Sri Sri Gadadhara Pandit ki Jay Jay!!

[Guest guest]

Sri Gadadhara Pandit

(Disappearance on 17th June.)

 

 

 

Sri Gaurahari had so much affection for Sri Gadadhara Pandit that He couldn't

be without him for a moment. He appeared a year Lord Caitanya. Gadia and Nimai

were inseparable as childhood playmates. Peaceful, renounced, serious,

self-composed, fond of solitude Gadadhara proved quite a contrast to his bosom

friend Gaura Raya, who was fickle, unsteady, and whimsical. In Ganga Dasa

Pandit's tol (school) Nimai Pandit regularly teased Gadadhara by challenging

him with illogical questions.

 

 

 

Sri Kavi Karnapura states that in Vraja lila Gadadhara Pandit is the daughter

of King Vrsbhanu - Srimati Radharani. Gadadhara Pandit served as Lord Gaura's

chief assistant during His Navadvipa-lila. Sri Sri Radha Krishna in Vrndavana

appear as Gaura-Gadadhara to perform pastimes in Navadvipa in the forest groves

beside the Ganges.

 

 

 

No one can describe the characteristics and ecstatic love of Gadadhara Pandit.

Therefore another name of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Gadadhara Prananatha, "the

life and soul of Gadadhara Pandit."(CC)

 

 

 

One day while wondering along the bank of the Ganges, Gaurasundara entered a

forest grove and sat in a meditative mood. Soon he became enraptured

remembering His Vrndavana pastimes. To enhance the Lord's mood, Mukunda Datta

began singing sweet songs in purva raga. Sri Gadadhara made garland of fragrant

forest flowers and lovingly placed it around the Lord's beautiful neck. As Sri

Radha used to dress Dämodara in Vrndavana, similarly, Gadadhara would also

decorate Lord Caitanya's bed and bedroom with sweet smelling flowers. Everyday

he would make sandalwood paste to rub on Sri Caitanya's transcendental body.

 

 

 

Gaura-Gadadhara sat on the root of a tree, serving as a raised dais. Sri

Nityananda Prabhu sat on Lord Caitanya's right. Srivasa Pandit decorated them

with flowers. Sri Advaita Acarya offered arotika. Narahari waved a camara.

Suklambhara offered candana and Murari Gupta sang the Lord's glories. Vijay,

Mukunda, Purusottama, Madhava and Vasudeva Ghosh sang a variety of different

ragas. In this way, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu performed His Nadia lila.

 

 

 

Gadadhara Pandit also took the renounced order of life and went Jagannatha Puri

to be with Lord Caitanya. Accepting Ksetra sannyasa (a renunciate who never

leaves the dhama), he served the Deity of Tota-Gopinatha with full love and

devotion.

 

 

 

CC:

 

Madhya 16.130 - When Gadädhara Paëòita started to go with the Lord, he was

forbidden to come and was asked not to give up the vow of kñetra- sannyäsa.

 

Madhya 16.131 - When he was requested to return to Jagannätha Puré, Gadädhara

Paëòita told the Lord, "Wherever You are staying is Jagannätha Puré. Let my so-

called kñetra- sannyäsa go to hell."

 

Madhya 16.132 - When Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu asked Gadädhara Paëòita to remain

at Jagannätha Puré and engage in Gopénätha's service, Gadädhara Paëòita

replied, "One renders service to Gopénätha a million times simply by seeing

Your lotus feet."

 

Madhya 16.133 - Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu then said, "If you abandon His service,

it will be My fault. It is better that you remain here and render service. That

will be My satisfaction."

 

Madhya 16.134 - The Paëòita replied, "Do not worry. All the faults will be on

my head. I shall not accompany You but shall go alone.

 

Madhya 16.135 - "I shall go to see Çacémätä, but I shall not go for Your sake.

I shall be responsible for the abandoning of my vow and service to Gopénätha."

 

Madhya 16.136 - Thus Gadädhara Paëòita Gosvämé traveled alone, but when they

all arrived at Kaöaka, Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu called him, and he went into the

Lord's company.

 

Madhya 16.137 - No one can understand the loving intimacy between Gadädhara

Paëòita and Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. Gadädhara Paëòita gave up his vow and

service to Gopénätha just as one gives up a piece of straw.

 

Madhya 16.138 - Gadädhara Paëòita's behavior was very pleasing to Çré Caitanya

Mahäprabhu's heart. Nevertheless, the Lord took his hand and spoke to him,

displaying the anger of love.

 

Madhya 16.139 - "You have abandoned Gopénätha's service and broken your vow to

live in Puré. All that is now complete because you have come so far.

 

Madhya 16.140 - "Your wanting to go with Me is simply a desire for sense

gratification. In this way, you are breaking two religious principles, and

because of this I am very unhappy.

 

Madhya 16.141 - "If you want My happiness, please return to Néläcala. You will

simply condemn Me if you say any more about this matter."

 

Madhya 16.142 - Saying this, Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu got into a boat, and

Gadädhara Paëòita immediately fell down unconscious.

 

Madhya 16.143 - Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu ordered Särvabhauma Bhaööäcärya to take

Gadädhara Paëòita with him. The Bhaööäcärya told Gadädhara Paëòita, "Get up!

Such are the pastimes of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu.

 

Madhya 16.144 - "You should know that Lord Kåñëa Himself violated His own

promise just to keep the promise of Grandfather Bhéñma.

 

 

 

Madhya 16.145 - "'Intending to make my promise true, Lord Kåñëa broke His own

promise not to take up a weapon at Kurukñetra. With His outer garment falling

off, Lord Çré Kåñëa jumped from His chariot, picked up a wheel and came running

at me to kill me. Indeed, He rushed at me like a lion going to kill an

elephant, and He caused the whole earth to tremble.'

 

Madhya 16.146 - "Similarly, tolerating separation from you, Çré Caitanya

Mahäprabhu has protected your vow with great endeavor."

 

Madhya 16.147 - In this way Särvabhauma Bhaööäcärya revived Gadädhara Paëòita.

Then both of them, very much grief- stricken, returned to Jagannätha Puré,

Néläcala.

 

 

 

Regularly, Sri Krishna Caitanya came to relish Sri Gadadhara's rasika reading

of Srimad Bhagavatam. Lord Caitanya concluded His manifest pastimes by entering

the Deity of Tota-Gopinatha.

 

 

 

Although Gadadhara Pandit was barely forty-eight when the Lord departed, he

quickly became old because of the intense anguish he felt in separation from

his beloved Lord Gaurasundara. He couldn't stretch his arms to offer a garland

to his Deity. Understanding His servant's difficulty, Sri Tota-Gopinatha sat

down to facilitate Gadadhara's loving service. To this day, Sri Tota-Gopinatha

is the only sitting Deity of Krishna.

 

 

 

According to some authorities, a short time after Lord Caitanya's disappearance

Sri Gadadhara Pandit joined His eternal pastimes by entering his beloved Deity

of Tota-Gopinatha. His danta (tooth) samadhi stands near Vamsi Gopal temple in

Vrandavana.

 

 

 

Sri Sri Gadadhara Pandit ki Jay Jay!!

 

 

Sri Bhaktivinoda Thakura

(Disappearance on 17th June.)

 

 

 

Sri Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura appeared in 1838 in a wealthy family in

the Nadai district, West Bengal. He revealed that he is an eternal associate of

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu by his extraordinary preaching activities and prolific

writing. Living as mahabhagavata Vaisnava, he stayed in the grhasta ashram

until the last few years of his life. Then he renounced everything, accepted

babaji, and entered samadhi, totally absorbed in the loving service of

Gaura-Gadadhara and Radha-Madhava.

 

'He had a responsible government position as the District Magistrate (high

court Judge), maintained a Krishna conscious family, and wrote almost one

hundred books on Krishna consciousness. At the same time, he served the Supreme

Lord in so many ways. That is the beauty of his life. After a full day of

government service he would sleep four hours, get up at midnight and write

until morning. That was his daily program.'

 

 

 

Thakura Bhaktivinoda took Vaisnava diksa from Sri Vipinvihari Goswami in the

line of Sri Jahnava Mata. Afterwards, he received spiritual inspiration and

direction from Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji. Holding an exalted government

post, vast erudition, and spiritual accomplishment never disturbed Bhaktivinoda

Thakura. He remained prideless, always humble, friendly to all. Charity seekers

at his home always left happy and satisfied. A well-wisher to everyone, he

never kept grudges, even with opponents to his preaching. In fact, he never

spoke a word that would hurt another's feelings. 'The Thakura was always

courageous and acted for everyone's welfare. Keeping personal needs to a

minimum, he led the simplest of lives,' said one pandit. In the following entry

from Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinoda, who had all pure divine qualities, takes

the role of a conditioned soul to teach us how to advance in Krishna

consciousness.

 

 

 

'you should always absorb your mind in attentively chanting Krishna's glories.

By performing Krishna kirtana you'll gain mastery over the mind. Give up all

false pride. Always think yourself to be worthless, destitute, lower than straw

in the street. Practice forgiveness like the tree. Giving up all violence

toward other living beings, you should never give anxiety to others. But do

good to them, make them happy, and forget about your own happiness.' Thus when

you become a pious good soul by possessing all good qualities, you should give

up desires for fame and honor. And just make your heart humble. Knowing that

Lord Krishna lives within all living beings, you should respect and honor

everyone at all times. You will attain virtue by being humble, merciful,

respecting others, and renouncing desires fro fame and honor. In such a state,

you should sing the glories of the Supreme Lord. 'O Lord, when will You give

such qualities as these!'

 

 

 

Always anxious to use every moment in loving service of Krishna he followed a

strict austere daily schedule:

 

8.10 p.m. Rest (two hours)

 

10-4 a.m write

 

4-4.30 a.m. chant japa

 

7-7.30 Correspodence

 

7.30-9.30 study sastras

 

9.30-10 bath prasadam (half-liter milk, fruit, 2

chapatis)

 

10-1 p.m. court duties

 

1-2 p.m. refresh at home

 

2-5 p.m. court duties

 

5-7 p.m. translate Sanskrit sastras to Bangali

 

7-8 p.m. Bath, prasadam (half liter milk, rice, 2chapatis)

 

 

 

Summary daily schedule:

 

Sleep: 3 hours

 

Write: 8.5 hours

 

Japa, study: 4.5 hours

 

Work: 6 hours

 

 

 

Srinivasa Acarya praises the six Goswamis of Vrndavana, nana

sasrta-vicaranaika-nipunau sad-dharma samsthakapau, lokanam hita karinau.. 'the

six Goswamis deeply studied all the sastras in order to establish eternal

religious principles for the benefit of everyone.' Similarly, Thakura

Bhaktivinoda made unlimited preaching contributions to help humanity. And for

this he's known as the 'Seventh Goswami.'

 

 

 

Biographers list three major preaching achievements of Srila Bhaktivinoda

Thakura:

 

1.. Wrote 100 authorized spiritual books

2.. Discovered appearance place of Lord Caitanya.

3.. Introduced preaching innovations.

Besides books (in Bengali, Oriya, English) reviving and explaining Mahaprabhu's

message, he wrote hundreds of poems and songs full of spiritual sentiments and

sastric siddhanta (philosophical conclusions).

 

 

 

'His writings have made the sacred teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu fully

available to everyone modern reader. And they are presented in a form which

carries irresistible conviction and devotion,' said a late disciple of Thakura

Bhaktivinoda.

 

Sri Krishna-samhita, Kalyana Kalpa-taru, Sri Caitanya-siksamrta, Sri

Navadvipa-dhama mahatmyam, Jaiva Dharma, Sri Harinama-cintamani,

Bhajana-rahasya, Gita-mala, Gitavali, Sarnagati, and commentaries of

Bhagavad-Gita and Caitanya-caritamrta are some of his works. The following

quote comes from Thakura Bhaktivinoda's Gitavali:

 

'He who has failed to carefully worship the lotus feet of Sri Radhika, which

are the abodes of all auspiciousness. He who has not taken shelter in the

transcendental abode of Vrndavana, which is decorated with the lotus flower

named Radha. He who in this life has not associated with the devotees of

Radhika, who are full of wisdom and love for Radhika. How will such a person

ever feel the bliss of bathing in the ocean of Lord Syamasundara's sublime

mellows!'

 

 

 

Please understand this most attentively. Sri Radhika is the teacher of madhurya

rasa

 

(mellows of conjugal love). Radha-Madhava madhurya prema is meant to be

discussed and meditated upon. He who cherishes the lotus feet of Srimati

Radharani obtains the lotus feet of Madhava, which are priceless jewels.

Without taking shelter of Radha's lotus feet one can never meet Krishna. The

Vedic scriptures declare that Krishna is the property of the maidservants of

Sri Radha. Give up wife, sons, friends, wealth, followers, speculative

knowledge, all materialistic actions. Just become absorbed in the sweetness of

serving the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani. This is Bhaktivinoda's solemn

declaration.'

 

 

 

During the last 500 years, the original appearance place of lord Caitanya had

vanished under the indomitable Ganges River. In 1888, Srila Bhaktivinoda

Thakura revealed Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's janmasthana at the yogapitha in

sridhama Mayapur. Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja, a famous saint, and

paramahamsa rasika Vaisnava, confirmed the Thakura's discovery. This most

auspicious event delighted the Gaudiya Vaisnavas from Gaura-mandala to Vraja-

bhumi. He established the worship of lord Gauranga and Srimati Vishnupriya at

yogapitha.

 

 

 

In the mood of innovation, in 1896 he sent to universities around the world a

book of slokas, Sri Gauranga-lila smarana which had a forty-seven page English

introduction:"Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: His life and Precepts." This act rose

from a keen desire to spread lord Caitanya's teachings in Western countries.

 

 

 

Bhaktivinoda Thakura made three predictions concerning a person and a

phenomena:

 

"A personality will soon appear," wrote Bhaktivinoda Thakura," and he will

travel all over the world to spread the teachings of lord Caitanya."

 

 

 

His second prediction: 'Very soon the chanting of harinama sankirtana will

travel all over the world. Oh when will that day come when people from America,

England, France, Germany, Russia will take up Karatals and mrdangas and chant

Hare Krishna in their towns!'

 

 

 

The third prediction: 'when will that day come when the faired-skinned

foreigners will come Sri Mayapur-dhama and join the Bengali Vaisnava to chant,

Jaya Sacinandana, Jaya Sacinandana. When will that day be!'

 

 

 

Srila Prabhupada said it's spiritually significant that he himself appeared in

1896, the same year Bhaktivinoda Thakura sent his book overseas. The will of

Lord Caitanya, desire of Thakura Bhaktivinoda, and the mercy of Srimati

Sarasvati Thakura empowered Srila Prabhupada to spread Sri Caitanya's teachings

and chanting of Hare Krishna all over the world. Prabhupada fulfilled the

Thakura's three predictions! Devoid of pride, full of humility, radiant with

pure love for Radha-Govinda, Srila Prabhupada gave all credit to the previous

Acarya. 'We should take it,' said Srila Prabhupada, 'that Srila Bhaktivinoda

Thakura was the origin of the Krishna consciousness movement - ISKCON in its

pure form.'

 

 

 

In 1986, just one-hundred years after Bhaktivinoda Thakura's third prediction,

three-thousand 'fair-skinned devotees' from America, England, France, Germany,

Russia, and fifty other countries gathered at the ISKCON Mayapur Chandrodaya

Mandir in Sridhama Mayapura. They joined one thousand 'Bengali Vaisanava' to

rock the universe by chanting Jaya Sacinandana, Jaya Sacinandana, Gaura Hari.

Srila Sacinandana Bhaktivinoda Thakura ki jai! In 1914, on the tirobhava tithi

(disappearance) of Sri Gadadhara Pandit (the incarnation of Sri Radha), Thakura

Bhaktivinoda entered the eternal pastimes of Gaura- Gadadhara and

Radha-Madhava. In Godrumadvipa (Navadvipa) Sri Sri Gaura-Gadadhara, the

worshipable Deities of Thakura Bhaktivinoda await to bless any visitors to

Svanand-sukhada-kunja. In Radha-Madhava's nitya-lila Bhaktivinoda Thakura takes

the form of Kamala-manjari to serve Srimati Radharani. His pushpa samadhi is in

his bhajana kutir at Radha-kunda.

 

 

 

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura ki jay jay !!