From the time that he was a boy, Gadadhara Pandita was always in
the association of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Sri Gadadhara Pandita Goswami's appearance day is on the dark moon
day of the month of Vaisakha.
Sri Gadadhara Pandita's father's name was Sri Madhava Misra, his
mother's name was Sri Ratnavati Devi.
They lived close to the house of Jagannatha Misra in Mayapura.
Sri Ratnavati Devi looked upon Sacidevi as if Sacidevi were her big
sister.
The two of them were always spending time with each other.
At the time of his childhood pastimes, Gaurahari used to often play
with Gadadhara Pandita.
They both went to the village school together to study. Gadadhara
Pandita was a year younger than Gaurahari.
Gadadhara had so much affection for Gaurahari that he could not
leave his company even for a moment.
In the Gaura-ganodesa-dipika it has been explained by Kavi
Karnapura that in Vraja-lila Sri Gadadhara Pandita was the daughter
of Vrsabhanu-Srimati Radharani.
This is confirmed in the notebooks of Svarupa Damodara as well as
in the songs of Sri Vasudeva Ghosa Thakura.
According to Sri Caitanya Caritamrta:
"No one can describe the characteristics and ecstatic love of
Gadadhara Pandita.
Therefore another name for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Gadadhara
Prananatha, "the life and soul of Gadadhara Pandita."
No one can say how merciful the Lord is to Gadadhara Pandita, but
people know the Lord as Gadaira Gaura, "the Lord Gauranga of
Gadadhara Pandita."
The Caitanya bhagavata records that when Isvara Puri stayed in
Nabadwipa Mayapura, he lived at the house of Sri Gopinatha Acarya
for a few months.
At that time, Isvara Puri was very affectionate towards Gadadhara
and tutoured him from his book Krsna-lilamrta.
From his early childhood, Gadadhara Pandita was very serious and
self-composed.
He was peaceful, renounced, and fond of solitude.
On the other hand, in His childhood, Gaurasundara appeared to be
very fickle, unsteady, and whimsical.
When they were studying in school, he would distrub Gadadhara with
whimsical questions whose sophistry was meant to baffle
Gadadhara.
Gadadhara didn't like this as it disturbed his mind and his
studies.
As a result he was forced to keep Gaurahari at a distance.
But he couldn't bear to keep aloof from the Lord.
This posed a great dilemma for Gadadhara Pandita.
The Lord said, "Gadadhara! Soon I shall become such a great
Vaisnava that even Brahma and Siva will come to me and bow
down.
Sri Gadadhara Pandita was especially affectionate towards Mukunda
Datta.
Whenever sadhus or sannyasis would come to Nabadwipa from
somewhere, Mukunda Datta would tell Gadadhara and together they
would go and visit that holy man. One time, from Chattagrama,
Pundarika Vidyanidhi came to Nabadwipa.
At that time, Mukunda Datta intimated to Gadadhara that there was a
Vaisnava worth seeing, and suggested they they go visit him.
With great jubilation at the prospect of seeing a Vaisnava,
Gadadhara Pandita went to visit Pundarika Vidyanidhi with Mukunda
Datta.
When Gadadhara Pandita came before Pundarika, he saw that he
appeared to be a great materialist.
His faith was somewhat damaged upon seeing this. He said to
himself, "If he is a Vaisnava, why does he appear to be such a
materialist?"
Mukunda Datta, knowing the mind of Gadadhara, sweetly sang a verse
about Krsna-lila.
Mukunda Datta had known Pundarika Vidyanidhi, and by sweetly
chanting this verse he awakened his inner consciousness.
Hearing Mukunda Datta singing this verse about krsna-lila from
Srimad-Bhagavatam he began crying "Krsna! Krsna!" and weeping again
and again.
The Caitanya Bhagavata says that the flowing of tears from his eyes
was as if the Ganges had descended.
Finally he fell upon the ground, and after rolling back and forth
for some time lost consciousness.
Upon seeing this, Gadadhara Pandita felt great remorse within his
mind.
He began to reconsider his attitude toward Pundarika
Vidyanidhi.
He thought, "I thought that this great devotee, this mahabhagavata,
was an ordinary sense enjoyer.
I have committed a great offense.
If, however, I accept mantra initiation from him I may become free
from this offense.
I see no other way."
In this way, Sri Gadadhara Pandita made up his mind to take
initiation from Pundarika Vidyanidhi.
When Pundarika returned to his external consciousness, Mukunda
Datta introduced Gadadhara Pandita to him.
Hearing from Mukunda Datta about the character of Gadadhara
Pandita, Pundarika was delighted.
When he heard of Gadadhara's desire to become his disciple he was
pleased.
He smiled, saying, "I consider myself very fortunate. Only after
many many births does one get a disciple like this."
Soon after this, one an auspicious day, Sri Gadadhara Pandita
accepted mantra initiation from Pundarika Vidyanidhi.
After Caitanya Mahaprabhu returned from Gaya-dhama, he began his
manifestations of Krsna-prema.
At Gaya, he had performed his pastime of taking shelter of Isvara
Puri.
Once he returned home, he began a new life. Day and night he would
float in the ocean of Krsna-prema.
Seeing Mahaprabhu's wonderful tears of ecstasy in Krsna-prema,
Gadadhara found himself also overwhelmed with ecstasy.
He too cried tears of joy in divine love of Krsna.
From then on Gadadhara Pandita found it difficult to give up the
Lord's association even for an hour.
One day, Gadadhara brought Mahaprabhu some tambula.
When he arrived at the house of the Lord, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
was deeply absorbed in a mood of separation from Krsna.
Mahaprabhu said, "Gadadhara! Where is Syamasundara? Where is that
Lord of Vrndavana who is dressed in yellow cloth?"
Saying this, the Lord began to weep.
Gadadhara was stunned and could not understand what answer to
give.
With great reverence, he humbly submitted, "Krsna is in your
heart."
Upon hearing this Mahaprabhu began tearing at his chest, but
Gadadhara quickly restrained His hands from doing any damage.
The Lord said, "Gadadhara! Let go of my hands! If I cannot see
Krsna I will not be able to maintain my life."
Gadadhara said, "If you just remain patient, Krsna will surely
reveal Himself.
He will surely come here before long."
With this Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was pacified.
Seeing these pastimes of Gaura-Gadadhara from a little distance,
Sacimata thought to herself with great satisfaction, "This boy
Gadadhara is very intelligent.
I need not fear for Gaurahari's sake."
Sacimata said, "Gadadhara! You must always stay by the side of my
son Gaurahari,in this way I shall not have to worry.
One day in the house of Suklambhara Brahmacari the Lord was to
speak something about Krsna.
Hearing this, Gadadhara went to the house of Suklambhara Brahmacari
and took his seat within the house.
Outside on the veranda the Lord began to speak.
As the Lord spoke he became overwhelmed with ecstasy and went into
a rasik trance.
All the devotees surrounding him also began to swim in the waves of
prema.
In this way for some time everyone tasted premarasa.
Gadadhara's prema could not have been more intense.
Lowering his head he began loudly weeping again and again with
tears of ecstasy.
Hearing Gadadhara's pitiful tears, Mahaprabhu said, "Who is that
within the house who is weeping so intensely?"
Suklambhara Brahmacari said, "It is your Gadadhara."
The Lord said, "Gadadhara! You are most fortunate.
From your early childhood you have been a determined devotee of
Krsna.
My own birth was useless. Because of all my sinful karma I could
not attain Krsna."
Saying this the Lord embraced Gadadhara in great ecstatic love.
When the Lord was performing his Nabadwipa-lila his chief assistant
was Gadadhara.
They who in Vrndavana are Radha-Krsna take the form of
Gaura-Gadadhara in these pastimes in Nabadwipa on the banks of the
Ganges.
And those who in Vrndavana are gopas and gopis take part in the
pastimes of the Lord in Nabadwipa by performing kirtana.
One day the Lord was wandering by the banks of the Ganges when he
came upon a small forest grove and sat down.
Gradually he became absorbed in remembering the Vrndavana
pastimes.
Mukunda Datta began sweetly singing songs in the purva-raga.
Gadadhara, after gathering flowers in the forest decorated the
Lord's neck with a garland.
Just as formerly in Vrndavana, Sri Radha used to decorate Lord
Krsna, in the same way Gadadhara decorated the holy form of Lord
Gauranga.
Someone sang a sweet song, someone performed a beautiful dance.
At length Gauranga sat Gadadhara down on the root of a tree which
served as a raised platform.
Sri Advaita acarya performed the arati of two of them.
Sri Nityananda Prabhu was seated on the left of them.
Srivasa Pandita Prabhu was taking flowers and decorating them.
Narahari was waving the camara.
Suklambhara was offering candana.
Murari Gupta was singing glories to the Lord.
Madhava, Vasudeva, Pursottama, Vijaya, and Mukunda, as well as
others sang different songs in various ragas.
In this way, the Lord finished his Nadiya-lila; he performed his
sannyasalila and left his mother and his country and went to live
in Jagannatha Puri.
At that time Gadadhara Pandita followed Him and also went to
Jagnnatha Puri, to live.
There Gadadhara Pandita engaged himself in the service of Sri
Gopinatha deity.
At that time the Lord would regularly go and visit his dear
Gadadhara to float in the waves of rasa by discussing Krsna.
When the Lord made his pilgrimage to Vrndavana, he forbade
Gadadhara Pandita to go with Him.
At that time, his separation knew no bounds.
Gadadhara Pandita use to teach Srimad-Bhagavatam class.
His eternal companion, Sri Gaurasundara used to sit and hear from
him.
Sri Gadadhara Pandita's discussion of Srimad-Bhagavatam was like an
ocean of nectar.
After the forty-eight years of the Lord's manifest pastimes were
over, He disappeared into the Gopinatha deity of Gadadhara
Pandita.
This is recorded in Bhakti-ratnakara.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura has written:
smara gaura gadadhara kelikalam
bhava gaura gadadhara paksacaram
srnu gaura gadadhara carukatham
bhaja godruma-kanana kunjavidhum
Remember the wonderful pastimes of Gaura and Gadadhara.
Become a servant of Gaura and Gadadhara.
Listen to the beautiful narrations concerning Gaura and Gadadhara,
and worship Lord Gaura, the beautiful moon of the groves of
Godrum.
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