Srila Gadadhar Pandit’s service to Sriman Mahaprabhu

By Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj

Today is a very good day, it is the appearance day of Mahaprabhu Chaitanyadev’s dearmost associate Srila Gadadhar Pandit Goswami. It is a very auspicious day for everyone because Gadadhar Pandit Goswami is an Avatar of Radharani after Mahaprabhu took Her mood of service for His own satisfaction.

I can remember one verse our Srila Guru Maharaj composed for Gadadhar Goswami. This verse is very famous and its meaning is so exalted.

nilambhodhi-tate sada sva-viraha ksepanvitam bandhvam
srimad-bhagavati katha madiraya sanjivayan bhati yah
srimad-bhagavatam sada sva-nayanasru-payanaih pujayan
goswami-prabaro gadadhara-vibhur-bhuyat mad-eka-gatih
(Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj)

Krishna wanted to take Radharani’s divine form to understand how Radharani tastes Her prema for Him. In this way, Krishna became Mahaprabhu and felt so much separation from Himself. Union in separation was Mahaprabhu’s target. When He would feel great separation, all the symptoms of mahabhava would become visible in His divine form: sveda, kampa, stambha, asru, pulaka, vaivarnya, and so on. Lastly, He would faint.

During those times, Gadadhar Pandit served Mahaprabhu near the bank of the ocean by chanting the Bhagavatam for Him. If someone has a friend who is very sad and feeling a mood of separation, they sometimes give their friend wine. Similarly, Gadadhar Pandit Goswami supplied the wine of Srimad Bhagavat-katha to Mahaprabhu to nourish Him. Mahaprabhu would cry, and Gadadhar Pandit would also cry with Him. As Gadadhar would recite Srimad Bhagavatam and cry, his tears washed away the words of the book. In this way, He would give full nourishment and heartfelt joy to Mahaprabhu.