The Disappereance of Sri Gadadhara Pandit on 1st July

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The attraction Gouracandra felt towards Gadadhara was a precious emotion which

only a vastly fortunate man could have deserved.

 

Similarly the depth of the friendships between Nityananda and Gadadhara was

beyond ordinary comprehension.

 

Descriptions of the interactions between Gadadhara and Advaita used to give a

sense of soothing relief to those who heard them.

 

Srivasa Pandita always admired Sri Pandita Gadadhara and considered him more

dear than his own life.

 

No one could understand what happiness lay in the relation between Prabhu

Haridasa and Prabhu Gadadhara.

 

Nor could they grasp what sort of love prevailed between Pandita Sri Gadadhara

and Dasa Gadadhara.

 

No human being exists who can adequately describe the loving relationship

between Gadadhara and his Lord Sri Gaurasundara.

 

In the house of Gadadhara Prabhu and his devotees used to take their seats.

Only the most fortunate could witness the beautiful scene.

 

In his sleep Srinivasa dreamed that Prabhu Sri gauranga surrounded by his

asscoiates looked like Purandara, the king of the demigods, sitting with his

subjects in his court. Gadadhara Pandita sat before the Lord and read

melodiously from the Bhagavatam. All the listeners cried perspiring and

quivering in ecstasy. Then the dream faded away.

 

Sri Gopinatha's darshan of Srinivasa

 

Srinivasa calmed his heart and started for Markanda after asking the way from

some passing travellers. After finishing his scheduled morning duties he took

his bath in Markanda. He asked an old brahmin for directions to the temple of

Sri Gopinatha. That old brahmin took him to the temple where lived Sri

Gadadhara who had become half-dead due to the disappearance of Mahaprabhu.

Srinivasa was so sad to see the condition of Gadadhara. He fell prostrate at

the feet of Gadadhara and hastily went to the temple of Sri Gopinatha. Everyone

in that place asked Srinivasa who he was and where he had come from. Srinivasa

replied that he had come from Gauda and that his father was Sri Caitanyadasa

and he himself was Srinivasa. They all were very glad and embraced him most

lovingly.

 

Sri Pandita Gosvami was sitting alone in a solitary place.His mental state was

beyond description. His moon-like face and beautiful body had grown pale like a

lotus deprived of water. He cried constantly, and his tears soaked his body as

well as the Bhagavatam he held in his lap. In a choked voice he recited slokas

from the Bhagavatam. From time to time he uttered the name of Sri Gaura Sundara

and he heaved sighs as hot as fire. By the wish of Prabhu, Gadadhara had

remianed alive only to meet Srinivasa, so when Srinivasa bowed at his feet

Gadadhara regained his normal condition. Someone introduced him to Srinivasa.

Gadadhara eagerly embraced Srinivasa and they cried madly in utter misery,

soaking each other with tears. Although Gadadhara was in a wretched state of

mind, he derieved some happiness from seeing Srinivasa. Gadadhara ordered one

of his followers to introduce Srinivasa to the other Vaisnava Gosvamis living

there. Soon all the devotees knew that Srinivasa had come to meet Pandita

Gosvami.

 

Srinivasa again meets Sri Gadadhara

 

For a second time Srinivasa went to the house of Pandita Gosvami who permitted

him to eat mahaprasad. Srinivasa became emotional and began to cry. He was

attracted by the divine scent of the prasada and he ate it with utmost love.

After that he went to the house of Sri Pandita Gosvami who was also in a

miserable state of mind. Pandita Gosvami told Srinivasa to take a seat beside

him and then he said in a choked voice, "You have the desire to read the

Bhagavatam and I also want to teach you but everything has been disarranged."

Then he fell silent. From time to time he would cite slokas from the Bhagavatam

then explain their meanings to Srinivasa who considered himself most fortunate

to get the instruction. Pandita Gosvami advised Srinivasa to go to Vrndavana

where he could fulfil his desires. He told him that he had a Bhagavatam with

him but it had become decayed. Srinivasa looked through the book, paid his

regards by touching it to his head and then grew very emotional while looking

at the words. He remembered Sri Krsna Caitanya and Gadadhara whose tear drops

had made the words illegible in some places. While reading the book Srinvasa

reached such a level of ecstasy that the Gosvami became frightened. He tried to

pacify Srinivasa with his affection that knew no bounds.

 

Srinivasa's journey to Gaudadesha from Nilacala Sri Gosvami advised Srinivasa

to go to Gaudadesha after taking leave of the devotees. He ordered Srinivasa to

convey his messages to Dasa Gadadhara, Narahari of Sri Khanda and many others.

Most probably Sri Gosvami gave some incredible instruction to Srinivasa which

the boy could not comprehend. As he could not question the orders he began to

lament in various ways. When he took his leave from Sri Gosvami Srinivasa cried

bitterly. He dedicated himself to the lotus feet of Sri Gopinatha and went to

see Prabhu Jagannatha. He prayed to the Lordin bitter lamentation. He took his

leave and some of them walked with him for a long distance. Srinvasa reached

Gaudadesha and conveyed the messages to Sri Gosvami to various people. He

wondered whether he could ever see Sri Gosvami again and with that thought in

mind he started for Sri Khanda.

 

Meeting the devotees of Sri Khanda

 

Meeting Srinivasa, Thakura Narahari embraced him affectionately and began to

cry. He asked Srinivas about the condition of the companions of Mahaprabhu in

Nilacala and in a choked voice Srinivasa reported everything, describign the

miserable condition of the devotees, caused by the disappearance of the Lord.

While speaking about Sri Pandita Gosvami, Srinivasa could not control himself

and fell on the ground unconscious. Sri Raghunandana and others also grew

emotional just seeing Srinivasa and Thakura Narahari took the initiative to

pacify everyone.

Srinivasa rested tht night in Sri Khanda but in the morning he set out again

for Sri Kshetra thinking that this time he would not adhere to the order of Sri

Gosvami and would stay with him. After passing into Utkala he noticed some

people coming in his direction.

 

Srinivasa asked them eagerly whether there was any news of Sri Gosvami but they

not answer. After a long time they could only say that Sri Pandita Gosvami had

disappeared. The news came as a stroke on Srinivasa's head and he fell

unconscious on the ground like an uprooted tree. The messengers from Sri

Kshetra began to chastise themselves for giving such news to Srinivasa. But

what else were they to do when he inquired? Now they should take care of him

and try to save his live. They made every attempt to bring him back to

consciousness, but upon regaining consciousness, Srinivasa again lamented

andbeat his head with his hands. He addressed Pabhu Gadaghara loudly and

chastised him for sending him back to Gaudadesha. His lamentation even broke

the hearts of the birds and animals.

 

The darshan and order of Gaura Gadadhara

 

In the dead of night when Srinivasa was in deep sleep he dreamed of Gadadhara

who tried to console him in various ways but still Srinivasa did not stop

crying. Like a madman he began to run in the direction of Jaipur village but he

lost his direction. Another day Gaura and Gadadhara were in his dream and

directed him to go to Vrndavana via Navadvipa. Then they disappeared.

 

>From Bhakti Ratnakara