Today is the divine appearance of Srivas Pandita. All the devotees celebrated in a grand way in Sri Mayapur Dham. We had a maha-abhishek of our small Srivas Pandit deity, followed by Arati and Maha-prasadam distribution.
The following is an account of the life and past times of Srivas Pandit:
Shrivasa Pandit, fifth member of the Panca-tattva, Shri Krishna Chaitanya, Prabhu Nityananda, Shri Advaita, Gadadhara, Shrivasadi, Gaura Bhakta Vrinda lived in Navadwipa before the advent of Lord Chaitanya. Shrivasa led his brothers Shri Rama, Shri Nidhi, and Shripati in their devotional lives of singing Krishna’s names, worshiping the Lord, and bathing thrice daily in the Ganges.
Meeting with Shri Advaita Acharya Prabhu, they studied Bhagavatam and prayed for an incarnation of the Supreme Lord. Why did they pray? Because only an avatara of Krishna could reestablish Vaishnavism among the staunch atheists, logicians, and proud pandits harassing Nadia at that time.
Malini, wife of Shrivasa, was a constant friend of Sachi Devi. She served Nimai as a nurse. When Lord Vishvambhara appeared, the hearts of all the Devotees were filled with parental affection (vatsalya bhava). Gaurachandra loved Malini and Shrivasa as a second mother and father.
Shrivasa Angan was located two hundred yards north of Nimai’s bari (house). Shrivasa Pandit’s palatial home had large comfortable rooms, a high protective boundary wall, and lush densely foliated gardens and groves. Everynight Shri Gauranga Mahaprabhu and His dearest friends would enjoy ecstatic kirtans here and taste the mellows of Vrindavana.
Here, the raging Muslim Kazi broke the sacred mridanga in his foolish attempt to stop Shri Krishna’s Sankirtana Movement. Henceforeward, Shrivasa Angan was known as Khol Banga Danga (place where the mridanga was broken).
The Kazi passed an ordinance prohibiting sankirtana. Violators would be converted to the Muslim faith and lose their property. Although most Nadia vasis (residents of Navadwipa) panicked over this, Shrivasa Pandit laughed at the fanatical law.
Within Shrivasa Angan Lord Gauranga-sundara showed His divine form to all His eternal associates. The house of Shrivasa Pandit served as the headquarters of Gauranga’s Sankirtana Movement. The daily Bhagavatam classes, nightly kirtans, and many confidential Vraja pastimes of Lord Gaura Raya occured here,
Shrivasa Pandit and Shri Advaita Acharya, the learned chiefs of the brahmana community, dedicated all their energy to the Lord’s Hari-Nama Sankirtana Movement. They surrendered their bodies, minds, homes, friends, family, and all possessions to Lord Gaura’s service. They knew no other gods or goddesses. Shrivasa Pandit maintained his family, not because they were his relatives, but because they were Shri Chaitanya’s loving servants.
Shrivasa Pandit represents the marginal living entity (tatastha jiva). The Devotees headed by Shrivasa are described as Lord Chaitanya’s smaller limbs (His face, eyes, hands, disc, other weapons) They all took part in Shri Gaurasundara’s pastimes. With them Lord Gauranga spread the sankirtana movement. Shrivasa Pandit is Narada Muni, an inter-galactic preacher and constant associate of the Lord. His samadhi is in the 64 Samadhis Area.
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