Sri Jahnava Devi App & Srila Madhu Pandit Disapp on 12th May

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Sri Madhupandit Govami

 

Vrajanabha, Lord Krishna's great-grandson, installed the original Gopinatha

Deity in Vrndavana over five-thousand years ago. About five-hundred years

ago, Paramananda Bhattarcharya discovered the Deity in the earth at

Vamsivata on the banks of the Yamuna. Madhupandit Gosvami, a disciple of

Sri Gadadhara Pandit, worshiped the Gopinatha Deity.

 

Bhakti-ratnakar says that Sri Gopinathaji, who is an ocean of mercy, forever

sports along the enchanting banks of the Yamuna at Vamsivata. His bodily

luster steals the mind of whoever sees Him. When the soothing sweetness of

Gopinathaji's charming form enters the heart it immediately extinguishes the

burning fire of material existence. Now the original Gopinatha Deity stays

in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

 

Madhupandit Gosvami blessed Srinivasa Acarya with Gopinatha's garland before

Srinivasa, Narottama, and Syamananda took the bullock cart off Gosvami

granthas from Vrndavana. In Goloka Vrndavana, Madhupandit Gosvami serves as

Mandali-sakhi in the group of Campakalata-sakhi. The samadhi of Madhupandit

Gosvami is on the right side of the entrance within the compound off the

Radha-Gopinatha temple in Vrndavana (21,112)

 

Jahnava Mata

Sri Nityananda's two wives, Sri Vasudha and Sri Jahnava Devi, are expansions

of Lord Balarama's eternal consorts Varuni and Revati.

 

After the disappearance of the Panca-tattva and many of Lord Caitanya's

eternal associates, a huge sankirtana festival was held in Kheturi on

Gaura-Purnima. Thousands of Lord Gauranga's followers such as Narottama,

Syamananda, Srinivasa, Vrndavana Dasa, Murari Caitanya, Paramesvara, and

Miniketana Rama attended the first Kheturi Sankirtana Mahotsava.

 

They celebrated Gauranga's appearance day with thunderous chanting,

exuberant dancing, tasty prasadam. Six sets of beautiful Deities were

installed. Sri Jahnava Mata cooked a matchless feast and personally served

all the Vaisnavas. During Narottama Dasa Thakura's prema nama kirtana, Sri

Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Nityananda Prabhu, and all Their associates

suddenly appeared to the delight of all.

Ma Jahnava, an affectionate name given by the devotees, traveled throughout

Gaura and Vraja mandalas. Wherever she went the Gaura bhaktas happily

greeted and served her. Known as Nityananda-svarupini, Jahnava Devi

overflowed with prema bhakti. She delivered many atheists and sinners by her

compassionate preaching.

Srila Thakura Bhaktivinoda offers this prayer to Jahnava Mata in

Kalyana-kalpa-taru: ''O Jahnava Devi! By the power of your divine qualities,

be merciful to this servant of yours. Dispel this illusion which torments

me. And relieve me of material existence. Let me take shelter at your lotus

feet. You are Nityananda-sakti, the divine energy of Lord Nityananda

Himself. You are the guru of Krishna bhakti. Be merciful to me and grant me

the shade of your lotus feet, which are like a desire tree. You have

delivered countless abominable sinners. Please deliver me in the same way.

Today, praying for your mercy, this lowly sinner falls at your holy feet.''

It is said that Sri Jahnava Devi left this world by entering the Deity of

Gopinatha in Vrndavana.Thorughout the village of Khardaha, news spread that

Srinivasa from Cakhandi had arrived.

People throughout the village came forward eagerly to meet him.

Parameswari Dasa took Srinivasa to the house of Nityananda Prabhu.

Drenched with the tears from his own eyes, Srinivasa offered his obeisances

at the lotus feet of the Eternal Consort of Nityananda, Sri Jahnava devi.

 

Favor of Sri Vasuda, Jahnava and Virabhadra towards Srinivasa

 

When Sri Vasuda devi, Jahnava devi and VIrabhadra met Srinivasa they became

very happy. Although they had suffered unbearable pain since the separation

of Nityananda Prabhu, still they experienced joy upon seeing Srinivasa.

Srinivasa remained there for four or five days as no one would allow him to

leave. Devotees like Surya Dasa, Pandita Gauri Dasa, Mahesh Pandita and

others best owed their mercy upon him.

 

At last Jahnava devi, Virabhadra Prabhu and the other devotees advised

Srinivasa to go to Vrndavana. Sri Vasuda and Jahnava told him affectionately

that he should first visit the house of Abhirama Gopala. His eyes

overflowing with tears, Srinivasa offered his obeisances to them both and

took his leave.

 

The arrival of Jahnava devi from Khardaha

 

Sri Jahnava devi, who lived in Khardaha, decided to attend the festival in

Kheturi. She simultaneously received a divine message from Mahaprabhu in

which he ordered her to go to Kheturi as soon as possible for Srinivasa,

Narottama and others were waiting for her. He also told her that because of

the desire of his disciples Srinivasa and Narottama, he himself and his

intimate associates would appear in that festival to sing and dance in the

sankirtana. Sri Jahnava Isvari was overjoyed by the appearance and the

instructions of her Lord. She left at once for Kheturi.

 

The people of Khardaha heard about her journey and came out to meet her. She

entrusted responsibilities to the correct persons and then gave some

important information to Sri Vasudha devi. She had to console Ganga and

Vira Bhadra affectionately when she left Khardaha with her disciples who

were all great Bhagavatas. Her disciples included Krsnadasa Sarakhel,

Madhava Acarya, Raghupati Vaidya Upaddhaya, Sri Minaketana Ramadasa,

Manohara, Murari Caitanya, Guyanadasa, Mahidhara, Sri Sankara, Sri Kamala

Karappalai, Nrsimha, Caitanya, Jiva, Pandita Kanai, Gauranga, Nakari,

Krsnadasa, Damodara, Sri Parameswari, Balarama, Sri Mukunda, Dasa Vrndavana

and others. She also took many maidservants with her.

Sri Jahnava walked for some distance but later accepted a man carried

palanquin. As she passed through different villages, people came forward to

meet her. Nayana Vaskara of Halisahara joined her party as did Raghunatha

Acarya, the lame brother of Bhagavan. Many devotional people joined their

party including Vanika, a servant of Nityananda. When she reached Ambina, a

great crowd of people came out to meet her. Sri Caitanya dasa, the son of

Vamsidasa, also joined their group along with Sri Hrdaya Caitanya and Sri

Hrdaya Nanda.

 

Sri Jahnava visits the house of Srivasa during her journey

 

As they approached Navadvipa, each member of the travelling party hoped to

visit the holy place although the memory of Mahaprabhu saddened them. As

they entered the holy dhama, some cried loudly and others fainted on the

ground. Sripati and Srinidhi, the two brothers of Srivasa, welcomed them to

Navadvipa where they first bathed in the river Ganga and later went to the

house of Srivasa. As Sri Jahnava was wondering why no one had come from

Santipura to meet her, Sri Acyuta nanda and Sri Gopala, the two sons of

Advaita Acarya came with a large party of vaisnavas to meet Sri Isvari. In

that party were Sri Kanu Pandita, Dasa Narayana, Visnudasa Acarya, Kamadeva,

Janardana, Banamali, Purusottama and others. All of them were happy with the

meeting with Sri Jahnava Isvari and she was so satisfied by their

hospitality that she decided to stay another two or three days in Navadvipa.

Sripati, Srinidhi and others decided to accompany her to Kheturi.

 

Sri Jahnava devi visits Kantaka nagara

 

In the morning the travelling party started for Kantaka Nagara and on their

way Krsnadasa of Akaihata joined them. Yadunandana and others warmly

welcomed them to the house of Gauranga. Meanwhile Sri Raghunandana and his

companions from Sri Khanda arrived there on their way to Kheturi. The

numerous mahantas in their party which was travelling to Kheturi included

Sivananda, Baninath Varja, Vallabha, Caitanyadasa, Sri Hari Acarya,

Bhagavata Acarya, Nartaka Gopala, Jita Misra, Kasinath Misra, Nayana Misra,

Kastakata Jagannatha, Uddhava, Sri Puspha Gopala, Raghunatha, Laksminath

Pandita and others. People of the village took great pleasure in the meeting

of the Vaisnavas. When the mahantas visited the place from where Mahaprabhu

had started his ascetic life they shed tears in grief. By the wish of

Mahaprabhu they controlled their emotions after sometime. They were glad to

hear that Dasa Gadadhara had seen Sri Gauranga in his dream.

 

Sri Jahnava cooked various types of delicious food which she first offered

to Gaura Candra and then fed affectionately to the different mahantas. Sri

Yadunandana and his followers did not take their meal until after Sri Isvari

had eaten. After the meal, they all engaged in nama san kirtana in the

courtyard of Gauranga. Thereafter Sri Yadunandana and his followers prepared

for the trip to Kheturi. Within each village, people were satisfied to see

the mahantas on their way to the great festival. Because of the presence of

the great Vaisnavas, each village they entered became a holy place and the

people of the village became fortunate. That day they rested in the village

of Telia Budhari and the happiness of the villagers was boundless.

 

When they left Budhari for Kheturi, the villagers accompanied them to the

bank of the river Padmavati. Sri Santosh Dutta had hired a large boat which

took them to the opposite bank of the river. Upon the arrival of the

Vaisnavas and Mahantas, Kheturi village became the center point of divine

happiness.

 

Srinivasa and Sri Narottama led the party which came forward to receive the

honored guests and the village people fell at the feet of the great

Bhagavatas. Seeing the reception one man commented that formerly the

villagers had been heretics but by the association of Narottama they had all

become religious.

 

Srinivasa and Narottama arranged individual living places for each guest.

The vaisnavas were astonished to see so many living places, such a vast

stock of food and so many attendants taking responsibility for the festival.

 

Sankirtana of Thakura Narottama and his followers

 

Sri Jahnava Isvari stared continuously at Narottama, infusing him with

spiritual power beyond the comprehension of common men

 

Sri Jahnava distributes Maha prasad

Sri Jahnava instructed Sri Madhava to invite the Mahantas to take their

seats and enjoy mahaprasad. Sri Acyuta, Sripati and others happily agreed to

Madhava's polite request and Sri Iswari distributed mahaprasad to them with

her own hands. They all appreciated the excellent preparations made by Sri

Isvari and ate them with great pleasure. After washing their hands and

mouths the mahantas went to their personal resting places. Then Sri Isvari

affectionately distributed prasad to Srinivasa and others, and when they

had finished she also ate some mahaprasad. In addition she fed many people

of Kheturi. In this way the great Vaisnavas passed the night of Prapapida

and decided to leave for their respective homes on the day of Dwaraka.