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.
