SRI ABHIRAMA GOPALA THAKURA

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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.