Srila Raghunandana Thakura & Srila Vamsivananda Thakura

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna,

 

 

 

PAMHO, AGTSP

 

 

 

 

Kindly glorify the pastimes of Srila Raghunandana Thakura & Srila

Vamsivananda Thakura on their disappearance day on 9th Aug

 

 

 

 

Your servant in mission of Srila Prabhupada

 

 

 

Nanda Gopal dasa

 

 

 

 

Srila Raghunandana Thakura

 

 

 

 

Being called away on medical business, Mukund Dasa once asked

his young son Raghunandan, to offer Raja bhoga to the family deity of

Gopinatha. Raghunanadan prepared everything timely carefully, and with great

devotion. When he made the offering he remembered his father’s order, “Make

sure the deity eats.” Ringing the bell the simple boy told the Gopinatha

deity, “Eat, eat!” Raghunandana began crying when he saw the untouched food

remaining on the deity’s plate. He feared his father’s anger for his

inability to “make the deity eat.” Gopinatha couldn’t resist the child’s

intense devotion. So the lord ate everything on the plate, leaving no

remnants.

 

Upon returning Mukunda asked for Gopinatha’s maha prasadam.

Raghunandan said the Deity ate everything. Astonished, Mukunda told his son

to make the offering again. From a hidden place Mukunda watched in total

amazement as Raghunandan offered a laddhu to Gopinatha. But the lord only

took half a laddhu. Mukunda understood that the deity only took half because

He was still full from eating the lunch offering again. From a hidden place

Mukunda watched in total amazement as Raghunandan offered a laddhu to

Gopinatha. But the Lord only took half a laddhu. Mukunda understood that the

Deity only took half because He was full from eating the lunch offering.

Choked with divine emotion in appreciation of his pure devotee son, Mukunda

embraced Raghunandana.

 

 

 

Later in Jagannatha Puri, Lord Gauranga lovingly asked Mukunda Dasa, ‘who is

the father and who is the son?’ Mukunda replied, ‘Raghunandan is definitely

my father. Because he has given me Krishna bhakti and showed me pure Krishna

consciousness.’ In Krishna lila, Raghunandana is Kandarpa-manjari or

Pradyumna (of the Catur-vyuha). His samadhi is in 64-samadhi area in

Vrndavana.

 

 

 

Adi lila 10

 

TEXTS 78–79

 

khaëòaväsé mukunda-däsa, çré-raghunandana

 

narahari-däsa, ciraïjéva, sulocana

 

ei saba mahäçäkhä——caitanya-kåpädhäma

 

prema-phala-phula kare yähäì tähäì däna

 

TRANSLATION

 

Çré Khaëòaväsé Mukunda and his son Raghunandana were the thirty-ninth branch

of the tree, Narahari was the fortieth, Ciraïjéva the forty-first and

Sulocana the forty-second. They were all big branches of the all-merciful

tree of Caitanya Mahäprabhu. They distributed the fruits and flowers of love

of Godhead anywhere and everywhere.

 

PURPORT

 

Çré Mukunda däsa was the son of Näräyaëa däsa and eldest brother of Narahari

Sarakära. His second brother’s name was Mädhava däsa, and his son was named

Raghunandana däsa. Descendants of Raghunandana däsa still live four miles

west of Katwa in the village named Çrékhaëòa, where Raghunandana däsa used

to live. Raghunandana had one son named Känäi, who had two sons—Madana Räya,

who was a disciple of Narahari Öhäkura, and Vaàçévadana. It is estimated

that at least four hundred men descended in this dynasty. All their names

are recorded in the village of Çrékhaëòa. In the Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä

(175) it is stated that the gopé whose name was Våndädevé became Mukunda

däsa, lived in Çrékhaëòa village and was very dear to Çré Caitanya

Mahäprabhu. His wonderful devotion and love for Kåñëa are described in the

Caitanya-caritämåta, Madhya-lélä, Chapter Fifteen. It is stated in the

Bhakti-ratnäkara (Eighth Wave) that Raghunandana used to serve a Deity of

Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu.

 

Narahari däsa Sarakära was a very famous devotee. Locana däsa Öhäkura, the

celebrated author of Çré Caitanya-maìgala, was his disciple. In the

Caitanya-maìgala it is stated that Çré Gadädhara däsa and Narahari Sarakära

were extremely dear to Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, but there is no specific

statement regarding the inhabitants of the village of Çrékhaëòa.

 

Ciraïjéva and Sulocana were both residents of Çrékhaëòa, where their

descendants are still living. Of Ciraïjéva’s two sons, the elder, Rämacandra

Kaviräja, was a disciple of Çréniväsa Acärya and an intimate associate of

Narottama däsa Öhäkura. The younger son was Govinda däsa Kaviräja, the

famous Vaiñëava poet. Ciraïjéva’s wife was Sunandä, and his father-in-law

was Dämodara Sena Kaviräja. Ciraïjéva previously lived on the bank of the

Ganges River, in the village of Kumäranagara. The Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä

(207) states that he was formerly Candrikä in Våndävana.

 

 

 

Madhya 15.112 - Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu then turned His attention to three

persons—Mukunda däsa, Raghunandana and Çré Narahari—inhabitants of the place

called Khaëòa.

 

 

 

Madhya 15.113 - Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, the son of mother Çacé, next asked

Mukunda däsa, “You are the father, and your son is Raghunandana. Is that so?

 

 

 

Madhya 15.114 - “Or is Çréla Raghunandana your father and you are his son?

Please let Me know the facts so that My doubts will go away.”

 

 

 

Madhya 15.115 - Mukunda replied, “Raghunandana is my father, and I am his

son. This is my decision.

 

 

 

Madhya 15.116 - “All of us have attained devotion to Kåñëa due to

Raghunandana. Therefore in my mind he is my father.”

 

 

 

Madhya 15.117 - Hearing Mukunda däsa give this proper decision, Çré Caitanya

Mahäprabhu confirmed it, saying, “Yes, it is correct. One who awakens

devotion to Kåñëa is certainly the spiritual master.”

 

 

 

 

Srila Raghunandana Thakura ki Jai!!!

 

 

 

 

Srila Vamsivananda Thakura

 

 

 

 

When Vamsivananda Thakura (Vamsi Dasa) appeared Lord Caitanya and Advaita

Acarya were staying in his home. After the disappearance of Srimati Vishnu

Priya Devi, Vamsi Dasa moved Her Mahaprabhu Deity to Koladvipa (Navadvipa).

He began worshiping Him along with Pranavallabha, a Deity of Krishna.

 

 

 

Vamsiananda wrote wonderful poems and songs expressing the philosophy of

Gaudiya Vaisnavism. He was also the incarnation of Lord Murlimanohara’s

flute (vamsi). So it’s not surprising that Vamsivananda Thakura’s works

contain sweet mellow expressions of devotion.

 

 

 

Srila Vamsivananda Thakura Ki Jai Jai !!!