Rasikananda Prabhu
Rasikananda Prabhu
Shri Rasikananda Prabhu (Rasika Murari) appeared as the son of a king. He became a perfect sage, Gaudiya Vaishnava scholar, rasika bhakta, and the most beloved disciple of Shri Shyamananda Prabhu.
On Shyamananda Prabhu's order, Rasikananda became the head pujari and served his guru's Deity of Govindaji with total dedication. His attentive loving service increased Govindaji's beauty and pleasure. Rasika Murari enchanted the Devotees with his unprecedented Deity service. After firmly establishing Govindaji's worship, he accepted Shyamananda's order to preach.
He traveled widely for forty years, influencing everyone with the message of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Rasikananda delivered everyone from pious royal families to Muslims, outcastes, agnostics, atheists, and even wild animals.
One time some mad elephants attacked Rasikananda. Calmly, he chanted "Gauranga, Gauranga, Krishna, Krishna" while sprinkling water on the rampaging beasts. The elephants immeditately stopped charging, humbly bowed their heads, raised their trunks, and bellowed "Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna!"
At the time of leaving his body, Rasikananda began a powerful kirtana. Then he left this world by entering into the Kshira-chora Gopinatha Deity in Remuna, Orissa. Devastated in separation, his disciples dropped their mrdangas, karatals-and their bodies. The pushpa samadhis of all these pure Devotees stand near the Temple. Rasikananda Prabhu's pushpa samadhi stands next to Shyamananda Prabhu's near the Temple of Radha-Shyamasundara.
At the time of leaving his body, Rasikananda began a powerful kirtana. Then he left this world by entering into the Kshira-chora Gopinatha Deity in Remuna, Orissa. Devastated in separation, his disciples dropped their mrdangas, karatals-and their bodies. The pushpa samadhis of all these pure Devotees stand near the Temple. Rasikananda Prabhu's pushpa samadhi stands next to Shyamananda Prabhu's near the Temple of Radha-Shyamasundara. (In the wallpaper: image above left is the samadhi of Rasikananda Prabhu, Kshira Chora Gopinath Temple, Remuna, Orissa, and Kshira Chora).