The Appearance Day of Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita
April 27, 2025 is the appearance day of Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita, in Vṛndāvana, India. The following includes excerpts from a bhāva anuvāda of the kathā given by Śrīla Bhakti Vijñāna Bhāratī Gosvāmī Mahārāja on his appearance day on April 17, 2010 and April 26, 2017. In addition, it includes excerpts from a bhāva anuvāda of the kathā given by Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja in Śrī Jagannātha Purī on October 7, 2001. These two excerpts were combined for a unified storyline for readers. Editors’ input: Additional text has been included in square brackets to facilitate the flow of content.
Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosvāmī’s father was Mādhava Miśra. He was born in Beleti-grāma in the Chittagong district of modern Bangladesh. [Gadādhara Paṇḍita lived in the village of Beleti until he was twelve and then moved with his family to Navadvīpa.] So our Paramagurujī, Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, established Śrī Gadāi Gaurāṅga Maṭha there.
Initiation from Pundarika Vidyanidhi
Once Mukunda announced to Gadādhara Paṇḍita, “Today I will take you to meet a wonderful Vaiṣṇava”, and he took Gadādhara Paṇḍita to meet Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi. When they arrived, Gadādhara Paṇḍita was bewildered to find Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi surrounded by opulent worldly comforts. [Everything about him gave the impression that he was a man of luxury and indulgence.] Immediately a doubt arose in the mind of Gadādhara Paṇḍita – ‘How can one be a Vaiṣṇava if he is enjoying such opulent facilities?’ Perceiving the doubt in Gadādhara Paṇḍita’s mind, Mukunda quoted a śloka from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (3.2.23):
aho bakī yaṁ stana-kāla-kūṭaṁ
jighāṁsayāpāyayad apy asādhvī
lebhe gatiṁ dhātry-ucitāṁ tato ’nyaṁ
kaṁ vā dayāluṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajema
[Alas, how shall I take shelter of one more merciful than He who granted the position of mother to a she-demon [Pūtanā] although she was unfaithful and she prepared deadly poison to be sucked from her breast?]
As soon as Vidyānidhi heard this description of devotional service, he began to weep incessantly. All the symptoms of ecstatic love – like tears, shivering, perspiration, losing consciousness, hairs standing on end, and loud shouting simultaneously manifested in his body. He shivered so vigorously out of ecstatic love that even ten men could not compose him and eventually all the expensive paraphernalia lay around scattered and broken. After manifesting ecstatic symptoms for some time in this way, he remained on the floor, lying unconscious.
This incident proves that real Vaiṣṇava darśana cannot be obtained merely by observing the external appearance of a Vaiṣṇava.
Seeing all these ecstatic symptoms on the body of Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi, Gadādhara Paṇḍita realized that Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi was a great Vaiṣṇava. Worried that he had committed an offence unto Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi, he resolved to accept Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi as his spiritual master, and thus atone for his offence.
Who is Gadadhara Pandita?
According to Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā, Gadādhara Paṇḍita is Vṛṣabhānu-nandinī Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī Herself and Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi is King Vṛṣabhānu from Vraja. In a way, he took initiation from his father itself.
Why did Gadādhara Paṇḍita come? To help Mahāprabhu enjoy Rādhikā’s three moods. From time to time he used to help Mahāprabhu experience these moods. When Nityananda Prabhu went to the house of Nandana Acarya in Navadvipa, Gadādhara went with Mahāprabhu, Srivasa Pandit, Mukunda, and so many others.
If anyone thinks that when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took Śrīmatī Rādhikā’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 Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣņa, and Rādhā and Kṛṣņa may also be present, watching. Similarly, when Lord Śrī Kṛṣņa ‘took’ the bhava of Śrīmatī Rādhikā and became Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, She was also present, watching, as Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita.
Śrīmatī Rādhikā came in the form of Śrī Gadādhara. You should try to know Gadādhara-tattva. There is no difference between Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita and Śrīmatī Rādhikā, but the activities are different in Kṛṣņa’s pastimes and Gaurā’s pastimes. In Gaurā-lila Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita is in the mood of a servant.
Sri Gadadhara Pandita has madanakya-mahābhava
No gopi, including Candravali, Lalita, and Visakha, can experience Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s madanakya-mahābhava. Kṛṣņa experiences the ecstatic loving moods of rudha and adirudha, but not madanakhya-bhava. Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita, on the other hand has madanakya-mahābhava. In Gaurā-lila, however, it is covered, so that he can help Kṛṣņa to play the part of Śrīmatī Rādhikā. In the form of Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita, Śrīmatī Rādhikā is looking and examining, and if there is something wrong in Kṛṣņa (as Mahāprabhu), She corrects it.
Śrī Gaurāṅga (Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu) is not nagara (the male lover). No one can serve Gaurāṅga by thinking himself a gopi and thinking of Gaurāṅga as Śrī Kṛṣņa. 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 ‘gaurāṅga-nagari-vada’.
It is possible for Kṛṣņa to be the enjoyer of conjugal mellows, but not Mahāprabhu. Mahāprabhu is always in the role of a gopi, Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Anyone can serve Mahāprabhu in dasya-rasa, but not in madhurya-rasa. In Mahāprabhu’s pastimes, this would be absurd. Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta says that gaurāṅga-nagari-vada, is sahajiya. The scripture Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, and our entire guru-paramparā, reject this idea. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has defeated their arguments.
Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita is Śrīmatī Rādhikā and he therefore has up to madanakya-mahabhava, but He wants to serve Mahāprabhu. He wants to do what Kṛṣņa wants, and thus he covers his madhurya-bhava. Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita knows what Mahāprabhu wants: Mahāprabhu wants to play the part of Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Right from the beginning He is in Śrīmatī Rādhā’s mood, and He is chanting, “Kṛṣņa prāna-natha (My beloved Krsna)!” He came to Ṭoṭā-gopīnātha Temple to hear Śrīmad Bhāgavatam from Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita – Śrīmatī Rādhikā – to learn how to play Her part. In its deepest understanding, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is really the glories of Śrīmatī Rādhikā’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 Śrī Kṛṣņa, the vibration purifies the three worlds.”
Mahāprabhu came to hear from Gadādhara Paṇḍita
Since Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita is Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, he was able to explain Her moods described in Srimad-Bhagavatam. The explanations of Gadādhara Paṇḍita are the highest explanations and glorification of Her mood. His explanations will be greater than those of Vyasa, Sukadeva, and Kṛṣņa Himself. Mahāprabhu came here to know the glories of all the gopis, and especially Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī:
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, Śrī Kṛṣņa and Baladeva, accompanied by the gopas, as They enter the forest taking the cows, or as They bring them back to Vṛndāvana. 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 Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is spoken by Śrīmatī Rādhikā and the gopis when Kṛṣņa goes cowherding. Śrī Kṛṣņa is behind and Baladeva is ahead. Kṛṣņa is playing on His flute and searching for Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Śrīmatī Rādhikā comes and takes His flute, and He begins looking at Her with sidelong glances. If Śrīmatī Rādhikā 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 Śrīmatī Rādhikā at Uddhava Kyari, when Kṛṣņa was residing in Mathura. The deepest meanings of these verses were revealed to Mahāprabhu by Gadādhara Paṇḍita 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 Kṛṣņa 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 Vṛndāvana to wander about like birds, begging for their living.”
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu came here to hear, and when He heard, He fainted. Both He and Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita fainted. Gadādhara Paṇḍita knew that by Mahāprabhu’s hearing from him, Mahāprabhu would become more perfect to play Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s part. Śrīmatī Rādhikā is the principal in the school of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, in the course of tasting its meanings.
Why was Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita not one of the three and a half confidential associates of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in Gambhira?
Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita is superior to these other three and a half confidential associates. This is a hidden secret. If Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita were there, Mahāprabhu’s separation mood would not have come. In the association with Śrīmatī Rādhikā He would have thought Himself to be Kṛṣņa.
Gadadhar Pandit serving Tota Gopinath
Before Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted sannyāsa, whenever He would become overwhelmed in the loving ecstasy of kṛṣṇa-prema, Gadādhara Paṇḍita would delicately pacify him. [Observing this] Śacī Mata requested Gadādhara Paṇḍita to always remain with Nimāi and take care of Him.
Later, when Caitanya-deva accepted sannyāsa and considered staying in Purī, Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosvāmī decided to take kṣetra-sannyāsa. Kṣetra-sannyāsa refers to a vow of limiting oneself to one particular place (kṣetra) only.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave Gadadhara Pandita His most valuable property
Once in the garden [called Yameśvara-ṭoṭā, where Gadādhara Paṇḍita resided], Caitanya-deva found the deity of Gopīnātha. Caitanya-deva said to Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosvāmī, “I have found something very precious. Will you accept it?” Gadādhara Paṇḍita replied, “Is it possible that You could desire to give me something that I wouldn’t accept?” [Thus Gadādhara Paṇḍita began serving Ṭoṭā-gopīnātha] Since the deity was found in a garden, He came to be known as “Ṭoṭā-gopīnātha” (‘Ṭoṭā’ means ‘garden’ in Oriya).
[Everyday, Caitanya-deva would come to Yameśvara-ṭoṭā to hear Gadādhara Paṇḍita recite the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.] Even though He heard Dhruva-caritra and Prahlāda-caritra from Gadādhara Paṇḍita over a 100 times, He was not satisfied. [It could not quench His insatiable thirst to hear more.] He implored, “Speak more! Speak more!” Once, Nityānanda Prabhu brought fine rice from Bengal as an offering to Ṭoṭā-gopīnātha. With great affection, Gadādhara Paṇḍita prepared and offered the rice to Gopīnātha. Nityānanda Prabhu was to honour Gopīnātha prasāda there that day. Suddenly Mahāprabhu arrived there and said, “Gadādhara! What is this? Is there no invitation for Me?” [And he merrily joined Gadādhara and Nityānanda for prasādam] What do we see from this pastime? [That the love between Mahāprabhu and Gadādhara was so deep that] There was no necessity of a formal invitation there.
Serving in Separation
When Caitanya-deva began to leave for Vṛndāvana from Jagannātha Purī, Gadādhara Paṇḍita, unable to bear the impending separation, also started going along. However, Mahāprabhu forbade him, saying, “You have taken kṣetra-sannyāsa, your vow will be broken if you come with Me.” Gadādhara Paṇḍita said, “[Wherever You are staying is Jagannātha Purī.] So I do not mind giving up my kṣetra-sannyāsa, I will come with You.”
After some time [upon reaching Cuttack], seeing that Gadādhara Paṇḍita wouldn’t heed His advice, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said to him, “You have broken your vow of kṣetra-sannyāsa by coming so far. Now please do not say anything more about this matter and return to Nīlācala. You will simply condemn Me if you don’t.”
Hearing this, Gadādhara Paṇḍita did not go further but instantly fainted to the ground. Then he returned to Purī and continued to serve Ṭoṭā-Gopīnātha.
Disappearance pastime of Lord Chaitanya
Gadādhara Paṇḍita is an eternal associate of the Lord. Gadādhara Paṇḍita never gave up the service of Ṭoṭā-gopīnātha. Only a [real] devotee attains such a nature. When Śrī Caitanya-deva decided to wrap up His pastimes in this world, Gadādhara Paṇḍita witnessed Him disappear in the Gopīnātha Temple. Distraught with grief, he began to weep, “I lost Gauracānda in the Gopīnātha Temple – ‘gauracānde harāinu gopīnātha mandire’. What will I do now? Where will I go?”
Those who were on the sea shore saw the Lord disappear into the ocean. Those who were in the Jagannātha Temple, saw the Lord disappear in the Jagannātha Temple. These things are beyond the comprehension of our senses. This is the divinity of the Lord. Why is it impossible? Where does the sun set? Have you ever gone to a place to see the sunset? People go to Kanyākumārī to see the sunset. The sun sets in the Indian Ocean and in the Arabian Sea. When we go to Purī, we also see the sun rising and setting. Some people also go to Tiger Hills in Darjeeling to see the sunset. Does the sun set in Tiger Hills or Purī or Kanyākumārī? Where does it set? Also, in Chandigarh do people not see the setting sun? So where does it actually set? Similarly, it is difficult to comprehend the Lord’s pastimes.
When Mahāprabhu left, Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosvāmī was so overwhelmed in separation from Him, that he could no longer read Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Just upon opening the book, tears would well up in his eyes. The whole book was washed with his tears. Consequently, Gadādhara Paṇḍita became so frail in separation that he could barely stand. Thus, it became difficult for him to dress and garland Lord Gopīnātha. Seeing the difficulty His devotee was facing, Lord Gopīnātha sat down cross-legged, so that it would be easier for Gadādhara Paṇḍita to garland Him. We can never see this kind of deity anywhere.
Gadādhara Paṇḍita quickly became like an old man, and very soon disappeared after Mahāprabhu’s disappearance
At the time of His disappearance, Mahāprabhu entered the Deity Ṭoṭā-Gopīnātha. Mahāprabhu left the world at 48 years, when Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita was 47. Out of great separation, Gadādhara Paṇḍita quickly became like an old man, and he also very soon disappeared. We see in Kṛṣņa’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 Mahāprabhu, Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita may have also appeared like that.
ŚRĪ CAITANYA-CARITĀMṚTA WRITTEN BY GADĀDHARA PAṆḌITA’S MERCY
Gadādhara Paṇḍita accepted Advaita Ācārya’s son, Acyutānanda and Ananta Ācārya, among others, as disciples. Śrī Haridāsa Paṇḍita Gosvāmī, who had ordered Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī to write Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, was Ananta Ācārya’s disciple. Hence, in a way, by Gadādhara Paṇḍita’s mercy, today we have Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Why? Because his disciple’s disciple had given the order for Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta to be composed.
There is even a danta-samādhi [the samādhi of Gadādhara Paṇḍita’s tooth] in Vraja-maṇḍala. [It is situated near Śrī Rādhā-ramaṇa temple.]
[In this way, today, I remember Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita and pray for his mercy.]
