Sri Vakresvara Pandita -- Appearance-16-6-06

[Guest guest]

Sri Vakreshwar Pandit

Sri Vakreshwar Pandit was present with Sriman Mahaprabhu during His pastimes

in Navadwipa and after his acceptance of Sannyasa he also accompanied Him to

Jagannath Puri. During the time of the Lord's residence in Puri he continued to

live with Him there as well. Sri Vakreshwar Pandit took birth in the village of

Guptipara near Triveni. He was an especially proficient dancer and kirtaniya

and could dance continuously for 72 hours.

 

When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu began His pastimes of congregational chanting of

the Holy Name of Sri Hari in Navadwip, Sri Vakreshwar Pandit was an important

singer and dancer in that assembly. It was by His mercy that Devananda Pandit

was delivered from the wrath of Mahaprabhu. He was also present during the

Lord's journey to Ramakeli. Devananda Pandit was, at one time, known as the

foremost lecturer on the Bhagavat. One day Srivas Pandit went to hear his

discourse, and being moved in ecstatic love by hearing the Bhagavatam, he began

to cry. A few of the ignorant students of Devananda Pandit, thinking that this

was creating a disturbance, removed Srivas Pandit from the assembly and left

him outside. Though this was done in front of Devananda he didn't restrain his

students from this act of disregard to the devotee - Bhagavat.

 

There are two types of Bhagavat - the book bhagavat and the devotee bhagavat.

For this reason, Devananda Pandit became implicated in an offense to a great

devotee (maha-bhagavat). When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to hear how his dear

devotee, Srivas Pandit, had been disrespected, he gave many instructions

concerning the Bhagavat. He told that those who read the book Bhagavat but

don't offer respects to the devotee-Bhagavat, are simply offenders, though they

may read the Bhagavat for eons, still they will never attain love of Godhead.

The devotee bhagavata and the book bhagavata are non-different. In order to

understand the book bhagavat one must first sincerely serve the

devotee-bhagavata. Therefore Mahaprabhu neglected Devananda and didn't bestow

His mercy on him. One evening Vakreshwar Pandit came to perform dancing and

chanting of the Holy Name at the house of one devotee from Kulia, across the

bank of the Ganga from Nadia. Receiving this auspicious news Devananda

proceeded there, and upon seeing the appearance of the symptoms of divine love

in the person of Sri Vakreshwar Pandit he became charmed. Gradually a great

crowd gathered at that place, and Devananda Pandit, taking a cane in his hand,

kept the crowd in order so as not to obstruct the ecstatic dancing of Sri

Vakreshwar Pandit.

 

In this way, Vakreshwar Pandit performed chanting, and dancing for two praharas

(six hours), on into the night. When he finished dancing and sat down,

Devananda came and offered dandavats at the lotus feet of Sri Vakreshwar

Pandit, who became pleased with this service and blessed Devananda with the

words "Krsna-bhakti hauk" - "May you attain devotion to Sri Lord Krsna." From

that day devotion was awakened in the heart of Devananda by the mercy of

Vakreshwar Pandit. Thereafter when Mahaprabhu came to Nadia to have darshan of

his mother and mother Ganges, he bestowed His mercy on Devananda at Kulia.

"Because you have served Vakreshwar I have noticed you. Vakreshwar is fully

imbued with the Lord's transcendental energy, and whoever becomes devoted to

him, attains to the lotus feet of Sri Krsna. His heart is the personal abode of

Sri Krsna and as Sri Krsna dances, so Vakreshwar also dances. Wherever one can

get the association of Vakreshwar, that place is the sum total of all

Holy places and is as good as Sri Vaikuntha."

 

Sri Vakreshwar Pandit's disciple was Gopal Guru Goswami and Gopal Guru

Goswami's disciple was Sri Dhyanchananda Goswami. In his Dhyan Chandra Paddhati

- Dhyan Chandra Goswami has written - "that person who was previously very

expert in the arts of singing and dancing, the gopi, Tungavidya, is presently

renowned in the world as Vakreshwar Pandit. He has appeared on the fifth day of

the dark fortnight of the month of Asar (Ashadha - June-July - Vaman mase) and

he closed his pastimes in this world on the sixth day of the bright fortnight

of the month Asar. While Vakreshwar danced, Mahaprabhu Himself would sing and

Vakreshwar would catch hold of His lotus feet, saying; "O moon­faced one,

give me 10,000 gandharvas, and let them sing while I dance. Then I will be

happy." Mahaprabhu answered, "You are one of my wings. If I had another (like

you) I could fly in the sky."

 

[C. C. Adi 10.17]. Vakreshwar Pandit's worshippable deity is Sri Sri

Radha-kanta, whom he worshipped in Kasi Misra's house, which was also the

residence of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (Gambhira). These Deities are still being

worshipped there to this day.

 

 

 

 

CHANT HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE

HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE AND BE HAPPY

Your humble servant

radhabhava gaur das

 

Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.