Srimad Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami writes: “All glories to Madhavendra Puri, the storehouse of all Krishna-prema! He is a desire tree of bhakti, and it is to him that the seed of bhakti first fructified. The seed of Krishna-prema next fructified in the for of Sri Ishvara Puri, and then the gardener himself, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, became the main trunk of the tree of bhakti.
Isvara Puri was born in the town of Kumara Hatta on the full moon day of the month of Jyestha to a family of Brahmins hailing from Rarha. Ishvara Puri is a sannyas name. His name prior to taking sannyas is unknown. His father’s name was Shyamasundara Acharya.
Ishvara Puri took initiation from Madhavendra Puri, the embodiment of nectarine devotional love. Madhavendra Puri was pleased with Ishvara Puri’s guileless, sincere and loving service and thus showered him with blessings, so that he too became immersed in the ocean of love for Kṛṣṇa.
Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and has no need of any teacher. Even so, He wishes to teach the world that it is absolutely necessary to take shelter of a bonafide spiritual master. For this reason, He played the role of a disciple by taking initiation from Ishvara Puri when He met him at Gaya. This in itself shows beyond a doubt Ishvara Puri’s greatness and importance.
Then the Lord went to Gaya where he met Ishvara Puri. After taking initiation from him, He started to display the signs of love of God, and when He returned to His homeland He began to engage in the pastimes of divine love. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.17.8-9)
Ishava Puri had met Mahaprabhu in Nabadwip even prior to giving him the ten-syllable mantra in Gaya. He also met with Advaita Acharya, who had similarly played the role of Madhavendra Puri’s disciple. Vrindavan Das Thakur has described this meeting in the Chaitanya Bhagavata.
Once, Ishava Puri passed through Nabadwip when Nimai was still engaged in His pastimes as a student. He stayed there for a few months in the house of Gopinath Acharya as his guest.
One day he saw Nimai and was most impressed and attracted by His bodily beauty. Nimai invited Ishava Puri to his house to eat and had His mother Sachi cook and serve Him Krishna prasad. Then He and Ishvara Puri began talking about Krishna.
Before he left this world, Ishvara Puri sent two of his disciples, Kashisvara and Govinda, to serve Mahaprabhu. Even though they were His godbrothers, Mahaprabhu still obeyed the order of His spiritual master and accepted them as His servants.
Source: http://www.ramaiswami.com/sri-isvara-puri-disappearance/
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