[The following are two excerpts about Srila Gadadhara Pandita Prabhu. We are submitting these excerpts because on June 25, 2006 we will all observe Sri Gadadhara Pandita Prabhu's divine appearance day. The first is an excerpt from a lecture given in Los Angeles, on May 30, 2000. In this lecture, Srila Narayana Maharaja glorifies our Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja in his relationship with Sri Gadadhara Pandita Prabhu.]

Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja came to this world with the mission of Iskcon – Vaisnavism. What was that? It is the same mission as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And who is Mahaprabhu? He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krsna Himself. But He is also more than that; He is not only Krsna. He is the combination of both Srimati Radhika and Krsna. Sri Krsna has combined with Srimati Radhika, His power.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to be always absorbed in Radha's mood. Krsna Himself could not possess Her beauty or Her instrinsic mood. Radhika has adhirudha mahabhava, and even more than that. Krsna's mood goes up to mahabhava, but after that, the mood of how to serve and please Him, He Himself does not know. He has to learn that by going to the school of Visakha devi, and sometimes Lalita devi. Without the help of Lalita and Visakha, He cannot relish the mood of Srimati Radhika.

This was the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu – to give the service of these moods. Krsna Himself could not do this, but when He took the beauty and the intrinsic mood of Radhika, He could then relish everything in Gambhira, under the guidance of Svarupa Damodara (Lalita) and Ramananda Raya (Vishaka).

At this time Gadadhara Pandita, who is Radhika Herself, serving Sri Krsna in Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's pastimes, was watching to see whether or not Mahaprabhu was playing Her role perfectly. If Sri Krsna as Mahaprabhu would make a mistake in feeling and displaying the mood of Radhika, Gadadhara Pandita prabhu would 'twist the ears' of Krsna. He would say, "O, You are doing wrong, You should it do it like this."

Once, when Mahaprabhu was singing: barahapidam nata-vara-vapu, Gadadhara Pandita quickly came and said, "O, You should do it like this:

barhapitam nata-vara-vapuh karnayoh karnikaram
bibhrad vasah kanaka-kapisam vaijayantim ca malam
randhran venor adhara-sudhayapurayan gopa-vrndair
vrndaranyam sva-pada-ramanam pravisad gita-kirtih

[''Wearing a peacock-feather ornament upon His head, blue karnikara flowers on His ears, a yellow garment as brilliant as gold, and the Vaijayanti garland, Lord Krsna exhibited His transcendental form as the greatest of dancers as He entered the forest of Vrndavana, beautifying it with the marks of His footprints. He filled the holes of His flute with the nectar of His lips, and the cowherd boys sang His glories.'' (SB. 10.21.5)]

Although Sri Krsna as Mahaprabhu was perspiring, His heart melting, and His tears falling like heavy rain, there was some defect in Krsna, and Gadadhara Pandita therefore instructed Him.

To think that Lord Sri Krsna had taken away the beauty and intrinsic leftwing mood of Radhika to become Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and that Gadadhara Pandita had thus become Rukmini, is quite wrong. It is not like this.

Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja came for the same object and mission as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu – the jivas should be given raga marga. They should know the identity of Srimati Radhika and the nature of all Her moods. However, when Srila Swami Maharaja came to New Jersey, Boston, and New York, he realized that he had to cut so many jungles. If the land is not fertile, how can the seed of this bhakti be given? The jungles were very dense and wild, with so many wild beasts, dangerous animals and poisonous snakes. It took time, but Srila Swami Maharaja kept everything reserved in his books. He told his disciples to read about the life and character of Prahlada Maharaja, Citraketu Maharaja, and others. He had so little time, because the bell rang and Krsna called him: ''I cannot remain without you. I need your service. Please come at once.'' He was then bound to go to his Prabhu. He has given everything in his books.

Yes, he has given everything, but you will have to go deep into them, through any pure Vaisnava:

yaha bhagavat pada vaisnavera sthane
ekanta asraya kara caitanya carane
(Antya-lila 5. 131

["'If you want to understand Srimad-Bhagavatam,' he said, 'you must approach a self-realized Vaisnava and hear from him. You can do this when you have completely taken shelter of the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.'"]

[The second excerpt is from a lecture given by Srila Narayana Maharaja on the morning of July 8, 2000. There, Srila Narayana Maharaja explained the essence of Sriman Mahaprabhu's appearance in a most interesting way:]

Lord Sri Krsna is the supreme almighty, but if you go deep into the scriptures you will see so many more things about Him, as given us by Srila Rupa Gosvami. Sri Krsna wanted to attract the fallen souls to Him, and He wanted to give the ocean of rasa, Srimati Radhika's mahabhava, to the world – but He could not. He could only give His own love, not love TO Him, which only Radhika has in completeness. He would therefore have to steal Her beauty and mood. He could not steal it, however, because Radhika is always alert and more clever and intelligent than Him. He could only have the wish, and therefore He had to beg Her. Her sakhis were also present when He prayed, "I beg Your mercy, Your beauty and Your mahabhava." Srimati Radhika replied, "Yes, I'm donating it for some time, but You will have to attend the class of My sakhis (Visakha devi in the form of Sri Ramananda Raya, and Lalita in the form of Sri Svarupa Damodara) so that they can sprinkle that upon You. And I will also be there (as Sri Gadadhara Pandita). Krsna was thus able to come and give what no other incarnation or acarya gave before: manjari bhava, direct service to Srimati Radhika as Her maidservant.


Transcriber: Padmavati dasi
Typist: Premavati dasi
Editor: Syamarani dasi