Yesterday, we celebrated the appearance day of Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita, and it truly felt like a day full of mercy.
From the very start, we were blessed to witness the abhishek of Their Lordships, surrounded by beautiful kīrtan and joyful faces everywhere. It was a moment of deep bliss.
Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita is none other than Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī Herself in Gaura-līlā. Just as Rādhārāṇī is always by Kṛṣṇa’s side, in Gauralīlā, She manifests as Gadādhara Paṇḍita to quietly support Mahāprabhu through His moods of intense love and separation. Her mercy is soft and profound — she doesn’t seek attention, yet gives everything, even Her heart, to serve the Lord. This is the essence of Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita’s mood.
But the sweetness didn’t stop there. After 4 p.m., the celebration continued with śloka recitations, glorifications, and a touching drama about Vallabha Bhaṭṭa.
Vallabha Bhaṭṭa, a learned scholar and devotee, had written a commentary on the Bhāgavatam and other scriptures. He came to Purī hoping Mahāprabhu and His associates would appreciate and accept his work. But Mahāprabhu, sensing Vallabha’s pride and that his conclusions weren’t fully aligned with pure devotion, didn’t show much interest.
Seeking support, Vallabha turned to Gadādhara Paṇḍita, who was gentle and humble. Out of kindness, Gadādhara listened to him. When Mahāprabhu found out, He became distant and stopped speaking to Gadādhara for some time. Gadādhara was deeply hurt and begged for forgiveness repeatedly.
Later, Mahāprabhu explained, “You are My very life and soul. If you give support to someone whose conclusions are not fully correct, how can I stay close to you?”
Hearing this, Gadādhara Paṇḍita accepted the words with humility, and seeing his sincerity, Mahāprabhu embraced him once again, restoring their relationship — one that was never truly broken.
After the drama, the children of the community recited more ślokas, and then we sang together with Viśākhā Māta ji and the Mayapur girls, especially the beautiful verses from Gopī-gītā.
As the evening drew to a close, we all sang Bhale Gaura Gadādhara Āratī, and we were blessed with the rare opportunity to personally offer flowers to Pañca Tattva. It was the perfect conclusion to such a meaningful and beautiful celebration.
Source https://www.mayapur.com/en/blog/it-was-indeed-a-merciful-day
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