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 moon faced 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.
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