went to the Temple of Sri Govinda, the deity of Rupa Goswami. After offering his eightfold obeisances before the Deity, he related everything that had taken place. That night in a dream, Sri Govinda told him, "You must compose the commentary. That commentary will be personally sanctioned by Me. No one will be able to find any fault in it."

At that point, the pandits from the Ramanuja sampradaya shouted: "He admits that there is no commentary! They have no commentary!" Having no other recourse, Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana promised to show them the Gaudiya commentary on Vedanta within a few days. The pandits were astonished to think that such a thing existed. They were suspicious that this might be some kind of trick, but were silenced for the time being.

Very troubled within his mind, Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana went to the Temple of Sri Govinda, the deity of Rupa Goswami. After offering his eightfold obeisances before the Deity, he related everything that had taken place. That night in a dream, Sri Govinda told him, "You must compose the commentary. That commentary will be personally sanctioned by Me. No one will be able to find any fault in it."

Seeing this in his dream, Baladeva became very happy, and his heart was full of strength, ready for the task at hand. After this, he meditated on the lotus feet of Govinda and began writing his commentary. Within a few days it was completed. This commentary became known as the Govinda Bhashya commentary on Vedanta.

In an addendum appended to the Govinda Bhashya, after it was published, Sri Baladeva has written, vidyarupam bhushanam ye pradaya, khatim nitye teno yo mamudarah, Sri govinda-svapna-nirdishtha bhashye, radhabandhurangah sa jiyat. "May Sri Govinda be all glorious. By his mercy, he revealed this commentary to me in a dream. The commentary revealed by Him is especially appreciated by the highly learned, and as a result of this I have been given the name Vidyabhushana, but it is Sri Govinda who deserves all credit. May that Sri Govinda who is the most dear life and soul of Sri Radhika, be all-victorious."

"May Sri Govinda be all glorious. By his mercy, he revealed this commentary to me in a dream. The commentary revealed by Him is especially appreciated by the highly learned, and as a result of this I have been given the name Vidyabhushana, but it is Sri Govinda who deserves all credit. May that Sri Govinda who is the most dear life and soul of Sri Radhika, be all-victorious."

With the Govinda Bhashya commentary in hand, Baladeva Vidyabhushana arrived at the assembly hall of the king, where the pandits were waiting for him. When he showed them his commentary, they were speechless. The Gaudiya sampradaya was proclaimed victorious. The king and all the Gaudiya Vaishnavas were supremely happy. At that time the pandits gave Sri Baladeva the name 'Vidyabhushana' or one whose ornament is knowledge, in honor of his great scholarship. The year was 1628, Shaka era. From the day forward, the king of Jaipur decreed, everyone would attend the aroti of Sri Govinda, the Deity beloved by the Gaudiya Vaishnavas, who was ultimately responsible for such a wonderful commentary on Vedanta.

The Ramanuja pandits, falling under the influence of Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana, accepted him as their acharya and wanted to become his disciples. With great humility, Baladeva Vidyabhushana refused, explaining that there are four sampradayas, among which the Sri Sampradaya is a genuine school that preaches servitude to God as the best religious process. By advancing the views of the Gaudiya sampradaya, he meant no disrespect to the Sri sampradaya. To insult the Sri sampradaya would be a great offense, he said.

Sripad Baladeva Vidyabhushana returned from Jaipur to Vrindavana carrying the message of his victory. Upon returning, he submitted to the lotus feet of Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura and told him the news. All the visiting Vaishnavas and the residents of Vrindavan were delighted and Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura bestowed his blessings upon Baladeva Vidyabhusana.

After this, Baladeva Vidyabhusana began writing a commentary on the Sat Sandarbha. Soon Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura passed away, and the Vaishnava community felt as if a great beacon of divine light had been extinguished. At that time, Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana became regarded among the Vaishnava community as the keeper of the flame, the leader among those who understood the teachings of Sri Chaitanya.

In his teachings, Baladeva establishes the transcendental position of the Vedas, and then argues that they are the best evidence for knowing the supreme truth. In his Siddhanta-darpana, Baladeva has explained the position of transcendental sound in relationship to Krishna and his Holy Name as follows:

ekameva pram tattvam vachyavachaka bhavabhak

vachyah sarveshvaro devo vachakah pranavobhavet

matsya-kurma-adibhir-rupair-yatha vachyo bahur-bhavet

vachako'pi tatharthadi-bhavadbahur-udiryate

adyantarahitatvena svayam nityam prakirtite

avirbhava tirobhavau syatamasya yugeyuge

"The one absolute truth has two categories: the named (Krishna) and the name (Om). Parameshvara, Sri Krishna, the absolute person is the named; pranava, or omkara (Om) is the name. The named, or Parameshvara Sri Krishna, reveals himself in different forms as Matsya, Kurma, and many other forms. In the same way the name of the Supreme Lord expands into many different forms; such as the transcendental syllable Om, the gayatri mantram, and the Vedas themselves. There is no limit to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; he has no beginning and no end. As a consequence, his glorification is also eternal. He appears within this material world, stays for some time, and again disappears according to his own sweet will."

Baladev explains the potency of Godhead in his Siddhanta-darpana: "The Lord has three potencies thinking (jnana) feeling (kriya) and willing (bala). Through these three potencies he causes the material creation to come into being. The rays of consciousness emanating from him the jiva souls are his separated parts and parcels. By his thinking, feeling, and willing, they too come into being. The Vedas are spoken by the Lord, who is all-perfect. The Vedas are therefore free from the four defects of material existence: error, cheating, illusion, and imperfect perception. And so, the Vedas are the perfect form of evidence for understanding the Supreme Truth. The Vedas glorify Krishna as the absolute truth. The Puranas and Itihasas are as good as the Vedas. They too glorify Krishna as the absolute truth."

In his Vedanta-samantaka, Baladeva has expanded on this thesis of the Vedas being the best evidence for understanding the Supreme Godhead. There he says:

tadevam sarvatah shreishtha shabdasya sthite tattvanirnayakastu shrotilakshana eva na tvarshalakshanopi.

"There are different ways of knowing what is truth: pratyaskha (direct perception), anuman (inference, hypothesis, and deduction), shabda (the words of the authorities), arthapati (interpretation), anupalabdhi (negative inference), sambhava (the laws of probability) and aitihya (history). Of all these methods of arriving at truth, shabda, hearing from authorities, is best. The best source of knowledge about the absolute is the shruti: revealed truth received from Vedic authority. Different scholars always entertain different opinions about reality, but the Vedic shastras are eternal and transcendental, moreover they are free from the four defects of material existence, having sprung directly from the Supreme Lord Himself. Therefore they are the best evidence for knowing the absolute truth." (Vedanta Samantaka 1/51)

What has been proved on the basis of solid evidence, pramana, is called prameya. Baladeva has written a book called Prameya Ratnavali, in which he states nine principles that he has established are facts, proven by the incontrovertible evidence of the Vedas. The teachings of Madhva-Gaudiya Vaishnavism as it has descended from Madhvacharya to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu have been summarised in the Prameya Ratnavali. His nine principles are stated in the following verse (PR 8):

Sri madvhah praha vishnum paratamam akhilamnaya vedyam ca cisvam

satyam bhedam ca jivam hari carana jusas tartamyam ca tesham

moksham vishnv-anghri-labham tad-amala-bhajanam tasya hetum pramanam

pratyaksadi trayam cety upadisati hari krsna-caitanya chandra

"Sri Madhvacaharya taught that:

1) Krishna, who is known as Hari is the Supreme Lord, the Absolute.

2) That Supreme Lord may be known through the Vedas.

3) The material world is real.

4) The jivas, or souls, are different from the Supreme Lord.

5) The jivas are by nature servants of the Supreme Lord.

6) There are two categories of jivas: liberated and illusioned.

7) Liberation means attaining the lotus feet of Krishna, that is, entering into an eternal relationship of service to the Supreme Lord.

8) Pure devotional service is the cause of this relationship.

9) The truth may be known through direct perception, inference and Vedic authority. These very principles were taught by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu."

According to Baladeva there are five categories of tattvas or truths which constitute reality: ishvara, God; jiva, soul; prakriti, matter; kala, time; and karma, action. Ishvara or God, is the greatest. He is all-knowing, he is the utmost realization of transcendental bliss, and his very nature is ecstasy. He is full in all qualities and is the absolute person. He is the master of everything and is eternally free from birth and death. He is the master of all the gods headed by Brahma and Shiva. He is the supreme husband, the Lord of lords, and the Supreme Person, the worthiest of receiving prayers. He alone remains as the absolute truth even after this material world (which is his separated material energy) is destroyed along with all the demigods such as Brahma, Shiva, and Indra.

Baladeva further explains that Krishna has three energies, parashakti, kshetrajna-shakti, and maya-shakti. Parashakti means svarupa-shakti or the Lord's internal potency. Kshetrajna-shakti means jiva-shakti or the living beings, and maya-shakti means the Lord's external potency, his potency for keeping the souls in illusion. This explanation is on the basis of the Vishnu Purana. He goes on to explain that there is no difference between the body and soul of God. They are one and the same. As Krishna, the Supreme Lord has two hands, he plays a flute, he has a transcendental form of eternity, knowledge and bliss, and he is known by the names Govinda and Gopal.

"Sri Radhika is the Supreme Goddess. Her very nature is Krishna, for her very existence is permeated by Krishna. Therefore she is known as Krishnamayi or one who is full of Krishna. She is known as Paradevata, for she is the Supreme Goddess. All other goddesses are subordinate to her. She is the Supreme Lakshmi and her transcendental effulgence surpasses all conceptions of brilliance. She is the supreme enchantress, for she enchants Krishna Himself, who is capable of charming millions of cupids." (In the image: Srimati Radharani, ISKCON Chowpatty, Mumbai.)

Lakshmidevi is nondifferent from Him, in that he is the Supreme Energetic and She is His Supreme Energy. (sei jaganmata lakshmi vishnur anapayini shakti) This confirmed throughout the shastra. Whatever form the lord appears in, there is a corresponding Lakshmi form who acts as his eternal consort. When the Lord appears as a god, Lakshmi appears as a goddess. When the Lord advents as an ordinary human being, Lakshmi also descends upon this earth as an ordinary human being.

Baladeva Vidyabhushan says:

teshu sarveshu lakshmi-rupeshu radhayah svayam laksmitvam

mantavyam sarveshu bhagavad-rupeshu krishnasya svayam bhagavatvavat

(Vedanta-samantaka 2.37)

"Of all the manifestations of Lakshmidevi, Srimati Radharani is the Supreme Goddess, just as amongst so many avatars of Godhead, Krishna is the supreme Personality of Godhead."

This is confirmed in the Brihad-Gautamiya Tantra,which states, "Sri Radhika is the Supreme Goddess. Her very nature is Krishna, for her very existence is permeated by Krishna. Therefore she is known as Krishnamayi or one who is full of Krishna. She is known as Paradevata, for she is the Supreme Goddess. All other goddesses are subordinate to her. She is the Supreme Lakshmi and her transcendental effulgence surpasses all conceptions of brilliance. She is the supreme enchantress, for she enchants Krishna Himself, who is capable of charming millions of cupids."

Baladeva cites Shaunaka Muni who says in Srimad-Bhagavatam that of all the avatars, expansions of Godhead and Personalities of Godhead, Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The worship of Krishna, must therefore be regarded as the highest form of worship.

According to Baladeva, the jiva souls are the atomic spiritual energy of the Lord. The souls are eternal and can never be destroyed by any means. The soul's true eternal nature is to be filled with transcendental knowledge:

sa ca jivo bhagavadaso mantavyah dasabhuto

harereva nanyasyaive kadacaneti padmat

(Vedanta-samantaka 3.11)

"It is the constitutional nature of the soul to be a servant of Bhagavan Sri Krishna. It is the version of the Padma-Purana that the soul is an eternal servant of Hari, and has no other genuine position."

By surrender to the lotus feet of a spiritual master who is a Devotee of Krishna, one attain Krishna-bhakti by the guru's mercy. Upon attaining Krishna-bhakti one gets Krishna Himself.

In His Vedanta-samantaka, Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana offers the following prayer to the lotus feet of his gurudeva, Sri Radha-Damodara Goswami:

radhadidamodara nama vibhrata,

viprena vedantamayah syamantaka

Sri radhikayairviniveditomaya

tasyah pramodam sa tanotu sarvada

"Having been deputed to do so by my gurudeva, the brahmana named Sri Radha-Damodara Goswami, I have compiled this commentary on the Vedanta known as Vedanta-syamantaka for the sake of Srimati Radharani's pleasure. This commentary is a summary of the important points of Vedanta. May it be pleasing to Sri Radhika."

Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana had two superexcellent disciples who were perfected souls. Their names were Sri Uddhava Dasa and Sri Nandana Mishra. Among the books compiled by Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana were as follows:

His commentary on Vedanta called the Govinda-bhashya;
The jewel of conclusions or Siddhanta Ratna;
Sahitya Kaumudi;
A summary of Vedanta philosophy known as Vedanta Syamantaka;
The jewel of factual principles (outline the nine principles held in common by both the Madhva and Chaitanya schools) known as Prameya Ratnavali;
A summary of Gaudiya Vaishnava principles called the Siddhanta Darpana;
The Kavya Kaustubha (a book of selected Sanskrit verses for Vaishnavas);
The Aishvarya Kadambini;
Vyakarana Kaumudi (a book on grammar);
Padakaustubha (selected prayers);
Commentaries on important Upanishads beginning with the Isha Upanishad and including the Gopala Tapani Upanishad;
A commentary on Bhagavad-gita known as Gitabhushana Bhashya;
As well as commentaries on: Vishnu-Sahasra-nama, Srimad-Bhagavatam (Vaishnava-nandini-tika), Jiva Goswami's Tattva-Sandarbha, Rupa Goswami's Stavamala, Nata-chandrika, Jayadeva Goswami's Chandraloka, his own Sahitya Kaumudi, Laghu-bhagavatamrita, Nataka-Chandrika, and Shyamananda Shataka.

Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana disappeared in the Christian year 1768.

Abhirama Gopala Thakura – Biography

Krishna with Sridama and Madhumangal.

Previously, Abhirama Gopala Thakura (Sri Rama Dasa) was one of the dvadasa gopalas (12 cowherd boys) who descended with Lord Balarama. (See appendix for listing of the dvadasa gopalas) In Gaura-lila he was an intimate Devotee of Sri Nityananda Prabhu.

One day while overwhelmed in the ecstasy of sakhya rasa (loving friendship), Abhirama wanted to play a flute like a cowherd boy. After searching the forest he found a log which sixteen men couldn't move. Astounding everyone, Abhirama grabbed the log, made it into a flute, and played it. In the mood of a cowherd boy Abhirama Gopala carried a bull whip named Jaya Mangala. Anyone who touched it became infused with Krishna prema. It's said Srinivasa Acarya received pure love of Krishna in this way.

Abhirama Gopala was a powerful acarya of Gaudiya Vaisnavism. Atheists and blasphemers would flee in terror upon seeing him. He was Lord Nityananda's most vigorous preacher. Learned in all the scriptures, he also excelled in music, song, dance. Abhirama used his home for preaching and serving Vaishnava pilgrims, not for sleeping. His house resounded with kirtana and Krishna katha, and was often visited by pure Devotees. His samadhi is in 64 Samadhis Area.

Srila Krishna Das Babaji Maharaj – Biography

Akincana Krishna Dasa Babaji Maharaja.

He was the delight of all the associates of the great PRABHUPADA Sarasvati Thakura. He was the favorite of his Godbrothers and he gave them all his laughing Hare Krsna!

In 1968 paramahamsa Akinchana Krishnadas Babaji Maharaj was staying at Srila Vana Maharaj's Vrindavan Gaudiya Matha, bhajan kutir, which he did every year for 4-5 months at a time before and during the hot season. In the winter he was in Navadvipa. We slept on the roof together many summer nights, and he never went to sleep. Prayers, quiet bhajan and chanting all night long, every night. He was constantly laughing, and he would always say "Hare Krishna!" with the greatest exuberance I have ever witnessed.

He was the most 'Goswami' alike character. He looked just like you would imagine Sanatana or Rupa Goswami in Vraja to look like. He was the only devotee I ever witnessed who would weep flowing tears while leading kirtan without losing his voice. And he was the greatest kirtana leader in the universe! All the Devotees within the various Gaudiya Math's everywhere agreed that Lord Chaitanya would personally join Babaji Maharaj's kirtana. As long as he stayed at Srila Vana Maharaj's Vrindavan ashram he always led the kirtana starting at 4:30 am. He always played the mrdanga either in kirtan or alone while singing prayers before the Deities.

The Deities at bhajan-kutir were Lord Chaitanya, Sri Govinda in the center, with Srimati Radharani on the other side. There were also Govardhana and Shalagram shila's worshipped daily with the central Deities. The puja standard was first-class. There were about 10-15 ashramites ranging in age from 18 – 80 years old. Everyone was either a brahmacari or sannyasi. Akinchana Krishnadas was the only "Babaji" who stayed regularly at the Vrindavana bhajan-kutir except for Srila Vana Maharaj's Babaji disciple Sri Lalit Babaji who returned to Vraja nitya-lila in 1972.

In the daytime, after noon kirtana, Krishnadas Babaji Maharaj would go down into a cave room which Swami Vana had constructed years before. Srila Vana Maharaj was known to have performed solitary Vraja-bhajan in this basement room for a number of years before he accepted disciples. It was very cool in that room. So everyday Babaji Maharaj would spend the entire afternoon in the cave room chanting his mala.

Babaji Maharaj didn't seem to have any teeth. He was an old Bengali disciple of Saraswati Thakura's who (it is rumored) went to live in seclusion at Haridwar after the disappearance of Prabhupada and the following trouble within the Gaudiya Math. In any case, that was many, many years before. He was about 70 years old when I first received his merciful glance. Making disciples, building temples or collecting money were the farthest thing from his mind; and he never, ever criticized anyone. His only concern was chanting constantly; either kirtan or rounds. He would answer with a laughing "Hare Krishna!" any time anyone would speak to him. He often had a gleefully pained look on his face like he had just heard the world's funniest joke and was going to burst out laughing. And when any one said "Hare Krishna" to Babaji he would laugh out loud in a most infectious manner. When ever he would say "Hare Krishna" he would laugh his way through the mantra. I have never seen Prema-bhakti as exhibited by Krsnadas Babaji Maharaj. All the Gaudiya Math Devotees were so glad when Babaji Maharaj would come to stay. "Time for the uttama kirtana!"

In 1968, for protection from my Vietnam draft legal problems, I proceeded to Govardhana Hill on the order of Srila Vana Maharaj to perform parikrama. By some good fortune I was accompanied by Babaji Maharaj who also wanted to visit Govardhana. On the way we stopped at Nandagram where we stayed for a week at Sanatana Goswami's bhajan kutir (no electric, water, nor latrine). Begging "madhu-kari" from the local Vraja-vasis by proclaiming, "Radhe Syama!", we passed our time in chanting and exploring the home of Nanda Maharaj. Babaji Maharaj didn't speak anything (he only said "Hare Krsihna!"), nor did I speak much Bengali yet, so our relationship was initially based on only saying "Hare Krishna!" to each other.

Next we proceeded to Varshana where he introduced me to Sriji Herself. But due to my blunt material eyes I could only see charming Deities. We also stayed a few days at Man-mandira with a siddha-purush known as Radha-charan Das Babaji. He is one of the most exalted souls I have ever met, and as of 1996 he has resided there for 46 years.

After many days we finally arrived at Mount Govardhana, but we got off the bus (at Babaji's insistence) before the bus drove over the hill and on to the bus station. Early the next morning, after bathing in Shyama kunda & Radha kunda, we walked around Govardhana hill barefoot, carrying our bedding, chanting all the way. Sometimes Babaji Maharaj, while always chanting, would laugh out loud and other times he seemed morose like he was missing Krishna. Just like Srila Prabhupada, Babaji Maharaj never wasted a single moment without Krishna Consciousness. By evening we had completed the task and returned safely to Radha-kunda for the night. The next day we went back to Mathura by bus and onwards to Vrindavana by Tonga.

Samadhi of Akinchan Krsnadas Babaji Maharaj in Nandagram

Sanatana Goswami's sacred bhajan-kutir is on the banks of the eternal Pavan-sarovar lake. This kunda is so special because Sri Krsna takes His daily bath here eternally. It is said that a morning bath in Pavan-sarovar gives liberation from material bondage forever (at least a shira-snan). All the devotees would bath daily in this sarovar. It is very charming.

Bhajan Kutir of Srila Sanatana Gosvami.

Attached to this austere ashram is a very sacred tirtha, the samadhi of Akinchan Krishnadas Babaji Maharaj, who is a real bhajan-anandi.

Nandagram is the lila-stali chosen over all others by Babaji Maharaj to leave his old body. Some Devotees believe that Babaji Maharaj is eternally in shakya-rasa with Lord Krishna. Although he would never say, still, I remember him at Madhuvana singing a Hindi song about Krishna's friends with tears streaming down his face.

In the samadhi is a large picture of Babaji Maharaj looking kind of pained. I have never exactly seen Babaji with that look before. I always remember him laughing and very happy. He was so humble that we were all afraid to offer him obeisance's because he would always do the same in return. He would never accept obeisance's. Can you imagine a Vaisnava of Babaji's character bowing to a prakrta-bhakta and former beef-eater like me? I wasn't fit to wash his feet.

Please allow me to speak more about Akinchan Krishnadas Babaji Maharaj. One time he was leading a large sankirtana party through the streets of Vrindavana. It was the middle of summer (In Vrindavana!!). When we reached Srila Bhakti Saranga Goswami's Gaudiya Math, Babaji Maharaj fainted. We all thought he might die, so we continued chanting and took him into Bhakti-Saranga Maharaja's Amalitala ashram. Finally we got Babaji Maharaja to wake up and then he got sick to his stomach. When he felt a little better he asked us to continue on and he would catch up later. Sure enough, on the last stretch, there was Babaji Maharaj with mrdanga in hand and a beaming grin on his face.

On another occasion I was following Babaji Maharaj walking around Giriraj Maharaj. In all the years together I never heard Babaji Maharaj speak much. Example: "Babaji Maharaj, is it true that you're in shakya rasa?" To which he replies, "HARE KRISHNA!!!" Even when he was meeting with his Godbrothers he would always sit at their feet, and he would simply laugh and proclaim, "Hare Krishna!!!" whenever he was told anything. So we were walking past a Devotee who was performing 108 dandavat parikrama around Govardhana when suddenly Babaji Maharaj turned to me and said, "Ucharan Koro!" ("Pronounce it"—the Holy Name). My chanting was so poor that Babaji Maharaj had to break his silence.

As I mentioned before, Babaji Maharaj never slept. He was always up all night performing bhajan; at least during the summers when he would always stay in Vrindavana with Srila Vana Maharaj. First thing in the morning Babaji Maharaj would lead all the kirtana with all the many traditional Gaudiya Matha melodies. Then, after Chaitanya Charitamrta reading (in Bengali), Babaji Maharaj would sit alone before the Deities and sing endless sweet bhajan's for a few hours. He would also sing (recite) so many verses, and he would always begin with all the Guru vandanas, Siddhanta-Sarasvati, Gaura Kishore, etc. During the afternoon he would stay in Swami Vana's underground room to chant. I often went down to serve him and I never saw him sleeping. At night he would again lead the kirtana, and after Prasadam he would sit on the roof to pray, all night! The best way to describe Babaji Maharaja is a laughing "Hare Krishna!!"

– by Richard Shaw Brown

Sri Advaitastaka by Srila Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya

ganga-tire tat-payobhis tulasyah
patraih puspaih prema-hunkara-ghosaih
prakatyartham gauram aradhayad yah
sriladvaitacaryam etam prapadye

Let me offer my loving obeisances to Srila Advaita Acarya, who worshiped Sri Gaura with tulasi leaves, flowers, water, and loud calls of love at the shore of the Ganges and begged Him to appear.

yad-dhunkaraih prema-sindhor vikarair
akrstah san gaura-goloka-nathah
avirbhutah sri-navadvipa-madhye
sriladvaitacaryam etam prapadye

Let me take shelter of Srila Advaita Acarya. Attracted by his loud calls, the golden Lord of Goloka Vrindavana, who is an ocean of ecstatic love, appeared in Sri Navadvipa.

brahmadimam durlabha-prema-purair
adinam yah plavayam asa lokam
avirbhavya srila-caitanyacandram
sriladvaitacaryam etam prapadye

Let me surrender to Srila Advaita Acarya. He inspired the rising of the moon of Sri Caitanya, who inundated the world with pure love of Godhead, prema, which is even for Lord Brahma and the great demigods difficult to attain.

sri-caitanyah sarva-sakti-prapurno
yasyaivaja-matrato ’ntardarde ’pi
durvijeyam yasya karunya-krtyam
sriladvaitacaryam etam prapadye

Let me offer my loving obeisances to Srila Advaita Acarya, whose mercy is beyond understanding and by whose request alone all-powerful Sri Caitanya disappeared from this world.

srsti-sthity-antam vidhatum pravrtta
yasyamsamsah brahma-visnv-isvarakhyah
yenabhinnam tam maha-visnu-rupam
sriladvaitacaryam etam prapadye

Let me surrender to Srila Advaita Acarya, who is not different from the form of Maha-Vishnu and of whom Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva are a part, engaged in the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the worlds.

kasmimscid yah sruyate casrayatvat
sambhor ittham sambhavan-nama dhama
sarvaradhyam bhakti-matraika-sadhyam
sriladvaitacaryam etam prapadye

Let me offer my loving obeisances to Srila Advaita Acarya, who is worshiped by all and who is attained only by devotional service. It is heard in certain Vedic literature, that because he is Lord Siva’s shelter, he has a name and glory like Lord Siva.

sita-namni preyasi prema-purna
putro yasyapy acyutananda-nama
sri-caitanya-prema-pura-prapurnah
sriladvaitacaryam etam prapadye

Let me take shelter of Srila Advaita Acarya, who is filled with love for Sri Caitanya and whose beloved wife, Sitadevi, and son, Acyutananda, are also inundated with love.

nityanandadvaitato ’dvaita-nama
bhaktyakhyanad yah sad-acarya-nama
sasvac-cetah-sacarad-gaura-dhama
sriladvaitacaryam etam prapadye

Let me offer my loving obeisances to Srila Advaita Acarya, whose heart is Sri Gaura’s eternal playground, who is named Advaita because he is not different (dvaita) from Sri Nityananda and who is named Acarya because he teaches devotional service.

pratah pritah pratyaham sampathed yah
sitanathasyastakam suddha-buddhih
so ’yam samyak tasya padaravinde
vindan bhaktim tat-priyatvam prayati

Any person who happily and attentively recites every morning these eight prayers, glorifying Sri Advaita, the husband of Sitadevi, attains pure loving devotion for his lotus feet and becomes very dear to him.

Sharanga Thakura – Biography 2

vraje nandimukhi yasit sadya saranga-thakkurah

prahlado manyate kaishcin matpitra sa na manyate

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).