Vidyavacaspati

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> In the following excerpt from the Bhakti-ratnakara (chapter 6), Sri Narahari

> Cakravarti describes the highly qualified brothers, Rupa and Sanatana. He

> also mentiones Vidyavacaspati, the guru of Sanatana. I've heard that

> Vidyavacaspati was his diksa-guru. I have no access to Dasama Tippani, nor

> could I find other references to Vidyavacaspati. Anyone there knows more

> about him?

 

I haven't seen evidence of the precise point, but here are a few references:

 

 

särvabhauma, vidyä-väcaspati,——dui bhäi

dui-jane krpä kari’ kahena gosäni

 

"Out of His causeless mercy, Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu gave the following

directions to the brothers Särvabhauma Bhattäcärya and Vidyä-väcaspati."

(Cc Madhya 15.133)

 

"Leaving the house of Väsudeva Datta, Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu went to the

house of Advaita Äcärya. From there He went to the western side of Navadvipa,

to Vidyänagara, and stayed at the house of Vidyä-väcaspati. These accounts are

given in the Caitanya-bhägavata, Caitanya-mangala, Caitanya-candrodaya-nätaka

and Caitanya-carita-kävya." (Cc Madhya 16.205 purport)

 

 

"The Lord remained some time at the house of Vidyä-väcaspati, but then,

because it was too crowded, He went to Kuliyä."

 

PURPORT

The house of Vidyä-väcaspati was located at Vidyänagara, which was near

Koladvipa, or Kuliyä. It was here that Devänanda Pandita was residing. This

information is found in the Caitanya-bhägavata (Madhya-khanda, Chapter

Twenty-one).

 

“When Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu stayed at Vidyä-väcaspati’s house, many hundreds

of thousands of people went to see Him and chant the holy name of Hari. It was

so crowded that people could not even find a place to walk; therefore they

made room by clearing out the jungles near the village. Many roads were

automatically excavated, and many people also came by boat to see the Lord. So

many came that it was difficult for the boatmen to get them across the river.

When Vidyä-väcaspati suddenly arrived, he made arrangements for many boats to

receive these people, but the people would not wait for the boats. Somehow or

other they crossed the river and hurried toward the house of Vidyä-väcaspati.

Due to this great crowd, Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu secretly went to

Kuliyä-nagara. After the Lord left Vidyänagara, however, all the people heard

news of His leaving. They then accompanied Väcaspati to Kuliyä-nagara. Since

the news of the Lord’s arrival was immediately broadcast, large crowds arrived

and greeted Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu with great jubilation. Indeed, when the

crowd went to see Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu, it increased ten thousand times in

number. No one could say how many people crossed the river to see Him, but

many hundreds of thousands made a great tumult when crossing the river Ganges.

After crossing the river, everyone began to embrace one another because they

heard the good news of Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s arrival. Thus all the

inhabitants of Kuliyä—the sinful, intermediate and spiritually advanced—were

delivered and glorified by Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu.”

(Caitanya-bhägavata, Antya-khanda Ch.3)