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Today is a deeply auspicious day as we honor the divine appearance of Śrī Sītā Devī and Śrī Jāhnavā Devī, along with the disappearance of Śrī Madhu Paṇḍita. These sacred personalities are not like conditioned souls who are bound by material nature. They are eternally liberated, always situated in the Lord’s internal potency, and never subject to fall down. By approaching their mercy, one can very easily receive the mercy of the Lord, for when they bestow their grace, everything becomes possible.

As conditioned souls, we are constantly influenced by the external energy, repeatedly falling into illusion unless we remain under the shelter of the Lord’s internal potency. Therefore, we pray to take refuge in that divine energy, which manifests in various forms such as Śrī Sītā Devī and Śrī Jāhnavā Devī. Their compassion and protection guide the soul back toward spiritual steadiness and devotion.

There is a beautiful pastime connected to this day. When Lord Rāma was in exile, He came to Māyāpur, specifically to the island of Modadrumadvīpa. Seeing Him smiling, Sītā Devī lovingly inquired about the reason. Lord Rāma explained that in that age He had sent Her to the forest, but in the age of Kali He Himself would go to the forest and accept sannyāsa. He further revealed that when She would be in the forest, He would worship a golden deity of Her, and in Kali yuga, when She would be separated, She would worship Him in a golden form. Hearing this, Sītā Devī was not pleased, as both situations carried the pain of separation from the Lord. This exchange reveals the deep and intimate nature of divine love, where even separation becomes an expression of profound devotion.

On this same day, we also remember Śrī Madhu Paṇḍita, a dear disciple of Gadādhara Gosvāmī, who journeyed from Navadvīpa to Vṛndāvana in search of Kṛṣṇa. There he became the devoted servant of Śrī Gopīnātha. Every day he would recite Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, fully absorbed in devotional service. He is also known for blessing Śrīnivāsa Ācārya with the garland of Gopīnātha before Śrīnivāsa, Narottama, and Śyāmānanda departed from Vṛndāvana carrying the treasured scriptures of the Gosvāmīs. In Goloka Vṛndāvana, Śrī Madhu Paṇḍita Gosvāmī serves as Maṇḍalī sakhī in the group of Campakalatā sakhī, revealing his eternal spiritual identity in the Lord’s pastimes.

On this sacred day, we can offer heartfelt prayers to Śrī Jāhnavā Devī:

“O my dear Śrī Jāhnavā Devī, please have compassion upon your servant and kindly extend the rope of your mercy to relieve the intense suffering I am experiencing. I have taken shelter of the boat of your lotus feet, and I have firm faith that you can carry me across this ocean of material existence. You are the divine energy of Lord Nityānanda and the bestower of Kṛṣṇa bhakti. Please bless me at your lotus feet, which can fulfill all desires. You have already delivered so many fallen souls, and today one more fallen and destitute soul stands before you, begging for your mercy.”

May this day inspire us to sincerely seek shelter at their lotus feet, deepen our faith, and continue on the path of devotion with humility and hope.

Source: https://www.mayapur.com/en/blog/appearance-day-of-r-jhnav-dev-and-r-st-dev