SRILA GAURIDASA PANDITA DISAPPEARANCE

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SRILA GAURIDASA PANDITA DISAPPEARANCE - 30th or 31st July

 

"Gauridasa Pandit, the emblem of the most elevated devotional service in

love of Godhead, had the greatest potency to receive and deliver such love.

Making Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda the Lords of his life, Gauridasa

Pandit sacrificed everything for the service of Lord Nityananda."

(Caitanya-caritamrta)

 

Before taking sannyasa, Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda visited Gauridasa

Pandit in Ambika Kalna. Fearing their impending separation, Gauridasa cried

and begged the Lord to stay longer. Mahaprabhu made life-like neem wood

Deities of Gaura Nitai to console his loving servant. "Gauridasa, My murti

form is as good as I am," said Lord Gauranga, "We will forever remain in

your home to accept your service."

 

Gauridasa Pandit worshiped Gaura Nitai in many intimate ways--talking

sweetly to Them, cooking a variety of tasty foods, discussing sastra with

Them, attending to Their every need throughout the day. Even when old and

feeble, Gauridasa ceaselessly served his worshipable Lords Sri-Sri

Gaura-Nitai.

 

Although poor, he desired to decorate Gaura-Nitai with costly beautiful

ornaments. Knowing his mind, Gaura-Nityananda lavishly adorned Themselves.

Beholding Their exquisite beauty Gauridasa became astonished. "Where did

They get these ornaments?" he thought. Sri-Sri Gaura-Nitai would often enact

such transcendental pastimes in the home of Their pure devotee, Sri

Gauridasa Pandit.

 

One time, Caitanya Dasa, Gauridasa's foremost disciple, organized a huge

sankirtana festival on the bank of the Ganges. Enraptured by the kirtana,

Gauridasa's Deities jumped off the altar and joined the devotees in chanting

and dancing. Discovering the Deities missing from the temple, Gauridasa

grabbed a stick and ran to catch Gaura-Nitai. Seeing his angry mood,

Gaura-Nitai vanished. At that moment, Gauridasa watched in amazement to see

Gaura-Nitai enter the heart (hrdaya) of Caitanya Dasa. Gauridasa embraced

his beloved disciple, bathed him with tears, and said, "You are most

fortunate. From today your name will be Hrdaya Caitanya, one who holds Sri

Caitanya within his heart."

 

Since then Gaura-Nitai's darsana at Gauridasa Pandit's temple is offered in

many brief intervals like Banke-bihariji in Vrndavana. To keep Gaura-Nitai

from jumping off the altar, the pujaris open and quickly close the curtain

throughout the darsana time.

 

While doing bhajana in Dhira Samira Kunja in Vrndavana, Gauridasa Pandit

entered the eternal go carana lila (cowherding pastimes) of

Krishna-Balarama. In Vraja he is Subala, a dvadasa gopala. His samadhi is

within the Shyama-Raya temple compound in Dhira Samira, Vrndavana. (20,47)

 

 

Gauridasa, a disciple of Nityananda Prabhu, was one of the twelve

gopalas of Krsna in Vrindavana. He was Subala sakha in his past incarnation

(Gauraganoddesadipika 128). His Sripata is at Amvikanagara near the

district of Kalna. Before setting up his Sripata, he lived at Saligrama

near the Mudagacha railway station in the Nadia district. (Bhaktiratnakara

7.330-331)

 

The family tree of Gauridasa Pandita is described as follows:

 

Kansari Misra

_________________________|_

| | | |

| |

Damodara Jagannatha Suryadasa Gauridasa Krsnadasa Nrsimha-

| |

caitanya

| Vimala devi

| ( wife)

______________ | |

| | |

Vasudha devi Jahnava devi |

|

___________ |___________

| |

Balarama Raghunatha

 

 

Gauridasa'a mother was Kamala devi, and his father, Kansari Misra,

was a caste kulin brahmana. Suryadasa's two daughters, Vasudha and Jahnava,

were both married to Nityananda Prabhu.

 

Once Nityananda Prabhu and Lord Caitanya went in a country-boat,

rowing themselves, from Harinadi village to Gauridasa's house, there they

sat under the tamarind tree. Not having seen Lord Caitanya for a long time,

Gauridasa tried to coax the Lord into staying permanently at his house.

Lord Caitanya produced two beautiful wooden deities, one of Nityananda

Prabhu and one of Himself, made from a nearby margosa tree and presented

these to Gauridasa. It is said that due to Gauridasa's unflinching

devotion, when he offered bhoga to the deities, the offering was actually

seen to have been personally eaten by the deities.

 

Lord Caitanya gave His scull (used by Him for rowing the boat) to

Gauridasa as a gift saying, "I hand over this vaitha (scull) to you for

ferrying jivas across the worldly river of life (bhava-nadi)." The above

mentioned tamarind tree is still in existence at Amvikanagara. The scull,

as well as `The Gita' presented by Lord Caitanya to Gauridasa are both

present at the temple there. (Bhaktiratnakara 7.336.361)

 

There is a manuscript titled Suvalamangala composed by Natavara dasa

of Amvikanagara, which mentions that Gauridasa's disciple, Hridayacaitanya,

was the guru of the famous preacher Syamananda Prabhu of Orissa. Gauridasa's

granddaughter was married to the son of Hridayacaitanya. Disciples of the

present gosvamis of Amvikanagara, who are descendants from the family-line

of Hridayacaitanya, worship sakhyarasa.

 

SRILA GAURIDAS PANDIT IS NONE OTHER THAN SUBALA, THE MOST INTIMATE COWHERD

BOYFRIEND (PRIYA-NARMA SAKHA) OF LORD KRSNA IN VRINDAVAN.

 

Priya-Narma-Sakhas - Most Intimate Friends

 

"There are other friends who are still more confidential. They are called

priya-narma, or intimate friends (pg. 325)."

 

The priya-narma are the most intimate and exalted of all devotees in the

sakhya mood, because Krsna engages them in the very confidential service of

arranging His meetings with the gopis.

Principal Priya-Narmas

"Counted among the priya-narma friends are Subala, Arjuna, Gandharva,

Vasanta and Ujjvala (pg. 325)."

 

Their Bhakti

 

A gopi tells Srimati Radharani, "My dear Krsangi [delicate one], just see

how Subala is whispering Your message into Krsna's ear, how he is delivering

the confidential letter of Syama-dasi silently into Krsna's hand, how he is

delivering the betel nuts prepared by Palika into Krsna's mouth, and how he

is decorating Krsna with garland prepared by Taraka. Did you know, my dear

friend, that all these most intimate friends of Krsna are always engaged in

His service in this way? (pgs. 325 - 326)."

 

The Foremost Priya-Narma

 

"Out of the many intimate priya-narmas, Subala and Ujjvala are considered to

be the most prominent (pg. 326)."

 

Subala's Form

 

(Subala is slightly superior to Ujjvala): "His complexion is just like

molten gold. He is very, very dear to Krsna. He always has a garland around

his neck, and he wears yellow clothing. His eyes are just like lotus flower

petals... (pg. 326)."

 

Subala's Bhakti

 

When Krsna would speak to Subala no one else could understand what they were

saying; not even the assembly of sakhis who are expert in understanding

Krsna's subtle gestures and movements. Subala's superior intimacy would thus

become evident. Srila Prabhupada says, "The degree of intimacy shared by

Krsna and Subala can be understood by the fact that the talks between them

were so confidential that no one else could understand what they were saying

(pg. 326)."