Srila Vakresvara Pandit ki Jai Jai ! !

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Goswami Temples At Radha-Kunda

 

At Radha-Kunda can be found replicas of all the Goswami temples of Vrndavana.

In the year 1670, when the soldiers of the Muslim zealot Emperor Aurangzeb,

attacked Vrndavana, all the important Deities of the Goswami's were secretly

taken by bullock cart to Radha-kunda for safekeeping. It is said that for some

time the Deities were actually submerged in Radha-kunda until the fear that

they may be destroyed by Aurangzeb's soldiers had passed. It was decided that

they would be taken to Rajasthan, which was still under the control of Hindu

kings, who were all staunch devotees of Krishna. The rulers of Jaipur, the

state capital of Rajasthan, were only too happy to accommodate the Deities of

Goswami's even today most of these Deities are still being worshipped in

Jaipur.

 

 

 

Before the Deities were taken to Rajasthan, replicas of them were carved at

Radha-kunda and later installed in temples situated around Radha-kunda, as well

as Vrndavana. These replicas of the original Deities are considered to be

non-different and are called the pratibhu expansions, which means the

representative of the original Deity, having the same spiritual potency. The

Vrajavasis say that the Goswami temples were built here so that the local

residents and devotees do not have to leave Radha-kunda to have darsana of the

Goswami's Deities.

 

 

 

LIST OF PRATIBHU DEITIES AT RADHA-KUNDA

AND WHO ESTABLISHED THE ORIGINAL DEITY

 

 

 

NAME OF DEITY ESTABLISHED BY

 

Radha Kanta Vakresvara Pandita Goswami

Radha Syamsundara Syamananda Pandita Goswami

 

Radha Damodara Jiva Goswami

 

Radharamana Gopal Batta Goswami

 

Radha Govinda Rupa Goswami

 

Radha Vinoda Lokanatha Goswami

 

Radha Madhava Jayadeva Goswami

 

Radha Madana-mohana Sanatana Goswami

 

Radha Gopinatha Madhu Pandita Goswami

 

Radha Gokulananda Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura

 

 

 

Sri Sri Radha-Kanta Mandira

Just opposite the Gopal Manipura Mandira is the temple of Sri Sri Radha-Kanta.

Besides the pratibhu Deities of Sri Sri Radha-Kanta there is the puspa-samadhi

and murti of Vakresvara Pandit, who was a close associate of Lord Caitanya

Mahaprabhu.

 

Vakresvara established the original Deities of Radha-Kanta in Jagannatha Puri

just next to the Gambhira, the room where Lord Caitanya lived.

 

 

 

Vakresvara Pandit is belived to be the sakhi Tungavidya in Krishna's pastimes.

This temple is situated at the very spot next to Radha-kunda where Tungavidya's

kunja is located in the aprakata-lila.

 

 

 

Sri Sri Radha-Kanta ki Jai Jai !!

 

 

 

Sri Vakresvara Pandit (appearance day on 7th June)

 

 

 

Once in the house of Srivasa Thakura, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu sang while

Vakresvara Pandit danced in constant ecstasy for seventy-two hours. At that

time Lord Caitanya said, 'Vakresvara, I have only one wing like you, but if I

had another certainly I could fly in the sky.' Expert at singing and dancing,

Vakresvara Pandit always pleased Lord Caitanya with his service in the

Navadvipa sankirtana parties

 

(Which he joined from the beginning), the dramas at Srivasa Angam, and the

yearly Ratha-yatra at Jagannatha Puri.

 

 

 

CC: Adi Lila 10:18

 

TEXT 18

äpane mahäprabhu gäya yäìra nåtya-käle

 

prabhura caraëa dhari' vakreçvara bale

 

TRANSLATION

 

Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu personally sang while Vakreçvara Paëòita danced, and

thus Vakreçvara Paëòita fell at the lotus feet of the Lord and spoke as

follows.

 

 

 

Vrndavana dasa Thakura said, 'to awaken the sleeping souls in the age of Kali,

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to distribute the nectar of the holy name of

Krishna. When He came the khol (mrdanga) and karatals sounded like thundering

clouds. Absorbed in moods of ecstatic love and shouting 'Haribol Haribol,' Sri

Gauranga told everyone to chant the holy name of Krishna. Raising His golden

arms to the sky, Lord Gaura Hari would dance in ecstasy. At that time,

Vakresvara Pandit and others would dance with Lord.'

 

 

 

By Vakresvara's blessings Devananda Pandit was freed from the Vaisnava aparadha

he committed against Srivasa Pandit. Then Sri Caitanya accepted Devananda

Pandit as one of His 'own devotees.' Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu commented on this

incident,

 

'Krishna has made His home in the heart of Vakresvara Pandit. As Krishna dances

in his heart, so Vakresvara Pandit himself dances. Whatever place Vakresvara

Pandit blesses with his association becomes holy place of pilgrimage more

sacred than all the holy places.'

 

 

 

Certain great devotees such as Vakresvara Pandit, Paramananda Puir, Svarupa

Damodara, Gadadhara, Jagadananda Pandit, Sankara, Raghunatha dasa were

associating with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu from the beginning of His pastimes in

Navadvipa. They also faithfully served the Lord when He moved to Nilacala Dhama

(Jagannatha Puri). Vakresvara Pandit established Deities of Sri Sri Radha-Kanta

in Kasi Mishra's house next to the Gambhira in Jagannatha Puri, Kavi Karnapura

says Vakresvara Pandit is an incarnation of Aniruddha of catur-vyuha.

Vakresvara Pandit initiated Gopal Guru Goswami, says in his books that

Vakresvara Pandit is an incarnation of Tungavidya-sakhi, an expert singer and

dancer serving as one of Srimati Radharani's asta-sakhis. His samadhi is in the

64-samadhi area at Vrndavana.

 

 

 

 

Srila Vakresvara Pandit ki Jai Jai ! !