SRI VAKRESHWAR PANDITA-- Appearence Day on 26th june 05

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna

Dear Devotees

PAMHO,AGTSGM,AGTSP

Pl glorify Sri Varkeshwar panditji for his appearence

day falling tomorrow

yr hs

radhabhava gaur das

 

Sri Vakreshwar Pandit was present with Sriman

Mahaprabhu during His pastimes in Navadwipa and after

his acceptance of Sannyasa he also accompanied Him to

Jagannath Puri. During the time of the Lord's

residence in Puri he continued to live with Him there

as well. Sri Vakreshwar Pandit took birth in the

village of Guptipara near Triveni. He was an

especially proficient dancer and kirtaniya and could

dance continuously for 72 hours.

When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu began His pastimes of

congregational chanting of the Holy Name of Sri Hari

in Navadwip, Sri Vakreshwar Pandit was an important

singer and dancer in that assembly. It was by His

mercy that Devananda Pandit was delivered from the

wrath of Mahaprabhu. He was also present during the

Lord's journey to Ramakeli. Devananda Pandit was, at

one time, known as the foremost lecturer on the

Bhagavat. One day Srivas Pandit went to hear his

discourse, and being moved in ecstatic love by hearing

the Bhagavatam, he began to cry. A few of the ignorant

students of Devananda Pandit, thinking that this was

creating a disturbance, removed Srivas Pandit from the

assembly and left him outside. Though this was done in

front of Devananda he didn't restrain his students

from this act of disregard to the devotee - Bhagavat.

There are two types of Bhagavat - the book bhagavat

and the devotee bhagavat. For this reason, Devananda

Pandit became implicated in an offense to a great

devotee (maha-bhagavat). When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

came to hear how his dear devotee, Srivas Pandit, had

been disrespected, he gave many instructions

concerning the Bhagavat. He told that those who read

the book Bhagavat but don't offer respects to the

devotee-Bhagavat, are simply offenders, though they

may read the Bhagavat for eons, still they will never

attain love of Godhead. The devotee bhagavata and the

book bhagavata are non-different. In order to

understand the book bhagavat one must first sincerely

serve the devotee-bhagavata. Therefore Mahaprabhu

neglected Devananda and didn't bestow His mercy on

him. One evening Vakreshwar Pandit came to perform

dancing and chanting of the Holy Name at the house of

one devotee from Kulia, across the bank of the Ganga

from Nadia. Receiving this auspicious news Devananda

proceeded there, and upon seeing the appearance of the

symptoms of divine love in the person of Sri

Vakreshwar Pandit he became charmed. Gradually a great

crowd gathered at that place, and Devananda Pandit,

taking a cane in his hand, kept the crowd in order so

as not to obstruct the ecstatic dancing of Sri

Vakreshwar Pandit.

In this way, Vakreshwar Pandit performed chanting, and

dancing for two praharas (six hours), on into the

night. When he finished dancing and sat down,

Devananda came and offered dandavats at the lotus feet

of Sri Vakreshwar Pandit, who became pleased with this

service and blessed Devananda with the words

"Krsna-bhakti hauk" - "May you attain devotion to Sri

Lord Krsna." From that day devotion was awakened in

the heart of Devananda by the mercy of Vakreshwar

Pandit. Thereafter when Mahaprabhu came to Nadia to

have darshan of his mother and mother Ganges, he

bestowed His mercy on Devananda at Kulia. "Because you

have served Vakreshwar I have noticed you. Vakreshwar

is fully imbued with the Lord's transcendental energy,

and whoever becomes devoted to him, attains to the

lotus feet of Sri Krsna. His heart is the personal

abode of Sri Krsna and as Sri Krsna dances, so

Vakreshwar also dances. Wherever one can get the

association of Vakreshwar, that place is the sum total

of all Holy places and is as good as Sri Vaikuntha."

Sri Vakreshwar Pandit's disciple was Gopal Guru

Goswami and Gopal Guru Goswami's disciple was Sri

Dhyanchananda Goswami. In his Dhyan Chandra Paddhati -

Dhyan Chandra Goswami has written - "that person who

was previously very expert in the arts of singing and

dancing, the gopi, Tungavidya, is presently renowned

in the world as Vakreshwar Pandit. He has appeared on

the fifth day of the dark fortnight of the month of

Asar (Ashadha - June-July - Vaman mase) and he closed

his pastimes in this world on the sixth day of the

bright fortnight of the month Asar. While Vakreshwar

danced, Mahaprabhu Himself would sing and Vakreshwar

would catch hold of His lotus feet, saying; "O

moonfaced one, give me 10,000 gandharvas, and let them

sing while I dance. Then I will be happy." Mahaprabhu

answered, "You are one of my wings. If I had another

(like you) I could fly in the sky."

[C. C. Adi 10.17]. Vakreshwar Pandit's worshippable

deity is Sri Sri Radha-kanta, whom he worshipped in

Kasi Misra's house, which was also the residence of

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (Gambhira). These Deities are

still being worshipped there to this day.

 

 

 

 

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