Mahäprabhu’s seniors, His parents and gurus, are all his servants and eternal associates and they take their birth prior to His appearance in order to serve Him in their own way.
Whenever Kṛṣṇa descends to the earth, He first sends down His elders. These include His father, mother, guru and all the other persons He considers to be the objects of His respect. He arranges that these persons should take birth before He does. Madhavendra Puri, Isvara Puri, Sachi, Jagannath Mishra, and Advaita Acharya are amongst those who appeared in this way.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.3.92-4)
Later in the Chaitanya Charitamrita (1.13.52-55), the same thing is described in the following way:
Whenever the son of the king of Vraja decides to appear on earth in order to fulfill a particular desire, then He first sends down His seniors. I will briefly name some of them as it is not possible to mention everyone: Sachi Devi, Jagannath Mishra, Madhava Puri, Keshava Bharati, Isvara Puri, Advaita Acharya, Srivasa Pandit, Acharyaratna, Pundarika Vidyanidhi, Hari Das Öhäkura.
THE DISCIPLIC SUCCESSION
Çréla Madhavendra Puri appeared in the 14th century. He was a guru of the Brahma or Madhva sampradaya, one of the four (Brahma, Çré, Rudra and Sanaka) Vaiñëava lineages that purify the world in the age of Kali. The Madhva lineage has been transcribed in books like Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä, Prameya-ratnävalé and the writings of Gopal Guru Gosvämé. The mention of this lineage is also to be found in the Bhakti-ratnäkara (5.2149-2162). The following is taken from the Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä:
paravyomeçvarasyäséc chiñyo brahmä jagat-patiù
tasya çiñyo närado’bhüt vyäsas tasyäpa çiñyatäm
çuko vyäsasya çiñyatvaà präpto jïänävabodhanät
vyäsäl labdha-kåñëa-dékño madhväcäryo mahäyaçaù
tasya çiñyo’bhavat padmanäbhäcäryo mahäçayaù
tasya çiñyo naraharis tacchiñyo mädhava-dvijaù
akñobhyas tasya çiñyo’bhüt tac-chiñyo jayatérthakaù
tasya çiñyo jïäna-sindhus tasya çiñyo mahänidhiù
vidyänidhis tasya çiñyo räjendras tasya sevakaù
jayadharmä munis tasya çiñyo yad-gaëa-madhyataù
çrémad-viñëu-puré yas tu bhaktiratnävalé-kåtiù
jayadharmasya çiñyo’bhüd brahmaëyaù puruñottamaù
vyäsatérthas tasya çiñyo yaç cakre viñëusaàhitäm
çrémän lakñmépatis tasya çiñyo bhaktirasäçrayaù
tasya çiñyo mädhavendro yad-dharmo’yaà pravartitaù
tasya çiñyo ‘bhavat çrémän éçvaräkhya-puré-yatiù
kalayämäsa çåìgäraà yaù çåìgära-phalätmakaù
advaitaù kalayämäsa däsya-säkhye phale ubhe
éçvaräkhya-puréà gaura urarékåtya gaurave
jagad äplävayämäsa präkåtäpräkåtätmakam
Brahma, the master of this universe, was the disciple of the Lord of the spiritual world. His disciple was Narada and Vyasa became the disciple of Narada. Suka became the disciple of Vyasa through the endowment of spiritual knowledge. Madhvacharya took initiation in the Kṛṣṇa mantra from Vyasa. His disciple was Padmanabhacarya, whose disciple was Narahari, who was followed by Madhava Dvija. Akshobhya was his disciple, then Jayatirtha, Jnanasindhu, Mahanidhi, Vidyanidhi and Rajendra followed. Jayadharma Muni was one of Rajendra’s many disciples and Viñëu Puri, the author of Bhakti-ratnävalé and Purushottam, the lover of Brahmin culture became his disciples. Vyasa Tirtha, the author of Viñëu-saàhitä was the disciple of Purushottam. Lakshmipati Tirtha, a reservoir of devotion, was the disciple of Vyasa Tirtha. Madhavendra Puri was the disciple of Lakshmipati, and it is by him that this religion was founded. His disciple, the sannyasi Isvara Puri, took up the mood of conjugal devotion, while Advaita Acharya [also the disciple of Madhavendra Puri] took up the moods of servitude and friendship. Gaura accepted Isvara Puri as his guru, and then flooded the material and spiritual worlds [with love].
Thus, Madhavendra Puri was the disciple of Lakshmipati Tirtha. Madhavendra Puri’s disciples included Isvara Puri, Advaita Acharya, Paramänanda Puri (a Brahmin from the Tirhut area), Brahmananda Puri, Çré Ranga Puri, Pundarika Vidyanidhi, Raghupati Upadhyaya, and others. Nityananda Prabhu is said by some to be Madhavendra Puri’s disciple, others say that Lakshmipati was his guru, while in the Prema-viläsa, it is said that he was Isvara Puri’s disciple.
Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura writes: “Madhavendra Puri was a well-known sannyasi of the Madhva-sampradaya. His grand-disciple is Çré Chaitanya Mahäprabhu. Prior to his appearance, there was no evidence of prema bhakti in the Madhva line. In his verse, ayi déna-dayärdra-nätha (Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.4.197), the seed of the religious doctrines of Chaitanya Mahäprabhu can be found.”
To this, Bhakti Siddhänta Sarasvaté Gosvämé Prabhupada adds, “Madhavendra Puri was the first shoot of the desire tree of divine love which came out of the Madhva lineage. Prior to his appearance, there was no sign of the conjugal mood of devotion in the Madhva line.”
MADHAVENDRA AND NITYANANDA PRABHU
Nityananda Prabhu met Madhavendra Puri while wandering through the pilgrimage sites in western India. As soon as they saw each other they were overcome with the symptoms of ecstatic love. This event is described in the ninth chapter of the Ädi-khaëòa:
As Nityananda Prabhu was wandering (through Southern India) in this way, he suddenly encountered Madhavendra Puri. Madhavendra Puri was the embodiment of love, as were all his associates. He consumed nothing other than Kṛṣṇa rasa, and Kṛṣṇa dwelt in his body. How can I sufficiently glorify him whose disciple was Advaita Acharya? When Nityananda Prabhu saw Madhavendra Puri, he fainted and became motionless with love. As soon as Madhava Puri saw Nityananda Prabhu, he too completely forgot himself and lost consciousness. No wonder Gauranga repeatedly said that Madhavendra Puri was the harbinger of the ecstatic mood of devotion.
Nityananda Prabhu said, “I have visited many holy sites, but today I have been fulfilled by the sight of Madhavendra Puri. I have finally achieved the true reward of visiting the holy places. I have never seen the symptoms of such divine love anywhere else. Madhavendra loses consciousness simply upon seeing a cloud in the sky.”
Madhavendra Puri embraced Nityananda Prabhu and wet him with his tears. He began to describe Nityananda Prabhu’s glories and became completely absorbed in this description. He took Nityananda Prabhu to his chest; his throat was so choked with tears that he could not speak. He felt such deep affection for Nityananda Prabhu that he would not let him go. He finally spoke, saying, “I knew that Lord Kṛṣṇa is merciful to me, for He has given me a companion like Nityananda Prabhu. Anyone who feels even the slightest enmity for Nityananda Prabhu can never be dear to Kṛṣṇa, no matter how much of a devotee he appears to be.”
(Chaitanya Bhagavata 1.9.154-169)
The Bhakti-ratnäkara also describes the glories of Madhavendra Puri and states that Nityananda Prabhu treated him as a guru:
Madhavendra Puri is the embodiment of ecstatic loving devotion; simply by remembering his name, all perfections are achieved. Isvara Puri, Ranga Puri and so many of his other disciples were intoxicated with the loving devotion in the way he was. Madhavendra Puri had many disciples throughout Bengal and Orissa, all of whom were devotees and fixed in prema bhakti.
(Bhakti-ratnäkara 5.2272-4)
A few days later, in a holy place on the west coast of India, Nityananda Prabhu met Madhavendra Puri. Who can describe the manifestations of love that arose upon their meeting? Only those who were there can know. Madhavendra Puri treated Nityananda Prabhu as a friend, an equal, but Nitai treated him like a superior. Madhavendra Puri said, “I know that Kṛṣṇa has been merciful toward me, for he has given me a companion like Nityananda Prabhu.” On the other hand, Nityananda Prabhu never treated him as anything but a guru.
(Bhakti-ratnäkara 5.2330-2334)
GIRIDHARI GOPAL
After taking sannyas in Katwa, Mahäprabhu went to Shantipur and spent some time at Advaita Acharya’s house. Then he proceeded from there to Çré Purushottam (Puri), following the path through Chatrabhog along the banks of the Ganges. He traveled through Atisar, Panihati, and Baranagar until finally he arrived at the border of the kingdom of Utkala (Orissa) at the place called Våddha Mantreçvara. Nityananda Prabhu, Mukunda Datta, Jagadananda Pandit and Damodar Pandit were His companions on this journey. They came to the town of Remuna in the district of Baleshwar where they visited the deity Khirchora Gopinath. Afterward, Mahäprabhu recounted to His companions the story of Madhavendra Puri as He had heard it from His guru Ishvara Puri, at the same timetelling how Khirchora Gopinath had earned His name:
One day Madhavendra Puri was circumambulating Govardhan in a state of total intoxication and absorption in love for Kṛṣṇa. When he arrived at Govinda Kund, he took his bath and sat down beneath a nearby tree to perform his evening sandhyä meditation and rituals. While he was so doing, a young cowherd boy carrying a pot of milk approached him and said with a smile, “What have you been thinking? Why don’t you ask for something to eat? I have brought you some milk. Drink it.”
When Madhavendra Puri saw the beautiful lad, he was so amazed that he completely forgot his hunger and thirst. Instead, he asked him, “Who are you? Where do you live? How did you know that I had not eaten?” The cowherd boy answered, “I am a cowherd and I live in this village. In our village, no one ever goes hungry. Some people beg for food, but if someone doesn’t ask, then I bring him something to eat. The womenfolk came here to fetch water and saw that you had not eaten. They sent me here with this milk for you. But it is nearly milking time and I will have to leave. I’ll come back later to fetch the pot.”
Madhavendra Puri was astonished to see the boy walk away and disappear. He drank the milk and then washed the pot and put it aside, waiting for the cowherd boy to return. He sat under the tree chanting the Holy Names until the end of the night when he started to doze. While asleep, he had a dream in which the cowherd boy came to him and led him by the hand to a wooded bower. The boy said, “I live here in this bower, but I am very uncomfortable due to the summer heat, the rains and the winter cold. Go and tell the village folk to help you uncover Me, and take Me to the top of the hill and build a shelter for Me. Then bathe me with cool, clear water. I have been waiting for you for a long time, wondering when you would come to serve me. I was waiting for your loving service so that I could show Myself and thereby save the entire universe.”
“My name is Gopal, the lifter of Govardhana. Kṛṣṇa’s great grandson, Aniruddha’s son Vajra, established My service so many years ago, but the pujari in charge of My service hid me here when he fled out of fear of the Muslims. Since then I have been here. It is good that you have finally come here, now please dig Me up.”
When Madhavendra Puri awoke, he began to cry from his intense feelings of love, thinking, “Alas! Kṛṣṇa Himself came to me in the form of a cowherd boy and I was unable to recognize him!” However, after a few moments he brought himself under control in order to carry out Gopal’s orders. He took his morning bath and then gathered the village folk together and said, “Gopal, the lifter of Govardhana, is the deity of this village, but He is buried in this bower. Go and bring axe and shovels, we have to dig Him up and release Him.”
The village people enthusiastically started to clear the bower and soon discovered a large deity who was covered in earth and weeds. The strongest of the local people lifted the deity up and carried Him to the top of the hill where they placed Him on a large rock throne. In order to carry out the grand abhishek ceremony, the local Brahmins had water from Govinda Kund filtered and carried to the site in a hundred new jugs. When word got out of the discovery of the deity and it was announced that His puja and abhishek would soon be held, a joyful noise arose in all directions, musicians played on their instruments and the people danced and sang. The mountain was covered with all kinds of offerings, ghee, milk, yogurt and sandeça, all gifts from the local people.
Madhavendra Puri himself performed the abhishek bathing ceremony. First of all, he cleaned the accumulated dirt from the body of the deity according to the regulations. [The scriptures say that barley and wheat flour, and a powder made from symplocos racemosa, as well as the powder of pistachio nuts, saffron and pulses, are to be used to clean the deity’s body. A brush made from long uñéra grasses and the hair of a cow’s tail can also be used.] Afterwards, Gopal’s body was made shiny with oil, and then bathed Him again, first in païca-gavya (milk, yogurt, clarified butter, cow’s urine and dung) and then in païcämåta (milk, yogurt, clarified butter, honey and sugar). This procedure is described in the Hari-bhakti-viläsa’s sixth chapter, where it is said,
tataù çaìkhabhütenaiva
kñéreëa snapayet kramät
dadhnä ghåtena madhunä
khaëòena ca påthak påthak
First bathe the deity with milk poured from a conch shell, then with yogurt, clarified butter, honey and finally sugar, each one separately.
(Hari-bhakti-vilasa 6.30)
After this, Gopal was bathed with hundred jugs of water. This was the great bathing ceremony – the mahä-snäna, in which ghee and water are used in equal parts, and a total of a hundred seers [approximately a litre] of water are needed. After bathing the deity in this way and then oiling Him once again, Madhavendra Puri bathed Him again in water scented with sandalwood and perfumes poured from a conch. The Hari-bhakti-viläsa prescribes 100 palas[1] of water for the bath, another 25 of oil for the body, and then 2,000 palas for the mahä-snäna.
After the mahä-snäna or great bath was completed, the entire body of the deity was dried with a cloth and He was dressed in a clean cloth and decorated with sandalwood, Tulasi and flower garlands. Just as Kṛṣṇa instructed the cowherds at the end of the Dvapara Yuga to worship Govardhana with a mountain of foodstuffs, so in the Kali Yuga, Madhavendra Puri ordered a mountain of food to be prepared for Giridhari Gopal. Ten Brahmins were engaged in preparing the rice, another five in cooking vegetable preparations, another five or six Brahmins prepared various types of breads, which was all brought together in one place to be heaped up in the shape of a mountain. A pile of rice was surrounded by many clay pots filled with soups, cooked vegetable preparations, milk, yogurt, whey, çikhariëé (a drink made of yogurt, milk, sugar, camphor and pepper), rice pudding, butter, and cream, etc. When the mountain of food was ready, Madhavendra Puri made the offering along with many jugs filled with water. Gopal, who had not eaten for such a long time, hungrily ate everything He was offered. Even so, by His merciful touch, all the pots were again filled. Only Madhavendra Puri saw how the Lord did this.
Afterwards, Madhavendra Puri offered the deity a mouthwash and then betel-leaf. Then he performed the arati ceremony, after which he brought a new bed for Gopal to rest upon. When Gopal was finally taking rest, Madhavendra Puri fed the prasad of the anna-kuta festival, first to all the Brahmins and then to all the men, women and children, of the village.
Word spread to all the villages of the area that Gopal had made His appearance, and people from each village took turns having their own feast on different days in His honor. “The people of Vraja are naturally affectionate toward Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa, too, is affectionate to them.”
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.4.95)
In time, the rich kshatriyas had a temple built for Gopal and gave Him ten thousand cows. Madhavendra Puri remained there for two years in Gopal’s service until one day he again had a dream in which Gopal told him that He still suffered from the heat and that it was only by smearing Malayaja[2] sandalwood that He would be freed of the problem. Madhavendra Puri was overjoyed to receive the Lord’s direct order and after engaging a qualified person to serve Him, started off on a journey to the east to find Malayan sandalwood.
Malaya refers to the Malabar Coast in Kerala at the very south of India, in what is known as the Western Ghats. This area is also known as Nilgiri or Malaya Parvata. Sandalwood is so closely associated with this area that the word malayaja (“born of Malaya”) is a synonym for the perfumed wood.
THE STORY OF KHIRCHORA GOPINATH
While on his way to the South, Madhavendra Puri stopped at Advaita Acharya’s house in Shantipur and initiated him. From there he went on until he arrived at Remuna. Seeing the beautiful image of Gopinath in Remuna, Madhavendra Puri was overwhelmed with love, and started singing His names and danced for some time in ecstasy. Being extremely satisfied with the exquisite offerings to Gopinath, he asked one of Gopinath’s Brahmin servants what foods were offered to the deity. The Brahmin answered: “In the evening we give Gopinath twelve bowls of amåta-keli, a thickened milk preparation that is like the nectar of the gods. This kñéra is famous everywhere as Gopinath’s kñéra, and no offering anywhere in the world is its equal.”
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.4.119)
As the Brahmin spoke, other servants of Gopinath started to make the amåta-keli offering to the deity. Madhavendra Puri thought that if he could just get a taste of this preparation unsolicited, he would be able to one day make it himself and offer this kñéra to his own Gopal. However, this very thought of eating the kñéra shamed him. After watching the arati ceremony, Madhavendra Puri went outside and sat in the empty market-place, chanting the Holy Names. Madhavendra Puri followed ayäcaka-våtti, which means that he would never ask for food from anyone and only accepting the food that was spontaneously offered him. He was able to do this because he never felt hunger or thirst, as he was constantly engaged in drinking the nectar of prema and that kept him satisfied.
In the meantime, the pujari had finished his duties and was taking rest when he had a vision of the deity in a dream telling him, “Get up! Open the door. I have put a bowl of kñéra aside for the sannyasi. It is hidden behind the pleats of My dhoti. You did not see Me hide the bowl there because of My maya. The sannyasi, whose name is Madhava Puri, is sitting in the marketplace. Quickly take this kñéra to him.”
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.4.127-129)
The pujari was startled by the dream and immediately got up. He bathed, opened the door to the altar and found a bowl of the kñéra behind the deity’s cloth, just a he had been told. He took the bowl and went to find Madhavendra Puri. He wandered through the market, shouting, “I have kñéra here for Madhava Puri. Gopinath has stolen it for you. Take it and eat it with joy, for there is no person as fortunate as you in the three worlds.”
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.4.133)
When Madhavendra Puri heard the pujari shouting in this way, he approached him and identified himself. The pujari gave him the kñéra and then fell at his feet. He recounted the whole story to Madhavendra Puri sending him into paroxysms of divine love for Lord Kṛṣṇa. He respectfully ate the prasad and then, after washing the clay bowl, broke into many small pieces and wrapped them up in his outer garment. Each day thereafter, he would eat a piece of the clay bowl and once again feel the same ecstatic love. Knowing that word of this miracle would spread by morning, Madhavendra Puri became fearful of the celebrity that would inevitably befall him and the crowd of people that would then surround him. So, he paid his obeisance to Gopinath from that very place and left for Puri before dawn.
When Madhavendra Puri arrived in Jagannath Puri, he visited Lord Jagannath and became ecstatic with love at seeing Him. News of the miracle at Remuna had reached Puri even before he had and countless people came to see him and pay him their respects. “The nature of fame in this world is well known: even if one does not seek, it comes anyway as a result of one’s destiny. Though Madhavendra Puri was afraid of being distracted by celebrity and ran away from it, when one has love for God, then celebrity comes flowing to him without being sought.”
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.4.146)
Even though Madhavendra Puri wanted to flee from there because people were honoring him as a great devotee, he was unable to do so because he was committed to finding the sandalwood he had promised to bring Gopal. He went to the servants and directors of the Lord Jagannath temple and explained his mission. Those who had contacts with the king interceded and collected both sandalwood and camphor on his behalf. They then arranged for another Brahmin and a servant to travel with him and to help him carry the load. The king also gave him an official exemption paper to help him avoid customs duties.
On his return route, Madhavendra Puri stopped in Remuna again. Once again he danced and sang kirtan before Gopinath in a state of loving absorption and accepted the kñéra prasad from the pujari. That night he slept in the temple. Once again he had a vision of Gopal, who spoke to him as follows: “Listen, Madhava. I have already received all the sandalwood and camphor. Now grind it into a paste and smear it on Gopinath’s body. Gopinath and I are one and the same person; if you give Him the sandalwood, I will feel the cooling effect. Don’t hesitate, don’t doubt this message at all. Just believe Me and give Gopinath the sandalwood on My order.”
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.4.158-161)
After having this dream, Madhavendra Puri summoned the servants of Gopinath to let them know what Gopal had told him. The pujaris were very happy to hear that Gopinath would be getting sandalwood paste, as it was the middle of summer. Madhavendra Puri had his two companions as well as two other persons from the temple, daily grind the sandalwood into a paste. He stayed in Remuna until it had been used up in Gopinath’s service. At the end of the summer season, with the coming of the rains, Madhavendra Puri returned to Puri where he observed Cäturmäsya and demonstrated the exemplary character of his love for Kṛṣṇa.
Gopal gave Madhavendra Puri the order to bring sandalwood paste to show the world the depth of his love. It was a great effort for Madhavendra Puri to bring the sandalwood as far as Remuna, but he experienced it as a joy not a difficulty. Gopal gave Madhavendra Puri this commission in order to test him; but when he passed the test, He was merciful to His devotee.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.4.187-189)
THE SANORIYA BRAHMIN
Sri Madhavendra Puri mercifully bestowed love for Kṛṣṇa on a Sanoriya Brahmin[3] in Mathura. He accepted food from this Brahmin, knowing him to be a Vaiñëava. By this he showed how the daiva-varëäçrama system is meant to operate.
Later on, Mahäprabhu was traveling in northern India, He went to take food at this Sanoriya Brahmin’s house between His visits to Kashi and Prayag because he knew that Madhavendra Puri had been merciful to him. He even showed him the respect that was due to senior personality, saying, “You are my guru, and I am practically your disciple. It is not fitting for a guru to pay obeisance to a disciple.” (Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.17.170)
This was the example that Mahäprabhu exhibited.
SRI MADHAVENDRA PURI AND SRI ISHVARA PURI
There is another important incident from Madhavendra Puri’s immaculate life left to be told. Ramachandra Puri and Isvara Puri were two of Madhavendra Puri’s initiated disciples. However, Ramachandra Puri was unable to receive his spiritual master’s mercy because he showed him disrespect, whereas Isvara Puri was blessed through his single-minded devotion to him and was thus able to attain the highest level of pure love for Kṛṣṇa. Ramachandra Puri was unable to understand the sweetness and supremacy of his gurudeva’s feelings of separation and had the audacity to give him advice based on knowledge of Brahman. Madhavendra Puri became so angry that he shunned him completely. Even though he was such a great loving devotee, Madhavendra Puri became angry with his own disciple when he became offensive, chastised him severely, using harsh words. When Ramachandra Puri told him to remember that he was a spiritual being, Madhavendra Puri became extremely angry and said: “Get away from me, you most sinful rascal! I am dying from the distress of not having received Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, of not having attained Mathura, and you come to add to my misery! Go wherever you like, but don’t show your face to me again! If I see you while I am dying I will take a lower birth. I am dying from the distress of not having attained Kṛṣṇa and this lowly fool is teaching me about Brahman.”
As a result, Madhavendra Puri withdrew his blessings from his disciple, who then started to develop väsanä (The word väsanä (material desires) means “the desire for dry knowledge” and from that arose the tendency to criticize the devotees.) He became a dry philosopher without any interest in Kṛṣṇa. Not only that but he became critical of everyone, devoting himself to faultfinding.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.8.20-25)
Çréla Prabhupada Bhakti Siddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura comments on this incident in his Anubhäñya, “Even though Ramachandra Puri saw his own guru suffering of separation from Kṛṣṇa, he was incapable of recognizing the transcendental nature of his transport of emotions. He judged his guru to be an ordinary man and took his mood to be material, the result of some material insufficiency. As a result he tried to explain to him the value of experiencing the oneness of Brahman. Madhavendra Puri reacted unfavourably to his disciple’s stupidity and disregard for his teachings and thus stopped wishing for his well-being. He abandoned him and drove him away.”
On the other hand, Ishvara Puri not only adhered to his guru’s teaching but served him physically and thus received his mercy. He served the lotus feet of his spiritual master, even to the point of personally cleaning his urine and excrement, as well as helping him to perform sravan of Kṛṣṇa’s name and pastimes. In this way he satisfied him completely.
He continuously repeated the name of Kṛṣṇa and recounted Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes to him. Madhavendra Puri was so pleased with Ishvara Puri that he embraced him and blessed him, saying, “May you have the wealth of love for Kṛṣṇa!”
From that time onward, Ishvara Puri became an ocean of love for Kṛṣṇa, while Ramachandra Puri became a mine of insults. These two personalities thus bear witness to the results of pleasing or displeasing a great soul. Madhavendra Puri taught this truth through them.
He was the spiritual master of the whole world and he gave the gift of love of God. He left this world while repeating this verse (from Padyavali):
ayi dénadayärdra nätha he,
mathuränätha kadävalokyase
hådayaà tvad-aloka-kätaraà
dayita bhrämyati kià karomy aham
“O Lord, whose heart softens at seeing the condition of the unfortunate! Oh Lord of Mathura, when will I see you? My heart is filled with pain from not seeing you, my love, and I am confused. What can I do?”
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 3.8.26-32)
When Mahäprabhu recited this verse he became so intoxicated with love that Nityananda Prabhu had to hold Him to calm Him down.
Prabhupada Bhakti Siddhänta Sarasvaté writes, “The feeling of separation from Kṛṣṇa, or transcendental vipralambha is the only practice by which the spirit soul can achieve perfection. Material feelings of separation give rise to a despondency which reveals the attachment that one has for matter, whereas the despondency that results from the feelings of separation for Kṛṣṇa are the best proof of one’s desire to bring pleasure to His senses. The desire to bring pleasure to Kṛṣṇa’s senses shown by Madhavendra Puri, the great soul who is the root of this movement, is the ideal example to follow for anyone who wishes to serve the Lord. It is especially worth remarking that Mahäprabhu and His closest followers later adopted this example and made it their standard.”
Madhavendra Puri’s disappearance day is the Çuklä Dvädaçé of the month of Phalgun.
[1] A pala is a smaller measure of weight, about equal to 1.5 oz. or 45 grams. 25 palas of oil or ghee is thus about a liter, 2000 palas of water about 80 liters.
[2] Malayaja – Sandalwood from the Malaya mountains. The part of Western Ghats lying south of Mysore and east of Travancore, the region of Malabar.
[3] According to Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura, members of the business community (vaiçyas) in the west of India are divided into several castes: Agrawalas, Kanwars, and Sanwars. Of these, the Agrawalas are considered to be very pure, while the two other groups, who are gold and jewelry merchants, are considered fallen as a result of their own actions. Those Brahmins who perform the ritual activities for the Kanwars and Sanwars are known as Sanoriya Brahmins. Because of this low caste associations, they are also considered to be fallen as a caste and sannyasi refuse to accept food in their homes.
