Gadadhara Pandit

Gadadhara Pandit

    Sri Gaurahari had so much affection for Sri Gadadhara Pandit that He couldn't be without him for a moment. He appeared a year after Lord Caitanya. Gadai and Nimai were inseparable as childhood playmates. Peaceful, renounced, serious, self-composed, fond of solitude Gadadhara proved quite a contrast to his bosom friend Gaura Raya, who was fickle, unsteady, and whimsical. In Ganga Dasa Pandit's tol (school) Nimai Pandit regularly teased Gadadhara by challenging him with illogical questions.

   Sri Kavi Karnapura states that in Vraja lila Gadadhara Pandit is the daughter of King Vrsabhanu–Srimati Radharani. Gadadhara Pandit served as Lord Gaura's chief assistant during His Navadvipa-lila. Sri-Sri Radha Krishna in Vrindavana appear as Gaura-Gadadhara to perform pastimes in Navadvipa in the forest groves beside the Ganges. 

  Gadadhara Pandit"No one call describe the characteristics and ecstatic love of Gadadhara Pandit. Therefore another name for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Gadadhara Prananatha, "the life and soul of Gadahara Pandit." (Caitanya-caritamrta).

   One day while wandering along the bank of the Ganges, Gaurasundara entered a forest grove and sat in a meditative mood. Soon he became enraptured remembering His Vrindavana pastimes. To enhance the Lord's mood, Mukunda Datta began singing Sweet songs inpurva raga. Sri 

   Gadadhara made a garland of fragrant forest flowers and lovingly placed it around the Lord's beautiful neck. As Sri Radha used to dress Damodara in Vrindavana, similarly, Gadadhara would adorn the radiant form of Lord Gauranga. He would also decorate Lord Caitanya's bed and bedroom with sweet smelling flowers. Everyday he would make sandalwood paste to rub on Sri Caitanya's transcendental body. 

   Gaura-Gadadhara sat on the root of a tree, serving as a raised dais. Sri Nityananda Prabhu sat on Lord Caitanya's right, Srivasa Pandit decorated them with flowers. Sri Advaita Acarya offered arotika. Narahari waved a camara. Suklambhara offered candana and Murari Gupta sang the Lord's glories. Vijay, Mukunda, Purusottama, Madhava and Vasudeva Ghosh sang a variety of songs in different ragas. In this way, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu performed His Nadia lila. 

   Gadadhara Pandit also took the renounced order of life and went to Jagannatha Puri to be with Lord Caitanya. Accepting ksetra sannyasa (a renunciate who never leaves the dhama), he served the Deity of Tota-Gopinatha with full love and devotion. Regularly, Sri Krishna Caitanya carne to relish Sri Gadadhara's rasika reading of Srimad Bhagavatam. Lord Caitanya concluded His manifest pastimes by entering the Deity of Tota-Gopinatha.

Although Gadadhara Pandit was barely forty-eight when the Lord departed, he quickly became old because of the intense anguish he felt in separation from his beloved Lord Gaurasundara. He couldn't stretch his arms to offer a garland to his Deity. Understanding His servant's difficulty, Sri Tota-Gopinatha sat down to facilitate Gadadhara's loving service. To this day, Sri Tota-Gopinatha is the only sitting Deity of Krishna.  

According to some authorities, a short time after Lord Caitanya's disappearance Sri Gadadhara Pandit joined His eternal pastimes by entering his beloved Deity of Tota-Gopinatha. His danta (tooth) samadhi stands near the Vamsi Gopala temple in Vrindavana.