Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja
Alachua, Florida
Gadadhara Pandita asked Caitanya Mahaprabhu, “Is there any mahabhagavata in Navadvipa? I want to meet him.”
Mahaprabhu told Mukunda, “You should take him to Pundarika Vidyanidhi.”
Mukunda took him there. He saw Pundarika Vidyanidhi’s luxurious life, like that of a king, and he lost his faith.
When he returned, Mahaprabhu asked him, “Have you seen that mahabhagavata?”
Gadadhara Pandita replied, “I could not see him as a mahabhagavata.”
Mahaprabhu then told Mukunda, “You should read a poem from Srimad-Bhagavatam to Pundarika Vidyanidhi.” Thus, Mahaprabhu again sent Gadadhara Pandita and Mukunda to Pundarika Vidyanidhi. At that time, Pundarika Vidyanidhi was lying on his bed. His hair was oiled. He was wearing expensive clothing and perfume. A king’s spittoon and hookah (water pipe) stood by his bed.
Mukunda dasa recited this sloka:
aho baki yam stana-kala-kutam
jighamsayapayayad apy asadhvi
lebhe gatim dhatry-ucitam tato ’nyam
kam va dayalum saranam vrajema
(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 3.2.23)
[“How astonishing! When Putana, wicked sister of Bakasura, tried to kill child Krsna by offering Him deadly poison on her breast, He bestowed upon her the position of His nursemaid. Could I ever have as merciful a shelter as that of Lord Krsna?”]
Hearing this sloka, Pundarika Vidyanidhi fell down from the bed. He began to roll around and became senseless, absorbed in Krsna. His hair became scattered and his decorations fell off.
Gadadhara Pandita thought, “Really, Mahaprabhu has sent me to a mahahagavata.” He fell flat at the lotus feet of Pundarika Vidyanidhi, and then he returned to Mahaprabhu.
Mahaprabhu asked, “Have you met a high-class mahabhagavata?”
Gadadhara Pandita replied, “When I first met him, I had doubts, seeing his luxurious paraphanelia. But now, my doubt has gone. I have committed some offense at the lotus feet of a mahabhagavata. What atonement can I perform?
Mahaprabhu told him, “Go and take mantra-diksa from him.”
Gadadhara Pandita went there and took diksa – the gopala-mantra – from Pundarika Vidyanidhi.
Gadadhara Pandita was a friend of Caitanya Mahaprabhu from childhood. When they became older, they used to study with Gangadasa Pandit.
Gadadhara Pandita, Murari Gupta, and so many others like Jagadananda were classmates. At that time, Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to speak from the philosophy of nyaya (logic), and the others, especially Gadadhara Pandita, would be bewildered. When Mahaprabhu would go anywhere, and Gadadhara Pandita would see Him in the lanes of the street, Gadadhara Pandita would think, “Oh, Nimai Pandita is coming,” and he would go to the other side of the street to avoid Him. But again, Mahaprabhu would approach him.
After they finished their studies, Nimait Pandita went to Gaya. When He returned from there, He became bhavuka (spiritually emotional) Nimai. At that time He told His students in the Sanskrit school, “Now I cannot teach you. Better you bind up the books. Let us start kirtana. He then began kirtana, and Gadadhara Pandita joined also from that time.
Who is Gadadhara Pandita? He is Srimati Radha Thakurani. Why did he come? To help Mahaprabhu enjoy Radhika’s three moods. From time to time he used to help Mahaprabhu experience these moods. When Nityananda Prabhu went to the house of Nandana Acarya in Navadvipa, Gadadhara went with Mahaprabhu, Srivasa Pandit, Mukunda, and so many others. They went to where Nityananda was in Nandana Acarya Bhavan. When Mahaprabhu and Nityananda met together and saw each other, they became overwhelmed and embraced each other, and both became unconscious. At that time, Gadadhara Pandita sang:
barhapidam nata-vara-vapuh karnayoh karnikaram
bibhrad vasah kanaka-kapisam vaijayantim ca malam
randhran venor adhara-sudhayapurayan gopa-vrndair
vrndaranyam sva-pada ramanam pravisad gita-kirtih
(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.21.5)
[(Within their hearts, the damsels of Vraja began to see that) Śri Kṛṣna entered the charming forest of Vṛndavana accompanied by His cowherd boyfriends. A peacock feather decorated the top of His head and yellow karnikara (oleander) flowers were resting on top of His ears. He wore a golden yellow garment on His body, and a beautiful, fragrant garland strung from five kinds of forest flowers circled His neck and hung down to His knees. Śri Kṛṣna appeared like the best of dancers performing a supremely captivating drama upon a stage. He filled up the holes of His flute with the nectar of His lips as the cowherd boys followed behind Him singing His glories, which purify the entire world. In this way, the forest of Vṛndavana, which is more charming than the divine realm of Vaikunṭḥa, has become even more splendid from the impressions of His adorable lotus feet, which are marked with all the auspicious symbols like the conch and disc.]
Hearing this, Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu were overjoyed and began to dance. In this way, Gadadhara Pandita used to help. He would also look after Sacinandana Gaurahai to see if He is was playing the part of Radhika properly or not. He was always watching Mahaprabhu, and seeing if He was correct or not. If He was not correct, then at once he would correct Him.
When Mahaprabhu returned from Gaya and came to Srivas Pandita’s house, from behind a curtain Gadadhara Pandit uttered the same sloka. Hearing Gadadhara Pandit, Mahaprabhu understood how to increase His mood.
In this way, when Mahaprabhu wanted to take sannyasa, He told only five persons, “I want to take sannyasa. Today I will give up my home, mother, wife, and everything.” He told this to Nityananda Prabhu, Gadadhara Pandita, Mukunda, Candrasekara Acarya, and Jagadananda, and His mother knew about this from them.
When Mahaprabhu reached Katwa to take sannyasa, these five also reached there. Candrasekara bore all the expenses of that tridandi sannyasa mahotsava ceremony. He was the husband of Sacimata’s sister, so he in age he was so much elder. He was very near and dear to Mahaprabhu. In that ceremony, when the barber wanted to shave Mahaprabhu’s head, Gadadhara Pandita began to weep.
From there, Mahaprabhu wanted to go to Vrndavana, but Nityananda Prabhu was very tricky. He told a cowherd boy that when Nimai Pandit comes and asks for the way to Vrndavana, he should tell Him that it is very near here – that the Yamuna is here. Then, Nityananda would take Him to Advaita Acarya.
Mahaprabhu thought He was going to Vrndavana. He was in bhava-avesa (lost in ecstasy) singing:
kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! he!
kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! he!
kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! rakṣa mam!
kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! kṛṣṇa! pahi mam!
rama! raghava! rama! raghava! rama! raghava! rakṣa mam!
kṛṣṇa! keśava! kṛṣṇa! keśava kṛṣṇa! keśava! pahi mam!
“O Krsna, where are You? Without You, My heart is broken.”
In this way. Mahaprabhu was going. When He saw some cowherd boys grazing cows, He asked them, “In which way should I go to Vrndavana?”
They replied, “You have come very near to Vrndavana. The Yamuna is flowing here.
When He went to ‘Yamuna’ to bathe, He saw Advaita Acarya with a boat. He thought, “Oh, this is Santipura; where is Vrndavana? This is the Ganges, not Yamuna.”
Then Nityananda said, “Prabhu, this is really Vrndavana. The Yamuna River is on the west side and the Ganges River is on the east side. So don’t be worried.”
Advaita Acarya Prabhu approached and requested, “Please come to my house.”
Nityananda Prabhu and others then went there, but on the way Nityananda went to Saci Maiya in Mayapura and said, “Nimai Pandit has come to Santipura after taking sannyasa. I have brought Him here only for you.”
Hearing this, the whole of Navadvipa, many hundreds of thousands of persons arrived in Santipura in many ways – some by swimming, some by making boats of banana leaves, and somehow they all crossed the Ganges and went to the house of Advaita Acarya. Gadadhara Pandita was also there.
Saci Maiya said, “Advaita Acarya Prabhu, as long as my son is here, please allow me to cook and feed Him.”
Mahaprabhu told her, “I am very foolish. I have done wrong. You are old, father left this world, and I took sannyasa, so there is no one to look after you. If you order me, I will give up sannyasa and go back to householder life.”
Saci Maiya was very religious-minded, and she replied, “I don’t want that. Somehow, You have taken the sannyasa order, so I cannot tell You to give it up. One thing I will tell You – Do not go far away to Vrndavana. Go to Jagannatha Puri. Many persons will go there and I will hear about You, and sometimes You can come here.”
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: You previously told us that if Mahaprabhu would go to Vrndavana, due to the greatness of its influence, He would forget His mood as Radhika and return to His self-identification as Krsna. Then He would not be able to fulfill His three desires, for which He came to this world: [ - to understand the greatness of Radha’s love which makes Him mad, 2 - what is it about Him that She alone relishes to the highest extent, and 3 - he exaltation of Her happiness in their loving relationship which is thousands of times greater than His] He therefore He inspired Yogamaya to speak through Saci-mata. “O, my mother ordered me to remain in Puri. So what can I do?” Then He could say to the world, he will manifest Himself as Krsna.”
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Gadadhara Pandita went to Puri with Caitanya Mahaprabhu. . Mahaprabhu began to live in the Gambhira, and Gadadhara Pandita in Tota Gopinatha. What is the meaning of Tota Gopinatha? Tota means garden (in Oriyan language) – garden of Gopinatha. So many trees and beautiful scenery are there. And Cataka Parvata is there. Mahaprabhu used to see these ? know Govardhana Many banyan trees (vatsa) as Mahaprabhu used to think that this was Vamsi-vata. So nearby, in Tota Gopinatha, Gadadhara Pandita used to live.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to go there to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam from Gadadhara Pandit. Gadadhara Pandita was a very, very sweet Srimad-Bhagavatam speaker who could recite in such sweet language and melody that all were attracted. So, Mahaprabhu used to go to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam from his mouth.
One day Mahaprabhu told him, “I want to give you a very, very precious gift. Do you want to take it?”
Gadadhara Pandita replied, “Yes, certainly I want to take it.”
Mahaprabhu said, “Dig for it in this place.”
When Gadadhara Pandita was digging in the sand, he saw the beautiful form of Gopinatha there; the Deity of Gopinatha came out.
Mahaprabhu said, “Take this Deity and worship Him here.”
Then Gadadhara Pandita made a hut and kept Gopinatha there.
In India we see so many deities of Krsna, but all are standing. Only Gopinatha is sitting. If you see Him with a dress, you will think that He is standing, but if you take away some of the cloth, then you will see that He is sitting. He was very tall and He was actually previously standing. After Mahaprabhu left the world, He could no longer reach up to give Him a garland, so from then, Gopinatha sat down to accept the garland from Gadadhara Pandita.
One day Nityananda Prabhu came from Bengal. He brought many cloths and also some nice fragrant rice, and gave them to Radha Gopinatha. He told Gadadhara Pandita, “Please cook this rice along with some tamarind leaves and also spinach from the garden.”
Gadadhara Pandita picked up some spinach and brought tamarind leaves and made a very beautiful, tasteful sweet and sour preparation. He offered it to Gopinatha and gave it to Nityananda Prabhu, and said, “We will take prasada.”
Just before they began to honor that prasada, Caitanya Mahaprabhu arrived and said, “Oh, you have so much love and affection for only Nityananda and not for Me? How tasteful are these things you are giving to Nityananda and not to Me.”
They divided the prasada into three parts – one dish for Nityananda Prabhu, one dish for Mahaprabhu, and one dish for Gadadhara Pandita. Then they very happily took that mahaprasada.
One day, Caitanya Mahaprabhu came and was hearing Bhagavata. Hearing Bhagavata, He became mad after Krsna. So many ecstatic symptoms manifested in His body. He ran in the temple of Gopinatha, but He did not return from there. Gadadhara Pandita searched for Him: “Where has Mahaprabhu gone? Where has Mahaprabhu gone?” But Mahaprabhu had merged into Gopinatha, and now Gadadhara Pandita felt so much separation from Him.
After one year Srinivasa Acarya came from Bengal. He heard that Mahaprabhu had disappeared. Somehow He used to come to take darsana of Svarupa Damodara, Raya Ramananda, and Gadadhara Pandita. But when he reached Jagannatha Puri he heard that Svarupa Damodara had also left this world, and Gadadhara Prabhu also. Then he began to weep and returned to Navadvipa, and from Navadvipa he went to Vrndavana, to the school of Jiva Gosvami.
Gaura Premanande!
Question: Why is this verse “aho bhaki yam” so special. Vyasadeva called to Sukadeva Gosvami with this verse, and Pundarika Vidyanidhi became maddened.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Even though Putana was taking blood from newborn babies and she went to kill Krsna, He gave her the form of a mother [nursemaid]. So, how merciful Krsna is. No one sloka glorifies the mercy of Krsna and therefore it can be merciful like Him. We must therefore take shelter of? We must take the shelter of merciful Krsna. This is important.
For glorifying the beauty of Krsna, these slokas are uttered:
barhapidam nata-vara-vapuh karnayoh karnikaram
bibhrad vasah kanaka-kapisam vaijayantim ca malam
randhran venor adhara-sudhayapurayan gopa-vrndair
vrndaranyam sva-pada ramanam pravisad gita-kirtih
[(Within their hearts, the damsels of Vraja began to see that) Śri Kṛṣna entered the charming forest of Vṛndavana accompanied by His cowherd boyfriends. A peacock feather decorated the top of His head and yellow karnikara (oleander) flowers were resting on top of His ears. He wore a golden yellow garment on His body, and a beautiful, fragrant garland strung from five kinds of forest flowers circled His neck and hung down to His knees. Śri Kṛṣna appeared like the best of dancers performing a supremely captivating drama upon a stage. He filled up the holes of His flute with the nectar of His lips as the cowherd boys followed behind Him singing His glories, which purify the entire world. In this way, the forest of Vṛndavana, which is more charming than the divine realm of Vaikunṭḥa, has become even more splendid from the impressions of His adorable lotus feet, which are marked with all the auspicious symbols like the conch and disc.] (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.21.5)
This is Brahma’s prayer:
naumiḍya te ’bhra-vapuṣe taḍid-ambaraya
gunjavtamsa-paripiccha-lasan-mukhaya
vanya-sraje kavala-vetra-viṣana-venu-
lakṣma-sriye mṛdu-pade pasupangajaya
Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.1)
[“O Prince of Vraja, You are worshipable for the whole world. O Nava-Ghanaśyama, Your yellow upper garment beautifies Your dark, fresh raincloud-colored limbs like a steady streak of lightning. Your ears are decorated with ornaments made of guñja berries, and Your head with a crown of peacock feathers. A garland of forest flowers and leaves adorns Your neck, a morsel of rice mixed with yogurt is in Your hand, Your eyes are shaped like lotus petals, and Your appearance with Your flute and buffalo horn is exquisitely beautiful. Your lotus feet, which are the shelter of Lakṣmi-devi, are very soft and full of affection for Your devotees. You are always moving here and there in Vṛndavana forest with Your soft lotus feet to enjoy Your pleasure pastimes. All glories unto You, son of Nanda Maharaja, who tend the cows. Please accept my obeisances.”]
The Yajnapatnis saw the beauty of Krsna and uttered this sloka:
syamam hiranya-paridhim vanamalya-barha
dhatu-pravala-nata-vesam anuvratamse
vinyasta-hastam itarena dhunanam abjam
karnotpalalaka-kapola-mukhabja-hasam
[“He is dark-complexioned like a fresh raincloud, and His yellow cloth, which defeats the splendour of gold, shimmers against His body. His head is decorated with a peacock feather, and every part of His body is ornamented with designs that are drawn with various coloured minerals. Sprigs of new leaves adorn His body, and around His neck is an enchanting forest-flower garland of five colours. Dressed in this way, He appears as a fresh, youthful, expert dancer. He rests one hand upon His sakha’s shoulder and with the other He twirls a pastime lotus. His ears are decorated with earrings (kunḍalas), curly locks of hair splash against His cheeks, and His lotus face blossoms with a gentle smile.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.23.22)]
Lord Brahma has also told about the beauty of Krsna in Brahma-samhita (verse 31):
alola-candraka-lasad-vanamalya-vamsi-
ratnangadam pranaya-keli-kala-vilasam
syamam tri-bhaṅga-lalitam niyata-prakasam
govindam adi-puruṣam tam aham bhajami
[“I worship the original personality, Śri Govinda, around whose neck a garland of forest flowers and peacock feathers swings gently, whose lotus hands hold a captivating flute, whose arms are decorated with jeweled ornaments, who is always madly absorbed in intimate loving pastimes, and whose eternal natural aspect is His graceful threefold bending Syamasundara form.
venum kvanantam aravinda-dalayatakṣam
barhavatamsam asitambuda-sundarangam
kandarpa-koṭi-kamaniya-viseṣa-sobham
govindam adi-puruṣam tam aham bhajami
I worship the primeval personality, Sri Govinda, who is absorbed in playing upon His flute, whose long eyes expand and bloom like lotus flowers, whose headdress is adorned with peacock feathers, and whose unique bodily complexion, which resembles the luster of a dark blue raincloud, bewilders the minds of millions of Cupids.
Jaya Sri Gadadhara Pandit ki jaya!
Jaya Sri Nityananda Prabhu ki jaya!
Jaya Sri Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ki jaya!
