The Disappearance Day of Sri Gadadhar das, Srinivas Acarya, and Dhananjaya Pandit is observed on November 20th.
Gadadhar das Goswami
radha-vibhuti-rupa ya chandrakantih pura sthita
sadya gauranga-nikate dasa-vamshyo gadadharah
purnananda vraje yasid baladeva-priyagranih
sapi karya-vash ad eva pravishat tam gadadharam
She who during Krishna’s incarnation was Candrakanti, the manifestation of Radharani’s opulence, has become Gadadhara Das by Gauranga’s side. Balaram’s beloved Purnananda has also entered into him for some special purpose..
(Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 154-155)
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur has made the following comments on Gadadhara Das’s identity in Krishna lila: “He is Srimati Radharani’s effulgence. Just as Srila Gadadhara Pandit Goswami is Srimati Radharani herself, so Gadadhara Das is an incarnation of her bodily luster. In the Lord’s incarnation as Krishna with the emotions and bodily luster of Srimati Radharani, he is that bodily luster. In the Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika, he is said to be the manifestation of Radha’s opulence. He is counted amongst the followers of both Gaura and Nityananda. As a follower of Gaura, he relished the mood of conjugal love, while as a follower of Nityananda, he is in the mood of pure devotional service in friendship, etc. Although Gadadhara Das was an associate of Nityananda, his mood of friendship is not that of a cowherd boy, but is in the conjugal mood. He established the temple of Gauranga in Katwa.”
(Anubhashya to Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.10.53)
Gadadhara Das’s home was in Eriyadaha, a village situated 8 miles north of Calcutta on the banks of the Bhagirathi River. He moved to Katwa from Nabadwip after Mahaprabhu’s disappearance, and then later to Eriyadaha. In the Gaudiya Vaishnava Abhidhana, it is said that Gadadhara Das supervised Sachi Mata and Vishnupriya Devi’s affairs. When they disappeared, he moved to Katwa where he established the worship of the Gauranga deity. The temple is currently known in Katwa as Mahaprabhura Bari.
Gadadhara Das first met with Mahaprabhu when the Lord was making his first attempt to travel to Vrindavan by taking the route through Bengal, first stopping in Shantipur, then Kumarahatta and then Raghava Pandit’s house in Panihati. Mahaprabhu affectionately placed his lotus feet on Gadadhara’s head:
When he heard that Mahaprabhu had arrived at Raghava Pandit’s house, Gadadhara ran to see him. Gadadhara is extremely dear to Mahaprabhu, his body is charged with the joy of devotion. When the Lord saw the pious Gadadhara, he lifted his feet and placed them on his head.
(Chaitanya Bhagavat 3.5.92-4)
When Mahaprabhu sent Nityananda from Puri to Gaudadesha to preach the religion of love, Gadadhara Das, Rama Das, Krishna Das Pandit, Paremeshvari Das, Purandara Pandit, Raghunatha Vaidya, etc., accompanied him.On the road from Nilachala, Nityananda and his associates displayed various extraordinary moods of divine love. Gadadhara Das, the eternal resident of Vraja took on the transcendental mood of Srimati Radharani, and in this ecstasy of a cowherd girl began to laugh and shout, “Yogurt for sale! Yogurt for sale! Does anyone want to buy some yogurt?” In the mood of a cowherd boy, Abhirama Das Thakur stood for nine hours in the three-fold bending form. Krishna Das and Paramesvari Das were also in the mood of cowherd boys, shouting “Hoi! hoi!” as though they were herding the cattle. Purandara Pandit climbed up a tree and shouted, “I am Angada!” and then jumped down to the ground.
The mood of Radhika descended on Gadadhara Das. He began to call, “Who will buy yogurt?” and burst out laughing.... Krishna Das and Paramesvari both shouted “Hoi! hoi!” in the spirit of the cowherd boys.
(Chaitanya Bhagavat 3.5.238, 240)
When Nityananda Prabhu arrived in Bengal, he visited villages on both banks of the Ganges. Gadadhara Das was still experiencing gopi-bhava and took a jug full of Ganges water and called out to everyone, “Milk! Who wants to buy milk?” When Nityananda saw Gadadhara Das’s bhava, he took the Gopal deity from his house and danced, holding it to his chest.
In the mood of a gopi, Gadhadhara Das had no consciousness of external reality. He constantly referred to himself as a gopi.
(Chaitanya Bhagavat 3.5.381)
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur writes in his commentary to this verse that though Gadadhara considered himself to be a gopi, he did not dress like a woman. His mood was expressed internally and he had no need to make any artificial, external display.
One day, Nityananda was in the audience at a performance of Krishna’s dana-lila by Madhavananda Ghosh at the house of Gadadhara Das, and he went into a deep trance. For this reason, Gadadhara’s house is also known as the place of the dana-lila. The dana-lila is described elaborately in Rupa Goswami’s Dana-keli-kaumudi. In Gadadhara Das’s village of Eriyadaha, there were many people antagonistic to religion who hated the very sound of the congregational chanting of Krishna’s names. One of these people was a powerful Muslim administrator, or Kazi. Gadadhara was once in an ecstatic mood and walked right into the house of this Kazi, singing the holy names at the top of his voice. The Kazi was sitting there in the company of his inner circle. Gadadhara ordered the Kazi to chant the holy names. The Kazi became very angry at the affront, but when he saw that Gadadhara was in a trance-like state, he calmed down and asked him why he had come. Gadadhara Das answered, “Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu have descended to this earth to make everyone chant the Holy Names. Only you have not chanted Krishna’s names, so I have come here to make you do so. If you chant the Holy Names, all your sins will be eradicated.” Although the Kazi was by nature cruel, he laughed and said, “Alright, I will chant Krishna’s Names tomorrow. Now go home. Gadadhara Das danced jubilantly and said, “Why tomorrow? You have just spoken the name of Krishna! Now that you have taken the name of Hari, you will never again know any inauspiciousness!” (Chaitanya Bhagavat 3.5.409-10)
Gadadhara Das thus converted the irascible Kazi through his otherworldly power. This impossible task became possible because his body had become possessed by Krishna.
This is the glory of Gadadhara Das, who has been counted as one of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s intimate associates. Just seeing him in his ecstatic devotional mood erases all of one’s sinful reactions.
(Chaitanya Bhagavat 3.5.413, 727)
Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami has also written as follows about Gadadhara Das in the Chaitanya Charitamrita:
Sri Rama Das and Sri Gadadhara Das were both devotees of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and stayed by his side. When the Lord ordered Nityananda to return to Bengal, he told both of them to accompany him. Gadadhara Das was always in an ecstatic state in the devotional mood of a gopi. Nityananda put on the dana-lila performance in his house.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.11.13-17)
The Lord ordered Nityananda, “Go to Gaudadesha. Spread the pure love of Krishna everywhere. I am giving you Gadadhara Das and Rama Das and some other devotees to act as your assistants. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.15.42-2)
When Raghunatha Das Goswami put on the Ciria-dadhi Mahotsava in Panihati on Nityananda’s order, Gadadhara was also present there. Yadunandana Das was Gadadhara Das’s disciple. This is stated in the Bhakti-ratnakara:
Yadunandana Chakravarti was a very learned scholar whose guru and worshipable lord was Gadadhara Das.
(Bhakti-ratnakara 9.352)
Gadadhara Das’s disappearance day is on the eighth day of the waning moon of the month of Karttik. Srinivas Acharya put on a huge festival on the occasion of Gadadhara Das’s disappearance day. Like the festival at Kheturi, this one was greatly renowned throughout the Vaishnava community.
What can I say about the Krishnashtami day of Karttik? My prabhu disappeared here on that day.
(Bhakti-ratnakara 9.362)
Gadadhara Das’s samadhi tomb is situated on the grounds of the Mahaprabhu Bari temple in Katwa, where Keshava Bharati gave sannyas to Mahaprabhu.
Srinivas Acarya
Srinivas’s birth
Srinivas Acharya was born in 1530 AD, on the full moon day of the month of Vaishakh, in the village of Cakhandi, which lies just north of Agradvipa in the district of Nadiya. His father, Gangadhara Bhattacharya, was a Brahmin of the Rarha class. The Bhakti-ratnakara describes the event as follows:
When Mahaprabhu took sannyas in Katwa, Gangadhara was overcome with grief and began to cry constantly while calling out the names “Ha Chaitanya! Ha Chaitanya!” When other devotees saw him intoxicated in divine love for Mahaprabhu, they nicknamed him Chaitanya Das, a name which stuck with him for the rest of his life.
Chaitanya Das had no desire for the things of this world, but one day he suddenly felt a strong wish to have a son and told this to his wife, Lakshmipriya. She responded by telling him to immediately go to Puri to ask Mahaprabhu for his blessings. The couple left for Puri, stopping for a few days at the house of Balaram Vipra, Lakshmipriya’s father, in Jajigrama. When they arrived in Puri, Chaitanya Das and his wife paid their obeisances to Mahaprabhu, but before they could speak, the Lord himself said, understanding their desire, “Jagannath Deva will surely fulfill all your desires.”
The other devotees were curious about what desire Mahaprabhu was talking about and they asked his servant Govinda. But before he could say anything, Mahaprabhu called Govinda and gave him the answer: “Chaitanya Das desires to have a son. Indeed his wife will give birth to a jewel of a son, who will be named Srinivas. He will be the manifest form of my love and will be non-different from me. He will increase everyone’s enthusiasm for devotion. Through Rupa and others I will bring scriptures into the world, and through Srinivas, I shall distribute them.”
At that time, the Lord called Govinda and said in a deep voice, from a trance state, “The Brahmin has come here, desiring a son. He will soon have one, whom he will name Srinivas. I will bring scriptures into the world through Sri Rupa and others and these jewel-like books will be distributed by Srinivas. Srinivas is the embodiment of pure love for me. All minds will be enthused upon seeing him.”
(Bhakti-ratnakara 2.120-3)
Once they had received Mahaprabhu’s blessing, Chaitanya Das and his wife returned to his home and when the auspicious moment came, a son was born to them. Chaitanya Das immediately offered the child to Mahaprabhu.
The child went through the usual rituals of the first feeding of solid food, name-giving, hair-cutting, etc. All the local associates of Mahaprabhu, such as Govinda Ghosh and the residents of Shrikhanda, Narahari and Raghunandan, poured down affectionate blessings on the child.
Early education and travels
Srinivas Acharya was devoted to his parents. He was fortunate to hear both Mahaprabhu’s divine glories as well as Radha and Krishna’s Vrindavan pastimes from his father. The two of them would go into an ecstatic state as they discussed these transcendental topics. Srinivas’s mother trained him in kirtan.
He studied grammar, literature and poetic theory from Dhanaïjaya Vidyavacaspati, and quickly acquired mastery of these subjects. Not long afterward, Srinivas’s father died. The loss of his devotee father’s association greatly affected Srinivas, but the other devotees made a concerted effort to console him and his mother in their grief.
Srinivas took his mother and moved from Cakhandi to his maternal grandfather’s house in Jajigrama, where the villagers were overjoyed to see him. Shortly thereafter, he went to visit Narahari Sarkara in nearby Shrikhanda. From Narahari he learned that Mahaprabhu would shortly be ending his earthly pastimes. This news made Srinivas determined to see the Lord before it happened. He quickly returned to Jajigrama and took permission from his mother to make the trip to Puri. He then joined the devotees on the annual pilgrimage. It was the fifth day of the waxing moon.
Before arriving in Puri, however, the news arrived that Mahaprabhu had indeed ended his lila. Srinivas Acharya fainted at the news, and when he came back to consciousness, he decided to commit suicide. However, the Lord himself appeared to him in a dream and told him to complete his journey to Puri. Once in Puri, he again had a dream in which he saw Jagannath, Subhadra and Balaram, as well as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu with his associates. The incarnation of Mahaprabhu’s pleasure potency, Srila Gadadhara Pandit Goswami met him and both of them were immersed in an ocean of ecstasy. Srinivas also met Raya Ramananda, Paramananda Puri, Shikhi Mahiti, Sarvabhauma Pandit, Vakresvara Pandit, Govinda, Shankara Pandit, Gopinath Acharya and received blessings from them all.
Srinivas Acharya stayed for some time in Puri, hearing Srimad Bhagavatam from Gadadhara Pandit Goswami. Gadadhara then told him to return to Gauda. When Srinivas returned, he heard that Advaita Acharya and Nityananda Prabhu had also disappeared. Once again he determined to end his life, but the two Prabhus appeared to him in a dream to assuage his grief and had him give up his intention.
When he arrived in Nabadwip, Srinivas was once again plunged into a morass of sorrow at the loss of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Vamshivadanananda Thakur saw him in this condition and approached Vishnupriya Devi and asked her to grant an audience to Srinivas and bless him. Srinivas Acharya was amazed to see the intense renunciation and deep faith of Mahaprabhu’s widow. While in Nabadwip, he had a dream of Sachi Devi and received blessings from her, too. Srinivas then wandered throughout Bengal, going to all the Shripatas of the associates of Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu, seeking their blessings. He visited Shantipur, Khardaha, Khanakula Krishnanagara, Shrikhanda, etc., and met Murari Gupta, Srivasa Pandit, Damodar Pandit, Shuklambar Brahmachari, Gadadhara Das, Paramesvari Das, Jahnava Devi, Vasudha Devi, Virabhadra, Abhiram Thakur, Narahari Sarakara Thakur, Raghunandan Thakur. All these great personalities witnesses Srinivas’s intense devotion and told him to go to Vrindavan. Srinivas then went to his mother and asked her repeatedly for permission to make the trip which she could not refuse when she saw his great eagerness.
Srinivas arrived in Vraja
Srinivas then travelled through Agradvipa, Katwa, Maureshvara, Ekacakra to Kashi, Ayodhya, and Prayag. He spent a long time travelling and visiting all these holy places before finally arriving in Vraja. There he heard that Rupa Goswami, Sanatan Goswami, Kashishvara Pandit and Raghunath Bhatta Goswami had all disappeared. Raghunath Das Goswami, Gopal Bhatta Goswami and Jiva Goswami were still living, however. Srinivas met all three of them and received their blessings. He was initiated by Gopal Bhatta and took instruction in the Vaishnava scriptures from Jiva. In great affection for Srinivas, Jiva commended him to his deities, Radha Damodar. Srinivas met Raghunath Das and Krishna Das Kaviraj in Radha Kund and received their blessings. One day shri Jiva heard Srinivas explain a verse from Ujjvala-nilamani and was so impressed by his erudition that he bestowed the title “Acharya” upon him. Jiva also gave the titles “Thakur” to Narottama and “Shyamananda” to Duhkhi Krishna Das. Jiva ordered Srinivas to tour the sites of pilgrimage in the Vraja area with Raghava Goswami.
The return to Bengal
After Srinivas had attained mastery of the Gaudiya Vaishnava scriptures, Sri Jiva and the other Vaishnavas in Vraja ordered him, Narottama and Shyamananda to take manuscripts of these invaluable books back to Bengal in an ox-cart. They set off on the Shukla Païcami of Agrahayan month. It was a long and dangerous trip, but they were able to cover the greater part of the distance without any trouble. Upon arriving in the Hindu kingdom of Bana Vishnupura, they felt that the danger was over. However, the rumor had reached the capital of Vishnupura that a rich merchant was travelling to Puri with a valuable cargo of merchandise. The ruler of the kingdom led a gang of highwaymen and when he heard that a cargo of great value was passing through his territory, he asked an astrologer to divine the truth of the rumors. The astrologer confirmed that this was indeed a cargo of great value. The king immediately sent a group of robbers to steal it, specifying that they should kill no one. The robbers first worshiped the goddess Candi, then sent out a spy who returned to tell them that everyone in the group accompanying the oxcart was sleeping in exhaustion after eating their night meal. The robbers thought that this was surely Candi’s mercy that a golden opportunity like this had come their way. They seized the oxcart and the books, thinking that they were gold and jewels, and turned them over to the king.
When Vishnupura’s king saw the large chest, he was delighted at the prospect of finding large amounts of valuables inside. How disappointed he must have been to see nothing but books inside! He turned to the astrologer and asked him how he could have made such a mistake. The astrologer answered, “I can’t understand it. Every time I made my calculations I came up with the same conclusion: this chest is full of priceless jewels! It is incredible, I don’t know why my calculations have gone wrong!”
The mere sight of the holy books had a purifying effect on the king, however, and he regretted having stolen them. Indeed, he desired to meet with the acharya of the books. That night he had a dream in which the Granthacharya appeared to him and this pacified him somewhat.
The next morning, Srinivas, Narottama and Shyamananda awoke to find the chest of books missing. They searched everywhere, but when they failed to find any clue of the books’ whereabouts, they felt so depressed that they considered killing themselves. Some local villagers saw the distressed condition of the three Vaishnavas and immediately suspected the robber king, Vira Hambira. Srinivas made some further investigations and was assured that he would be able to find more information from the king himself. The three Vaishnavas felt some hope and abandoned their suicidal intentions. Srinivas Acharya decided to remain in Vishnupura in the hope of finding the books, but he sent Narottama to Kheturi and Shyamananda to Orissa.
The conversion of Vira Hambira
While staying in Vishnupura, Srinivas heard from a Brahmin named Krishnavallabha that Vira Hambira liked to listen to Srimad Bhagavatam and daily attended classes. On the next day, Srinivas went with this Brahmin to the hall where the Bhagavat classes were held. The Brahmin introduced Srinivas to the king as a great Vaishnava, and the king indeed observed the characteristics of a great person in him and was attracted to him. The King expressed a desire to hear Srinivas speak on the Bhagavat and Srinivas agreed, thinking that this might be a good opportunity to recover the books. So he started to give lectures on the Bhagavat on a daily basis. The King was enchanted by Srinivas’s unprecedented explanations of the Bhagavat in his sweet voice. Srinivas Acharya primarily preached Mahaprabhu’s dharma through speaking on the Bhagavat and kirtan, while Narottama and Shyamananda primarily used the medium of kirtan. The style of kirtan that these three acharyas used were named manohara-sahi, garanahati, and reneti.
Vira Hambira arranged for a secluded dwelling to be given to Srinivas Acharya. One day, when he had the opportunity to find the king alone in his apartments, Srinivas recounted the entire story of the journey from Vraja and the theft of the manuscripts. The King immediately confessed, showing great sorrow for his misdeed, and had the chest of books returned to its owner. In great relief, Srinivas immediately sent messengers to Vrindavan, to Narottama and Shyamananda with the good news. In the course of time, Vira Hambira and his entire entourage all took initiation from Srinivas and dedicated their entire lives and wealth to him. Vira Hambira’s initiated name was Chaitanya Das.
Srinivas’s marriage
After staying in Vana Vishnupura for some time, Srinivas Acharya returned to his maternal grandfather’s house in Jajigrama. Then he set off on another tour of Katwa, Nabadwip and other important towns in Bengal. Srinivas respected Narahari Sarakara of Shrikhanda greatly and was also very devoted to his saintly mother. When Narahari heard Srinivas’s mother express her desire to see her son married, he gave him the order to do so. Even prior to receiving this order, Srinivas had received the same command from Advaita Acharya in a dream. Though he felt somewhat ashamed, he realized that he could not ignore the wishes of Narahari, his mother and Advaita Prabhu. He thus agreed to get married and was wed to Ishvari, the devoted daughter of Gopal Chakravarti of Jajigrama.
It is not always easy to understand the divine activities of Mahaprabhu’s devotees. Only someone who is totally surrendered to the Lord and his devotees can have access to their glories.
Srinivas’s preaching activities
Srinivas Acharya started to teach the Goswamis’ books to his disciples in Jajigrama. One of his most important disciples was Ramachandra Kaviraj, the son of Shrikhanda resident Ciraïjiva Sena. Srinivas gave Ramachandra the title kaviraja after hearing his poems. Narottama Thakur had a close friendship with Ramachandra Kaviraj and even wrote about it in one of his songs:
Please be merciful, Prabhu Srinivas Acharya! Narottama Das begs for the association of Ramachandra.
When Shuklambar Brahmachari, Gadadhara Das, Narahari Sarkara and Dvija Hari Das all ended their earthly activities, Srinivas Acharya once again felt overcome by grief and made another trip to Vrindavan. Once again he met with Gopal Bhatta and Sri Jiva Goswamis, as well as with Bhugarbha and Lokanatha Goswamis, and these great devotees spoke to him encouragingly, reducing his feelings of loss. Ramachandra Kaviraj and Shyamananda Prabhu also joined Srinivas in Vraja on this occasion.
When he returned to Gauda, Srinivas joined in the festivities occasioning the anniversaries of the departure of Gadadhara Das in Katwa, Narahari in Shrikhanda and Dvija Hari Das in Kaïcanagariiya. From there he went to Budhari village, where Ramachandra Kaviraj and Govinda Kaviraj hosted him with great opulence.
Narottama Das Thakur had also left Vrindavan on Lokanatha Goswami’s orders, returning to his home in Kheturi. On the full moon day of Phalguna, he established the worship of six sets of deities in the temple there: Gauranga, Vallabhikanta, Vrajamohana, Sri Krishna, Radhakanta, and Radharamana. Srinivas Acharya performed the installation ceremony and the first puja.
Jahnava Devi was also present at this great event. After the festival, she went on to Vraja with her entourage. Upon her return, she met with Srinivas Acharya at Katwa and then went with him to spend some time in Jajigrama.
Srinivas Acharya made another trip to Nabadwip with Narottama and Ramachandra Kaviraj, performing the parikrama of the nine islands, each of which represents one of the limbs of devotional service.
When Raghunandan Thakur entered the nitya-lila, Srinivas Acharya went to Shrikhanda to help conduct the funeral festival in his honor. He returned with a heavy heart to Jajigrama, and from there went to see his disciples in Vana Vishnupura. He was received by the excited King and the other residents of the town. There, he received an order from Mahaprabhu himself in a dream to accept the hand of Gaurangapriya, the daughter of a certain Raghava Chakravarti. Raghava and his wife Madhavi had been searching for a suitable husband for their daughter with no success. They also received the order in a dream to give their daughter in marriage to Srinivas. As a result, Srinivas married for a second time.
The pure devotee has no other objective in life than to fulfill the desires of the Supreme Lord. They are thus ready to do anything if it pleases the Lord. None of their activities has the slightest hint of material desire in it. Srinivas Acharya is the avesha incarnation of Mahaprabhu himself and his transcendental activities can only be described by someone who has received his special blessings.
Srila Dhananjaya Pandit
vasudama sakha yash ca panditah shri-dhanaïjayah
Krishna’s friend Vasudama became Dhanaïjaya Pandit in Gaura-lila.
(Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 127)
Dhanaïjaya Pandit was Nityananda Prabhu’s dear servant; he was very renounced and full of love for Krishna.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.11.31)
Opinions vary about Dhanaïjaya Pandit’s birthplace and his parentage. In the Gaudiya Vaishnava Abhidhana, it is said that he was born in the village of Jariagrama in Chittagong district on the fifth day of the waxing moon in the month of Chaitra, 1485. His father’s name was Shripati Bandopadhyaya, his mother, Kalindi Devi. His wife was Haripriya.
In the book Gauranga Madhuri, another version is given: He was born in the village of Siyan Muluk, near Bolpur in the Birbhum district. His father’s name was Adideva Vacaspati and his mother, Dayamayi. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur subscribes to the former view in his Anubhashya.
Dhanaïjaya Pandit’s primary home was in the village of Shitalagrama which is served by the Kaicara post office in the precinct of Mangalakota, district of Burdwan. Shitalagrama is about one mile north of the Kaicara railway station, nine miles west of Katwa on the narrow gauge line to Burdwan city. He is also said to have had homes in the village of Sancara Pancara and Jalandi. This first of these villages lies two miles south of Satadeula Tajapura, which is four miles from the Memari train station. Jalandi is about 10 miles east of Burdwan city and is served by Lokanagara post office. The home of Saïjaya Pandit is also found in this village who is said by some to have been Dhanaïjaya’s brother and by others his disciple. Dhanaïjaya had no descendants. Those who supervise the Shitalagrama temple are descendants of his disciples.
Both the Gaudiya Vaishnava Abhidhana and Gauranga Madhuri agree that Dhanaïjaya Pandit was married and that his wife’s name was Haripriya. It is also mentioned that he would prostrate himself in obeisances before Tulasi Devi three times a day. He was married when very young, but this did not stop him from leaving on a pilgrimage shortly after his wedding. His wealthy father gave him money for traveling expenses, but Dhanaïjaya gave it all to Mahaprabhu and carried only a begging bowl. This particular action has been recalled by the author of the Vaishnava-vandana:
vilasi vairagi vandon pandita dhanaïjaya
sarvasva prabhure diya bhanda hate laya
Dhanaïjaya’s main home or shripata in Shitalagrama. The deities of Gopinath, Nitai-Gauranga and Damodar which he worshiped are still being served there. These deities are brought into a field not far from the temple where the disappearance day festival is held annually in the middle of Magh.
Dhanaïjaya Pandit participated for a few days with Mahaprabhu in his sankirtan pastimes in Nabadwip. From there he returned to Shitalagrama whence he went on a pilgrimage to Vrindavan. Before travelling to Vrindavan, he stayed for a few days in Sancara Pancara, leaving a disciple who was travelling with him in charge of the deity service. At present, there is no further sign of this temple in Sancara Pancara.
Nityananda Prabhu delivered the most fallen and crushed the atheistic. These powers were manifest in his dear devotee, Dhanaïjaya. Dhanaïjaya Pandit converted many robbers and atheists in the Shitalagrama area.
Dhanaïjaya Pandit was an extraordinarily great Vaishnava. Nityananda took up permanent residence in his heart.
(Chaitanya Bhagavat 3.5.773)
As one enters the Shitalagrama temple, a small Tulasi altar stands on the left. This is the site of Dhanaïjaya Pandit’s samadhi tomb. His disappearance day is the Shukla-ashtami of Karttik month.
Excerpted from "Sri Chaitanya: His Life & Associates" by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj
Mandala Publishing 2001.
Comments
Sadhana bhakti involves many engagements. A new person, their services, it is all external, then perhaps after a while they start to internalize the moods and procedures, such that they could be done in the mind's eye, no need even for acts in the outside world. The Lord accepts services done in the mind as if done in the world .
A more advanced devotee actually awakens to their eternal identity, and in that consciousness, contacts the spiritual world and lives there in reality, though the physical body is still attached. It is described as like a ripe coconut; the inner nut loosens and rattles around the surrounding shell. A devotee of raganuga or spontaneous devotional service, tends to be quite introverted sometimes. They bring information in through the senses, as opposed to going outward in consciousness via the physical senses to control and enjoy what is around them. The self realized devotee may be absorbed in both internal and external services. In other worlds, within their mind, in their heart, the devotee meditates on certain services and/or on chanting constantly. Meanwhile, they will have their external duties, such as washing pots, distributing books, etc which are done also, externally, as it were.
Within their heart's vision, the devotee may be bringing gobelets of silver filled with Ganga water for the Lord, yet in their physical body, they are externally engaged in sweeping a floor or chanting japa.
In developmental psychology certain distinct phases are described/encountered, and once achieved, one does not go back to previous stages. For a start, a young person only knows what they can see. Once it is invisible, it ceases to exist. Young children can be engaged in peek-a-boo behaviors based on this principle. As they age, they handle things, physically are touching them, and thus they achieve a sense of continuity of objects, but still it is physical or conrete objects that are being manipulated. When the individual grows, they can start to perform activities in their mind; for example, how will block A and block B fit together? Or, what will happen if i do this or do that? Thus, the process becomes internalized, cognitive, ie it is in the mind. So, even in mundane psychology, there are gradations and progressive phases of mental life.
Extroverted persons supposedly are more involved in the external world. I suspect that those with little internal mental life are more likely to be labelled as extroverts or normal, whereas persons of inner life may be considered intellectuals etc by those who have no clue.
Re; the identities of the Beings you describe; no matter, simply read of Their pastimes, and after a while, you will get deeper and deeper realizations about Them, by Grace. It is taking me and everyone a whole lifetime to try to understand Who and what exactly is Krsna, but even the great sages cannot say they know everything, even Krsna does not fully comprehend Himself, that's a fact.
Main principle; We are Godhead. Not God, but all the entities together including God constitute Godhead , by definition. Am I not therefore also part of Godhead? Of course.
Now, some are jivas, some Shivas, some Vishnus, but one Krsna. All are Godhead, some are the Supreme Person, such as Vishnu , Who is of such a character that one cannot say He is Krsna, but He is as good as Krsna, divine unlimited Being, and Krsna can appear via Vishnu etc and both can be in the same room at the same time. They are God category, but sarva karana karanam, the original cause of all causes, is Govinda. Govindam adi purusam, ie govinda the first master or controller, that is Govinda, that comes directly from our spiritual master Lord Brahma, pure mahajana, (one who knows, also called Pita-deva, father god, our father, who art in heaven.), head of our Brahma-Madhva Vaishnava sampradaya.
Lord Caitanya is primordial, He is Radha and Krsna combined, Whereas Radha and Krsna are Radha and Krsna. Isn't that simple? ~(>,' )
Yes, Sri Advaita is also Maha Vishnu, Maha Mahesh, and one other devotee all combined. Many devotees also are combinations of two jivas, apparently, and one jiva can have both male and female pastimes in different spiritual bodies at the same time.
Jaya. In Vaikuntha, this is common knowledge ! All we can do is catch glimpses and sometimes more, by Grace.
Chanting brings understanding of these matters, as does regular reading of Srila Prabhupada's books. Srimad Bhagavatam gives much detail. Also, we recently posted some articles in the POSTS related to the position of Lord Vishnu etc., which can be re-read.
HK! Nice questions, nice talks!
~(>,' ))