SRILA GAURIDASA PANDITA DISAPPEARANCE - 11TH AUGUST

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"Gauridasa Pandit, the emblem of the most elevated devotional service in love

of Godhead, had the greatest potency to receive and deliver such love. Making

Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda the Lords of his life, Gauridasa Pandit

sacrificed everything for the service of Lord Nityananda."

(Caitanya-caritamrta)

 

Before taking sannyasa, Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda visited Gauridasa

Pandit in Ambika Kalna. Fearing their impending separation, Gauridasa cried and

begged the Lord to stay longer. Mahaprabhu made life-like neem wood Deities of

Gaura Nitai to console his loving servant. "Gauridasa, My murti form is as good

as I am," said Lord Gauranga, "We will forever remain in your home to accept

your service."

 

Gauridasa Pandit worshiped Gaura Nitai in many intimate ways--talking sweetly

to Them, cooking a variety of tasty foods, discussing sastra with Them,

attending to Their every need throughout the day. Even when old and feeble,

Gauridasa ceaselessly served his worshipable Lords Sri-Sri Gaura-Nitai.

 

Although poor, he desired to decorate Gaura-Nitai with costly beautiful

ornaments. Knowing his mind, Gaura-Nityananda lavishly adorned Themselves.

Beholding Their exquisite beauty Gauridasa became astonished. "Where did They

get these ornaments?" he thought. Sri-Sri Gaura-Nitai would often enact such

transcendental pastimes in the home of Their pure devotee, Sri Gauridasa

Pandit.

 

One time, Caitanya Dasa, Gauridasa's foremost disciple, organized a huge

sankirtana festival on the bank of the Ganges. Enraptured by the kirtana,

Gauridasa's Deities jumped off the altar and joined the devotees in chanting

and dancing. Discovering the Deities missing from the temple, Gauridasa grabbed

a stick and ran to catch Gaura-Nitai. Seeing his angry mood, Gaura-Nitai

vanished. At that moment, Gauridasa watched in amazement to see Gaura-Nitai

enter the heart (hrdaya) of Caitanya Dasa. Gauridasa embraced his beloved

disciple, bathed him with tears, and said, "You are most fortunate. From today

your name will be Hrdaya Caitanya, one who holds Sri Caitanya within his

heart."

 

Since then Gaura-Nitai's darsana at Gauridasa Pandit's temple is offered in

many brief intervals like Banke-bihariji in Vrndavana. To keep Gaura-Nitai from

jumping off the altar, the pujaris open and quickly close the curtain

throughout the darsana time.

 

While doing bhajana in Dhira Samira Kunja in Vrndavana, Gauridasa Pandit

entered the eternal go carana lila (cowherding pastimes) of Krishna-Balarama.

In Vraja he is Subala, a dvadasa gopala. His samadhi is within the Shyama-Raya

temple compound in Dhira Samira, Vrndavana. (20,47)

 

 

Gauridasa, a disciple of Nityananda Prabhu, was one of the twelve

gopalas of Krsna in Vrindavana. He was Subala sakha in his past incarnation

(Gauraganoddesadipika 128). His Sripata is at Amvikanagara near the district

of Kalna. Before setting up his Sripata, he lived at Saligrama near the

Mudagacha railway station in the Nadia district. (Bhaktiratnakara 7.330-331)

 

The family tree of Gauridasa Pandita is described as follows:

 

Kansari Misra

_________________________|_

| | | |

| |

Damodara Jagannatha Suryadasa Gauridasa Krsnadasa Nrsimha-

| |

caitanya

| Vimala devi

| ( wife)

______________ | |

| | |

Vasudha devi Jahnava devi |

|

___________ |___________

| |

Balarama

Raghunatha

 

 

Gauridasa'a mother was Kamala devi, and his father, Kansari Misra, was

a caste kulin brahmana. Suryadasa's two daughters, Vasudha and Jahnava, were

both married to Nityananda Prabhu.

 

Once Nityananda Prabhu and Lord Caitanya went in a country-boat, rowing

themselves, from Harinadi village to Gauridasa's house, there they sat under

the tamarind tree. Not having seen Lord Caitanya for a long time, Gauridasa

tried to coax the Lord into staying permanently at his house. Lord Caitanya

produced two beautiful wooden deities, one of Nityananda Prabhu and one of

Himself, made from a nearby margosa tree and presented these to Gauridasa. It

is said that due to Gauridasa's unflinching devotion, when he offered bhoga to

the deities, the offering was actually seen to have been personally eaten by

the deities.

 

Lord Caitanya gave His scull (used by Him for rowing the boat) to

Gauridasa as a gift saying, "I hand over this vaitha (scull) to you for

ferrying jivas across the worldly river of life (bhava-nadi)." The above

mentioned tamarind tree is still in existence at Amvikanagara. The scull, as

well as `The Gita' presented by Lord Caitanya to Gauridasa are both present at

the temple there. (Bhaktiratnakara 7.336.361)

 

There is a manuscript titled Suvalamangala composed by Natavara dasa of

Amvikanagara, which mentions that Gauridasa's disciple, Hridayacaitanya, was

the guru of the famous preacher Syamananda Prabhu of Orissa. Gauridasa's

granddaughter was married to the son of Hridayacaitanya. Disciples of the

present gosvamis of Amvikanagara, who are descendants from the family-line of

Hridayacaitanya, worship sakhyarasa.

 

SRILA GAURIDAS PANDIT IS NONE OTHER THAN SUBALA, THE MOST INTIMATE COWHERD

BOYFRIEND (PRIYA-NARMA SAKHA) OF LORD KRSNA IN VRINDAVAN.

 

Priya-Narma-Sakhas - Most Intimate Friends

 

"There are other friends who are still more confidential. They are called

priya-narma, or intimate friends (pg. 325)."

 

The priya-narma are the most intimate and exalted of all devotees in the sakhya

mood, because Krsna engages them in the very confidential service of arranging

His meetings with the gopis.

Principal Priya-Narmas

"Counted among the priya-narma friends are Subala, Arjuna, Gandharva, Vasanta

and Ujjvala (pg. 325)."

 

Their Bhakti

 

A gopi tells Srimati Radharani, "My dear Krsangi [delicate one], just see how

Subala is whispering Your message into Krsna's ear, how he is delivering the

confidential letter of Syama-dasi silently into Krsna's hand, how he is

delivering the betel nuts prepared by Palika into Krsna's mouth, and how he is

decorating Krsna with garland prepared by Taraka. Did you know, my dear friend,

that all these most intimate friends of Krsna are always engaged in His service

in this way? (pgs. 325 - 326)."

 

The Foremost Priya-Narma

 

"Out of the many intimate priya-narmas, Subala and Ujjvala are considered to be

the most prominent (pg. 326)."

 

Subala's Form

 

(Subala is slightly superior to Ujjvala): "His complexion is just like molten

gold. He is very, very dear to Krsna. He always has a garland around his neck,

and he wears yellow clothing. His eyes are just like lotus flower petals...

(pg. 326)."

 

Subala's Bhakti

 

When Krsna would speak to Subala no one else could understand what they were

saying; not even the assembly of sakhis who are expert in understanding Krsna's

subtle gestures and movements. Subala's superior intimacy would thus become

evident. Srila Prabhupada says, "The degree of intimacy shared by Krsna and

Subala can be understood by the fact that the talks between them were so

confidential that no one else could understand what they were saying (pg.

326)."