Candrasekhara Acarya
Sri Candrasekhara Acarya (Acaryaratna) lived in Navadvipa near the house of Sri Nimai Pandit, his nephew. Since Candrasekhara had no children, he accepted Nimai Pandit as his own and often entertained the Lord within his home. After the disappearance of Sri Jagannatha Mishra, Acaryaratna served as Gauranga's guardian and father. Sri Gaurasundara would regularly hold kirtans and once enacted a play in Candrasekhara's house. Dressed as Sri Laksmi Devi, Lord Caitanya played the part so expertly that even Mother Saci couldn't recognize Him.
Overcome with intense pangs of separation, Candrasekhara fell down on the ground when he heard Lord Gauranga's plan to take sannyasa. "Are You going to plunge Nadia into darkness by going away?" he asked the Lord.
With tears spilling out of His lotus eyes Lord Gauranga embraced him and replied, "Acaryaratna, although I may accept sannyasa, I will forever remain bound within the temple of your heart. Please be patient, for you must assist in My sannyasa ceremony."
Sri Candrasekhara was one of the main branches of Sri Caitanya's sankirtana movement. From the beginning of Sri Caitanya's Navadvipa lila he and his innumerable disciples faithfully served the Lord. In Sridhama Mayapur, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura established the headquarters of Sri Caitanya Matha at the site of Candrasekhara Acarya's original home. His samadhi is behind the Madana Mohana temple and next to Sanatana Gosvami's samadhi. He is Subhadra or Candra-deva (moon god) in Krishna's divine pastimes.
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