Shri Gauridas Pandit's dearmost disciple was Shri Hridaya Chaitanya. Gauri Das was Subala in Krishna-lila.

 

   Once  around the time of the appearance day of Shri Gauranga, Gauridasa went to the house of one of his disciples.  At that time, he entrusted the service of Shri Gaura and Nityananda in the care of Hridaya Chaitanya. Hridaya Chaitanya, in great ecstasy, rendered service to those Deities.  The festival of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's appearance day drew near. When only three days remained before the big festival that was to take place, Gauridas Pandita still had not returned. Hridaya Chaitanya became very worried.  Acting on his own, he arranged  to send a written message to the different Devotees and disciples inviting them to the festival that would soon be held. Just at that time, Gauridasa Pandita arrived at his ashram.  Hridaya Chaitanya told his guru about how he had sent out invitations of his own, worried that Gauridasa Pandit would not return in time to do so. Although Gauridasa Pandit was internally very happy, externally he showed himself to be very angry with Hridaya Chaitanya's acting independently.

 

   Gauridasa scolded his disciple, saying, "In my presence you are acting independently, sending invitations here and there as you please and summoning my disciples at your will. This cannot go on. You cannot stay here."

 

   Hearing this, Hridaya Chaitanya fell at the feet of his guru and offered his pranams. He went to stay under a tree on the banks of the Ganges. A short time later a rich merchant came by on a boat and gave a large donation to Hridaya Chaitanya, saying, "Give this to your guru, Gauridas Pandit." After he went to Gauridasa and gave him the donation,  Hridaya Chaitanya was told by his guru to hold a big festival on the banks of the Ganges.  Taking the order of his guru on his head, Hridaya Chaitanya began a big festival on the banks of the Ganges. Gradually all the Vaishnavas in the surrounding areas began to assemble there. Taking those great souls with him, Hridaya Chaitanya began a wonderful and super excellent performance of dancing and chanting the Holy Name.  In the midst of this kirtan Gaura and Nityananda Themselves appeared, singing and dancing.  Hridaya Chaitanya saw it with his own eyes. In this way Gauridasa Pandita arranged for a great festival to be held. Ganga Dasa Pandit, entered the Temple he saw that Gaura and Nityananda were not on the simhasana, the Deity throne on the altar.  He went immediately to Gauridas Pandit to report this incident. The pujari could understand that to increase the prema of Hridaya Chaitanya, Gaura and Nityananda had gone off and joined the kirtan. Seeing the amazement of his pujari, Gauridasa Pandit smiled sweetly. Then, to stop the two brothers from getting away, he took a club in his hand and went off to the banks of the Ganges to the place where Gaura and Nityananda had joined in the great kirtan that was going on there. He soon arrived at the banks of the Ganges where the kirtan was going on. He could see the two brothers dancing in ecstasy. But when the two brothers, Gaura and Nityananda saw the angry mood of Gauridas Pandita, they became invisible. 

 

   Shri Gauridas Pandit could see that Gaura and Nityananda had entered into the temple of Hridaya Chaitanya's heart. Beholding this in great wonder and ecstasy, Gauridasa Pandit could not hold himself back—he began crying tears of ecstasy. He forgot his external show of anger at the two brothers, and holding his disicple Shri Hridaya Chaitanya Prabhu in his arms, he said, "You are truly fortunate. From today on your name will be will be  "Hridaya Chaitanya:" one who has Shri Chaitanya within his heart.  He drenched Hridaya Chaitanya Prabhu with the water of his tears.

 

   In great humility and overwhelmed with Krishna-prema, Shri Hridaya Chaitanya fell at the feet of Shri Gauridasa Pandit. After this, Gauridasa took Hridaya Chaitanya back to his house where they danced and chanted in the courtyard in the ecstasy of sankirtan. The Devotees filled the ten directions with the loud chanting of "Hari! Hari!"  In this way the great festival of the appearance day of Shri Gauranga came to a close. After this, Shri Gauridasa Pandita blessed Shri Hridaya Chaitanya with the adhikara or qualifications for divine seva. 

 

   On the Shukla Ekadashi in the month of Shravana, Shri Gauridasa Pandita passed away from this earth and entered into the eternal unmanifest pastimes of Shri Gauranga and Nityananda.  His most important disciple was Hridaya Chaitanya, whose most important disciple was Shri Shyamananda prabhu. Shri Narahari Chakravarti Thakura records all the history of Gauri Das Pandit's life and extols his glories in the seventh taranga or wave of his book, Bhakti-Ratnakara.

 

   Hridaya Chaitanya's most important disciple was Shri Shyamananda Prabhu. Shri Shyamananda Prabhu was a servant of a servant of Subala in Krishna-lila.

 

yam loka bhuvi kirtayanti hridayanandasya shishyam priyam

sakhye shri-subalasya yam bhagavatah preshthanushishyam tatha

sa shriman rasikendra-mastaka-manish citte mamaharnisham

shri-radhapriya-narma-marmasu rucim sampadayan bhasatam

 

   Shri Shyamananda was known in this world as Hridayananda’s dear disciple; he was the grand-disciple of Subala sakha, the most dear friend of the Supreme Lord; he was the crest-jewel of the enjoyers of sacred rapture. May he appear day and night in my mind, bringing an appreciation for the essence of the joys of the beloved of Shri Radha.

   (Shyamananda-shataka)