Appearance of Sri Vakresvara Pandita - Monday, June 11

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Monday, June 11 is the appearance day of Sri Vakresvara Pandita.

 

Adi 6.49-50

TRANSLATION

Srivasa, Haridasa, Ramadasa, Gadadhara, Murari, Mukunda, Candrasekhara and

Vakresvara are all glorious and are all learned scholars, but the sentiment

of servitude to Lord Caitanya makes them mad in ecstasy.

 

Adi 6.51

TRANSLATION

Thus they dance, sing and laugh like madmen, and they instruct everyone,

"Just be loving servants of Lord Caitanya."

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Adi 6.49-51

 

 

Sri Vakresvara Pandita - from "Lives of the Saints"

 

At the time of Sriman Mahaprabhu's Navadvipa-lila, as well as at the

time of his taking sannyasa and his staying in Jagannatha Puri, Vakresvara

Pandita was an associate of the Lord. Sri Vakresvara Pandita's birthplace is

near the Triveni in a place called Guptiparaya. Sri Vakresvara Pandita was

expert in song and dancing. He once danced continuously for 72 hours. In the

Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika, verse 71, it is stated that Vakresvara Pandita was

an incarnation of Aniruddha, one of the quadruple expansions of Vishnu. When

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu played in dramatic performances in the house of

Srivasa Pandita, Vakresvara Pandita was one of the chief dancers. When

Caitanya Mahaprabhu first began his sankirtana-lila Vakresvara Pandita was a

great singer and dancer. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Ramakeli,

Vakresvara Pandita went with him.

By the mercy of Vakresvara Pandita Devananda Pandita was delivered.

Devananda Pandita had a reputation as a great scholar of the Bhagavatam from

the monist point of view. One day Srivasa Pandita went to hear his Bhagavata

class, and in the ecstasy of Krsna prema began to cry tears of joy upon

hearing the holy Bhagavata. At that time, some of Devananda Pandita's

ignorant disciples, feeling that Srivasa Thakura was disrupting the class,

threw Srivasa Pandita out of the house where the Bhagavatam class was going

on. Ignorant of the true position both of the Lord's devotee and the holy

Bhagavata, Devananda Pandita made no protest after seeing this disrespectful

treatment of a great Vaisnava with his own eyes. In this way, he was

responsible for Vaisnava-aparadha, an offense at the lotus feet of a pure

devotee.

When Caitanya Mahaprabhu manifest his divinity in Navadvipa in the

house of Srivasa Thakura, it came to his attention that such an offense had

been committed at the lotus feet of that great devotee, Srivasa Thakura. At

that time, he gave many instructions regarding the position of the book

Bhagavata and the person Bhagavata. He said, "If one studies the book

Bhagavata but doesn't respect the devotee Bhagavata, he is an offender. One

may study the Bhagavata in that way for hundreds and hundreds of kalpas

without making any progress towards Krsna-prema. The book Bhagavata and the

person Bhagavata are nondifferent. One who is sincere to know the meaning of

the book Bhagavata must serve the devotee Bhagavata. Mahaprabhu was

indifferent towards Devananda Pandita and did not bestow Krsna-prema upon

him.

One day Vakresvara Pandita was in the section of Navadvipa known as

Kuliya at the house of a devotee. That evening Vakresvara Pandita was

singing the glories of the Lord and dancing in ecstasy. Devananda Pandita

went there to find out what was going on, and when he saw Vakresvara Pandita

enveloped in a mood of ecstasy, he became fascinated by watching him. By and

by a large crowd formed, pressing forward to see Vakresvara Pandita. Sri

Devananda Pandita then pushed the crowd back waving a cane in his hand, so

that the divine kirtana and dancing of Sri Vakresvara Pandita Thakura was

not disturbed. In this way for another six hours into the night Vakresvara

Pandita continued his intense singing and dancing in divine kirtana. Later,

when Vakresvara Pandita had taken a seat in order to rest, Devananda Pandita

fell before his feet, offering his obeisances in full submission.

Vakresvara Pandita was very happy with Devananda Pandita and his

service, and blessed him, saying, "May you have love of God." From that day

on, Devananda Pandita's Krsna-bhakti grew. One who gets the blessing of a

devotee soon achieves Krsna-bhakti.

After Caitanya Mahaprabhu had stayed in Jagannatha Puri for some

time, he returned to Kuliya in Navadvipa, in order to visit his mother and

see the Ganges. At that time, he gave his mercy to Devananda Pandita. At

that time he told Devananda Pandita: "Because you have rendered service to

Vakresvara Pandita I consider you to be one of my own. Vakresvara Pandita is

completely empowered by the Lord. He has attained Krsna, and is full in

Krsna-bhakti. Krsna has made his home in the heart of Vakresvara Pandita,

and as Krsna dances within his heart, so Vakresvara Pandita himself dances.

Whatever place Vakresvara Pandita blesses with his association becomes a

holy place of pilgrimage more sacred than all the holy places."

In this way Vrindavana dasa Thakura writes of the glories of Sri

Vakresvara Pandita. Although Sri Vakresvara Pandita had previously lived in

Navadvipa, he left Navadvipa for Jagannatha Puri after Mahaprabhu took

sannyasa, in order to better serve the Lord. After this, he lived in

Jagannatha Puri. The Caitanya-caritamrta says, "Among the devotees who

accompanied the Lord in Jagannatha Puri, two of them-Paramananda Puri and

Svarupa Damodara-were the heart and soul of the Lord. Among the other

devotees were Gadadhara, Jagadananda, Sankara, Vakresvara, Damodara Pandita,

Thakura Haridasa, Raghunatha Vaidya, and Raghunatha dasa. All these great

devotees had been his associates from the very beginning of the Lord's

pastimes, and when the Lord took up residence in Jagannatha Puri they

remained there to serve him faithfully.

It is said that Vakresvara Pandita later lived in the house of Kasi

Misra. There he established the Radha-kanta deities. Sri Vakresvara

Pandita's disciple was Gopala Guru Gosvami. Sri Gopalaguru Gosvami's

disciple Dhyanacandra Gosvami has written a book called the Dhyana Candra

Paddhati. There he has written of Vakresvara Pandita: "Previously in

Vrindavana he was Tungavidya Gopi who was expert in singing and dancing.

Later that same person appeared in the lila of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and

became known as Vakresvara Pandita. He appeared within this world as

Vakresvara Pandita on the day of Krsnapancami in the month of Asarh. He

disappeared from this Earth and entered into the unmanifest pastimes of the

Lord on the sixth day of the full moon in the month of Asarh. "

One of Vakresvara Pandita's family members was the poet Sri Govinda

deva of Utkala, who is known as an Oriyan. In the year 17, Gaura Era, he

compiled a scripture in the Orissan language named "Sri Gaura-krsnodaya."

This book has since been published by the great acarya of the Gaudiya

Sampradaya, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada, who recently

entered into the eternal pastimes of the Lord. In Gaura-krsnodaya Govinda

dasa describes the life of Vakresvara Pandita. There are many disciples of

Vakresvara Pandita and they are known as Gaudiya Vaisnavas although they are

from Orissa.

Vrindavana dasa Thakura has described the great celebration of

Caitanya Mahaprabhu's sankirtana rasa in his Caitanya Bhagavata. There he

mentions Vakresvara Pandita's participation in Mahaprabhu's sankirtana-lila

as follows:

"To bless all souls with good fortune, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

appeared on this earth in an enchanting form, which was like a doll of gold.

To awaken the sleeping souls of the age of Kali, he came to distribute the

nectar of the holy name of Krsna. The Lord descended to this earth in the

midst of his eternal associates: Nityananda, Advaita Acarya, Gadadhara, and

all His pure devotees. When Caitanya came, the khol and karatalas sounded

like the thunder of the clouds within the temple of the Lord. Absorbed in

different moods of ecstatic love, Sri Caitanya would order everyone to chant

the holy name of Krsna, saying, "bolo Haribol!" Raising his arms to the sky,

the Son of Saci would dance in ecstasy. At that time the beautiful Ramai and

Sri Raghunandana also danced. Srivasa Thakura and Haridasa Thakura as well

as Vakresvara Pandita, Dvija Haridasa, and Sankara Pandita also danced. In

this way, again and again glorifying their activities within this world,

floating on the ocean of ecstasy churned by them, Vrindavana dasa sings this

Caitanya Bhagavata.

At the time of Rathayatra in Jagannatha Puri, there were four

sampradayas. In their midst Vakresvara Pandita initiated a new sampradaya-of

dancing. Sri Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami writes of the glories of Vakresvara

Pandita:

"Vakresvara Pandita was the fifth branch of the Caitanya tree. He

was a very dear servant of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Once in the house of

Srivasa Thakura he danced with constant ecstasy for seventy-two hours. Sri

Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally sang while Vakresvara Pandita danced, and

thus Vakresvara Pandita fell at the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya and said, "O

you whose face is as beautiful as the full moon; please give me 10,000

Gandharvas. Let them sing as I dance, and then I will be greatly happy." The

Lord replied, "I have only one wing like you, but if I had another,

certainly I could fly like a bird."

 

- from "Lives of the Saints"

 

 

Adi 10.17

TRANSLATION

Vakresvara Pandita, the fifth branch of the tree, was a very dear servant of

Lord Caitanya's. He could dance with constant ecstasy for seventy-two hours.

 

PURPORT

In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (71) it is stated that Vakresvara Pandita was

an incarnation of Aniruddha, one of the quadruple expansions of Visnu

(Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Aniruddha and Pradyumna). He could dance wonderfully

for seventy-two continuous hours. When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu played in

dramatic performances in the house of Srivasa Pandita, Vakresvara Pandita

was one of the chief dancers, and he danced continuously for that length of

time. Sri Govinda dasa, an Oriya devotee of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, has

described the life of Vakresvara Pandita in his book Gaura-krsnodaya. There

are many disciples of Vakresvara Pandita in Orissa, and they are known as

Gaudiya Vaisnavas although they are Oriyas. Among these disciples are Sri

Gopalaguru and his disciple Sri Dhyanacandra Gosvami.

 

Adi 10.18

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally sang while Vakresvara Pandita danced, and

thus Vakresvara Pandita fell at the lotus feet of the Lord and spoke as

follows.

 

Adi 10.19

TRANSLATION

"O Candramukha! Please give me ten thousand Gandharvas. Let them sing as I

dance, and then I will be greatly happy."

 

PURPORT

The Gandharvas, who are residents of Gandharvaloka, are celebrated as

celestial singers. Whenever singing is needed in the celestial planets, the

Gandharvas are invited to sing. The Gandharvas can sing continuously for

days, and therefore Vakresvara Pandita wanted to dance as they sang.

 

Adi 10.20

TRANSLATION

Lord Caitanya replied, "I have only one wing like you, but if I had another,

certainly I would fly in the sky!"

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Adi 10.17-20

 

 

TRANSLATION

Devananda Pandita was a professional reciter of Srimad-Bhagavatam, but by

the mercy of Vakresvara Pandita and the grace of the Lord he understood the

devotional interpretation of the Bhagavatam.

 

PURPORT

In the Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya-khanda, Chapter Twenty-one, it is stated

that Devananda Pandita and Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya's father, Visarada, lived

in the same village. Devananda Pandita was a professional reciter of

Srimad-Bhagavatam, but Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not like his

interpretation of it. In the present town of Navadvipa, which was formerly

known as Kuliya, Lord Caitanya showed such mercy to him that he gave up the

Mayavadi interpretation of Srimad-Bhagavatam and learned how to explain

Srimad-Bhagavatam in terms of bhakti. Formerly, when Devananda was

expounding the Mayavadi interpretation, Srivasa Thakura was once present in

his meeting, and when he began to cry, Devananda's students drove him away.

Some days later, Caitanya Mahaprabhu passed that way, and when He met

Devananda He chastised him severely because of his Mayavada interpretation

of Srimad-Bhagavatam. At that time Devananda had little faith in Sri

Caitanya Mahaprabhu as an incarnation of Lord Krsna, but one night some time

later Vakresvara Pandita was a guest in his house, and when he explained the

science of Krsna, Devananda was convinced about the identity of Lord

Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Thus he was induced to explain Srimad-Bhagavatam

according to the Vaisnava understanding. In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (106)

it is described that he was formerly Bhaguri Muni, the sabha-pandita who

recited Vedic literatures in the house of Nanda Maharaja.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Adi 10.77