RAMACHANDRA MEETS SRINIVAS

RAMACHANDRA MEETS SRINIVAS
Adapted from Yadunandana Das’Karnānanda, chapters one and three
One day, Srinivas Acharya Prabhu was sitting on the bank of a pond to the west of his house when he saw a marriage party passing nearby. The bridegroom, who was being carried on a palanquin, was extremely attractive. His skin was the color of a golden ketaki flower. His arms were long, with shoulders like that of a lion. His navel deep, his feet and palms reddish, and he had silky
curling hair. He had a sharp, high nose and beautifully set teeth, and his lips were reddish like the bimba fruit. His face was effulgent like the full moon, his eyes like lotus petals, and his neck was like a conch shell. He had a slender waist, and well-shaped thighs. He wore silken cloth, had a garland of flowers, and his body was adorned with sandalwood paste.
Srinivas thought to himself, ‘‘Is he the son of a Gandharva? Or Kamadev himself? Such a beautiful person should certainly utilize his life in the service of Krishna. Otherwise what is the use of such extraordinary beauty?’’
Srinivas inquired about the bridegroom from some members of the marriage party, and was informed that the young man was Sri Ramachandra Kaviraj, a great scholar with qualities equal to those of Brihaspati or Sarasvati. He belonged to a high-class family, was a famous physician, and was formerly a resident of Kumara nagar. After obtaining this information, Srinivas returned to his house, and Ramachandra, who had over heard Srinivas’ enquiries, returned to his place.
Ramachandra spent the night in a brahmin’s house, thinking deeply about Srinivas Prabhu. In the morning, he came running to Srinivas and fell at his feet, crying loudly. Overwhelmed with emotion, he begged the blessings of Prabhu. Srinivas lovingly lifted him from the ground and embraced him warmly. Sri Acharya emotionally declared that they had a long,deep-rooted relationship, and were meeting again after a long separation. Srinivas then chanted krsna-nāma in his ear and sang rādhā-krsna-līlā to him. He also assisted Ramachandra in the study of vaisnava l iteratures, and blessed him to become anearnest lover and devotee of Krishna. Srinivastold Ramachandra about the glories of Narottam Thakur, and instructed him to go and meet him in Vrindavan. In due course of time, Narottam and Ramachandra became such good friends that people considered them to be like one soul.
One day, as Srinivas was entering into the compound of his house with Ramachandra, they saw what appeared to be a snake. Srinivas jumped across it in fear. Ramachandra Kaviraj searched for the snake but was unable to find it. Rather, he discovered that Prabhu had mistaken a coil of straw to be a snake. Nevertheless, he did not contradict his master. When Srinivas himself discovered that it was a coil of straw and pointed it out, Ramachandra at once accepted his opinion. Later, when the wives of Srinivas were resting, Sri Acharya came to them and began to explain to them the exalted characteristics of Ramachandra. He compared Ramachandra to Arjuna by citing a story from the Mahabharata.
Once upon a time, Dronacharya was teaching the art of using weapons to Duryodhan and his hundred brothers, along with Yudhisthir and the other four Pandavas. Dronacharya put a target bird on the highest branch of a tree and ordered them all to aimat the eye of the bird with an arrow. Duryodhan and his brothers took up their weapons and happily aimed at the mark.Drona then asked them what they were seeing at that moment, and they replied that they saw the tree, its branches, and the bird. The ācārya, angry and dissatisfied with their answer, rebuked them saying that theywould never be able to learn the art of using weapons. Next, he called Arjuna to aim atthe bird and asked him the same question. Arjuna replied that he saw nothing other than the eye of the bird. Dronacharya ordered him to shoot, and Arjuna’s arrow perfectly hit the eye of the bird. Greatly satisfied, the guru explained to all that Arjuna never diverted his attention from the eye of the bird. That is why he passed the test. Arjuna bowed to the feet of his master and took his seat among the other disciples. With content, Drona told Arjuna that he would be the only person who would be able to compare to his master, and that he was his best disciple.
Srinivas took great pleasure in describing this incident and comparing Kaviraj to Arjuna. Ramachandra never disobeyed his master. He always sincerely listened to Prabhu, even when the latter ordered him to take his food after everyone else. Srinivas further described Ramachandra’s faithfulness by citing the time when hehimself had mistaken a coil of straw to bea snake, and although Ramachandra knew this, he nevertheless tried to find the snake in the courtyard as ordered by Srinivas Yet, when Prabhu told him that it was acoil of straw, not a snake, Ramachandra at once accepted his master’s opinion. Rama chandra humbly submitted himself to Srinivas, saying that without the favor ofhis master, how could he know what wasright or wrong? Thus Srinivas openly declared that just as Arjuna was the dearest disciple of Dronacharya, so Ramachandra was most dear to him. ‘‘From now on,’’Srinivas said, ‘‘everyone should take it forgranted that Ramachandra’s opinion is the same as mine.’’ Srinivas explained that Ramachandra and Narottam were like his two eyes. Srinivas said, ‘‘He who receive sthe favor of Ramachandra also attains the blessings of Lord Krishna.’’ In this way Sri Acharya took great pleasure in glorifying Ramachandra. _
Bibliography
— Yadunandan Das Thakur. Śrī Kar_ānanda. Edited by Hari-bhakta Das.Published by Sri Giridhari Lal Goswami Tirtha. Gaurabdha 506.
— Yadunandan Das Thakur. Śrī Kar_ānanda. Unknown English translator.Found in the Vai__ava Folio Archives. Compiled by Sri NarasinghaCaitanya Matha. No date.

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