Thought of the week: Shrinivas Acaraya

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Shrinivas Acaraya is one of the most important acarya in the generation

immediately following Caitanya Mahaprabhu. An illustrious disciple of Gopal

Bhatta Goswami and Jiva Goswami his achievements include leading the very first

book distribution party in the history of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, converting a

king and his entire kingdom to Vaishnava religion, originating the Manohar Shoy

style of kirtana, developing elaborate techniques of Manjari-sadhana and

co-organizing the first Gaur-purnima festival to celebrate the birth

anniversary of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

The beginnings

**************

In a small village of Chakhandi lived a pious Brahman names Gangadhar

Bhattacharya and his wife Lakshmi-priya. Both were great devotees of Caitanya

Mahaprabhu and Gangadhar was fortunate to witness the sannyasa ceremony of

Mahaprabhu in Katwa. He returned filled with such love for Mahaprabhu that the

villagers renamed him Caitanya Das. Later the childless couple traveled to Puri

to serve Mahaprabhu, and here they received a benediction from Him to soon

expect the birth of a great personality. Thus blessed, in the first decade of

1500, Shrinivas was born.

 

Growing up

**********

Shrinivas grew up to be the brightest, most beautiful and beloved boy of

Chakhandi. He studied under the famed Dhananjaya Vidyavachaspati, who would

later admit that there was nothing he could teach Shrinivas, "since the boy

already knows more than I can ever hope to learn". Due to his fame, Shrinivas

came in contact with Narahari Sarakar, an intimate associate and devotee of

Mahaprabhu. He accepted Narahari as an instructing guru and later approached

him for initiation. Narahari however declined saying that it was Mahaprabhu's

will that he be initiated by Gopal Bhatta Goswami in Vrindavana. He also

instructed Shrinivas to meet Mahaprabhu in Puri.

 

Missed opportunities

********************

The next few years were one of missed opportunities were Shrinivas would often

come close to getting mercy but missing it. His departure to Puri was delayed

by the untimely demise of his father. By the time Shrinivas finished

arrangements and started to Puri, he was devastated to find out that Mahaprabhu

had left His body. On reaching Puri, he took shelter of Gadadhara Pandit, to

study the Bhagavatam under him. However the only copy of Bhagavatam in Puri had

been rendered ineligible by the tears of ecstasy that Mahaprabhu and Gadadhara

had shed while reading it. So Shrinivas returned to Bengal to procure the only

other copy from Narahari. However by the time he returned, Gadadhara Pandit,

unable to bear the separation with His Lord any more had also left the planet.

The devastated Shrinivas is said to have completely withdrawn for many years.

 

Destination Vrindavana

**********************

Not much is known of these missing years, though it is said that the teenaged

Shrinivas may have spent pursuing his studies. Finally Sanatana Goswami send

him instructions by Narahari to come to Vrindavana and study under him. A

rejuvenated Shrinivas set for Vrindavana. As was customary, Shrinivas traveled

slowly visiting all the holy places of pilgrimage and associating with advanced

devotees on the way. However on the way to Vrindavana, he was once again heart

broken to hear that both Rupa and Sanatana Goswami had left the planet. In

great depression, a completely bewildered Shrinivas contemplated giving up his

life. However by the mercy of Rupa and Sanatana Goswami, he understood by

divine vision that he was intended to serve under Gopal Bhatta and Jiva

Goswami.

 

Initiation and association

**************************

In Vrindavana, Shrinivas was warmly greeting by Gopal Bhatta and Jiva Goswami.

Here he was instructed by these two luminaries and accepted as a disciple by

Gopal Bhatta Goswami. Soon two other personalities who would be as famous and

important as Shrinivas appeared in Vrindavana. They were Narottama Das and

Shyamananda. The three soon became close friend and studied the scriptures

under the greatest master of the time, Jiva Goswami. They also studied the

Vrindavan forests in association with Raghava Pandit, said to be an incarnation

of Dhanistha, an intimate gopi associate of Krishna in Braja lila.

 

The mission begins

******************

After having sufficiently being trained the three devotees were now ready for

the next phase, which would become their life mission. While Caitanya

Mahaprabhu had inundated the world with Krishna prema, the six Goswamis had

captured that in their writings and Shrinivas with Narottama and Shyamanada

were now going to distribute this love of Godhead. In a ceremony, Jiva Goswami

named Shrinivas as Shrinivas Acharya. He entrusted all the original writing of

the six Goswamis in a big trunk and the three devotees started on their journey

to Gauda desa (Bengal) with ten guards and two cart drivers. Thus began the

first travelling sankirtan party.

 

Books stolen

************

Enroute the procession passed through Gopalpur in the kingdom of Vana

Vishnupur, belonging to the powerful Malla dynasty. However its king,

Birhambhir also patronized a band of dacoits who would routinely plunder people

travelling through their kingdom. They had been following the book laden cart

for some time, thinking it to be a priceless treasure. One night while the

exhausted travelers slept, the trunk was stolen. One can only imagine the sorry

plight of Shrinivas Acharya and his companions when they discovered the theft.

However as devotees, they were fixed in their service, and Shrinivas Acharya

advised Narottam Thakur and Shyamananda Pandit to continue with their mission

while he would stay and try to recover the books.

 

Mercy on the king

*****************

King Birhambhir was extremely disappointed at discovering holy writing where he

was expecting gold and diamonds. However it is said that just by touching these

books he felt spiritually charged and was filled with remorse at the sin he had

committed. One day he dreamt of a holy man consoling him and assuring him that

he would come and get the books. A few days later Shrinivas Acharya came to his

court to hear a professional reciter chanting the Srimad Bhagavatam. After two

weeks of superficial interoperations Shrinivas Acharya humbly submitted that

there were deeper aspects to the scripture. On being challenged, he began

reciting the Bhagavatam, explaining with great depth the verses and their

connotations. The entire court, the king and even the previous reciter became

transcendentally blissful at hearing the Bhagavatam from a pure devotee. The

king recognizing Shrinivas Acharya as the person from his dreams surrendered to

him for mercy. He returned the priceless books and !

was the first king of a major state to become a Vaishnava. Eventually his

entire kingdom would becomes a flourishing center of Vaishnavism.

 

Transcendental pastimes

***********************

Shrinivas Acharya then resided for some time in Jajigram, serving his old

mother and according to her desires married. He continued preaching strongly

and initiated 117 disciples. His most confidential disciple, Ramchandra

Kaviraj, was inseparable from him and would later become a prominent preacher.

After some time Shrinivas Acharya went back to Vrindavana where he was greeted

by Jiva and Gopala Bhatta Goswami. He received many instructions from his gurus

and developed a deep relationship with Shyamananda Pandit, who was also present

there. He later returned to visit Vishnupur which by now a completely Vaishnava

state living by the Vedic scriptures. Following this he returned to Jajigram to

continue his missionary work.

 

Divine meditation

*****************

With time Shrinivas Acharya became more and more absorbed in Krishna bhakti and

would many times go into deep meditation, completely loosing external body

consciousness. In these meditations (manasa seva), Shrinivas Acharya would

participate in the eternal spiritual pastimes of His lord and some time return

carrying symptoms of these. The Bhakti-ratnakara relates how once while

meditating on serving Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he received a garland of flowers

from the Lord, and awoke to find a fragrant garland around his neck. In another

instance while meditating on the water pastimes of the Divine Couple, he

remained in trance for several days, until his disciple Ramchandra Kaviraj, by

his mystic powers entered into his trance and fetched him back. However like a

pure devotee, Shrinivas Acharya kept his intimate relationship with his Lord a

secret and would reveal it only to his most confidential associates.

 

Final Pastimes

**************

Shrinivas Acharya composed five lyrical works called "padas" found in the

Karnananda. He wrote an excellent commentary on the cathursloki (four original

slokas of the Bhagavatam) which is widely read to this day. He also composed

the popularly recited Shat-Goswami ashtakam, eight prayers to the six Goswamis.

His passing away is not documented by his loving disciples who preferred to

remember the exemplary life of this great devotee. Shrinivas Acharya is

regarded as the perfect symbol of Gaura-sakti, the love of Caitanya Mahaprabhu,

abundantly expressed in his preaching, his writings and his life.

 

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----- Festivals over the next week ------

Apr 04 2002, Thursday Appearance Sri Srivasa Pandita

Apr 08 2002, Monday Disappearance Sri Govinda Ghosh (Fast)

Ekadasi Papamocani (Break fast 05:41-07:18)

 

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