Subject: Sri Srivasa Pandita tirobhava tithi [disappearance day], Sunday, July 8, 2018 [Mayapura, West Bengal, Bharata Bhumi time]
Sri Srivasa Pandita tirobhava tithi [disappearance day]
Srila Prabhupada explains the glories or Srivasa Thakura
compiled by Yasoda nandana dasa
After this incident the Lord began to preach and propagate His Bhāgavata-dharma, or saṅkīrtana movement, more vigorously, and whoever stood against this propagation of the yuga-dharma, or duty of the age, was properly punished by various types of chastisement. Two brāhmaṇa gentlemen named Cāpala and Gopāla, who also happened to be maternal uncles of the Lord, were inflicted with leprosy by way of chastisement, and later, when they were repentant, they were accepted by the Lord. In the course of His preaching work, He used to send daily all His followers, including Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu and Ṭhākura Haridāsa, two chief whips of His party, from door to door to preach the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam All of Navadvīpa was surcharged with His saṅkīrtana movement, and His headquarters were situated at the house of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura and Śrī Advaita Prabhu, two of His chief householder disciples. These two learned heads of the brāhmaṇa community were the most ardent supporters of Lord Caitanya’s movement. Śrī Advaita Prabhu was the chief cause for the advent of the Lord. When Advaita Prabhu saw that the total human society was full of materialistic activities and devoid of devotional service, which alone could save mankind from the threefold miseries of material existence, He, out of His causeless compassion for the age-worn human society, prayed fervently for the incarnation of the Lord and continually worshiped the Lord with water of the Ganges and leaves of the holy tulasī tree. As far as preaching work in the saṅkīrtana movement was concerned, everyone was expected to do his daily share according to the order of the Lord. Srimad Bhgavatam Introduction
śrīvāsa paṇḍita, āra śrī-rāma paṇḍita
dui bhāi–dui śākhā, jagate vidita
SYNONYMS
śrīvāsa paṇḍita—of the name Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita; āra—and; śrī-rāma paṇḍita—of the name Śrī Rāma Paṇḍita; dui bhāi—two brothers; dui śākhā—two branches; jagate—in the world; vidita—well known.
TRANSLATION
The two brothers Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita and Śrī Rāma Paṇḍita started two branches that are well known in the world.
PURPORT
In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā, verse 90, Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita (Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura) is described as an incarnation of Nārada Muni, and Śrī Rāma Paṇḍita, his younger brother, is said to be an incarnation of Parvata Muni, a great friend of Nārada’s. Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita’s wife, Mālinī, is celebrated as an incarnation of the nurse Ambikā, who fed Lord Kṛṣṇa with her breast milk, and as already noted, his niece Nārāyaṇī, the mother of Ṭhākura Vṛndāvana dāsa, the author of Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, was the sister of Ambikā in kṛṣṇa-līlā. We also understand from the description of Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata that after Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s acceptance of the sannyāsa order, Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita left Navadvīpa, possibly because of feelings of separation, and domiciled at Kumārahaṭṭa/ Sri Caitanya caritamrta Adi Lila 10.8.
Dhruva Mahārāja was given a specific arrow made by Lord Nārāyaṇa Himself, and he now fixed it upon his bow to finish the illusory atmosphere created by the Yakṣas. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.14), mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. Without Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, no one is able to overcome the action of the illusory energy. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has also given us a nice weapon for this age, as stated in the Bhāgavatam: sāṅgopāṅgāstra—in this age, the nārāyaṇāstra, or weapon to drive away māyā, is the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra in pursuance of the associates of Lord Caitanya, such as Advaita Prabhu, Nityānanda, Gadādhara and Śrīvāsa. Srimad Bhgavatam 4.11.1
bhagavānera bhakta yata śrīvāsa pradhāna
tāṅ’-sabhāra pāda-padme sahasra praṇāma
SYNONYMS
bhagavānera—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhakta—the devotees; yata—as many (as there are); śrīvāsa pradhāna—headed by Śrī Śrīvāsa; tāṅ’-sabhāra—of all of them; pāda-padme—unto the lotus feet; sahasra—thousands; praṇāma—respectful obeisances.
TRANSLATION
There are innumerable devotees of the Lord, of whom Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura is the foremost. I offer my respectful obeisances thousands of times unto their lotus feet.Sri Caitanya Caritarmta Adi-Lila 1.38
kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ
sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam
yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair
yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ
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