SRÍ GADÁDHAR DÁS THÁKUR VrajaLélä svarüp: CandraKänté / PürëänandäSakhé [GauraGaëoddeçaDépikä 154-5] Çrépäö: ÄriyädahaGräm / Kaöwa Tirobhäv (disappearance): KärttikéKåñëäñöami Worshipful Deity: Gopäl (Äriyädaha); ÇrémanMahäprabhu (Kaöwa) Srí Gadádhar dás Thákur was originally an inhabitant of Navadvíp. When the Lord went to live at Níláchal, Srí DásGadádhar also went there to be with him. Later, Maháprabhu sent him back with NityánandaPrabhu to preach in Bengal. ‘Lord Chaitanya ordered Nityánanda to go to GaurDesh (Bengal) and profusely and incessantly publicize and expand the cause of loving devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He sent Rámdás and Gadádhar along as well, to be Nityánanda’s assistants.’ [Srí ChaitanyaCharitámrita MadhyaLílá 15.42-43] ‘Two devotees of Srí ChaitanyaGosái, named Rámdás and Gadádhar dás, always lived with Srí VírBhadra Gosái. When NityánandaPrabhu was ordered to go to Bengal to preach, these two devotees were ordered to go with him. Thus they are sometimes counted among the devotees of Lord Chaitanya and sometimes among the devotees of Lord Nityánanda. Similarly, MádhavGhosh and VásudevGhosh belonged to both groups of devotees simultaneously.’ [Srí ChaitanyaCharitámrita ÁdiLílá 11.13-15] In the GauraGanoddeshDípiká, it is stated that DásGadádhar is an incarnation of the effulgence of SrímatíRádhárání’s body (personified as ChandraKántí), and as well, an expansion of PúrnánandáGopí, one of the sakhís of Lord Balarám. Though he was one of the associates of NityánandaPrabhu, the majority of whom were cowherd boys and thus situated in the mellow of friendship, he was always absorbed in the mood of a gopí, as per his eternal constitutional position. Once, as he was carrying a pot of Ganges water on his head, he called loudly, “Who wants to buy some milk?” Sometimes he would say, “Here is some first-class yogurt. Whoever wants to buy some, please come here.” Calling out thusly, he laughed very loudly. In Srí ChaitanyaBhágavata, Vrindában dás Thákur has described the glories of DásGadádhar in this way: ‘Srí Gadádhar is the embodiment of the liquid mellows of loving devotion. Simply by seeing him one’s sinful reactions are destroyed.’ [Srí ChaitanyaBhágavat AntyaLílá 5.727] ‘One day, NityánandaPrabhu came to DásGadádhar’s temple at ÁriyádahaGrám. In the temple was a very beautiful Deity of Srí BálGopál. NityánandaPrabhu carefully picked up SríGopáljí from the altar, and while holding him to his chest, he began to dance in great ecstasy. When all the devotees saw that Gopál had taken shelter of the heart of Srí AnantaDev, they made the heavens resound with the vibrations of “Hari! Hari!” ‘NityánandaPrabhu, who was very robust and heroic, then began to roar very loudly while engaging in his ecstatic dance with Gopáljí. MádhavÁnanda Ghosh began to sing songs describing Krsna’s DánLílá (from DánkeliKaumadí). Hearing his sweet voice and the poetic descriptions of Krsna’s DánLílá, Nityánanda exhibited all the ecstatic symptoms within his body simultaneously, as he danced like one intoxicated. The gestures he exhibited while dancing were like flashes of lightning; his limbs moved with unparalleled grace. His expressive eye movements, his sweet smiling and eruptive laughter and the shivering and quaking of his head provided a feast for the devotees’ eyes and ears. Bringing his two beautiful lotus feet together, he would then jump in such a way as to completely captivate one’s mind. Whomever he looked at found himself floating in an ocean of the mellows of love of Krsna. By his merciful glance they forgot about the existence of their physical bodies. DánLílá- Krsna’s play of exacting taxes from the gopís in the form of milk, butter & yogurt ‘The level of devotion that is sought by great yogís and munis was attained that day by the ordinary men and women of that place as they relished the remnants of Lord Nityánanda’s love for Krsna. Someone as fat as an elephant, if he fasts for three days, becomes so thin and weak that he can barely walk. However, by the mercy of NityánandaPrabhu, one small child of that village didn’t eat anything for one month, yet his movements and behaviour were like those of a lion. Such was the mysterious influence of NityánandaPrabhu. No one could understand his activities, due to the Lord’s YogaMáyá potency. NityánandaPrabhu thus enjoyed various gambols at the temple of Gadádhar dás Thákur.’ [Srí ChaitanyaBhágavat AntyaLílá 5.374-94] muni- sage; saintly person ‘Srí Gadádhar dás is above all the other branches (of the Chaitanya tree). He induced a Mohammedan Kázi and his followers to chant the HolyName of Lord Hari.’ [Srí ChaitanyaCharitámrita ÁdiLílá 10.53] ‘Amongst ChaitanyaMaháprabhu’s associates, no one wanted to go near the Mohammedan Kázi for fear that he might lose his caste. Merely by looking at the face of a Mohammedan, a Hindu would lose his name in society. This particular Kázi in Áriyádaha was always in a rage and he hated the sound of kírtan. DásGadádhar, however, had the power to influence the notorious Kázi and so he bestowed his merciful glance upon him. Even at their first meeting he was able to lift that Kázi beyond the limits of his caste and creed so that those limitations completely fell away. One night, Srí Gadádhar dás Thákur, intoxicated in ecstatic love while chanting the HolyNames of Hari, came to the house of the Kázi at ÁriyádahaGrám. When the servants saw him enter the house, they simply sat down. Not a sound issued from their mouths. Gadádhar called out, “Where is that rascal Kázi? If you don’t immediately call out the name of Krsna I’ll tear off your head!” The Kázi, in a fit of anger, came storming out of his inner apartments, but upon seeing the transcendentally serene appearance and mood of DásGadádhar Prabhu, he became stunned. His anger softened and his expression became friendly. The Kázi inquired, “Thákur, why have you come just now?” Gadádhar answered, “I should like to have a few words with you.” “Yes, whatever you have to say - speak up.” “SríSrí GauraNityánanda have appeared on this earth to distribute the nectar of the HolyNames to all classes of men, from the highest to the lowest, even to the most sinful, despicable persons. Only you remain. Only you do not chant these most auspicious names of Srí Hari. So I have come here today to deliver you from all your sinful activities.” Though that Kázi was very malicious and spiteful he was stunned; he couldn’t say a word. Gadádhar continued, “Why haven’t you accepted this sweet treat? Why haven’t you taken up the chanting of these nectarean HolyNames?” The Kázi smiled and replied, “We’ll accept it tomorrow.” “Why tomorrow? Today you should accept! I have come here today to deliver you from the depths of ignorance and sin by the power of these HolyNames. So you please take this supremely auspicious HariNám. I will deliver you from all your sinful activities this very day.” Having listened to Gadádhar’s sweet speech, the Kázi became a little bewildered. He began to laugh as he said, “Tomorrow I’ll say Hari. For today you should go back home.” When he heard the two syllables ‘ha’ and ‘ri’ emanate from the Kázi’s mouth, Gadádhar became overwhelmed in the happiness of ecstatic love and exclaimed, “Tomorrow? Sir, you said Hari just now! All your sins have flown far away. You have become supremely pure. There remains no inauspiciousness in your life.” So saying, Gadádhar entered the ecstasy of madness, dancing wildly and clapping his hands all the while. After awhile he returned to his house, he whose transcendental body is the residence of NityánandAvadhút. Such are the glories of Srí Gadádhar dás, the intimate associate of Srí ChaitanyaGosái. [Srí ChaitanyaBhágavat AntyaLílá 5.395-416] DásGadádhar looked after Srí SachíMátá and Srí VisnuPriyá for some time, while residing in Navadvíp. After they both left this world he came to live at Katwa where he established the worship of Maháprabhu at the áshram of Srí KeshavBháratí. DásGadádhar was still present in this world when Srínivás ÁcháryaPrabhu and Narottam ThákurMaháshoy came to visit Katwa. The Deity of Maháprabhu worshipped in Katwa, is one of three Deities carved from one Neem tree, as per the order of SrímanMaháprabhu. One night, Narahari SarkárThákur had a dream, in which Srí Visvambhar told him to have the múrtis made, even specifying which tree to use. During the same night, the bháskar (deity-maker) had a similar dream. The next day, when the two met and learned that they had both seen the same dream, they could understand that the Lord’s instruction should be carried out immediately. The largest Deity is here in Kaöwa, the middle-sized one at Ekchakrä and the smallest at ÇréKhaëòa. There is also a Deity of Balaräm (Nityänanda) with Mahäprabhu, in the temple of DäsGadädhar. Thus the Deities here are known as ÇréÇré NitäiGauräìga. The temple is called- GauräìgaBäri. A local account of the history of the Deity of Balarám is as follows: ‘He is said to have once been worshipped by MinketanRámdás who used to carry this Deity of Balarám with him wherever he went. MinketanRám’s body was very strongly built, such that he could carry Balarám upon a simhásan mounted on his back. The simhásan itself weighed perhaps forty kilos. When he became somewhat advanced in years and it was difficult to carry the simhásan, he entrusted the worship of his Balarám to the pújárí of Lord Gauránga here.’ According to another opinion, YädavKaviräj, a disciple of ÇrénivasÄchärya, worshipped the largest of the three Deities of Mahäprabhu in Kulai. Kulai is located in Barddhamän district, on the banks of the Ajoy River, between Kaöwa and JïänadäsKändrä. KetuGräm is near Kändrä and Kulai is 1.5 krosh from KetuGräm. krosh- approximately two miles The original name of Kaöwa was KäïchanNagar (käïchan - meaning gold), a suburb of Indräëi. After Mahäprabhu’s acceptance of sannyäs, ÇaciMätä changed the name to KaëöakNagar. Kaëöak means thorn. The derivation of the name Kaöwa is narrated as follows. Since MinketanRäm was a non-Bengali, he used a Persian word for hair- awa. Thus the literal meaning of Kaöwa is “cut hair” (kat meaning to cut); in memory of the place where Prabhu’s head was shorn of its beautiful curly locks. DäsGadädhar disappeared on the eighth day of the dark fortnight in the month of Kärttik. Çrénivas ÄchäryaPrabhu presided over his disappearance festival in Kaöwa. It was as though another Kheturé celebration, so many Mahantas attended this festival. It is said that his samädhi mandir and the samädhi of the hair of Lord Chaitanya, shaven by the barber MadhuÇél at the time of the Lord’s acceptance of sannyäs, are intered within the same tomb near KeshavBhäraté’s ashram. Located within the temple compound are also the samädhi of KeshavBhäraté; the place where KeshavBhäraté awarded the name ‘Çré KåñëaChaitanya’ to NimäiPaëòit; the samädhi of MadhuÇél, the barber who shaved Mahäprabhu’s head; and the tree under which Mahäprabhu’s head was shaved. In the Bengali year 1304 (1897 C.E.) the temple was destroyed by an earthquake. In 1308 (1901 C.E.) Räjärçi BanaMälé RäyBahädur had a new temple constructed. The followers of DäsGadädhar at Äriyädaha also constructed a samädhi mandir there, on the banks of MotherGanges. There were some ascetic Vaiñëavas serving and residing there for some time. Eventually the control of his samädhi came in the hands of some Saàyogé tantrics. A contemporary and friend of Çréla Jagannäth däs Bäbäjé, Çréla Bhagavän däs Bäbäjé, a resident of Kälnä and very respected member of Vaiñëav society, once expressed his desire to restore the samädhi of Çréla Gadädhar däs at Äriyädaha. This resolve of BäbäjéMahäçoy was taken up by a resident of NärikelDäìgä, his dear disciple, Madhusüdan MallikMahodoy, thus the temple was renovated in the Bengali year 1256 (1849 C.E.). There is purported to be a beautiful painting of ÇréKåñëaSankértan, from YäjiGräm, kept at the house of Çré MallikMahäçoy Öhäkur, in ÄriyädahaGräm. The principal disciple of DäsGadädhar in Kaöwa was Yadunandan CakraVarté. The present sevaits of Çré GauräìgaBäri (Kaöwa) are his descendants. This is a very nice temple where many of the local people attend the äraté ceremonies and classes on the devotional scriptures. There is a railway station at Kaöwa, only one hour from Navadvép. From there one should go by rickshaw to GauräìgaBäri. sevait- legal guardian and worshiper of the Deity I was invited to stay at this temple by Sri NandaNandan Gosvami during the month of Baisakh, which is considered, along with the month of Kartik, to be a very auspicious month for observing spiritual practices. This was sometime in the early 1980’s. MaGanga is only a five-minute walk from the temple. From Kaöwa, one can make a number of day excursions to the numerous Çrépäös that are in this area. ÄriyädahaGräm is reached from Kolkätä by bus from Esplanade. The temple is referred to locally as PäöBäri. If going by car, Äriyädaha is near Belgharia. From there one should ask for RathTola and/or Feeder Road. references to DásGadádhar from: Srí ChaitanyaCharitámrita: ÁdiLílá 10.53, 78-79; 11.13-17 MadhyaLílá 15.43 AntyaLílá 6.61-63; 10.140-41
Posted on: Mon, 11 Nov 2013 00:46:02 +0000
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