Srila Raghunandana Thakura

About

His Svarupa

vyūhas trītīyah pradyumnaḥ priya-narma-sakho’bhavat
cakre līlā-sahayam yo rādhā-mādhavayor vraje
śrī -caitanyadvaita-tanuḥ sa eva raghunandanaḥ

“The third member of the catur-vyuha, Pradyumna, took part in Radha Madhava’s lila in Vraja as Krsna’s intimate friend, or priya-narma-sakha. He has now appeared as Raghunandana, whose body is not different from that of Sri Caitanya.”

(Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā 70)

Place of Appearance

He is a Śrīkhaṇḍa-vāsī. On the Vardhamāna-Katwā rail route, before Katwā is Śrīkhaṇḍa, the Śrīpāṭa of Śrīla Raghunandana Ṭhākura; it is approximately a mile before the Śrīkhaṇḍa Station.

His uncle Narahari took a great deal of interest in raising Raghunandana, for whom he had much affection.

Raghunandan’s father, Mukund Das

Family and Work

Raghunandana was born on Vasanta Pañcamī into a family of physicians in the śaka year 1432 (1511 A.D.). His father’s name was Mukunda Dasa; his mother’s name is unknown. Mukunda Dasa was Narahari Sarakära Thakura’s older brother. In the fifteenth chapter of the Madhya-lilä of Caitanya Caritamṛta, it is clearly said that Mukunda Dasa was a physician to the king.

“Externally, he appears to be engaged in government service as a physician to the king. But in his inner life, he is filled with divine love. Who can know the extent of his love?” (CC 2.15.120)

The three most important devotees from Srikhanda were Mukunda Dasa, Raghunandana and Narahari.

The Impact of Slight Uddipana

Once upon seeing the King being fanned by a peacock feather, Mukunda Dāsa became overwhelmed with love and remembrance of Kṛṣṇa and fell down from his elevated seat. The King called his attendants and anxiously asked them to check whether he had died. When Mukunda dāsa came back to consciousness he said, “I suffer from epilepsy and hence I fell.” However the King could understand that by seeing the peacock feather he fainted in kṛṣṇa-prema. This incident is described in ‘Caitanya-deva-nirṇaya’.

This incident is also described in the Caitanya Caritamrta (2.15.121).

Who is the father?

Caitanya Mahaprabhu indicated that one’s seniority depends on the depth of devotion, by telling Mukunda Dasa’s son to be really his father.

Mahaprabhu once asked Mukunda Däsa, “O Mukund, are you Raghunandana’s father and he your son? Or is he your father and you his son? Tell me so that I can put my doubts to rest.” Mukunda answered, “Raghunandana is my father and I am his son, rest assured. Whatever devotion we have for Krsna comes from him; therefore I see him as my father.”

Even without considering whether Raghunandana had undergone dīkṣā [a pre-requisite for Deity worship], the Lord had accepted bhoga from his hands. Hence Mukunda dāsa said, “I am Raghunandana’s son. This is my conclusion, because my devotion to Kṛṣṇa has come from him.”

When he heard Mukunda Dasa’s answer, Mahaprabhu was thrilled and smilingly said, “What you said is true. One who awakens devotion to Kṛṣṇa is certainly the spiritual master. He from whom we imbibe devotion should always be considered as guru.” (CC 2.15.112-117)

So Caitanya-deva instructed Mukunda to remain in his profession as a vaidya, earning and maintaining the family while allowing Raghunandana to perform śrī-vigraha-sevā. Because he was a kṛṣṇa-sevaka, his mind did not deviate from kṛṣṇa-sevā even for a moment.

Raghunandana and The Gopal Deity

Loving Service Mood

“Mahaprabhu gave Raghunandana the service of deity worship. He constantly engaged in the service of Sri Krsna. He had no other intentions.” (CC 2.15.131)

From his early childhood, Raghunandana Thakura would feed the family’s Gopinatha deity laddus. Uddhava Dasa has written a song in which this lila is described:

Krsna is Bhava-Grahi Janardhana

Mukunda Dasa lived in the village of Srikhanda with his household deity Gopinatha. One day he had to go somewhere for work, and he called Raghunandana to do the service.

He said, “In this house we worship Krsna, so I want you to be sure to give Him something to eat.” And then he left. Raghunandana did as his father had ordered and made the offering to the deity.

Raghunandana was just a child, and in his simplicity he said to Gopinatha, “Eat! Eat!” when he saw that the food he offered had not been physically accepted by the Deity, he began to cry pleading, “Why are You not accepting the bhoga? Is it because I am not initiated and am unaware of the mantras?”

Kṛṣṇa is controlled by love, and so He did as the child told Him and ate everything on the plate without leaving a grain of rice.

When Mukunda Dasa returned, he asked the boy to bring him the prasāda from the offering he had made. The child answered, “Father, He ate everything and left remnants.”

Mukunda was so astonished at his child’s wondrous words that he asked him to make another offering. This time after he left the house, he returned and hid to watch what his son did.

Raghunandan joyfully placed a laddu in Krsna’s hand and said in a commanding voice, “Eat! Eat!” When Kṛṣṇa had eaten half of the lāḍdu, Mukunda Dasa came in the doorway. Mukunda saw that Krsna did not take another bite and that the half-eaten laddu remained in His hand. This caused him to be filled with love. He embraced his child and as tears of joy rained from his eyes, spoke to him in a broken voice.

To this day, fortunate people come to Srikhanda to see the half-eaten läḍdu in Gopinatha’s hand. Raghunandana is not different from Cupid himself, says Uddhava Dasa with great feeling.

[All the mahantas] felt fascinated to see the Gopinatha deity whom Raghunandana had fed laddus. (Bhakti-ratnākara 9.525)

Mysterious Events

Madhu-puṣkariṇī

There is a pond [next to the house of Narahari Sarkāra], where the water had once been transformed into honey, which was fed to Nityānanda Prabhu. [known as Madhu-puṣkariṇī.] On its banks, on a kadamba tree, two flowers blossom daily [by the power of Śrīla Raghunandana Ṭhākura, they blossom daily, regardless of the season] and are offered to Śrī Gopīnātha and His potency [śakti].

History of Nupur Kund

When Abhirāma Ṭhākura would offer obeisances to any śāligrāma-śilā it would break into pieces if it was fake. [One day he came to Śrīkhaṇḍa and] When he offered praṇāms to Śrīla Raghunandana Ṭhākura and embraced him, Abhirāma Ṭhākura melted with feelings of prema. Then Śrīla Raghunandana Ṭhākura performed a dance (uddaṇḍa nṛtya) jumping so high in the air that one of his ankle bells slipped off and flew some four miles away [in a place called Akai-haṭṭa near the house of his disciple Kṛṣṇa Dāsa. Later a tank was excavated to commemorate this pastime and given the name Nūpura-kuṇḍa].

Various Services

Mahāprabhu, the father of saṅkīrtana, gave Raghunandana the service of offering garlands and sandalwood paste to the devotees on the ādivāsa tithi — the day before the saṅkīrtana yajña – and to make the final offering at the end of the yajña.

During cāturmāsya Śrīla Raghunandana Ṭhākura would take the Khaṇḍa-vāsīs (residents of Śrīkhaṇḍa) along with him to Jagannātha Purī and when seven sampradāyas (groups) would perform kīrtana before Jagannātha’s chariot, in the kīrtana group of the Khaṇḍa-vāsīs Śrīla Raghunandana Ṭhākura and Narahari Sarkāra would dance.

Śrīla Raghunandana Ṭhākura also participated in the Kheturī festival organized by Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura where Śrīnivāsa Ācārya performed the mahā-abhiṣeka of the Deities; these Deities weren’t installed as is conventionally done because they were self-manifest.

He also participated in the tirobhāva tithi of Śrī Gadādhara Dāsa in Katwā and of Narahari Sarkāra Ṭhākura in Śrīkhaṇḍa.

A Glorious Personality

Regarding him it is said, anyone who is dear to Raghunandana will win Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya’s mercy life after life. Some say that Raghunandana is so merciful that he gives life to the most humble and fallen. Others say, there is no one whose humility can compare to his, and externally he is as beautiful as Kandarpa (Cupid) himself. There is description about this in Bhakti-ratnākara 9.660.

Blessing Śrīnivāsa Ācārya

Before his disappearance he explained that in the future the spread of Vaiṣṇavism would not be easy, but assured and blessed Śrīnivāsa Ācārya. He spoke thus to Śrīnivāsa –

kṛṣṇa-caitanya-candreṇa nityānandena samhrite
avatāre kalāv asmin vaiṣṇavaḥ sarva eva hi
bhaviṣyanti sadodvignah kāle kāle dine dine
prāyaḥ sandigdha-hṛdaya uttametara-madhyamāḥ

(Śrī Kṛṣṇa-bhajanāmṛta verses 3-4)

A time will come in the future when people will succumb to various doubts after the disappearance of Caitanya-candra and His companion Nityānanda Prabhu. Due to the age of Kali, all Vaiṣṇavas will become more anxious; whether very advanced, somewhat advanced or neophyte, all will be filled with doubts.

But do not let this worry you. Gaura-rāya will accomplish many great works through you. I bless you that you remain long on this earth and that you and your followers protect our Lord’s religion. Those who are opposed to devotion to Kṛṣṇa will become devotees by your influence and they will take shelter of you’. (Bhakti-ratnākara 13.174-179)

His Disappearance

Śrīla Raghunandana Ṭhākura offered his son Kānāi Ṭhākura at the lotus feet of his Gaura-Gopāla Deity and disappeared from this world on the fourth day of the waxing moon (Śukla-caturthī) in the month of Śrāvaṇa. His son Kānāi Ṭhākura hosted a festival as a part of his father’s last rites.

He ended his pastimes by repeating the names of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya again and again. How glorious is that day of Śrāvaṇa-śukla-caturthī when all will sing the glories of Raghunandana Ṭhākura!

‘vaiṣṇavete guṇa-gaṇa karile jīvera trāṇa, śuniyāche sādhu guru mukhe.’

REFERENCES: 

1. A discourse by Śrīla Bhakti Vijñāna Bhāratī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, on August 18, 2015 – https://www.visuddhacaitanyavani.com/single-post/2018/08/14/raghunandana-vamsidasa-babaji
2. A chapter about Śrīla Raghunandana Ṭhākura from the book ‘Parishads’ by Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Vallabha Tīrtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja