Śrīla Vakreśvara Paṇḍita disappearance day

Identity in the Spiritual World

vyūhas tūryo'niruddho yo sa vakreśvara-paṇḍitaḥ

kṛṣṇāveśaja nṛtyena prabhoḥ sukham ajījanat

sahasra-gāyakān mahyaṁ dehi tvaṁ karuṇā-maya

iti caitanya-pade yaḥ uvāca madhuraṁ vacaḥ

Vakreśvara Paṇḍita is the fourth member of the catur-vyūha, Aniruddha. He brought happiness to the Lord by dancing in the mood of Kṛṣṇa. He would sweetly say to Mahāprabhu, “O merciful Lord, give me a thousand singers so that I can dance!” Rādhā’s dear Sakhī Sasirekha also entered into him. [Śrī Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā 71, 72]

Pastimes in Gaura-līlā

Vakreśvara Paṇḍita, the fifth branch of the tree, was a very dear servant of Lord Caitanya’s. He could dance with constant ecstasy for seventy-two hours. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally sang while Vakreśvara Paṇḍita danced, and thus Vakreśvara Paṇḍita fell at the lotus feet of the Lord and spoke as follows. “O Candramukha! Please give me ten thousand Gandharvas. Let them sing as I dance, and then I will be greatly happy.” Lord Caitanya replied, “I have only one wing like you, but if I had another, certainly I would fly in the sky!” [Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā 10.17 – 20]

In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (71) it is stated that Vakreśvara Paṇḍita was an incarnation of Aniruddha, one of the quadruple expansions of Viṣṇu (Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha and Pradyumna). He could dance wonderfully for seventy-two continuous hours. When Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu played in dramatic performances in the house of Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita, Vakreśvara Paṇḍita was one of the chief dancers, and he danced continuously for that length of time. Śrī Govinda dāsa, an Oriyā devotee of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, has described the life of Vakreśvara Paṇḍita in his book Gaura-kṛṣṇodaya. There are many disciples of Vakreśvara Paṇḍita in Orissa, and they are known as Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas although they are Oriyās. Among these disciples are Śrī Gopālaguru and his disciple Śrī Dhyānacandra Gosvāmī. [Purport to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā 10.17]

Vakreśvara Paṇḍita danced in jubilation around the body of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. [Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Āntya-līlā 11.66]

Vakreśvara was so dear to Mahāprabhu that Devānanda Paṇḍita was freed of his offenses to Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita and received Mahāprabhu’s mercy through serving him. The story is given in Śrī Caitanya Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa, chapter 21.

Devānanda Paṇḍita was intelligent, austere, and neutral since birth. However, even though he taught Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, he was devoid of devotion. Even though he had some qualification to understand, he was unable because of some offense that only Kṛṣṇa knew. One day by providence Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita went to hear Śrīmad Bhāgavatam at the house of Devānanda Paṇḍita. Śrīvāsa’s heart melted on hearing that recitation. As the mahā- bhāgavata brāhmaṇa, Śrīvāsa listened to Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, he began to cry and sigh deeply. The sinful students of Devānanda Paṇḍita there said, “This is a disturbance. O brothers, we are unable to study and our time is being wasted.” Śrīvāsa’s crying could not be checked. Although Śrīvāsa was most dear to Lord Caitanya and he purified the entire world, the sinful students conspired together and then dragged him outside. Devānanda Paṇḍita did not stop them. As the guru was devoid of devotional service, so were his students.

One day in Kuliya, Vakreśvara Paṇḍita, a very dear servant of Lord Caitanya, went to visit the house of a devotee. That evening Vakreśvara Paṇḍita was absorbed in kīrtana and dancing. Hearing the news of this, people gathered from all around to take part in the kīrtana. Devānanda Paṇḍita hurried to the place where the kīrtana was going on. Seeing the empowered figure of Vakreśvara Paṇḍita and hearing his sweet kīrtana, Devānanda Paṇḍita stood transfixed for a long time. As the night wore on, the crowd grew and, in attempts to push forward and see the dancing of Vakreśvara Paṇḍita, it became boisterous and rowdy. At that time, Devānanda Paṇḍita, with a cane in his hand, held the crowd back and quieted the mob. When Vakreśvara Paṇḍita, after dancing and dancing, fell to the ground overwhelmed by ecstasy, Devānanda Paṇḍita carefully picked him up and held him on his lap. With his own scarf, Devānanda wiped the dust from the holy body of Vakreśvara Paṇḍita. In this way, it was on that day that Devānanda Paṇḍita began his bhakta-sevā, his service to devotees. One night sometime later, Vakreśvara Paṇḍita was a guest in Devānanda Paṇḍita’s house, and he explained the science of Kṛṣṇa to Devānanda who got convinced about the identity of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is explained in Śrī Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa, chapter 3. 

Later, when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to Navadvīpa-dhāma, Devānanda Paṇḍita came to beseech the Lord's forgiveness for whatever offenses he might have committed. At that time, Devānanda Paṇḍita took darśana of the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Offering his obeisances unto the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya at a distance, Devānanda cowered and shrank away from the Lord, standing off to one side.

At that time the Lord saw him and said, “You are able to see Me because you served Vakreśvara Paṇḍita. Vakreśvara Paṇḍita possesses the full potencies of the Supreme Lord. Anyone who serves him attains Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa personally resides in the heart of Vakreśvara Paṇḍita. When Vakreśvara  ances, Kṛṣṇa dances. Any place that is associated with Vakreśvara Paṇḍita is equal to all the holy places and is as good as Vaikuṇṭha.” [Śrī Caitanya Bhāgavata Antya-khaṇḍa 3.493 – 497]

Lessons from the life of Vakreśvara Paṇḍita

1. Lord Caitanya’s assertion that Vakreśvara Paṇḍita possesses the full potencies of the Supreme Lord and anyone who serves him attains Kṛṣṇa reveals that the Lord resides in the hearts of His pure devotees. This emphasizes that honoring and serving pure devotees is equivalent to honoring and serving the Lord Himself. Śrīla Prabhupāda says in purport to SB 3.13.3, ‘In the absolute world there is no difference in quality between the Supreme Lord and His pure devotee. Therefore, hearing the topics of the Lord and hearing of the character and activities of the pure devotee have the same result, namely the development of devotional service.’

2. The way in which we associate with devotees will determine how we advance in devotional service. Despite being intelligent, Devānanda Paṇḍita was devoid of devotion. Devānanda Paṇḍita was able to receive Mahaprabhu’s mercy only through Vakreśvara Paṇḍita.