Ranga Puri

Ranga Puri

   There Mahaprabhu met Shri Ranga Puri and ended the sufferings of Rama Das. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.1.113)

   During His travels through South India, Mahaprabhu came to the town Pandharpur on the banks of the Bhima River. Pandharpur is the home of the Vitthaladeva Deity in the Sholapur district of Maharashtra. It is also well-known as the home of the famous Maharashtrian Vaishnava saint Tukarama who lived there in the 15th century of the Shaka era. 

During His travels through South India, Mahaprabhu came to the town Pandharpur on the banks of the Bhima River. Pandharpur is the home of the Vitthaladeva Deity in the Sholapur district of Maharashtra. (In the wallpaper: Shri Krishna Chaitanya, ISKCON Chennai, images of Pandarpur Temples and in the background image there is Lord Panduranga).

 In Pandharpur, Mahaprabhu was invited by a certain Brahmin to his home where was lavishly fed. While there, He heard that Madhavendra Puri’s disciple, Shri Ranga Puri, was staying nearby in another Brahmin’s house. Mahaprabhu immediately went there to meet him. He prostrated Himself before His guru’s godbrother and was immediately inspired by a mood of ecstatic love. Shri Ranga Puri was also impressed by the sight of Mahaprabhu’s ecstatic symptoms and guessed that the Lord must have some relation to the spirit of devotion promulgated by his own spiritual master, without which they would be impossible. He lifted the Lord up and embraced Him and the two of them began to cry in devotional ecstasy.

   From there Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu went to Pandharpur, where He joyfully saw the Temple of Vitthala Thakur. A Brahmin saw the Lord chanting and dancing in ecstatic love, was very much pleased and invited Him to his home for lunch. The Brahmin offered Mahaprabhu food with great respect and love. After finishing His lunch, the Lord received auspicious news: Shri Ranga Puri, one of the disciples of Shri Madhavendra Puri, was residing at the home of another Brahmin in Pandharpur. The Lord immediately went to that Brahmin’s home and, upon entering, saw Shri Ranga Puri. As soon as Mahaprabhu saw him, He was immediately overwhelmed with ecstatic love and prostrated Himself in obeisance. All the symptoms of ecstatic transformation were visible: tears, jubilation, trembling and perspiration. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.9.282-7)

   Upon learning that Mahaprabhu was Ishvara Puripada’s disciple, Shri Ranga Puri was filled with great affection for Him. Just by touching each other, they were both flooded with ecstatic feelings. They passed seven days together in discussions of Krishna conscious topics. Shri Ranga Puri was overjoyed to hear that the Lord’s birthplace was in Navadwip. He told the Lord that he had previously been to Navadwip with his spiritual master and that they had eaten at Jagannath Mishra’s house. He recalled that Jagannath’s wife Sachi had fed them a delicious banana flower curry. She had served the sannyasis as though they were her own sons and as if the Mother of the Universe had become incarnate in her. Shri Ranga Puri continued to tell Mahaprabhu that Sachi and Jagannath had a worthy son who took sannyas, taking on the name Shankararanya, but who had died there in Pandharpur. 

...He told the Lord that he had previously been to Navadwip with his spiritual master and that they had eaten at Jagannath Mishra’s house. He recalled that Jagannath’s wife Sachi had fed them a delicious banana flower curry. She had served the sannyasis as though they were her own sons and as if the Mother of the Universe had become incarnate in her. Shri Ranga Puri continued to tell Mahaprabhu that Sachi and Jagannath had a worthy son who took sannyas, taking on the name Shankararanya, but who had died there in Pandharpur. (In the wallpaper: Jagannath Mishra and Sachi Mata along with baby Nimai in her hands, Yoga Pith, Shri Mayapur Dham, Prasadam in the background image).

   Upon hearing all this, Mahaprabhu was overcome with feelings of separation and He let Shri Ranga Puri know that Shankararanya had been His very own brother and that Jagannath and Sachi were His father and mother. After they finished their conversation, Shri Ranga Puri went on to Dwaraka while the Lord continued on Krishnavenva River.

   Madhavendra Puri is pure devotional sentiment personified. Simply by remembering his name, one can achieve all perfections. All of his disciples such as Ishvara Puri and Shri Ranga Puri were similarly intoxicated with the moods of sacred rapture. (Bhakti-ratnakara 5.2272-3)

   Some people say that Shri Ranga Puri later came to Jagannath Puri to join the Lord and spend the remainder of his life in His association.