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Purushottama Dasa Thakura

Shri Purushottama Dasa constantly meditated on and served the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda. Kanu Thakura, his son, was such an exalted Devotee that Lord Krishna always lived in his body. When Kanu was five Ma Jahnava took him to Vrindavana. The Goswamis joyously greeted him upon seeing his genuine devotion.

In Goloka Vrindavana, Purushottama Dasa Thakura serves Lord Balarama as a cowherd boy, dvadasha gopala. His samadhi is located in the 64 Samadhis Area.

In Goloka Vrindavana, Purushottama Dasa Thakura serves Lord Balarama as a cowherd boy, dvadasha gopala. (In the image: Shri Shri Krishna, Balarama and Ther friends).

Purushottama Dasa Thakura – Video

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Purushottama Dasa Thakura – Biography

Purushottama Dasa Thakura

“The twenty-third and twenty fourth prominent Devotees of Nityananda Prabhu were Sadashiva Kaviraja and his son Purushottama dasa, who was the tenth gopala. Since birth, Purushottama dasa Thakura was merged in the service of the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda Prabhu, and he always engaged in childish play with Lord Krishna.” – Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami

“Sadashiva Kaviraja was greatly fortunate. His son was named Shri Purushottama dasa. Purushottama dasa Thakura had no concern for his external body; Shri Nityananda Prabhu always resided within the core of his heart.” (Chaitanya Bhagvat Antya 5.741-742) (In the wallpaper: Shri Nityananda Prabhu, ISKCON Hungary, New Vraja Dham).

“Sadashiva Kaviraj was a great personality. Purushottam Das was his son. From birth, Purushottam das was absorbed in the service of the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda Prabhu, and he always engaged in childish play with Lord Krishna. His son was named Shri Kanu Thakur, a very respectable gentleman. His body was saturated with the nectar of Love for Lord Krishna.” (Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.11.38-40)

Vrindavan Das Thakur has also named Purushottam Das as one of Nityananda Prabhu's chief associates.

“Sadashiva Kaviraj was very fortunate to have a son like Purushottam Das. Purushottam Das had no external consciousness of his body, for Nityananda Prabhu is constantly acting through him.” (Chaitanya Bhagavat 3.5.741-2)

Lineage

For four generations the family of Purushottam Das consisted of eternally perfect direct associates of Mahaprabhu: Kamsari Sen, Sadashiva Kaviraj, Purushottam Thakur, and Kanu Thakur. The Gaura-ganodesha-dipika identifies Kamsari Sen as Ratnavali Sakhi and Sadashiva Kaviraj as Chandravali (156).

Shri Purushottama dasa Thakura had three principle disciples: Shri Mahdvacharaya, Shri Yadavacharya, and Devakinandana dasa. They were from brahmana families. Shri Mahvacharya later became the husband of Nityananda Prabhu’s daughter Ganga Devi. Shri Devakinandana dasa was the author of an important book glorifying the lives of different Vaishnavas. Purushottama dasa Thakura’s wife name was Jahanava. She passed away just after bearing Purushottama dasa Thakura’s son Kanu. Hearing the news, Nityananda Prabhu went to the house of Purushottama dasa Thakura and took his son Kanu with him to his own village of Khadadaha.

Shrila Prabhupada says

Sadashiva Kaviraja and Nagara Purushottama, who were father and son, are described in the Chaitanya-Bhagavata as maha-bhagyavan, greatly fortunate. They belonged to the vaidya caste of physicians. The Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika, verse 156, says that Chandravali, a most beloved gopi of Krishna, later took birth as Sadashiva Kaviraja, who was a great Devotee of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Purushottama dasa Thakura sometimes lived at Sukhasagara, near the Chakadaha and Simurali railway stations.

All the Deities installed by Purushottama Thakura were formerly situated in Beledana-grama, but when the Temple was destroyed, the Deities were brought to Sukhasagara. When that Temple merged in the bed of the Ganges, the Deities were brought with Janava-mata’s Deity to Sahebasanga Bedigrama. Since that place also has been destroyed, all the Deities are now situated in the village named Chandudegrama, which is situated one mile up from Palapada, as referred to above."

Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur says

Purushottam Das Thakur lived at Sukhasagara, midway between the Chakdaha and Simurali railway stations. The Deities he installed were formerly served in Beledanga village, but when the Temple fell into the river, the Deities were taken to Sukhasagara. That Temple was also swallowed by the Ganges and so the Deities were brought with Jahnava Mata's Deity to Sahebdanga Berigram. Since that place was also destroyed, all the Deities were again moved about three or four miles to the village named Chanduregram, on the banks of the Ganges about one mile up from Pal Para.” (Anubhasya 1.11.39)

“I worship Sadashiva Kaviraj with great attentiveness. He was constantly intoxicated with love and had no external consciousness… I bow down to my worshipable Lord, Purushottam Thakur. Who can list his incomparable qualities? He was merciful to those who were devoid of virtue, displaying the natural power of his compassion. When only seven years old, he was so intoxicated with love for Krishna that he danced in a way that enchanted the entire world.” (In the wallpaper: Shri Gopinatha, ISKCON Belgium, Radhadesh, Devotee in Sankirtan Yagya, Europe).

Devakinandana Das, disciple of Purushottam Thakur writes

Gaudiya-Vaishnava Abhidhana

“Some people say that Purushottam's surname was Nagar, while others say that the name Nagar comes from the name of the area where he lived. Since the five villages (Beledanga, Berigram, Sukhasagar, Manasapota and Pal Para) are so close together, this area is sometimes called Nagaradesh. Purushottam once ate snake poison when in a trance state without experiencing any ill effects. This was a source of great astonishment to all who witnessed it. Many of Nityananda Prabhu's associates often displayed such miraculous powers.”

Purushottama Dasa – Biography

Purushottama dasa was Stoka Krishna, the cowherd boy in Krishna lila. (In the image: Stoka Krishna).

Purushottama Dasa was the son of Sadashiva Kaviraja, a great Devotee of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Purushottama dasa was Stoka Krishna, the cowherd boy in Krishna lila.

From the time he was a small boy, Purushottama dasa Thakura was dedicated to constantly meditating on the lotus feet of Shri Nityananda Prabhu.

CC Adi 11.38: The twenty-third and twenty-fourth prominent Devotees of Nityananda Prabhu were Sadashiva Kaviraja and his son Purushottama dasa, who was the tenth gopala.

CC Adi 11.39: From birth, Purushottama dasa was merged in the service of the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda Prabhu, and he always engaged in childish play with Lord Krishna.

CC Adi 11.40: Shri Kanu Thakura, a very respectable gentleman, was the son of Purushottama dasa Thakura. He was such a great Devotee that Lord Krishna always lived in his body.

C.B. Antya 5 Text 742: External consciousness was never present in Purushottama dasa's body. In his heart Lord Nityananda always enjoyed pastimes.

Shri Bhaktivedanta Swami writes: "Sadashiva Kaviraja and Nagara Purushottama, who were father and son, are described in the Chaitanya-Bhagavata as maha-bhagyavan, greatly fortunate. They belonged to the vaidya caste of physicians."

Shri Purushottama Thakura had three main disciples: Shri Madhavacharya, Shri Yadavacharya and Devakinandana dasa, who were born in Kulina brahmana families. Madhavacharya married Nityananda Prabhu's daughter, Ganga-devi. Devakinandana was the author of the book Vaishnav-vandane.

Purushottama Thakura's Shripat was previously at Sukhasagara. When Sukhasagar sank into the Ganges, Kanu Thakura carried the Deity of Pranavallabha and brought his father to Bodhakhana. The Deity was served at Bodhakhana till 1950 A.D. when political upheaval in Pakistan resulted in the shifting of the Deity to Jadavpur Ghospada in the district twenty-four Parganas at the house of Gaurahari Goswami, a descendant of Kanu Thakura.

Purushottama dasa Thakura's wife's name was Jahnava. She passed away just after bearing Purushottama dasa Thakura's son Kanu. Hearing this news, Nityananda Prabhu went to the house of Purushottama dasa Thakura and took his son Kanu with him to his own village of Khandaha.

Purushottama Dasa Thakura – Biography

Disappearance Day of Shri Purushottama Das Thakura

sadasivasuto namna nagarah purusottamah

vaidya-vamsodbhavo namna dama yo vallavo vraje

Nagar Purushottam was previously the cowherd named Daman in Vraja. He is now born in a Vaidya family as the son of Sadashiva. (Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 131)

Daman was one of the twelve Gopals and a companion of Krishna in his childhood pastimes in Vraja. In the eleventh chapter of the Adi-lila of Chaitanya Charitamrita, Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami has listed Purushottam Das amongst the Devotees of Lord Nityananda.

Sadashiva Kaviraj was a great personality. Purushottam Das was his son. From birth, Purushottam das was absorbed in the service of the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda Prabhu, and he always engaged in childish play with Lord Krishna. His son was named Shri Kanu Thakur, a very respectable gentleman. His body was saturated with the nectar of Love for Lord Krishna. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.11.38-40)

Vrindavan Das Thakur has also named Purushottam Das as one of Nityananda Prabhu's chief associates.

Sadashiva Kaviraj was very fortunate to have a son like Purushottam Das. Purushottam Das had no external consciousness of his body, for Nityananda Prabhu is constantly acting through him. (Chaitanya Bhagavata 3.5.741-2)

Purushottam Thakur's wife was named Jahnava Devi. She died while her son, Kanu Thakur, was just a young child. Nityananda Prabhu named the boy Shishu Krishna Das. It is said that Nityananda Prabhu's wife Jahnava Devi adopted Kanu and took him with her to Vrindavan. Some say that he was also one of the twelve Gopals. One legend about Kanu Thakur holds that when in Vrindavan, while he was dancing in kirtan, his ankle bell flew off. He vowed that he would make his residence wherever the ankle bell was recovered. When it was found in the town of Bodhkhana in Jessore district, he established his Shripat there. In the opinion of some, Madhavacharya (Madhava Chattopadhyaya) of Jirat in Hooghly district, the husband of Nityananda Prabhu's daughter Ganga Devi, was Purushottam Thakur's disciple.

Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur has the following to say about Purushottam Thakur's Shripat: "Purushottam Das Thakur lived at Sukhasagara, midway between the Chakdaha and Simurali railway stations. The Deities he installed were formerly served in Beledanga village, but when the Temple fell into the river, the Deities were taken to Sukhasagara. That Temple was also swallowed by the Ganges and so the Deities were brought with Jahnava Mata's Deity to Sahebdanga Berigram. Since that place was also destroyed, all the Deities were again moved about three or four miles to the village named Chanduregram, on the banks of the Ganges about one mile up from Pal Para." (Anubhasya 1.11.39)

Devakinandana Das, the author of the Vaishnava-vandana, was Purushottam Thakur's disciple. There he writes,

"I worship Sadashiva Kaviraj with great attentiveness. He was constantly intoxicated with love and had no external consciousness… I bow down to my worshipable Lord, Purushottam Thakur. Who can list his incomparable qualities? He was merciful to those who were devoid of virtue, displaying the natural power of his compassion. When only seven years old, he was so intoxicated with love for Krishna that he danced in a way that enchanted the entire world."

The following supplementary information is given in the Gaudiya-Vaishnava Abhidhana:

"Some people say that Purushottam's surname was Nagar, while others say that the name Nagar comes from the name of the area where he lived. Since the five villages (Beledanga, Berigram, Sukhasagar, Manasapota and Pal Para) are so close together, this area is sometimes called Nagaradesh. Purushottam once ate snake poison when in a trance state without experiencing any ill effects. This was a source of great astonishment to all who witnessed it. Many of Nityananda Prabhu's associates often displayed such miraculous powers."

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