"My dear Ramananda, both you and I are madmen and therefore we meet intimately on an equal level." Outwardly he acted as the Governor of Madras, but he was a poet, Sanskrit scholar, a dramatist well-versed in rasa literature, music, singing, dancing...(In the image: from left to right Ramananda Raya and Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu).
Before, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu met Ramananda Raya, Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya told the Lord that no other Devotee's knowledge of Radha-Krishna's madhurya rasa compares with Ramananda Raya's. Although Lord Chaitanya was half the age of forty year old Ramananda when they met, the Lord said, "My dear Ramananda, both you and I are madmen and therefore we meet intimately on an equal level." Outwardly he acted as the Governor of Madras, but he was a poet, Sanskrit scholar, a dramatist well-versed in rasa literature, music, singing, dancing…
During their ten day meeting in Vidyanagara, Lord Gauranga and Ramananda Raya discussed all points of Krishna consciousness. Empowered by the Lord, Ramananda answered all questions posed by Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Gaudiya Vaishnava acharyas have given lengthy discourses on, "Talks between the Lord and Ramananda Raya." (Chaitanya-charitamrta Madhya Ch.8) These talks are called Ramananda Samvagh.
Ramananda Raya gave a series of answers to Lord Chaitanya's first question, "How to attain the ultimate goal of life?' He began with varnashrama-dharma, and progressed to karmarpana, karmatyaga, jnana-mishra-bhakti, Radha-bhakti, prema bhakti, (dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, madhurya prema), and Radha-prema. He also described Krishna-tattva, Radha-tattva, Radha-Krishna prema-tattva, and finally prema-vilasa vivarta. Confirming that this was the highest goal of life, Lord Chaitanya asked Ramananda how to attain it.
Ramananda Raya said, "Without adopting the mood of the gopis and following in their footsteps, one cannot enter the confidential pastimes of Radha-Krishna. There is no other way to achieve the service of Radha and Krishna within the pleasure groves of Vrindavana.
The gopis don't have any desires for their personal sense enjoy-ment. Their minds and bodies exist only for Krishna's enjoyment. If one is greedy to taste the nectar of gopi-bhava (spontaneous loving mood of the gopis), he will give up the world and the rituals of Vedic dharma to perform Krishna bhajana. One who worships Shri Krishna on the path of raganuga-bhakti will attain Vrajendra-Nandana in Vrindavana. However one cannot attain the blissful association of Krishna-chandra in Vrindavana by merely following vidhi-marga (path of serving Krishna by regulative principles). Therefore, one should accept gopi bhava and always remember Radha-Krishna all day and night." (Chaitanya-charitamrta Madhya 8.201-233).
After finishing his talk, Ramananda Raya saw something never seen before. Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu revealed Himself as both Shrimati Radharani and Shri Krishna. Seeing this, Ramananda fell unconscious in transcendental bliss.
In Jagannatha Puri, Shrila Svarupa Damodara Goswami, another topmost rasika Vaishnava, joined Ramananda Raya to intimately serve Shri Gauranga Mahaprabhu. Together they helped Mahaprabhu taste the loving ecstacies of madhurya rasa. In His Gambhira lila Shri Chaitanya would stay up all night enraptured in Shrimati Radharani's mood of separation from Shyamasundara. Singing his own songs and the poems of Vidyapati and Chandidasa, Ramananda Raya would delight Lord Gauranga with his enchanting melodies. Krishna Dasa Kaviraja says that when Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu felt intense pains of separation from Shri Krishna, only Ramananda's talks about Krishna and Svarupa Damodara's sweet songs kept Him alive.
Ramananda Raya was the first person to reveal the deep varieties of rasa which Lord Chaitanya privately savored within Himself. He saw Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as the combined form of Rasaraja-Mahabhava. Rasaraja Shri Krishna and Mahabhava svarupini-Shri Radha now appeared in one beautiful dazzling form.
Lord Chaitanya once said, "Although I am in the renounced order of life, still My mind is sometimes disturbed even upon seeing a wooden form of a woman. But Ramananda Raya is greater than Me. For he always remains undisturbed even when he touches a young woman." Of course, even in dreams, no one should attempt to imitate the extraordinary behavior of Shri Ramananda Raya. He was teaching young girls, the devi-dasis, to portray his rasa-laden dramas by dancing in the Temple for Lord Jagannatha's pleasure. He would also bathe, massage, and dress the bodies of the beautiful girls. In all of creation, only Ramananda Raya possesses this quality of total self-control and absolute detachment.
Upon meeting Bhavananda Raya, the father of Ramananda, Lord Gauranga said, "Indeed, you are "Pandu" and your five sons–Ramananda, Gopinatha, Vaninatha, Kalanidhi, Sudhanidhi–are the five Pandavas."
Ramananda Raya was the first person to reveal the deep varieties of rasa which Lord Chaitanya privately savored within Himself. He saw Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as the combined form of Rasaraja-Mahabhava. Rasaraja Shri Krishna and Mahabhava svarupini-Shri Radha now appeared in one beautiful dazzling form. (In the wallpaper: Shri Shri Radha Krishna in two sides and Shri Gauranga Mahaprabhu, ISKCON Chennai).
- See more at: http://gaudiyahistory.com/sri-ramananda-raya/#sthash.mu7DIpRe.dpuf
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 10: The Trunk, Branches and Subbranches of the Caitanya Tree : Adi 10.84 : PURPORT :
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught His principles through four chief followers. Among them, Rāmānanda Rāya is exceptional, for through him the Lord taught how a devotee can completely vanquish the power of Cupid. By Cupid's power, as soon as one sees a beautiful woman he is conquered by her beauty. Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya, however, vanquished Cupid's pride. Indeed, while rehearsing the Jagannātha-vallabha-nāṭaka he personally directed extremely beautiful young girls in dancing, but he was never affected by their youthful beauty. Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya personally bathed these girls, touching them and washing them with his own hands, yet he remained calm and passionless, as a great devotee should be. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu certified that this was possible only for Rāmānanda Rāya. Similarly, Dāmodara Paṇḍita was notable for his objectivity as a critic. He did not even spare Caitanya Mahāprabhu from his criticism. This also cannot be imitated by anyone else. Haridāsa Ṭhākura is exceptional for his forbearance because although he was beaten with canes in twenty-two marketplaces, nevertheless he was tolerant. Similarly, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, although he belonged to a most respectable brāhmaṇa family, was exceptional for his humility and meekness.
In Jagannātha Purī Lord Caitanya lived at the house of Kāśī Miśra, who was the priest of the king. Later this house was inherited by Vakreśvara Paṇḍita and then by his disciple Gopālaguru Gosvāmī, who established there a Deity of Rādhākānta. The Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (193) states that Kāśī Miśra was formerly Kubjā in Mathurā.. Pradyumna Miśra, an inhabitant of Orissa, was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Pradyumna Miśra was born of a brāhmaṇa family and Rāmānanda Rāya of a non-brāhmaṇa family, yet Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised Pradyumna Miśra to take instruction from Rāmānanda Rāya. This incident is described in the Antya-līlā, Chapter Five.
Bhavānanda Rāya was the father of Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya. His residence was in Ālālanātha (Brahmagiri), which is about twelve miles west of Jagannātha Purī. By caste he belonged to the karaṇa community of Orissa, whose members were sometimes known as kāyasthas and sometimes as śūdras, but he was the governor of Madras under the control of King Pratāparudra of Jagannātha Purī.
rāmānanda rāya—of the name Rāmānanda Rāya; paṭṭanāyaka gopīnātha—of the name Paṭṭanāyaka Gopīnātha; kalānidhi—of the name Kalānidhi; sudhānidhi—of the name Sudhānidhi; nāyaka vāṇīnātha—of the name Nāyaka Vāṇīnātha.
The five sons of Bhavānanda Rāya were Rāmānanda Rāya, Paṭṭanāyaka Gopīnātha, Kalānidhi, Sudhānidhi and Nāyaka Vāṇīnātha. Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 10: The Trunk, Branches and Subbranches of the Caitanya Tree : Adi 10.133
ei—these; pañca—five; putra—sons; tomāra—your; mora—Mine; priya-pātra—very dear; rāmānanda saha—with Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya; mora—Mine; deha-bheda—bodily difference; mātra—only.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu told Bhavānanda Rāya, "Your five sons are all My dear devotees. Rāmānanda Rāya and I are one, although our bodies are different."
Pratāparudra Mahārāja, who belonged to the dynasty of the Gaṅgā kings and whose capital was in Cuttak, was the Emperor of Orissa and a great devotee of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It was by the arrangement of Rāmānanda Rāya and Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya that he was able to serve Lord Caitanya. In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (118) it is said that King Indradyumna, who established the temple of Jagannātha thousands of years ago, later took birth again in his own family as Mahārāja Pratāparudra during the time of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Mahārāja Pratāparudra was as powerful as King Indra. The drama named Caitanya-candrodaya was written under his directio.
In the Antya-līlā of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Chapter Two, verses 104-106, there is a description of Mādhavīdevī. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu considered her one of the maidservants of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Within this world, Caitanya Mahāprabhu had three and a half very confidential devotees. The three were Svarūpa Gosāñi, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya and Śikhi Māhiti, and Śikhi Māhiti's sister, Mādhavīdevī, being a woman, was considered the half. Thus it is known that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had three and a half confidential devotees.
āsvādena rāmānanda-svarūpa-sahita
vidyāpati—the author of the name Vidyāpati; jayadeva—of the name Jayadeva; caṇḍīdāsera—of the name Caṇḍīdāsa; gīta—their songs; āsvādena—tastes; rāmānanda—of the name Rāmānanda; svarūpa—of the name Svarūpa; sahita—along with.
The Lord used to read the books of Vidyāpati, Jayadeva and Caṇḍīdāsa, relishing their songs with His confidential associates like Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya and Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī.
SYNONYMS
paṇḍita-gosāñi—Gadādhara Paṇḍita; ādi—headed by; yāṅra—whose; yei—whatever; rasa—transcendental mellow; sei sei—that respective; rase—by the mellow; prabhu—the Lord; hana—is; tāṅra—his; vaśa—under control.
Personal associates like Gadādhara, Svarūpa Dāmodara, Rāmānanda Rāya, and the six Gosvāmīs (headed by Rūpa Gosvāmī) are all situated in their respective transcendental humors. Thus the Lord submits to various positions in various transcendental mellows.
SYNONYMS
rāja-ājñā—the permission of the King, Pratāparudra; lañā—getting; teṅho—Rāmānanda Rāya; āilā—returned; kata dine—in some days; rātri-dine—day and night; kṛṣṇa-kathā—talks of Lord Kṛṣṇa and His pastimes; rāmānanda-sane—in the company of Rāmānanda Rāya.
Upon the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya took leave of the King and returned to Jagannātha Purī. After he arrived, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu very much enjoyed talking with him both day and night about Lord Kṛṣṇa and His pastimes.
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 1: The Later Pastimes of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu : Madhya 1.128
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