Sri Abhirama Thakura -- Disappearance Thursday, 20 Apr 2006

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SRI ABHIRAMA GOPALA THAKURA Sri Abhirama Thakura was known as Abhirama Gopala

and also as Rama dasa Bhirama dasa. "Who was previously known as Sridama, a

gopa during Krsna-lila, is now renowned as Abhirama or Rama dasa. He was the

favorite of Nityananda Prabhu. One day, Krsna, Balarama and their cowherd

friends were playing a game of hide and seek. In the middle of Their game,

Krsna decided to go to Nadia to enjoy His pastimes there, and so, taking with

Him Balarama and all Their friends, He advented Himself in Navadwipa. Somehow

or other, He forgot Sridama, who remained in his hiding place in a cave. After

a while Krsna noticed that Sridam had been left behind and sent Balarama as

Nityananda, Who found Sridam and told him: "Come on! We've all gone to Nadia

to play there!" Sridama asked, "Who are You?" "I'm your Lord Balarama.

Can't you recognize me?" "You can't be my Lord Balaram. You're too small."

[in Kali yuga the measurement of the body is 3.5 hands, whereas in Dwapara-yuga

it is 7 hands.] "If you don't believe Me, then take off running. If I can't

catch you within ten paces, then you'll know I'm not Balarama." "All right!

Catch me if You can!" Sridama took off running, but Nityananda Prabhu

immediately caught him. But now Sridama told Him, "Now lookee here, You dudes

left me behind, so I ain't goin' to yer Nuddia or whatever the joint is

called." Nityananda Prabhu kept coaxing him but Sridama was adamant. Finally

he manifested an expansion of himself, Rama dasa, who agreed to go. But Sridam

still wanted to remain behind as his feelings were greatly hurt. Rama dasa

was also dissatisfied and very prone to anger. When Nityananda Prabhu's first

child was born, Abhirama Thakura came to offer his obeisances to the child, who

died on the spot. In this way, seven of Nityananda's children had to depart

from this world just after taking birth. Finally a daughter, Ganga-devi, was

born to Nityananda Prabhu and Vasudha devi. When, after offering his obeisances

to the child, Abhirama Thakur saw that the baby was unaffected

he exclaimed, "This time we havn't been deceived!" Then he immediately

composed one hundred verses in praise of Ganga-devi. When Viracandra Prabhu

took his birth, Abhirama again came to offer his obeisances. When he saw that

Viracandra was unaffected, he composed Sri Birbhadrastakam. If Abhirama

Thakura would offer his obeisances to any stone other then a Shalagram-sila,

that stone would crack. One time, Abhirama Thakur came to Sri Khanda, wanting

to meet Raghunandana Thakura. Mukunda dasa was aware of his reputation and thus

told the Thakura that Raghunandana wasn't there. Feeling disappointed, Abhirama

departed. When Raghunandan heard that Abhirama Thakura had come to meet him, he

ran to catch up with the Thakura. Finally he met him at Bor Danga, where they

danced together in ecstasy. When Raghunandana was dancing his nupur (ankle

bracelet) came off and fell down at Akaihat, where Kaliya Krsna dasa used to do

his bhajan. This nupur is still being worshiped along with

Kaliya Krsna Thakura's Deity at Karvi, not far from Katwa. Gopala guru

Gosvami was also similarly tested by Abhirama Thakura when he was only a small

boy living with Mahaprabhu in Puri. By the mercy of Mahaprabhu, Who invested

His potency in Gopala guru, the boy emerged unscathed. Abhirama Thakura's

Sripat is at Khanakhul Krsnanagar. Khanakhul Krsnanagar can be reached by bus

from Tarakeshwar, which is connected by train from Bandel station. It can also

be reached by bus from Atapur, the Sripat of Patameshvari dasa Thakura. His

wife's name was Sri Malini-devi. His worshippable Deity Sri Gopinathji Who,

after first appearing to him in a dream, manifested Himself at Khanakhul

Krsnanagar. The legend is that He appeared in a dream to Abhirama Thakura and

said, "I am within the earth here. Please take Me out and worship Me." Abhirama

dasa excavated in that place and found within the womb of the earth the

all-enchanting form of Sri Gopinathji. That place where the deity

was found became known as Ram Kund. "In the place where Sri Gopinathji

advented Himself a lake was formed, and the water contained therein was sweet

as nectar. Whoever bathed in or drank that water became beside himself with

ecstasy. Thereafter, this land has become famous as Ram Kund. Having heard of

these divine pastimes of Sri Gopinathji an incessant flow of people descended

on that place like the waters of the Ganges River." [bhakti-Ratnakar Taranga

4] One day while in a state of rapture in rememberance of Sri Krsna, Abhirama

Thakura, in the mood of cowherd boy, desired to play the flute. In the madness

of ecstatic love he began to search in all directions for one. Then he saw

before him a large trunk of a tree which not even sixteen men could lift. Out

of this he fashioned a flute and began to play it. "Rama dasa, one of the chief

branches, was full of fraternal love of Godhead. He made a flute from a stick

with sixteen knots." [C.C. Adi 11.16] Sri Abhirama

Thakura had a celebrated whip, whose name was Jaya- Mangala. Whoever was

touched with that whip had the symptoms of love of Krsna awakened within their

person. One day, Srinivasa Acarya came to meet Abhirama Thakura. After

touching him three times with his whip, his wife Malini-devi exclaimed,

"Thakura, don't beat him anymore! Restrain yourself! He is just a boy. He'll

become overly excited by the touch of your whip." Meanwhile, Srinivasa had

become completely drowned in Krsna-prema. When Sri Gaurasundara ordered

Nityananda prabhu to preach in Gaudadesa (Bengal), he sent with him Sri Rama

dasa, Sri Gadadhar dasa and others. The atheists trembled in fear at the sight

of Abhirama Thakura. He was a learned scholar of the scriptures. According to

the desire of Nityananda Prabhu he married. His disappearance is on the seventh

day of the dark fortnight of the month of Caitra. The descendants of the

disciples of Abhirama Thakura are still living within the districts of

Hugli and Bankura, at Krsnanagar, Amta, Visnupur and Kotalpur.

 

 

 

 

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