The Glories of Sri Gadadhara Pandita

Sri Jagannatha Puri: October 7, 2001

[In October, 2001, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja led several hundred international pilgrims on parikrama to several holy places of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes in Jagannatha Puri. On October 7th he took the parikrama pilgrims to Tota Gopinatha Mandira.

Tota Gopinatha is the Deity manifested by Sriman Mahaprabhu. Tota Gopinatha is the Deity Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu entered at the time of His disappearance from this world. Visitors who approach the outside of the temple on the left side can see the enchanting garden where Mahaprabhu heard Srimad-Bhagavatam from Sri Gadadhara Pandita.

There in the temple, Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja spoke in Hindi, Bengali and English. The following is a transcription of his English, and also the English translation of his Hindi:]

If anyone thinks that when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took Srimati Radhika’s bhava, She became zero, it is not correct. In a drama, someone may play the part of someone else, and that second person is still present. He has not become zero. Someone may play Sri Sri Radha and Krsna, and Radha and Krsna may also be present, watching. Similarly, when Lord Sri Krsna ‘took’ the bhava of Srimati Radhika and became Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, She was also present, watching, as Sri Gadadhara Pandita.

Srimati Radhika came in the form of Sri Gadadhara. You should try to know Gadadhara-tattva. There is no difference between Sri Gadadhara Pandita and Srimati Radhika, but the activities are different in Krsna’s pastimes and Gaura’s pastimes. In Gaura-lila Sri Gadadhara Pandita is in the mood of a servant.

No gopi, including Candravali, Lalita, and Visakha, can experience Srimati Radhika’s madanakya-mahabhava. Krsna experiences the ecstatic loving moods of rudha and adirudha, but not madanakhya-bhava. Sri Gadadhara Pandita, on the other hand has madanakya-mahabhava. In Gaura-lila, however, it is covered, so that he can help Krsna to play the part of Srimati Radhika. In the form of Sri Gadadhara Pandita, Srimati Radhika is looking and examining, and if there is something wrong in Krsna (as Mahaprabhu), She corrects it.

Sri Gauranga (Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu) is not nagara (the male lover). No one can serve Gauranga by thinking himself a gopi and thinking of Gauranga as Sri Krsna. Everyone has to serve Him in dasya-bhava, as a servant. No one should think, “I am Lalita”, or “I am Visakha”, or any other gopi. This is called ‘gauranga-nagari-vada’.

It is possible for Krsna to be the enjoyer of conjugal mellows, but not Mahaprabhu. Mahaprabhu is always in the role of a gopi, Srimati Radhika. Anyone can serve Mahaprabhu in dasya-rasa, but not in madhurya-rasa. In Mahaprabhu’s pastimes, this would be absurd. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta says that gauranga-nagari-vada *, is sahajiya. The scripture Sri Caitanya-bhagavata, and our entire guru-parampara, reject this idea. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has defeated their arguments.

Sri Gadadhara Pandita is Srimati Radhika and he therefore has up to madanakya-mahabhava, but He wants to serve Mahaprabhu. He wants to do what Krsna wants, and thus he covers his madhurya-bhava. Sri Gadadhara Pandita knows what Mahaprabhu wants: Mahaprabhu wants to play the part of Srimati Radhika. Right from the beginning He is in Srimati Radha’s mood, and He is chanting, “Krsna prana-natha (My beloved Krsna)!” He came to Tota-Gopinatha Temple to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam from Sri Gadadhara Pandita – Srimati Radhika – to learn how to play Her part. In its deepest understanding, Srimad-Bhagavatam is really the glories of Srimati Radhika’s moods.

vande nanda-vraja-strinam
pada-renum abhiksnasah
yasam hari-kathodgitam
punati bhuvana-trayam
(Srimad Bhagavatam 10.47.63)

“I repeatedly offer my respects to the dust from the feet of the women of Nanda Maharaja’s cowherd village. When these gopis loudly chant the glories of Sri Krsna, the vibration purifies the three worlds.”

Why did Mahaprabhu come to hear from Sri Gadadhara Pandita? Since Sri Gadadhara Pandita is Srimati Radharani, he was able to explain Her moods described in Srimad-Bhagavatam. The explanations of Gadadhara Pandita are the highest explanations and glorification of Her mood. His explanations will be greater than those of Vyasa, Sukadeva, and Krsna Himself. Mahaprabhu came here to know the glories of all the gopis, and especially Srimati Radharani:

sri-gopya ucuh
aksanvatam phalam idam na param vidamah
sakhyah pasun anuvivesayator vayasyaih
vaktram vrajesa-sutayor anuvenu-justam
yair va nipitam anurakta-kataksa-moksam
(Venu-gita, text seven)

“The gopis began to speak among themselves: O sakhis! We think that for those who have eyes, there is but one thing which is a suitable object of vision. Success of the eyes lies in beholding this object alone; we know of no other. And what is that most precious object of attachment for the eyes? It is the vision of the two sons of Maharaja Nanda, Sri Krsna and Baladeva, accompanied by the gopas, as They enter the forest taking the cows, or as They bring them back to Vrndavana. They hold Their flutes to Their lips and look upon us with mild smiles and amorous sidelong glances filled with love. At that time we drink the sweetness of Their faces.”

This verse in Venu-gita of Srimad-Bhagavatam is spoken by Srimati Radhika and the gopis when Krsna goes cowherding. Sri Krsna is behind and Baladeva is ahead. Krsna is playing on His flute and searching for Srimati Radhika. Srimati Radhika comes and takes His flute, and He begins looking at Her with sidelong glances. If Srimati Radhika explains this pastime Herself, saying, “My mood was such and such,” it is surely the best explanation.

mrgayur iva kapindram vivyadhe lubdha-dharma
striyam akrta virupam stri-jitah kama-yanam
balim api balim attvavestayad dhvanksa-vad yas
tad alam asita-sakhyair dustyajas tat-katharthah
(Srimad Bhagavatam 10.47.17)

“Like a hunter, He cruelly shot the king of the monkeys with arrows. Because He was conquered by a woman, He disfigured another woman who came to Him with amorous desires. And, even after consuming the gifts of Bali Maharaja, He bound him up with ropes as if he were a crow. So let us give up all friendship with this dark-complexioned boy, even if we can’t give up talking about Him.”

This verse and the one below were uttered by Srimati Radhika at Uddhava Kyari, when Krsna was residing in Mathura. The deepest meanings of these verses were revealed to Mahaprabhu by Gadadhara Pandita Prabhu.

yad-anucarita-lila-karna-piyusa-viprut-
sakrd-adana-vidhuta-dvandva-dharma vinastah
sapadi grha-kutumbam dinam utsrjya dina
bahava iha vihanga bhiksu-caryam caranti
(Srimad Bhagavatam 10.47.18)

“To hear about the pastimes that Krsna regularly performs is nectar for the ears. For those who relish just a single drop of that nectar, even once, their dedication to material duality is ruined. Many such persons have suddenly given up their wretched homes and families and, themselves becoming wretched, traveled here to Vrndavana to wander about like birds, begging for their living.”

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came here to hear, and when He heard, He fainted. Both He and Sri Gadadhara Pandita fainted. Gadadhara Pandita knew that by Mahaprabhu’s hearing from him, Mahaprabhu would become more perfect to play Srimati Radhika’s part. Srimati Radhika is the principal in the school of Srimad-Bhagavatam, in the course of tasting its meanings.

There were three and a half confidential associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Gambhira. Why was Sri Gadadhara Pandita not one of them? He is superior to these other three and a half confidential associates. This is a hidden secret. If Sri Gadadhara Pandita were there, Mahaprabhu’s separation mood would not have come. In the association with Srimati Radhika He would have thought Himself to be Krsna.

One day, after hearing Srimad Bhagavatam, Mahaprabhu was sitting on the sand here at Cataka Parvata, which He considered to be Govardhana. He told Gadadhara Pandita, “Gadadhara, I want to give you My most valuable property. Will you accept it?” When Gadadhara Pandita agreed, Mahaprabhu said, “This is the property of My heart.” He began removing the sand and said, “My prana-dhana (beloved wealth of My life) is here.” In the mood of Srimati Radhika. He exposed Gopinatha’s head and crown, and others began to help to reveal His form. Mahaprabhu then requested Sri Gadadhara Pandita, “Please take Him and serve Him throughout your life.”

At the time of His disappearance, Mahaprabhu entered the Deity Tota-Gopinatha. Mahaprabhu left the world at 48 years, when Sri Gadadhara Pandita was 47. Out of great separation, Gadhadara Pandita quickly became like an old man, and he also very soon disappeared. We see in Krsna’s pastime that the wife of Sudama Vipra appeared like an old person. She was young, but she was very lean and thin like an old person, with practically no breasts and no shape. She was almost like a skeleton. Similarly, in his mood of separation from Mahaprabhu, Sri Gadadhara Pandita may have also appeared like that.

MORE ABOUT SRI GADADHARA PANDITA PRABHU
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Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Gadadhara Pandita is always serving Krsna. In Krsna-lila, whatever Krsna wishes, Srimati Radhika always serves Him more than Candravali, Lalita, Visakha, and all others. Her whole mood is to satisfy Krsna. In Mahaprabhu-lila, because Krsna wants to relish His own self, He takes Radhika’s mood, and She responds accordingly: “He wants that, so I should not disturb Him. If I help Him in this, this will be My service.” Do you understand?

When Mahaprabhu was calling, “Krsna! Krsna! O Prananatha!” Radhika was there, but as an obedient servant. She was in a daksina (submissive) mood. The relationship of dasa (servant) always constitutes a daksina mood. Sri Gadadhara Pandita was even more daksina than Rukmini. Rukmini sometimes had some maan (transcendental loving anger or sulky mood), but Sri Gadadhara Pandita was not like that. If He had been in a vamya (left-wing or unsubmissive) mood, it would have been unfavorable to the mood of Krsna as Mahaprabhu. Gadadhara Pandita was always thinking, “I am His servant.” If he had said to Mahaprabhu, “My dear Krsna, my dear beloved,” Mahaprabhu’s mood would have been disturbed.

Tunga-vidya dasi: That was in Puri. But what was the mood in Navadvipa?

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: In Navadvipa also. At that time Gauranga was also calling out, “Krsna, Krsna,” not “Radha, Radha.” But at that time He was untrained. He was not yet admitted in the school of Visakha – Sri Svarupa Damodara. At that time also, Gadadhara Pandita always served as an obedient servant, covering all his moods as Srimati Radhika.

Tunga-vidya dasi: Are Mahaprabhu and Gadadhara Pandita in the same mood in nitya-Navadvipa Dhama as well?

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Same mood. Gauranga was not in the mood of nagara (Krsna as the male lover). We never accept Him as nagara.

*[Endnote by editor: – From of a letter by Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada, dated June 16, 1968: “A similar example is Lord Caitanya. Although He is Krsna Himself, He appeared as a devotee, not as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We should accept the Lord’s mood in particular appearances and we should worship Him in those moods. Because Lord Caitanya is Krsna Himself, somebody may worship Him in the same manner as Krsna. But Krsna was in the role of enjoyer, and Lord Caitanya was in the role of being enjoyed. The party known as gauranga-nagari is therefore considered to be deviated from pure devotional service. This is on account of it giving Lord Caitanya the same facility as Krsna, which He did not like. Our service mood should be compatible with the attitude of the Lord. It is not that we should overlap the attitude of Krsna upon Lord Caitanya, or Lord Caitanya upon Krsna, or Krsna upon Ramacandra, or Ramacandra upon Krsna.”]

Typists: Radhika dasi and Premanidhi dasi
Editor: Syamarani dasi