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<p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: medium">Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja<br />
<b><br />
</b><span style="font-size: x-large"><b>EXCERPTS ON SRI GADADHARA PANDITA</b><br />
</span><br />
<img height="375" alt="" width="311" border="3" src="http://purebhakti.tv/gadadhara.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-size: small">Sri Panca-tattva, the Five-In-One Absolute Truth<br />
Left to right in the front row: Advaita Acarya, Nityanada Prabhu, Sri Caitanya Mahaprahu, Gadadhara Pandita and Srivasa Pandita</span><br />
<br />
[The following are two excerpts about Srila Gadadhara Pandita Prabhu. We are submitting these excerpts because on June 22, 2009 we will all observe Sri Gadadhara Pandita Prabhu's divine disappearance day. <br />
<br />
The first is an excerpt from a lecture given in Los Angeles on May 30, 2000. In this lecture, Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja glorifies our Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja in his relationship with Sri Gadadhara Pandita Prabhu.]<br />
<br />
Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja came to this world with the mission of ISKCON – the mission of Vaisnavism. It is the same mission as that of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Who is Mahaprabhu? He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krsna Himself. But He is also more than that; He is not only Krsna. He is the combination of both Krsna and Srimati Radhika. Sri Krsna has combined with Srimati Radhika, His power.<br />
<br />
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was always absorbed in Radha's mood. Krsna Himself could not possess Her beauty or Her intrinsic mood. This is because Radhika has adhirudha mahabhava (the highest ecstatic love), and even more than that. Krsna's mood goes up to mahabhava, but after that, the mood of how to serve and please Him, He Himself does not know. He had to learn that by taking the form of Mahaprabhu and going to the school of Visakha devi, in the form of Raya Ramananda, and sometimes Lalita devi, in the form of Sri Svarupa Damodara. Without the help of Lalita and Visakha, He cannot relish the mood of Srimati Radhika. <br />
<br />
This was the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu – to give the service of these moods. Krsna Himself could not do this, but when He took the beauty and the intrinsic mood of Radhika, He could then relish everything in Gambhira, under the guidance of Svarupa Damodara (Lalita) and Ramananda Raya (Vishaka), and also give the conditioned souls of this world the position of maidservant to Srimati Radhika. <br />
<br />
Sri Gadadhara Pandita, who is Radhika Herself, was serving Sri Krsna in Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's pastimes. He (She) was always watching to see whether or not Mahaprabhu was playing Her role perfectly. If Sri Krsna as Mahaprabhu would make a mistake in feeling and displaying the mood of Radhika, Gadadhara Pandita prabhu would 'twist the ears' of Krsna. He would say, "O, You are doing wrong. You should it do it like this." <br />
<br />
Once, Mahaprabhu was singing one of the verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam’s Venu-gita, beginning with barahapidam nata-vara-vapu, Gadadara Pandita quickly came and said, "O, You should do it like this: <br />
<br />
barhapitam nata-vara-vapuh karnayoh karnikaram<br />
bibhrad vasah kanaka-kapisam vaijayantim ca malam<br />
randhran venor adhara-sudhayapurayan gopa-vrndair<br />
vrndaranyam sva-pada-ramanam pravisad gita-kirtih<br />
<br />
[''Wearing a peacock-feather ornament upon His head, blue karnikara flowers on His ears, a yellow garment as brilliant as gold, and the Vaijayanti garland, Lord Krsna exhibited His transcendental form as the greatest of dancers as He entered the forest of Vrndavana, beautifying it with the marks of His footprints. He filled the holes of His flute with the nectar of His lips, and the cowherd boys sang His glories.'' (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.21.5)] <br />
<br />
Although Sri Krsna as Mahaprabhu was perspiring, His heart melting, and His tears falling like heavy rain, there was some defect in Him, and Gadadhara Pandita therefore ‘instructed’ Him how to sing that verse, by perfectly demonstrating to Him the emotions of Sri Radha. <br />
<br />
To think that Lord Sri Krsna had taken away the beauty and intrinsic left-wing mood of Radhika to become Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and that Gadadhara Pandita had thus become Rukmini, is quite wrong. It is not like this.<br />
<br />
Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja came for the same object and mission as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu – that the jivas should be given raga-marga, the path of raganuga-bhakti or spontaneous devotion following in the wake of the moods of the Vrajavasis. They should know the identity of Srimati Radhika and the nature of all Her moods. <br />
<br />
However, when Srila Svami Maharaja came to New Jersey, Boston, and New York, he realized that he had to cut so many jungles (of mayavada, atheism, and mundane material science). If the land is not fertile, how can the seed of this bhakti be given? The jungles were very dense and wild, with so many wild beasts, dangerous animals, and poisonous snakes. It took time, but Srila Swami Maharaja kept everything reserved in his books. He told his disciples to read about the life and character of Prahlada Maharaja, Citraketu Maharaja, and others. He had so little time, because ‘the bell rang’ and Krsna called him: ''I cannot remain without you. I need your service. Please come at once.'' He was then bound to go to his Prabhu. However, he has given everything in his books. <br />
<br />
Yes, he has given everything, but we will have to go deep into them, with the help of any pure Vaisnava: <br />
<br />
yaha bhagavat pada vaisnavera sthane<br />
ekanta asraya kara caitanya carane<br />
(Antya-lila 5. 131)<br />
<br />
["'If you want to understand Srimad-Bhagavatam,' he said, 'you must approach a self-realized Vaisnava and hear from him. You can do this when you have completely taken shelter of the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.'"]<br />
<br />
[The second excerpt is from a lecture given by Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja on the morning of July 8, 2000. There, Srila Maharaja explained the essence of Sriman Mahaprabhu's appearance in a most interesting way:] <br />
<br />
Lord Sri Krsna is the supreme almighty, but if you go deep into the scriptures you will see so many more things about Him, as given to us by Srila Rupa Gosvami. Krsna wanted to attract the fallen souls to Him, and He wanted to give the ocean of rasa, Srimati Radhika's mahabhava, to the world – but He could not. He could only give His own love, not love TO Him, which only Radhika has in completeness. He would therefore have to steal Her beauty and mood. He could not steal it, however, because Radhika is always alert and more clever and intelligent than Him [She is the embodiment of His six opulences, including the opulence of knowledge]. <br />
<br />
He could only have the wish, and therefore He had to beg Her. Her sakhis were also present when He prayed, "I beg Your mercy, Your beauty, and Your mahabhava." Srimati Radhika replied, "Yes, I'm donating it for some time, but You will have to attend the class of My sakhis (Visakha devi in the form of Sri Ramananda Raya, and Lalita in the form of Sri Svarupa Damodara) so that they can sprinkle that upon You. And I will also be there as Sri Gadadhara Pandita. Krsna was thus able to come and give what no other incarnation or acarya had given before: manjari bhava, direct service to Srimati Radhika as Her maidservant.<br />
<br />
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<p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: medium">Painting done by Syamarani dasi, copyright Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, International.<br />
Any comments, questions, etc. please write to: </span></span><a href="mailto:connectwithussoon@gmail.com"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: medium">connectwithussoon@gmail.com</span></span></a></p>
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