English
05 July 2024
Speaker: HH Radhe Shyamananda Swami Maharaj
Theme: Appearance and Disappearance Day of Sri Gadadhara Pandita and Disappearance of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.
Sub-Theme: Disappearance Day of Sri Gadadhara Pandita.
Welcome, dear devotees, to this Japa talk. Today is the appearance and disappearance day of Srila Gadadhara Pandit, the disappearance day of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and the appearance day of Srila Gurudev. This day is glorious. All days are important, but when a great personality takes birth on earth, the spiritual potency of that day increases a thousandfold.
Srila Gadadhar Pandit is the fourth of the Pancha Tattva (Jay Sri Krishna Chaitanya, Prabhu Nityananda, Sri Advaita, Gadadhar). He is non-different from Radha Rani, who appears as Gadadhar Pandit in Chaitanya Lila. His parents, Madhava Mishra and Ratnavali, were neighbors of Sachi Mata and Jagannath Mishra. Sachi Devi and Ratnavali would meet each other very frequently. Gadadhar was younger than Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, but they played together and remained close throughout their lives. Gadadhar Pandit disappeared after Chaitanya Mahaprabhu disappeared.
Gadadhar Pandit was very calm by nature and did not like to go to crowded places. As he grew up, his friend Mukunda always accompanied him everywhere.
Once, Pundarik Vidyanidhi arrived in Navadvipa Dham from Saptagram. Mukunda told Gadadhar Pandit to meet this great personality, just like Prabhupada’s friend took him to meet Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur. A true friend is one who makes you visit saints, not one who takes you to pubs and mundane places. Pundarik Vidyanidhi is Vrishbhanu (the father of Radha Rani) in Krishna Lila. He was seated on a throne, dressed opulently, and servants were serving him. Someone would fan him; someone would give him betel leaf to chew. He had long hair and eyes, and the entire room was filled with the scent he had applied to his clothes. Gadadhar Pandit wondered how this seemingly materialistic person could narrate any Katha, and they returned from that place. The next day, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu again asked Gadadhar to meet Pundarik Vidyanidhi, and Mukunda took Gadadhar Pandit to the same place. Mukunda was a very good singer and would sing verses very sweetly. To show the actual form of Pundarik Vidyanidhi, Mukunda sang:
अहो बकी यं स्तनकालकूटं
जिघांसयापाययदप्यसाध्वी ।
लेभे गतिं धात्र्युचितां ततोऽन्यं
कं वा दयालुं शरणं व्रजेम ॥ २३ ॥
aho bakī yaṁ stana-kāla-kūṭaṁ
jighāṁsayāpāyayad apy asādhvī
lebhe gatiṁ dhātry-ucitāṁ tato ’nyaṁ
kaṁ vā dayāluṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajema
Translation:
Alas, how shall I take shelter of one more merciful than He who granted the position of mother to a she-demon [Pūtanā], although she was unfaithful and she prepared deadly poison to be sucked from her breast?
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.2.23)
Pundarik Vidyanidhi started loudly chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra and rolled down from his throne. All his opulent clothes were crushed, and he began shouting, "Krishna Krishna Krishna." Seeing this ecstatic state of Pundarik Vidyanidhi, Srila Gadadhar Pandit felt extreme compassion for him. Gadadhar thought that he had insulted Pundarik Vidyanidhi, so he decided to repent by serving him and making him his guru. He reported the entire incident to Mahaprabhu and expressed his willingness to take diksha from Pundarik Vidyanidhi.
Throughout his life, Gadadhara Pandita served as a close companion and disciple of Pundarika Vidyanidhi, an elevated Vaishnava. Their relationship was that of an ideal spiritual master and disciple, both deeply beloved by Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya.
Before Mahaprabhu went to Jagannath Puri after taking sannyasa, he performed lilas in Navadvipa for 24 years and the remaining 24 years in Jagannath Puri. During the last 24 years, he continuously traveled for 12 years, preached along with his disciples for 6 years, and lived in Krishna's separation for the remaining 6 years. Gadadhar Pandit also went with Mahaprabhu to Jagannath Puri.
Before going to Gaya, Gadadhar was not happy with Mahaprabhu's behavior. Mahaprabhu would just discuss grammar, alankar, and Sanskrit. Gadadhar would pray to God to make Mahaprabhu a devotee. But when Mahaprabhu went to Gaya and took diksha from Ishwara Puri, he changed completely. He started feeling separation from Krishna.
When Gadadhar Pandit saw Mahaprabhu roll in ecstasy, he would become very restless. He decided to always stay with Mahaprabhu. Once, he offered pan and betel nuts to Mahaprabhu. Mahaprabhu asked him where Shyam Sunder resides. Gadadhar Pandit replied, "He resides in your heart." Immediately, Mahaprabhu started tearing His chest with His nails. Sachi Mata, upon seeing this, got terrified. Gadadhar Pandit tackled the situation intelligently and stopped Mahaprabhu from tearing his chest. Thereafter, Sachi Mata instructed Gadadhar Pandit to never leave Mahaprabhu.
While serving Tota Gopinath, Gadadhar Pandit became old. He was instructed to leave his service due to his old age, but he refused to leave this service. For us, if given a choice, we might avoid devotional service. Many devotees, after being initiated, disappear and never serve in the temple. We should at least serve for an hour in a temple. Goddess Lakshmi also is not allowed in Vaikuntha because she did not want to leave her opulence. Serving in the temple is very important.
Gadadhar Pandit, now old, could not reach the top of the Tota Gopinath deity. The deity bent down to be served by Gadadhar Pandit. To this day, the deity is seen bent down. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also entered the Tota Gopinath deity and disappeared. Gadadhar Pandit then started serving Tota Gopinath more intensely. Today is Vaishakha Amavasya, the disappearance of Gadadhar Pandit. Amavasya is a dark, no-moon day, and black reminds Radha Rani of Krishna.
Sub-Theme: Disappearance Day of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
Today is also the day of the disappearance of Bhaktivinoda Thakur. He is Kamala Manjari in Krishna Lila. Krishna sends His close associates to preach. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur presented the Vedas systematically to the world and discovered lost granthas. He was born on 2nd September, Sunday, Trayodashi, at Birnagar. His father was Ananda Chandra Dutta, and his mother, Jag Mohini Devi, hailed from Kayastha families. His father called many astrologers to check his hand, and they predicted that this child would be very intelligent and unmatched in knowledge. At the age of 2, he wrote a poem that surprised everyone. By the age of 6, he had mastered the Ramayana and Mahabharata. At 9 years old, he mastered astrology. At 10, he would ask questions about God. He was married at 11 years old when his wife was just 5 years old.
His friend Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar wrote a book on God being formless. Bhaktivinoda Thakur went to Calcutta to meet him and questioned why he wrote about God when he didn't know anything about Him. He argued that Krishna, being all-powerful and the maintainer of the universe, could not be formless.
When his grandfather was about to leave his body, he blessed him to be a great Vaishnava. He wrote many scriptures, such as Jaiva Dharma.
Later, he was appointed as deputy magistrate and the chief of the Jagannath temple. Once, a tantric, an occult practitioner, announced himself as Maha Vishnu and claimed that Jagannath is nothing but a piece of wood. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur arrested him and announced a case against him. He faced many problems; his family fell sick, but Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur did not give up. For 1.5 years, the tantric was imprisoned, and then the doctors shaved off his hair. He lost all his powers and committed suicide.
He also discovered Navadvipa. It was a Tulasi farm owned by a Muslim. He acquired it, and Srila Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj, an old saint, helped him discover the birthplace of Mahaprabhu. He prayed to Jagannath for a son who would be empowered to preach. Once, the Ratha Yatra chariot did not move for 3 days outside the house of Bhaktivinoda Thakur. As soon as his few months old son, Bimala Prasada, was taken by his mother to the deities, a garland fell on his head, and the Ratha moved forward. He was the spiritual master of Srila Prabhupada, who spread Krishna consciousness far and wide.
