From Lord Balaram to Vrndavana dasa Thakura

July 16, 2003

Saints and Incarnations

LORD BALARAMA is the first personal expansion of Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All other incarnations expand from Him. In Lord Krsna's pastimes, He plays as Krsna's older brother. Together Krsna and Balarama enact many pastimes as cowherd boys in the land of Vrndavana. Lord Balarama carries a plow and club and is known for His great strength. (See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, Chapter 5.)

LORD SRI CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU is Lord Krsna Himself, in the form of His own devotee. He appears in this world to spread love for Krsna through the congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord. He appeared in Sridhama Mayapur, West Bengal, in 1486. His activities and teachings are described in detail in the book "Teachings of Lord Caitanya" and the multi-volume "Sri Caitanya- caritamrta." (See also Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.5.32.)

DEVANANDA PANDITA was a professional reciter of Srimad- Bhagavatam who turned to pure devotional service during the time of Lord Caitanya. Devananda Pandita used to explain Srimad- Bhagavatam through impersonalistic interpretations. Because he had offended a devotee, he couldn't understand the essence of the Bhagavatam -- love and devotion for Krsna. But when Devananda Pandita served an advanced devotee, Lord Caitanya became pleased with him and revealed to him the path of devotion to Krsna. (See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 10.77.)

DHANANJAYA PANDITA took part in many of Lord Caitanya's kirtana pastimes in Navadvipa. On the order of Lord Caitanya, he travelled widely and preached Krsna consciousness. He is mentioned in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta as being among the intimate servants of Lord Nityananda Prabhu. (See Sri Caitanya- caritamrta, Adi-lila 11.31.)

GANGAMATA GOSWAMINI was the daughter of King Naresa Narayana of Bengal. From childhood she showed deep devotion to Krsna. Refusing to marry and renouncing her kingdom, she went in search of a bona fide guru. In Vrndavana she accepted Haridasa Pandita as her guru and took instructions from him. Performing severe austerities, she wore only rags and begged food door to door. On her guru's order, she went to Jagannatha Puri, where she became a great preacher and guru. Hundreds of people attended her discourses on Srimad-Bhagavatam, and many people, including brahmanas, Lord Jagannatha's priests, and even the king, accepted her as their spiritual master.

GAURIDASA PANDITA is considered the emblem of the most elevated devotional service in love of Godhead. He sacrificed everything for the service of Lord Nityananda. Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda personally appeared as Deity forms in his home. (See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 11.26-27.)

GOPALA BHATTA GOSWAMI, one of the six Goswamis of Vrndavana, as a young boy received the mercy of Lord Caitanya. While touring south India, Lord Caitanya stayed four months at Gopala Bhatta's house. Gopala Bhatta Goswami later joined Lord Caitanya's sankirtana movement. He proved himself an expert in Vaisnava scriptural regulations, wrote Vaisnava books, and established the temple of Sri Sri Radha-Ramana in Vrndavana. (See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 10.105.)

GOUR GOVINDA SWAMI MAHARAJA, a disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, spread Krsna consciousness throughout Orissa. He translated many of Srila Prabhupada's books into Oriya, worked to establish a large ISKCON temple in Bhubaneswar, travelled and taught Krsna consciousness throughout the world, and brought many people to the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada and Krsna. He departed this world in 1996 at Sridhama Mayapur, on the appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, during the centennial birth celebration of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

GOVINDA GHOSH, an intimate associate of Lord Caitanya, was known for his sweet kirtanas at the annual Jagannatha Puri Ratha- yatra festival. Lord Caitanya would at once begin to dance whenever Govinda Ghosh would sing. Govinda Ghosh and his brothers Vasudeva and Madhava are eternal associates of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda Prabhu. (See Sri Caitanya- caritamrta, Adi-lila 10.115, 11.14-15, and 11.88.)

JAGADISA PANDITA lived near Jagannatha Misra, the father of Lord Caitanya, in Sridhama Mayapur. Jagadisa Pandita assisted Lord Caitanya in spreading the sankirtana movement (congregational chanting of Krsna's name) in Jagannatha Puri. (See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 11.30.)

JAGANNATHA DASA BABAJI MAHARAJA, the spiritual master of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, confirmed Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's discovery of the birthplace of Lord Caitanya. Upon arriving at the birthplace, Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, though blind and crippled, leaped high into the air and began chanting the names of Krsna and dancing.

JAGANNATHA MISRA appeared as the father of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. (See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, chapter 13.)

JAHNAVA MATA was the wife of Lord Nityananda Prabhu. Especially after the disappearance of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda, she became a leading figure in the sankirtana movement.

JAYANANDA PRABHU was a dedicated disciple of Srila Prabhupada who helped Srila Prabhupada introduce the Rathayatra festival in the United States.

JIVA GOSWAMI, the nephew and disciple of Srila Rupa Goswami, was one of the six Goswamis of Vrndavana. After the disappearance of Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami, Sri Jiva Goswami became the leading acarya for the Vaisnava community. Srila Jiva Goswami was the greatest and most prolific scholar of his time. He composed half a million Sanskrit verses about the science of devotion and the glories of Krsna. (See Sri Caitanya- caritamrta, Adi-lila 10.85.)

KALIYA KRSNADASA is mentioned as having been a disciple of Gauridasa Pandita.

KASISVARA PANDITA served as Lord Caitanya's bodyguard in Jagannatha Puri. Another of His services was to distribute prasadam after kirtana. (See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 8.66)

LORD SRI KRSNA is the Absolute Truth, the original form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The words of Bhagavad-gita are His spoken instructions, and the entire Srimad-Bhagavatam aims at describing His glories. (See also the summary study for the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam entitled "Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.")

LOCANA DASA THAKURA, a disciple of Narahari Sarakara Thakura, wrote many Bengali songs glorifying Lord Caitanya. His most famous poetic work is the Caitanya-mangala, a depiction of Lord Caitanya's life. (See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 10.78- 79.)

LOKANATHA GOSWAMI was a personal associate of Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya ordered him and Bhugarbha Goswami to find the lost holy places of Vrndavana. Years later, the six Goswamis came to Vrndavana and continued this work. Lokanatha Goswami constructed the Radha-Gokulananda temple in Vrndavana. Srila Narottama dasa Thakura was his only disciple. (See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 18.49.)

MADHU PANDITA, a disciple of Sri Gadadhara Pandita, established the temple of Gopinatha in Vrndavana, India. Before Srinivasa Acarya, Narottama dasa Thakura, and Syamananda Prabhu went to bring the books of the Goswamis from Vrndavana to Bengal, Madhu Pandita blessed Srinivasa Acarya with a garland from Sri Gopinatha. (See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 12.88.)

MAHESA PANDITA was one of the twelve gopalas who were close associates of Lord Nityananda. He travelled and preached with Lord Nityananda. (See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 11.32.)

MUKUNDA DATTA, the son of Vasudeva Datta, was a classmate of Lord Caitanya. Mukunda Datta had a melodious voice, and he knew the intricacies of musical meters and ragas. Lord Caitanya took sannyasa amidst Mukunda Datta's kirtana. (See Sri Caitanya- caritamrta, Adi-lila 10.40 and 17.65 and Madhya-lila 11.137-140.)

MURARI GUPTA was a lifelong associate of Lord Caitanya. He served Lord Caitanya in all of the Lord's Navadvipa pastimes. By profession a doctor, Murari Gupta freed his patients not only from their physical ailments but also from the contamination of the material energy. Murari Gupta is considered an incarnation of Hanuman, the eternal servant of Lord Ramacandra. (See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 10.49-51 and Madhya-lila 15.137- 157.)

NARAHARI SARAKARA was a personal associate of Lord Caitanya. He would often serve the Lord by fanning Him with a camara. He was also a great scholar and poet. His books Padakalpataru and Krishna-bhajanamrta include sweet songs praising Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda. The celebrated Locana dasa Thakura was his disciple. (See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 10.78-79.)

NIMBARKACARYA was the principal acarya in the Kumara sampradaya, one of the four main lines of Vaisnava teachers and disciples. His Vedanta-sutra commentary -- Parijata-saurabha- bhasya -- establishes the doctrine known as Dvaitadvaita-vada. He preached Krsna consciousness about 300 years before the advent of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

PARAMESVARI DASA THAKURA, also known as Paramesvara Thakura, was an intimate associate of Lord Nityananda Prabhu. (See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 11.29.)

PURUSOTTAMA DASA THAKURA was a great devotee of Lord Nityananda. In Goloka Vrndavana, Purusottama Dasa Thakura serves Lord Balarama as a cowherd boy. (See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 11.38-40.)

SRIMATI RADHARANI is the eternal consort of Lord Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. She is the internal pleasure potency of the Lord. (See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, chapter 4.)

RAGHUNANDANA THAKURA was the son of the great devotee Mukunda Dasa. (See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 10.78-79.)

RAGHUNATHA DASA GOSWAMI, one of the six Goswamis, at a young age renounced his beautiful wife and opulent home to join Lord Caitanya and His sankirtana movement. For sixteen years, he was the personal assistant of Lord Caitanya's secretary, Svarupa Damodara. Along with Svarupa Damodara, he witnessed Lord Caitanya's last days on earth. After the Lord's disappearance he went to Vrndavana, where he lived austerely, absorbed in devotion, in the company of Srila Rupa Goswami and Srila Sanatana Goswami. (See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 10.91- 103 and Antya-lila, chapter 6.)

RAMACANDRA KAVIRAJA was a disciple of Srila Srinivasa Acarya and an intimate friend of Srila Narottama dasa Thakura. He widely preached the glories of the holy name of Lord Krsna and initiated many disciples into the service of Lord Caitanya. (See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 11.51.)

RASIKANANDA PRABHU preached Krsna consciousness in northern Orissa after the disappearance of Lord Caitanya. He was the principal disciple of Syamananda Goswami.

SARANGA THAKURA, an associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, lived under a Bakula tree in Navadvipa during the time of Lord Caitanya. During the day he would gather materials for the worship of his Deities, and in the evenings he would cross the sacred Ganges River to join Lord Caitanya's kirtanas. The great devotee Murari Thakura was his disciple. (See Sri Caitanya- caritamrta, Adi-lila 10.113.)

SITA DEVI, a manifestation of the goddess of fortune, Laksmi Devi, is the eternal consort of Lord Ramacandra. When Lord Ramacandra was banished to the Dandakaranya forest, Sita Devi left the comforts of the royal palace to join Him. While in the forest she was kidnapped by the demonic king Ravana, yet despite his endeavors to enjoy her beauty, she remained always dedicated to Lord Ramacandra.

SRINIVASA ACARYA was a member of the party that first brought the books of the six Goswamis from Vrndavana to Bengal and Orissa. He converted King Birahambira to the Vaisnava religion and helped organized the first Gaura Purnima festival, celebrating the birth anniversary of Lord Caitanya, in Kheturi Gram.

SVARUPA DAMODARA GOSWAMI was the personal secretary of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is said to have been like a second Mahaprabhu because he deeply understood the Lord's conclusions on Krsna bhakti, devotional service to Krsna. He was a great scholar as well as an expert musician. In the company of Srila Svarupa Damodara Goswami at Jagannatha Puri, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would taste the deepest emotions of devotional service. (See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 4.105 and Madhya- lila 10.102-129 and 13.163-167.)

SYAMANANDA PRABHU, a disciple of Hrdaya Caitanya, established the temple of Sri Radha-Syamasundara in Vrndavana. On the order of his spiritual master, Syamananda, along with his foremost disciple, Rasikananda Prabhu, spread the worship and service of Lord Caitanya throughout Orissa.

UDDHARANA DATTA THAKURA was an intimate associate of Lord Nityananda. Raised in a family of gold merchants, he later married and became a wealthy minister. Lord Nityananda would often stay in his home. At the age of twenty-six, Uddharana Datta Thakura renounced home and family and joined Lord Nityananda's kirtana party. (See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi- lila 11.41.)

VAKRESVARA PANDITA is mentioned in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta for his ecstatic dancing. Once, in the house of Srivasa Thakura, he danced in constant ecstasy for seventy-two hours. He made many disciples, especially in Orissa, among them Sri Gopala-guru Goswami. (See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 10.17-18.)

VAMANADEVA is Lord Krsna's incarnation as a dwarf brahmana. Lord Vamanadeva begged from Bali Maharaja three paces of land. When the request was granted, Lord Vamanadeva assumed a gigantic form and with two steps covered first the earth and then the entire universe. For the third step, Bali Maharaja was then pleased to receive the Lord's lotus foot on his head. (See Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.19, 2.7.17 and Eighth Canto, chapters 20- 23.)

VAMSIDASA BABAJI MAHARAJA was a paramahamsa devotee who sometimes lived in Navadvipa at the time of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Wearing only a loincloth and eating whatever came his way, Vamsidasa Babaji Maharaja travelled throughout India, visiting holy places. He worshiped Lord Krsna on a spontaneous platform that neophytes on the path of devotion cannot imitate.

VAMSIVADANANDA THAKURA wrote many sweet poems expressing his devotion to Krsna. The day he appeared, Lord Caitanya and Sri Advaita Prabhu were staying in his home in Bengal. After the disappearance of Srimati Visnupriya Devi, he worshiped her Deities in Navadvipa.

VARAHADEVA is the boar incarnation Sri Krsna. He assumed the form of a boar to lift the drowning planet earth from the Garbhodaka Ocean with His tusks. The demon Hiryanyaksa had thrown the planet earth into this ocean, but the Lord stabbed the demon with His tusks and saved the earth. (See Sri Srimad- Bhagavatam 1.3.7 and 2.7.1 and Canto Three, chapters 13, 18 and 19.)

VASUDEVA GHOSH, an intimate associate of Lord Caitanya, was known for his kirtana. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta says that when Vasudeva Ghosh led kirtana, even wood and stone would melt upon hearing it. He composed many songs about Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Vasudeva Ghosh and his brothers Govinda and Madhava are eternal associates of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda Prabhu.(See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 10.115, 11.14-15, 11.19 and 11.88.)

VIRACANDRA PRABHU was the son of Lord Nityananda's second wife, Vasudha Devi, and was a disciple of Sri Jahnava Devi, Lord Nityananda's first wife. He is considered an incarnation of Ksirodakasayi Visnu.

VISNUPRIYA DEVI was the wife of Lord Caitanya before He took sannyasa. After His sannyasa, she lived a life of severe austerity. Every day, she would set aside one grain of rice for every round of the Hare Krsna mantra she chanted. At the end of the day she would cook and offer these few grains to Lord Caitanya, and that would be her meal. She is a manifestation of the internal energy of the Lord. (See the Bhaktivedanta purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.23.20.)

VISVANATHA CAKRAVARTI THAKURA, a great Vaisnava acarya, appeared in 1674 in what is now the Nadia district of West Bengal. During his time, he served as the protector, guardian, and acarya of the Gaudiya Vaisnava line. He wrote more than forty Sanskrit books on the science of pure devotion, including commentaries on Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, and the books of the six Goswamis. His eight prayers to the spiritual master are sung daily by the Gaudiya Vaisnavas.

VRNDAVANA DASA THAKURA was the author of Sri Caitanya Bhagavata, a great biography of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is considered the manifest Vyasadeva of Lord Caitanya's pastimes. He was born shortly after the disappearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. At the age of twenty, he accepted formal initiation from Lord Nityananda. It was on Lord Nityananda's order that he wrote Sri Caitanya Bhagavata. (See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi- lila 8.33-42 and 11.54-55.)