Srila Syamananda Prabhu

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Srila Syamananda Prabhu

 

 

Felling very sad (duhki) over losing several children before his birth, his

parents named him Dukhi Krishna Dasa. Upon taking diksa from Hrdaya Caitanya he

became known as Krishna Dasa. In Vrndavana, he joined Norottama Dasa Thakura

and Srinivasa Acarya to study the Goswami granthas under Sri Jiva Goswami. Many

'ankle bell stories' describe how Krishna Dasa received Radharani's mercy, the

name Syamananda, and his unique tilaka mark. Sripad B.V. Narayana Maharaja

gives this account in Navadvipa Dhama Prikrama:

 

 

 

'While living in Vrndavana, Krishna Dasa regularly swept the streets before

dawn. He performed this humble service so that the Vaisnavas would not hurt

their feet while walking to the temples. One morning he found a captivatingly

beautiful golden ankle bracelet. When Lalita and Vishakha-sakhis asked for the

bracelet, Krishna Dasa said he would only give it to the original owner.

Blindfolding Krishna Dasa, the gopis brought him to Srimati Radhika. She

allowed him to put the bracelet on Her ankle. But before fastening it, Krishna

Dasa reverentially touched it to his forehead. This left a new tilaka mark

which now distinguishes all of Syamananda's followers.

 

 

 

Rejoicing over Krishna Dasa's transcendental fortune, Sri Jiva Goswami awarded

him the name Syamananda (one who pleases Srimati Radharani or the servant of

Syamasundara).

 

Sometime after Hrdya Caitanya's disappearance, he reappeared in a dream telling

Syamananda to preach with the help of his foremost disciple, Rasikananda,

Syamananda profusely spread the worship and service of Gaura-Nitai all over

Orissa. Twenty-four hour kirtana surrounds his pushpa samadhi, which is located

on the opposite side of the street running between Radha-Syamasundara and

Radha-Damodara temples in Vrndavana.

 

 

 

Srila Syamananda Prabhu Ki Jai Jai !!!

 

 

 

CC: Adi 10.41

 

TEXT 41

vasudeva datta--prabhura bhrtya mahasaya

sahasra-mukhe yanra guna kahile na haya

TRANSLATION

Vasudeva Datta, the nineteenth branch of the Sri Caitanya tree, was a great

personality and a most confidential devotee of the Lord. One could not describe

his qualities even with thousands of mouths.

PURPORT

Vasudeva Datta, the brother of Mukunda Datta, was also a resident of

Cattagrama. In the Caitanya-bhagavata it is said, yanra sthane krsna haya apane

vikraya: Vasudeva Datta was such a powerful devotee that Krsna was purchased by

him. Vasudeva Datta stayed at Srivasa Pandita's house, and in the

Caitanya-bhagavata it is described that Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was so pleased

with Vasudeva Datta and so affectionate toward him that He used to say, "I am

only Vasudeva Datta's man. My body is only meant to please Vasudeva Datta, and

he can sell Me anywhere." Thrice He vowed that this was a fact and that no one

should disbelieve these statements. "All My dear devotees," He said, "I tell

you the truth. My body is especially meant for Vasudeva Datta." Vasudeva Datta

initiated Sri Yadunandana Acarya, the spiritual master of Raghunatha dasa, who

later became Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. This will be found in the

Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, Sixth Chapter, verse 161. Vasudeva Datta spent

money very liberally; therefore Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked Sivananda Sena

to become his sarakhela, or secretary, in order to control his extravagant

expenses. Vasudeva Datta was so kind to the living entities that he wanted to

take all their sinful reactions so that they might be delivered by Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu. This is described in the Fifteenth Chapter of the

Caitanya-caritamrta's Madhya-lila, verses 159 through 180.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura writes in his Anubhasya, "There is a

railway station named Purvasthali near the Navadvipa railway station, and about

one mile away, in a village known as Mamagachi, which is the birthplace of

Vrndavana dasa Thakura, there is presently a temple of Madana-gopala that was

established by Vasudeva Datta." The Gaudiya Matha devotees have now taken

charge of this temple, and the seva-puja is going on very nicely. Every year

all the pilgrims on the navadvipa-parikrama visit Mamagachi. Since Sri

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura inaugurated the navadvipa-parikrama function,

the temple has been very well managed.

Adi 10.42

TEXT 42

TEXT

jagate yateka jiva, tara papa lana

naraka bhunjite cahe jiva chadaiya

TRANSLATION

Srila Vasudeva Datta Thakura wanted to suffer for the sinful activities of all

the people of the world so that Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu might deliver them.

 

 

CC: Madhya 15.158

TEXT 158

tabe vasudeve prabhu kari' alingana

tanra guna kahe hana sahasra-vadana

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then embraced Vasudeva Datta and began to speak of his

glories as if He had a thousand mouths.

Madhya 15.159

TEXT 159

nija-guna suni' datta mane lajja pana

nivedana kare prabhura carane dhariya

TRANSLATION

When Caitanya Mahaprabhu glorified him, Vasudeva Datta immediately became very

much embarrassed and shy. He then submitted himself, touching the Lord's lotus

feet.

Madhya 15.160

TEXT 160

jagat tarite prabhu tomara avatara

mora nivedana eka karaha angikara

TRANSLATION

Vasudeva Datta told Caitanya Mahaprabhu, "My dear Lord, You incarnate just to

deliver all conditioned souls. I now have one petition, which I wish You would

accept.

Madhya 15.161

TEXT 161

karite samartha tumi hao, dayamaya

tumi mana kara, tabe anayase haya

TRANSLATION

"My Lord, You are certainly able to do whatever You like, and You are indeed

merciful. If You so desire, You can very easily do whatever You want.

Madhya 15.162

TEXT 162

jivera duhkha dekhi' mora hrdaya bidare

sarva-jivera papa prabhu deha' mora sire

TRANSLATION

"My Lord, my heart breaks to see the sufferings of all the conditioned souls;

therefore I request You to transfer the karma of their sinful lives upon my

head.

Madhya 15.163

TEXT 163

jivera papa lana muni karon naraka bhoga

sakala jivera, prabhu, ghucaha bhava-roga

TRANSLATION

"My dear Lord, let me suffer perpetually in a hellish condition, accepting all

the sinful reactions of all living entities. Please finish their diseased

material life."

PURPORT

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura gives the following commentary on this

verse. In the Western countries, Christians believe that Lord Jesus Christ,

their spiritual master, appeared in order to eradicate all the sins of his

disciples. To this end, Lord Jesus Christ appeared and disappeared. Here,

however, we find Sri Vasudeva Datta Thakura and Srila Haridasa Thakura to be

many millions of times more advanced even when compared with Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ relieved only his followers from all sinful reactions, but

Vasudeva Datta is here prepared to accept the sins of everyone in the universe.

So the comparative position of Vasudeva Datta is millions of times better than

that of Lord Jesus Christ. A Vaisnava is so liberal that he is prepared to risk

everything to rescue the conditioned souls from material existence. Srila

Vasudeva Datta Thakura is universal love itself, for he was willing to

sacrifice everything and fully engage in the service of the Supreme Lord.

Srila Vasudeva Datta knew very well that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was the

original Personality of Godhead, Transcendence itself, above the material

conception of illusion and maya. Lord Jesus Christ certainly finished the

sinful reactions of his followers by his mercy, but that does not mean he

completely delivered them from the pangs of material existence. A person may be

relieved from sins once, but it is a practice among Christians to confess sins

and yet commit them again. By getting freed from sins and again engaging in

them, one cannot attain freedom from the pangs of material existence. A

diseased person may go to a physician for relief, but after he leaves the

hospital he may again be infected due to his unclean habits. Thus material

existence continues. Srila Vasudeva Datta wanted to completely relieve the

conditioned souls from material existence so that they would no longer have an

opportunity to commit sinful acts. This is the significant difference between

Srila Vasudeva Datta and Lord Jesus Christ. It is a great offense to receive

pardon for sins and then commit the same sins again. Such an offense is more

dangerous than the sinful activity itself. Vasudeva Datta was so liberal that

he requested Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to transfer all offensive activity upon

him so the conditioned souls would be purified and go back home, back to

Godhead. This prayer was certainly without duplicity.

Vasudeva Datta's example is unique not only within this world but within the

universe. It is beyond the conception of fruitive actors or the speculation of

mundane philosophers. Due to being illusioned by the external energy and due to

a poor fund of knowledge, people tend to envy one another. Because of this they

are entangled in fruitive activity, and they try to escape this fruitive

activity by mental speculation. Consequently neither karmis nor jnanis are

purified. In the words of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Thakura, they are kukarmis and

kujnanis-bad fruitive actors and bad speculators. The Mayavadis and karmis

should therefore turn their attention to the magnanimous Vasudeva Datta, who

wanted to suffer for others in a hellish condition. No one should consider

Vasudeva Datta a mundane philanthropist or welfare worker. Nor was he

interested in merging into the Brahman effulgence or in gaining material honor

or reputation. He was far, far above philanthropists, philosophers and fruitive

actors. He was the most exalted personality to ever show mercy to the

conditioned souls. This is not an exaggeration of his transcendental qualities.

It is perfectly true. Actually, there cannot be any comparison to Vasudeva

Datta. As the perfect Vaisnava, he was para-duhkha-duhkhi, very much aggrieved

to see others suffer. The entire world is purified simply by the appearance of

such a great devotee. Indeed, by his transcendental presence the whole world is

glorified and all conditioned souls are also glorified. As Narottama dasa

Thakura confirms, Vasudeva Datta is the ideal devotee of Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu:

gaurangera sangi-gane, nitya-siddha kari' mane,

se yaya vrajendrasuta-pasa

One who executes Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission must be considered eternally

liberated. He is a transcendental person and does not belong to this material

world. Such a devotee, engaging in the deliverance of the total population, is

as magnanimous as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself.

namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te

krsnaya krsna-caitanya-namne gaura-tvise namah

[Cc. Madhya 19.53]

Such a personality factually represents Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu because his

heart is always filled with compassion for all conditioned souls.

Madhya 15.164

TEXT 164

eta suni' mahaprabhura citta dravila

asru-kampa-svarabhange kahite lagila

TRANSLATION

When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu heard Vasudeva Datta's statement, His heart became

very soft. Tears flowed from His eyes, and He began to tremble. In a faltering

voice He spoke as follows.

Madhya 15.165

TEXT 165

"tomara vicitra nahe, tumi--saksat prahlada

tomara upare krsnera sampurna prasada

TRANSLATION

Accepting Vasudeva Datta as a great devotee, the Lord said, "Such a statement

is not at all astonishing because you are the incarnation of Prahlada Maharaja.

It appears that Lord Krsna has bestowed complete mercy upon you. There is no

doubt about it.