One of the Saptadevalyas (seven ancient temples) of Vrindavan, Shri Gopinath Mandir was founded by Madhu Pandit whose glories are sung in the Bhakti Ratnakar. His Samadhi is found near the temple courtyard.
Madhu Pandit was the disciple of Shri Gadadhar Goswami who came from Nabadwip to Vrindavan in search of Krishna. Here he started living under the tutelage of Shri Paramananda Bhattacharya.
Vrajanabha, Lord Krishna’s great-grandson, installed the original Gopinatha Deity in Vrindavana over five-thousand years ago.
There are two different accounts of the appearance of Shri Gopinath who was first worshipped at Vamsi Vat. According to one of them, He manifested to Paramananda Bhattacharya while the other talks of His appearance to Madhu Pandit who served the deity for 40 years in his hut.
Later Raja Raesaal Shekhawat (Rae shilji) of Jaipur arranged for the construction of the present red sandstone temple for Him, sometime after Emperor Akbar’s Braj visit in 1573 AD. During Aurangzeb’s wrathful reign, the original Deity was moved to Jaipur and a Prati-bhuh murti was installed in its place.
Madhu Pandit Goswami blessed Shrinivasa Acharya with Gopinatha’s garland before Shrinivasa, Narottama, and Shyamananda took the bullock cart of Goswami granthas from Vrindavana. In Goloka Vrindavana, Madhu Pandit Goswami serves as Mandali-sakhi in the group of Champakalata-sakhi.
Source: http://www.ramaiswami.com/madhu-pandit-disappearance-2/
Comments