Sri Vakreshwar Pandit was present with Sriman Mahaprabhu during His pastimes in Navadwipa and after his acceptance of Sannyasa. He also accompanied Him to Jagannath Puri. During the time of the Lord's residence in Puri he continued to live with Him there as well. Sri Vakreshwar Pandit took birth in the villageof Guptiparanear Triveni. He was an especially proficient dancer and kirtaniya and could dance continuously for 72 hours.
When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu began His pastimes of congregational chanting of the Holy Name of Sri Hari in Navadwip,Sri VakreshwarPandit was an important singer and dancer in that assembly. It was by His mercy that Devananda Pandit was delivered from the wrath of Mahaprabhu. He was also present during the Lord'sjourney to Ramakeli. Devananda Pandit was, at one time, known as the foremost lecturer on the Bhagavat. One day Srivas Pandit went to hear his discourse, and being moved in ecstatic love by hearing the Bhagavatam, he began to cry. A few of the ignorant students of Devananda Pandit, thinking that this was creating a disturbance, removed Srivas Pandit from the assembly and left him outside. Though this was done in front of Devananda he didn'trestrain his students from this act of disregard to the devotee -Bhagavat.
There are two types of Bhagavat - the book bhagavat and the devotee bhagavat. For this reason,Devananda Pandit became implicated in an offense to a great devotee(maha-bhagavat). When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to hear how hisdear devotee, Srivas Pandit, had been disrespected, he gave many instructions concerning the Bhagavat. He told that those who read the book Bhagavat but don'toffer respects to the devotee-Bhagavat,are simply offenders, though they may read the Bhagavat for eons,still they will never attain love of Godhead. The devotee bhagavata and the book bhagavata are non-different. In order to understandthe book bhagavat one must first sincerely serve the devotee-bhagavata. Therefore Mahaprabhu neglected Devananda and didn't bestow His mercy on him. One evening Vakreshwar Pandit came to perform dancing and chanting of the Holy Name at the house of one devotee from Kulia, across the bank of the Ganga from Nadia. Receiving this auspicious news Devananda proceeded there, and upon seeing the appearance of the symptoms of divine love in the personof Sri Vakreshwar Pandit he became charmed. Graduallya great crowdgathered at that place, and DevanandaPandit, taking acane in hishand, kept the crowd in order so as not to obstruct theecstaticdancing of Sri Vakreshwar Pandit.
In this way, Vakreshwar Pandit performed chanting, and dancingfortwo praharas (six hours), on into the night. When hefinisheddancing and sat down, Devananda came and offered dandavatsat thelotus feet of Sri Vakreshwar Pandit, who became pleased withthisservice and blessed Devananda with the words "Krsna-bhaktihauk" -"May you attain devotion to Sri Lord Krsna." From that daydevotionwas awakened in the heart of Devananda by the mercy ofVakreshwarPandit. Thereafter when Mahaprabhu came to Nadia to havedarshan ofhis mother and mother Ganges, he bestowed His mercy onDevananda atKulia. "Because you have served Vakreshwar I havenoticed you.Vakreshwar is fully imbued with the Lord'stranscendental energy,and whoever becomes devoted to him, attainsto the lotus feet ofSri Krsna. His heart is the personal abode ofSri Krsna and as SriKrsna dances, so Vakreshwar also dances.Wherever one can get theassociation of Vakreshwar, that place isthe sum total of all Holyplaces and is as good as SriVaikuntha."
Sri Vakreshwar Pandit's disciple was Gopal Guru Goswami andGopalGuru Goswami's disciple was Sri Dhyanchananda Goswami. In hisDhyanChandra Paddhati - Dhyan Chandra Goswami has written - "thatpersonwho was previously very expert in the arts of singing anddancing, the gopi, Tungavidya, is presentlyrenowned in the world asVakreshwar Pandit. He has appeared on thefifth day of the darkfortnight of the month of Asar (Ashadha -June-July - Vaman mase)and he closed his pastimes in this world onthe sixth day of thebright fortnight of the month Asar. WhileVakreshwar danced,Mahaprabhu Himself would sing and Vakreshwarwould catch hold of Hislotus feet, saying; "O moon faced one, giveme 10,000 gandharvas,and let them sing while I dance. Then I willbe happy." Mahaprabhuanswered, "You are one of my wings. If I hadanother (like you) Icould fly in the sky."
[C. C. Adi 10.17]. Vakreshwar Pandit's worshippable deity is SriSriRadha-kanta, whom he worshipped in Kasi Misra's house, whichwasalso the residence of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (Gambhira).TheseDeities are still being worshipped there to this day.
Vakresvara Pandit is the Lord's dear servant, who danced without rest for seventy-two hours. Mahaprabhu himself sang as he danced when Vakresvara fell down at his feet and said, "O moon-faced lord! Give me ten thousand Gandharvas. I will be happy if I can dance while they sing. The Lord answered, "You are like a wing. If I had another like you, I would be able to fly in the sky!" (Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.10.17-20)
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