NITAAI-Veda.nyf > Compiled and Imp Scriptures > Nityananda Charitamrita > Vrindavana Dasa Thakura |
Shrila Vrindavana Dasa Thakura
A Short
Biographical Sketch Of The Author of Nityananda Charitamrita:
Shrila Vrindavana Dasa Thakura
Shrivasa Pandita, an intimate associate of Lord Shri Gauranga Mahaprabhu, had
an elder brother named Nalina Pandita. His daughter, Shri Narayani Devi, was
the mother of Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura. Mahaprabhu advented in this world
to distribute love of God. He inaugurated His pastimes of distribution by first
giving this prema to the four year-old Narayani Devi, who later became the
mother of Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura. The Lord gave her remnants of His
chewed betel nuts and thus empowered her. Later, because of being
transcendentally empowered, Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura was born to her.
Shri Narayani Devi personally saw the pastimes of Lord Gauranga. Whatever
Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura heard from his mother and later found in Murari
Guptaís diary about the transcendental pastimes of Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu, he
wrote down in Shri Chaitanya-bhagavata. Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura was a
direct disciple of Lord Nityananda and was His companion in various pastimes.
This book, Nityananda-caritamrita, was written by him. There is no direct
evidence that Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura ever met Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu,
but he was born during the time of Lord Chaitanya. A book called Shri
Prema-vilasa describes his birth and family identification as follows:
There was a brahmana named Vaikuntha dasa, who lived in the village of
Kumarahatta. Shri Narayani Devi was married to him. From the womb of Narayani
Devi, Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura was born. He was the incarnation of Shrila
Vyasadeva. When Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura was within the womb of his mother,
his father Vaikuntha dasa left this world and went to the spiritual world. When
Shrivasa Pandita saw that his niece was pregnant and a widow, he brought her to
his home. When Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura was five years old, he lived with
his mother at Mamagachi. Vasudeva Datta, a famed recipient of Lord Gaurangaís
mercy, took responsibility for the maintenance of Shrila Vrindavana dasa
Thakura and his mother. At the house of Vasudeva Datta, Shrila Vrindavana dasa
Thakura grew and studied various scriptures. Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura
came and lived in a village called Denuda after the disappearance of Lord
Gauranga Mahaprabhu, Shri Nityananda Prabhu, and Shri Advaita Prabhu.
Regarding the previous identification of Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura, Shrila
Kavi Karnapura mentions in Shri Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika, verse 109:
vedavyaso ya evasiddaso vrindavanodhuna, sakha yah kusumapida karyatstam
samavisat
The combined form of Vedavyasa, the son of Satyavati, and Kusumapida, a cowherd
boy in Vraja, is Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura.
Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura spent some time at Mamagachi and then went to
Denuda where he compiled Chaitanya-bhagavata. Shri Prema vilasa describes
Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura's residing in Denuda:
After traveling and preaching all over Radha-desa, I arrived at Denuda. This is
the place where Kesava Bharati enjoyed his childhood pastimes before going to
Shringeri-matha to take sannyasa. His nephew Gopala Brahmacari had a
well-behaved son named Gopinatha. He lived in this village with Lord Nityananda
when I came here. I met Lord Nityananda along with many devotees such as
Gopinatha and Bhakta Rama Haridasa. I offered my respectful obeisances to the
Lord and began to sing and dance. After taking lunch, Lord Nityananda asked me
for some mouth freshener. I had saved a haritaki for a long time. I immediately
broke it into pieces and gave it to the Lord. The Lord accepted it and said
with a smile, Stay at this place and glorify the transcendental qualities of
Shri Gauranga. Do not worry for you will see the Lord here. Stay here and work
for the benefit of all living entities. Install the Deities of the Lord here.
Whenever you will feel separation from the Lord, you will be able to see Him
here.
By the causeless mercy of Lord Nityananda, the storekeeper of Lord Gaurangaís
love, we hope we will be successful in our attempt to glorify Him. May Lord
Nityananda destroy all our obstacles and help us spread the transcendental
qualities and glories of Him and His associates. This is our heartfelt desire.
We conclude this life sketch of Shrila Vrindavana dasa Thakura by singing the
following songs composed by the Thakura himself.
antare nitai bahire nitai nitai jagatamaya
nagara nitai nagari nitai katha ye kaya
sadhana nitai bhajana nitai nitai nayana tara
dasadika maya nitai sundara nitai bhuvana bhara
radhara madhuri ananga manjari nitai nitu se seve
koti sasadhara vadana sundara sakha sakhi baladeve
radhara bhagini syamasohagini sava sakhigana prana
janhara labari mandapa sajani shri mani mandira nama
nitai sundara yogapitha dhare ratna simhasana seje
basana nitai bhushana nitai vilase sakhira majhe
ki kahiba ara nitai sabara ankhi mukha sava anga
nitai nitai nitai nitai nitai nutara ranga
nitai baliya dubahu tuliya caliba vrajera pure
dasa vrindavana ei nivedana nitai na chado more
"Nitai
is within and without. He is everywhere within this world. He is the lover and
He is the sweetheart. Everyone says it. Nitai is my regulative principles, my
object of worship, and the light of my eyes. Nitai is in all ten directions. In
fact, He fills all the three worlds. Nitai as Ananga Manjari eternally serves
sweet Shrimati Radhika. He is non-different from Baladeva, whose beautiful face
resembles millions of moons and is surrounded by sakhas and sakhis. The sister
of Radharani, Ananga Manjari, is very dear to Shri Syama, and she is the life
and soul of all the sakhis. She decorates the arena of the temple named Mani
Mandira. Nitai sustains the yogapitha and becomes a throne for the Lord to rest
on. Nitai is also the dress and ornaments. He enjoys pastimes with the sakhis.
What more can I say? Nitai is the eyes, mouth, and limbs of everyone. Nitai,
Nitai, Nitai, Nitai, I see only Nitai dancing. Raising my hands and chanting
Nitai, I will go to Vraja. I, Vrindavana dasa, only request Nitai to kindly never
leave me."