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SRI GADADHARA PANDITA
Sri Gadadhara was the consant companion of Mahaprabhu from the time of their
childhood. His father's name was Sri Madhva Misra and his mother's name Sri
Ratnavati-devi. They lived very near the house of Sri Jagannatha Misra in
Mayapura. Ratnavati-devi thought of Saci-devi as her own sister, and always
used to visit her.

During their childhood, Sri Gaura Hari and Gadadhara would play together,
sometimes at Mahaprabhu's house and sometimes at Gadadhara's house. They both
studied together at the same school. Gadadhara was a few years younger then
Nimai. Nimai couldn't remain without Gadadhara even for a moment and Gadadhara
likewise couldn't stand to be separated from Nimai.

In the Gaur-ganoddesa-dipika, it is described that that person who in Vraja was
the daughter of Sri Vrsabhanu Raja, namely Srimati Radharani, is now celebrated
as Sri Gadadhara Pandita.

Srila Svarupa Damodara has written in his diary:

avani sura bavah sri panditakhyo jatindrah
sa khalo bhavati radha srila gauravataro

Sri Vasudeva Ghosa Thakura has also written:
agam agocar gora akhil brahma-par,
veda upar, najane pasandi mati bhora

nitya-nityananda caitanya govinda pandit gadadhar radhe
caitanya yugala-rupa kebol raser kup avatar sadsiva sadhe

antare nave-ghana bahire gaura tanu yugalrupa parkase
kahe vasudeva ghose yugal bhajan base janame janame rahu asa

"Lord Gaurasundara, who is beyond the perview of the scriptures, beyond the
entire Brahman, and above even the Vedas, can never be known by the atheists
whose intelligence is dull. Lord Nityananda is His eternal self. Lord Caitanya
is Lord Govinda Himself and Pandita Gadadhara is none other than Sri Radha. The
divine couple, who are present in Sri Caitanya, are a well of rasa. Advaita
Acarya (Sadasiva) has prayed for His descent.

Within He is blackish but of a golden hue without, the manifestation of the
divine couple. Thus Vasudeva Ghosa sings of the beauty of this divine couple -
Sri Gaura-Gadadhara - in whose worship he has been completely subjugated. He
prays that he will desire to serve them birth after birth."

In Sri Caitanya-caritamrta we likewise find:
panditer bhav mudre kahan na jay
gadadhar pran nath nam hoila jay
panditer krpa prasad lehan na jay
gadai gauranga kari sarvaloke gay
"The emotions and expressions of Pandita Gadadhara are not possible to
describe. Another name of Lord Gauranga is the 'Lord of the life of Gadadhara.'
Who can understand what mercy has been bestowed upon him? Their glories are
sung by everyone as Gadai- Gauranga."

During the time when Sri Isvara Puri was present for a few months in Navadwipa
at the house of Sri Gopinath Acarya, he taught Gadadhara from the book he had
composed, Sri Krsna Lilamrta.

Gadadhara was from his very childhood very serene, patient, calm, quiet, fond
of solitude and very renounced. Nimai Pandit during the time of His precocious
youth would ask his fellow students meaningless, fallacious questions in logic.
Gadadhara however, was not especially fond of this pastime, and therefore he
sometimes used to remain at some distance from Nimai. But Nimai wouldn't allow
him to get away. He would tell him - "Gadadhara! In a very short time I'll
become such a Vaisnava that Lord Brahma and Lord Siva themselves will come to
My door."

Sri Gadadhara Pandita was very affectionate towards Mukunda datta. Whenever any
Vaisnava came to Navadwipa, Mukunda would inform Gadadhara and they would both
go to have darsana. One time Pundarika Vidyanidhi came from Cattagram to
Navadwipa and Mukunda invited Gadadhara to come along and meet him. Gadadhara
was very excited to meet such a Vaisnava and thus the two of them happily set
out together to take advantage of sadhu-sanga with the famous Pundarika
Vidyanidhi.

However, when Gadadhara saw that Pundarika Vidyanidhi dressed and acted like a
wealthy materialist, he lost whatever reverence he had previously felt even
before speaking with him. Gadahara thought to himself, "How can a Vaisnava look
and act as if he was so addicted to sense enjoyment?"

However, Mukunda knew the real character of Pundarika Vidyanidhi, and he could
also sense the doubts in the mind of Gadadhara Pandita. Thus he recited some
slokas from the Srimad Bhagavatam in a very sweet voice. When Pundarika
Vidyanidhi heard his beautiful recitation of these slokas, in a fit of ecstasy
he began to cry while calling, "Krsna, Krsna", and finally fainted dead away on
the floor. [Chaitanya Bhagavat. Madhylila 7.78-79].

Gadadhara now felt very remorseful in his mind. He thought to himself, "Because
I have ignorantly considered this highly advanced soul to be an ordinary
materialist, what an offense I have committed! In order that I might be saved
from the reaction of this offense, I think the only solution is to accept
initiation from him."

Gadadhara Pandita submitted his proposal to Mukunda, who presented it to
Pundarika Vidyanidhi with a full account of the pandita's high qualifications.
"Hearing this proposal, Pundarika became very happy. 'Providence has bestowed
upon me a great jewel; certainly I will accept him. You shouldn't have any
doubt about that. It is the result of many lifetimes of good fortune that one
gets a disciple like this.'" [Chaitanya Bhagavat. Madhylila 7.117-118]. On an
auspicious day, Sri Gadadhara Pandita received the divine mantra from Pundarika
Vidyanidhi.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, upon going to Gaya Dham, first began to manifest
Krsna-prema. There he enacted the pastime of accepting the shelter of Sri
Isvara Puri. After returning to His house He began to exhibit a new life.

Day and night He floated in the ocean of love of Krsna. Gadadhara, upon seeing
the Lord showering of tears in love for Krsna, also began to cry in ecstatic
love. From this time, Gadadhara Pandita was always at Mahaprabhu's side.

One day Sri Gadadhara brought some pan to Sri Gauranga, Who, in an exuberance
of emotion asked him, "Gadadhara! Where is that beautiful blackish boy Who is
dressed in yellow garments?" After asking this, He began to shed tears.
Gadadhara couldn't immediately think of what to say. He finally respectfully
suggested, "He is in your heart." Hearing this, Mahaprabhu began to tear at his
chest with his nails, but Gadadhara quickly grabbed his hands. Prabhu said to
him, "Gadadhara! Let go of My hands. I cannot remain a moment more not seeing
Krsna."

Gadadhara replied, "Just try to be a little patient and calm Yourself. Krsna
will come any minute now." Hearing this, Mahaprabhu became somewhat composed.
Sacimata heard all this from a distance and then came running there. Being very
pleased with Gadadhara, she declared, "Though He is just a boy, He is very
intelligent. I am frightened to go before my son when He is in these moods. But
Gadadhara has very cleverly pacified him."
"Sacimata told Gadadhara, 'Gadadhara! You must please remain with Nimai always.
If you stay with Him then I won't have to worry."

One day, Sri Gadadhara, having heard that Mahaprabhu will speak Krsna-katha at
Suklambara Brahmacari's house, went there and sat down inside. Meanwhile,
Mahaprabhu arrived outside on the verandah and began to speak about Krsna to an
audience of devotees there; Gadahara Prabhu listened from within the house.
Soon Mahaprabhu became totally absorbed in the ecstasy Krsna-prema, which
quickly spread to the assembly of devotees. For some time they continued to
taste the mellows of love of Krsna together and then becalmed themselves.
Gadadhara, however, couldn't restrain his ecstacy. With his head bowed down, he
continued to cry very loudly. Hearing his pitiful sobbing, Mahaprabhu inquired,
"Who is crying within the room?" Suklambara Brahmacari replied, "Your
Gadadhara."
Mahaprabhu exclaimed, "Gadadhara! You are so pious and virtuous. Since your
very childhood you were so devoted to Krsna. My life has been wasted. Due to my
previous evil activities I cannot get the association of the Lord of my life,
Sri Krsna."
Saying this Prabhu embraced Gadadhara in great love.
When Mahaprabhu began His pastimes in Navadvipa, Gadadhara was his chief
companion. Radha-Krsna of Vraja are now sporting on the banks of the Ganga as
Gadai-Gauranga, and the cowherd boy-friends of Vraja are assisting in His
pastimes of kirtana.

One day after roaming throughout the town of Navadwipa, Mahaprabhu came to a
forest and seated Himself there. Then He began to remember His pastimes in
Vraja. Mukunda began to sing the purva-vag (courtship) songs in a very sweet
voice while Gadadhara collected some flowers from that forest and after
stringing a garland placed it on Prabhu's neck. Previously, in the way that Sri
Radha used to decorate Sri Krsna, Gadadhara began to dress Prabhu in that exact
same manner. Some were singing beautiful songs, while others began to dance in
a very graceful style. Then Sri Gaurasundara taking Gadadhara by His side
seated Himself on a dias at the base of one tree, while Adwaita Acarya began to
offer arati. Nityananda seated Himself on Prabhu's right side and Srivasa
Pandita began to decorate everyone with flower garlands. Narahari was fanning
that Divine couple with a whisk made from the tail hairs of forest cows.
Suklambar decorated them all with sandalwood paste while Murari Gupta recited
the premdhani. Madhava, Vasudeva, Purusottama, Vijaya, and Mukunda began to
sing songs in the various ragas.

Then Prabhu closed his pastimes in Nadiya and as per his mother's request he
took up his residence at Nilacala. Gadadhara also went there to live at this
time. He engaged himself in the service of Sri Tota Gopinatha. Mahaprabhu would
very often visit His dear friend Gadadhara and lose Himself in discussions on
the topics of Sri Krsna. The temple of Sri Tota Gopinathji is located near the
ocean at Yameshvar.
When Lord Caitanya traveled to Sri Vrindavana, Gadadhara, not being able to
bear separation from Him, wanted to go also but Mahaprabhu reminded him of his
vow of Ksetra-sannyasa (by which he was to remain constantly in Sri Ksetra in
the service of Sri Gopinatha) and sent him back.
Sri Gadadhara Pandita would regularly recite Srimad Bhagavatam. Sri
Gaurasundara, along with His associates, would listen.
Then one might ask a question, if Lord Chaitanya is Radha and Krsna combined,
where is the necessity for the appearance of Gadadhara Pandit?
The answer to this is that it has been explained that Mahaprabhu is Krsna in
search of the loving sentiment of Radha for Krsna. Sri Gadadhara Pandita
represents that bhava personified, and thus he has appeared to be at the side
of Mahaprabhu to assist him in his search. In this explanation, Gadadhara gives
his unalloyed love to Lord Gauranga willingly.

It has also been explained that Krsna has stolen the bhava of Radha and appears
as Mahaprabhu, Radha Krsna combined. Gadadhara represents that which is left of
Radha after Krsna steals her bhava. The mood is that seeing that neither Sri
Radha nor Sri Krsna appear on the purnima tithi (full moon), but when The
Divine couple combine as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, this appearance in the world
occurs on the Purima in Navadwipa.

Sri Gadadhara pandit appears on the new moon and leaves the world on the same
day. New moon means no moon - dark moon or Amavasya tithi. He also appeared in
a land that is desert-like, dry and vacant in contrast to the lush Ganga basin
of Navadwipa.

All of this indicates the condition of the heart or nature of Sri Gadadhara. He
is thus feeling empty, and lets everyone know about it too. It is said that
what remains in him is the bhava of Rukmini, who is Radha's expansion in
Dvaraka. Thus his surface mood in Gaura lila is like that of a dakshine (right
wing) gopi rather than a vama (left wing) gopi (Vama type is little aggressive
in nature, and fights with the lover). However, to prove Gadadhar's dedication
as right-wing He is submissive to the extreme (daksina type tolerates
everything whatever comes, only with a defensive attitude he stands. That is
daksina path, that is as in Srimati Rukmini Devi. So when the spirit of
Radharani of that opposing nature was drawn out by Mahaprabhu, then what
remains is compared like that of Rukmini, as a passive seer, without any power
to assert, only onlooker. Onlooker and bearing everything, a very pitiable
condition. The idea is to awaken kindness and sympathy from everyone).

"What is he and what is she and what is her position now. And how her lover has
taken up everything from her, looted everything from her, leaving her as a
beggar wandering in the street. So much looted. Radharani when looted to such a
degree by Krsna, that becomes Gadadhara, the pitiable figure. The wealth of
course cannot go forever. She is the proprietor, owner cannot be far off. After
a long time, that must come to her again, one day. And those that are helping
her in her day of distress, they will get how much remuneration at that time.
When she will get back all property."

Just as in Vraj Srimati Radharani is the Queen and proprioter of everything, so
Gadadhara is master of everything, but still here He has given everything to
His master, and thus in one sense He is empty. This mood of His being empty is
unique, he is playing in such a way, as His part or play, as Gadadhara Pandita.
His is the highest position of self-sacrifice.
"Nimai Pandita showed His character as an aggressor, impertinent, and an
extraordinary genius. Gadadhara Pandita was just the opposite. He had some
natural inclination, that was in His submission and total dedication towards
Nimai Pandita. And Nimai Pandita also had some special attraction for Gadadhara
Pandita. But Gadadhara Pandita could not face Nimai Pandita directly. Some sort
of shyness He felt about Nimai Pandita. So, this is what we know about
Gadadhara Pandita. Gadadhara Pandita had very intimate relationship with
Mahaprabhu, in which the acaryas, Swarupa Damodara, Rupa, Sanatana, Kaviraja
Goswami, Raghunatha Dasa, all of them, could see Radharani and Rukmini both in
his personality, and according to that we can try to understand him."

It is true that Gauranga Mahaprabhu is Vrajendranandana Krsna, within Him, as
is the case with svayam bhagavan Krsna, all of His expansions are present. Thus
as Gaura-Narayana He consorts with Rukmini in Her appearance as Laksmipriya
devi. Furthermore, just as Vrajendranandana Krsna never leaves Vrndavana,
similarly Sacinandana Gaura Krsna never leaves Navadvipa Dhama.
Thus the lila of Mahaprabhu in Puri, which is representative of Dvaraka, is
imbued with aisvarya (opulence) not found in Nadiya (Bengal). Indeed this
aisvarya is said to have weighed heavily on Gadadhara Pandita and influenced
His loving sentiment of bhava. Srila Krsna dasa Kaviraja Goswami says of
Gadadhara in Puri Dhama that because He was influenced by aisvarya-jnana of
Gauranga, He was, as Srila Prabhupada comments further, always submissive
(daksina-nayiki). He could not be angered by Mahaprabhu even when Mahaprabhu
tried to anger Him and see the mood of Radha (vama-nayiki) in Him.

Krsna dasa Kaviraja pointed out that even as Krsna in the form of Mahaprabhu
tried to anger Gadadhara (Radha) He could not draw out this sentiment from Him
because he maintained a temperament like that of Rukmini's (daksina-nayiki) due
to the fact that Mahaprabhu had already stolen the vama-nayiki aspect of Radha
from him. Indeed, Svarupa Damodara Goswami asked Gadadhara why He did not
reproach Mahaprabhu and instead tolerated Mahaprabhu's criticisms of Him. To
this Gadadhara replied, prabhu svatantra sarvajna-siromani tanra sane 'hatha'
kari,--bhala nahi mani, "The master is independent. He is the topmost
omniscient person. If I speak on an equal level with Him, this will not be good
for Me."

It is stated that no one loves Lord Gauranga more than Sri Gadadhara. Yet even
though He takes much abuse and neglect from Gauranga, still He cannot leave
Him. His necessity and dependency is very great. The understanding is that
without Mahaprabhu He is transcendentally incomplete, thus He wants to get His
bhava back from Krsna to again become complete, the complete united whole
Radha-Krsna. To unite Gaura with Gadadhara (Radha Krishna) is the highest ideal
of Gaudiya Vaisnavism.

The worship of Gaura-Gadadhara is in madhurya-rasa so is not for the kanistha
adhikari on the beginning stages of devotional service where one strives to
follow the principles and avoid offences, rather this is for advanced devotees
who are already steady (nistha) in Krsna consciousness and getting a genuine
taste (ruchi). Then in transcendental view They are worshipped like Radha and
Krishna. Thus Sri Gadadhara pandit is like Sri Radha standing next to the Gaura
(Krsna) who has stolen Her/His bhava (love), and She wants it back. When They
are united, then the divine couple Radha-Krsna/Gaura-Gadadhara are present.
Sometimes the devotees will see them as Radha-Krsna, and sometimes as
Gaura-Gadadhara according to that pure devotee's mood. Bhaktivinoda Thakura has
written an arati song for Gaura-Gadadhara describing Radha-Krsna. This is the
internal reality. It is all very esoteric and not to be imitated. Who can
understand such wonderful and intimate pastimes, thus we use ordinary terms to
try to explain them but these mellows are not ordinary.
smara gaura-gadadhara keli kalam
bhava gaura-gadadhara paksa caram
srnu gaura-gadadhara caru katham
bhaja godruma-kanon kunja-vidhum
[Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura]
"Remember Gaura-Gadadhara during the time of Their pastimes, Meditate on
Gaura-Gadadhar, the Divine couple, the par-excellence of beauty. Hear beautiful
discussions on the topics of Gaura-Gadadhara, and worship them in the forest
grove of Godruma, bathed in the light of the moon."

After enacting His pastimes on this planet for forty-eight years, it was seen
by witnesses that Sri Gaurasundara entered into the body of Sri
Tota-Gopinathji, who was the Deity in Puri on the Nilachala beach served by Sri
Gadadhara Pandita.

In the diary of one Orissan devotee, Mahaprabhu is said to have first went
missing inside the Gundica Mandira. Then the devotees began to comb the four
directions in search of their Beloved Lord. Finally, outside of Tota Gopinatha
Mandira, at Yameswar, the outer garment of Mahaprabhu was found lying on the
ground.

There's a story in connection with Sri Gadadhara Pandit that when He was very
old and trying to render service to Tota-Gopinath that He couldn't any more
reach to put the garland around the neck of the Deity. To reciprocate with His
loving service the Deity knelt down to accept the flower garlands of His
beloved Gadadhara, Who is none other than His beloved Srimati Radharani
incarnate as mentioned previously.

To this day the Deity of Tota-Gopinath in the temple remains in a kneeling
position to accept the eternal service of His beloved Gadadhar. A slight crack
which is still to be found near the right knee of Sri Gopinathji is the spot
where Mahaprabhu is said to have entered the Deity.

His appearance is on the amavasya (new moon) of the month of Vaisakha.

Sri Gadadhara Pandita ki jaya