Sri Raghunandana Thakura -- Appearance

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SRI RAGHUNANDANA THAKURA

 

1)

 

"Sri Khandavasi Mukunda and his son Raghunandana were the thirty-ninth

branch

of the all-merciful tree of Lord Caitanya. Sri Mukunda dasa, Madhava dasa

and

Sri Narahari Sarakara Thakura were three brothers who lived in the village

of

Khanda. Raghunandana was the son of Sri Mukunda dasa." [C.C. Madhya

15.112-113]

 

"In the house of Sri Mukunda Das, who lives at Sri Khanda, Lord Sri Gopinath

is served with great devotion. One day Mukunda was called out to do some

work,

and then he instructed his son Raghunandan to worship the deity and asked

him

to serve the Lord Gopinath that day. He explained to him that this deity is

in

our family for many generations and thus He has been worshipped by my father

and his father and his father on and on, in this way for many years. Just as

your mother feeds you and I everyday, so also He has to be fed everyday.

Having explained to Raghunandan that this is a very big responsibility and

he

should be very careful to give his full attention to this service, Mukunda

went out. Raghunandan meanwhile having been instructed by his father,

collected the items for offering to Sri Gopinathji and entered into the

deity

room. Raghunandan was at that time barely 5 years old and therefore, when he

saw that Gopinath hadn't eaten the offering after he had imitated how his

father offered the bhoga, he became very worried. Ultimately he simply

requested Gopinath with tears in his eyes: "Please eat! Eat!" Gopinath

became

completely subjected by Raghunandan's simple request, which was made

entirely

in love, and thus he stealthily ate up everything without leaving any

remnants.

 

After some time Raghunandan's father, Mukunda, returned and asked his son if

he had done as he was told. When his son replied "Yes", then Mukunda asked

him

to bring some of the prasadam. Raghunandan replied, "Prasadam? I offered

everything just like you told me, and Gopinath ate everything; so what

should

I bring you now?" Mukunda was completely taken aback. "This boy is not

naughty

and is always accustomed to speak the truth. I doubt if he could have eaten

everything. I wonder what actually happened?"

 

"Musing on this matter in this way for some time, on another day his

curiosity

was so stirred that he again requested Raghunandan to offer the bhoga to

Gopinath on that day. On this day however, having gone out of the house, he

again came in by another way and remained hiding in one place. Raghunandan

was

very happy to be able to serve Sri Gopinathji again and brought everything

into the deity room. As before, he again very insistently persuaded Gopinath

to take his meal. As Gopinath had eaten half of a laddu, he espied Mukunda

peering out from his hiding spot. He didn't try to cover up the fact that he

had eaten what he had, but neither did he eat anymore. Seeing all this

Mukunda

was completely immersed in ecstatic love and picked up his son and put him

on

his lap. He extolled his virtues in a voice trembling with ecstasy, all the

while torrents of tears of joy falling from his eyes. Even today, those who

are greatly fortunate can still see that half-eaten laddu in Gopinatha's

lotus

hand. Thus Sri Uddhava das sings the glories of Raghunandan, who is

nondifferent from Madan (Cupid)."

 

raghunandana seva kare krsnera mandire

dvare puskarini, tara ghatera upare

 

kadambera eka vrkse phute bara-mase

nitya dui phula haya krsna-avatamse

 

"Raghunandana is constantly engaged in serving the temple of Lord Krsna.

Beside the entrance of the temple is a lake, and on its banks is a kadamba

tree, which daily delivers two flowers to be used for Krsna's service."

[C.c.

Madhya 15.128-129]

 

Raghunandan was present at the Khetori Utsava. In Krsna lila he was Kandarpa

Manjari & in Dwaraka lila he was Sri Krsna's son Kandarpa. Raghunandan's son

is Kanai Thakur. His descendents are still residing four miles west of Katwa

at Sri Khanda. Sri Khanda can be easily reached from Katwa by bus or train.

 

He was born in the year 1432 Sakabda.

 

2)

 

In Srikhanda lived three brothers, Sri Mukunda dasa, Sri Madhava dasa and

Sri

Narahari Sarkara Thakura. The son of Sri Mukunda dasa Thakura was Sri

Raghunandana Thakura. Although Sri Mukunda was the royal physician, he was

always absorbed in ecstatic love for Lord Krsna.

 

One day in the midst of the royal court Mukunda dasa saw the King's

peacock-feather fan and fainted due to remembrance of Sri Krsna. When the

Badshah questioned him about his behavior, Mukunda tried to conceal his

actual

condition by stating that he had fallen due to epilepsy. The emperor,

however,

understood his exalted devotional state and respectfully had him escorted

home.

 

Every year these three brothers came to take darsana of Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu's lotus feet and to perform kirtana during the Ratha-yatra

festival

in Puri. Once Mahaprabhu affectionately addressed Mukunda, "Mukunda, between

you and Raghunandana, who is the father and who is the son?" Sri Mukunda

replied, "Raghunandana is my father! The actual father is he from whom we

receive Krsna bhakti." The Lord said, "You are right." Then Caitanya

Mahaprabhu ordered Sri Raghunandana to worship the Deity daily.

 

In his childhood Raghunandana once fed the Deity sweets. This pastime has

been

beautifully described by Uddhava dasa in his padas. The theme of the song is

that by Raghunandana's earnest prayer, Sri Krsna personally appeared and ate

half of the sweet offered. The other half of that sweet is still in

Srikhanda

temple.

 

The festival held by Narottama Thakura and Srinivasa Acarya in Kheturi was

attended by Sri Raghunandana, who performed kirtana there. Once Sri Abhirama

Gopala Thakura and Sri Raghunandana Thakura were performing kirtana and

dancing at Badadangi. While dancing, Sri Raghunandana Thakura's anklet came

off and fell into a pond at Akai-hati, which is located approximately 2/3

miles from Badadangi. Since then the pond has been known as "Nupura kunda".

At

present the anklet is in the custody of the Mahantas of Badui village, south

of Akai-hati.

 

Sri Raghunandana was Kandarpa manjari in Krsna lila and in Dvaraka lila was

Kandarpa, the son of Sri Krsna.

 

The descendants of Sri Kanai Thakura, the son of Sri Raghunandana are still

in

Srikhanda. Sri Pancanan Kaviraja of Srikhanda was born in this family. Sri

Raghunandana was born in the Saka era of 1432. (GGD. 70; CC. 1.10.78; BRK.

13.177-179, 184)