When Gadadhar Pandita Doubted Pundarik Vidyanidhi

When Gadadhar Pandita Doubted Pundarik Vidyanidhi by Srila Vrindavan Das Thakura

Mukunda approached Gadadhara and said: Today I will show you a wonderful Vaishnava. Please remember this and in return allow me to become your servant. Hearing this, Gadadhara became very happy. Calling out, “Krishna!, Krishna!”, they at once went to see Pundarika Vidyanidhi. When Gadadhara arrived, saintly Pundarika Vidyanidhi was sitting down. Gadadhara Pandita offered obeisances, and PundarikaVidyanidhi offered him a seat.

Pundarika Vidyanidhi asked Mukunda, What is this devotee’s name? In what village does he stay? I see that his body is effulgent with devotion to Lord Vishnu. His form and nature are handsome and graceful.”

Mukunda replied, His name is Gadadhara. From childhood he was never interested in material things and thus he is very fortunate. His father is Madhava Mishra. Let me tell you of his activities. Gadahara Pandita is dear to all the Vaishnavas. He always practices devotional service and associates with the devotees. When he heard your name he  came to see you.”

Hearing this, Pundarika Vidyanidhi became very pleased. He began to speak very respectfully. As he sat, Pundarika Vidyanidhi seemed to be a glorious prince. He sat on a splendid red chair decorated with brass. The chair was beautiful with splendid fine cloth and graceful cushions on four sides. Above him were three splendid canopies. There were five or seven brass pitchers, both large and small. There were excellent betel nuts on a splendid brass tray. On both sides were splendid spittoons. Looking at them, and chewing betel nuts, he smiled. At every moment two men fanned him with peacock-feather fans. On his forehead were sandal paste Vaishnava tilaka and red dots drawn with scented red powder. How can I describe the way his hair was decorated? Anointed with splendid and fragrant āmalakī oil, his hair was extraordinarily beautiful. By the power of his devotional service he was handsome like Kamadeva. Those who did not know thought him a prince. He sat on a wonderful throne. He acted like a materialist. Saintly Gadadhara had been renounced from his very birth. Therefore a doubt arose in him about Pundarika Vidyanidhi. Although he was in truth an exalted Vaishnava, externally Pundarika Vidyanidhi seemed to be a materialist. He ate opulent food and wore opulent clothing, and his hair was anointed the opulent fragrances. When he heard about him, Gadadhara had faith in Pundarika Vidyanidhi. But now that he saw him, that faith was gone.

Understanding Gadadhara’s heart, Mukunda did something to reveal the truth about Pundarika Vidyanidhi. By Lord Krishna’s mercy nothing remained unknown to Gadhadhara. Lord Krishna does after all, control Maya. With a sweet voice Mukunda then sang a verse glorifying devotional service.

He sang:
rākṣasī pūtanā śiśu khāite nirdayā
īśvare bādhite gelā kālakūta laiyā

The merciless rākṣasī Putana would eat small children. Anointing herself with kālakūta poison, she went to kill
Krishna.

tāhāre-o mātṛ-pada dilena īśvare
nā bhaje abodha jība hena dayālere

Still, Lord Krishna gave her the post of being His mother. Only an ignorant fool will not worship Lord Krishna, who
is so merciful.”

This is also described in these words of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.2.23):
ahobakīyaṁ stana-kālakūtaṁ
jighaṁ sayā pāya yadapya sādhvī
lebhe gatiṁ dhatry-ucitāṁtato ‘nyaṁ
kaṁvā dayāluṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajema

Oh! How wonderful it is! Putana, the sister of Bakasura, wanted to kill Krishna by smearing deadly poison on her breasts and having Krishna take it. Nonetheless, Lord Krishna accepted her as His mother, and thus she attained the destination befitting Krishna’s mother. Of whom shall I take shelter but Krishna, who is most merciful?” It is also described in these words of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.6.35):

pūtanā loka-bāla-ghnī
rākṣasī rudhirāśanā
jighaṁsayāpi haraye
stanaṁ dattvāpa sad-gatim

Putana was always hankering for the blood of human children, and with that desire she came to kill Krishna. But because she offered her breast to the Lord, she attained the greatest achievement.

Simply by hearing this description of devotional service, Pundarika Vidyanidhi began to weep. A wonderful stream of joyful tears flowed from his eyes. It was as if Goddess Ganga herself had descended to that place. Weeping, trembling, perspiration, fainting, calling out, and horripilation simultaneously appeared on his body. “Tell more ! Tell more”, he roared. No one could hold him still. He fell to the ground and began kicking his opulent possessions. Nothing was spared. The splendid brass plate went in one direction, the betel nuts in another, and the water-pitchers in another. His kicks made his chair fall to the ground. Overwhelmed with love for Lord Krishna, with his two hands he began to tear his splendid clothing to shreds. His splendid hair became disheveled. Rolling on the ground, he wept and called out, “Krishna! My Lord! Krishna! My life! You made be hard like a stone or like dry wood!”

He wept in agony and then screamed, “He has descended, but I alone am cheated!” He fell and violently rolled on the ground. In their heart’s everyone thought, “His bones will be broken by this.”He violently trembled in ecstatic love. Ten men tried to hold him still but they had not the power to do so. Kicked by his feet, his garments, chair, pitchers, and brass plate went flying in different directions. Nothing remained. All his servants surrounded him. They protected his property. For some time he revealed his ecstatic love for Lord Krishna in this way. Then he swooned and fell unconscious in an ecstatic trance. Not a trace of life was present anywhere in his body. Pundarika Vidyanidhi was plunged in an ocean of bliss.

Upon seeing this, Gadadhara became filled with wonder. Anxiety arose in his and he thought, “I have offended a great soul. I came to see him at the wrong moment.” In great joy Gadadhara embraced Mukunda and covered his body with tears of love. He told him, “Mukunda, you acted like a true friend. You showed to me the great devotee Pundarika Vidyanidhi Bhattacarya. In the three worlds is there another devotee like him? The sight of his devotional activities purifies the whole universe. Only because you were nearby did I escape a great danger today. Seeing him dressed like a materialist, in my heart I thought, `He is a Vaishnava attached to sense pleasures. However, you brought the truth into my heart. You showed me the exalted nature of Pundarika Vidyanidhi’s devotional service. Now I have committed an offense, so I must do something to make his heart merciful to me. Every devotee who walks on the path of devotional service must have a spiritual master to guide him. Although I too walk on the path of devotional service, I do not have a spiritual master. Therefore I must accept a spiritual master to give me mantra initiation and to teach me. I have committed an offense to Pundarika Vidyanidhi. But if I become his disciple, he will forgive my offense.” Speaking to Mukunda in this way, Gadadhara revealed his desire to accept initiation from Pundarika Vidyanidhi.Hearing this, Mukunda praised him, happily saying, Excellent. Excellent.”

Six hours later Pundarika Vidyanidhi returned to external consciousness. Now he was calm and peaceful. The stream
of tears flowing from Gadadhara Pandita’s eyes had no end. Every limb of his was wet. Seeing this, Pundarika Vidyanidhi happily embraced him. He held him to his heart. Gadadhara was overwhelmed. Then Mukunda spoke what was in Gadadhara’s heart.

Mukunda said, When Gadadhara saw your opulence, an offense took birth in his heart. Thinking to atone for that offense, he wishes to accept mantra initiation from you. From childhood he has been a renounced devotee of Lord Vishnu. He is a proper descendent in the family of Madhava Mishra. Pundarika and Gadadhara would be a good match as spiritual master and disciple. I feel this in my heart. Therefore on this auspicious day I request you: Please offer mantra initiation to him.”

Hearing this, Pundarika Vidyanidhi smiled and said, “Destiny has placed a great jewel before me. I have no doubts. After many births I have become fortunate to find such a disciple. On the coming śukla-dvādaśī all the signs will be auspicious. Oh Gadadhara, please return here then. On that day your desire will be fulfilled.” Hearing this, Gadadhara happily bowed to his guru. Accompanied by Mukunda, Gadadhara took his leave. Together they went to
see Lord Chaitanya.

— Sri Caitanya-bhagavata » Madhya-khanda » Chapter Seven: Meeting of Puṇḍarika and Gadadhara » Verses: 47 -121.