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Devananda Pandit

Devananda understood the divinity of Sri Krishna Chaitanya and surrendered to Him. (In the image: Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya).

Living in Kuliya during Sri Chaitanya's pastimes, Sri Devananda Pandit gave professional readings of Srimad Bhagavatam tainted with Mayavada philosophy. One day Shrivasa Pandit heard his Bhagavata-katha, began crying, and fell to the ground. Becoming disturbed by this display, the foolish disciples of Devananda threw Shrivasa out of the assembly. By silently observing this misbehavior of his disciples Devananda committed the hati-mata aparadha, the mad elephant offense of blaspheming a pure Devotee of Lord Chaitanya.

Later, by the mercy of Vakreshvara Pandit, an intimate Devotee of Sri Gaura Raya, Devananda understood the divinity of Sri Krishna Chaitanya and surrendered to Him. The Lord pardoned his offense and blessed him with bhakti. He serves in Krishna lila as Bhaguri Muni.

Devananda Pandit – Video

Living in Kuliya during Sri Chaitanya’s pastimes, Sri Devananda Pandit gave professional readings of Srimad Bhagavatam tainted with Mayavada philosophy.

Youtube Playlist Gaudiya History

Devananda Pandit – Biography

Purananam artha-vetta sri devananda-panditah

Purasin nanda-parisat-pandito bhandarir munih

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Devananda's Offense

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

Shrivas Thakur.

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

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

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

Devananda Gains Faith in the Lord

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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).

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.