Sri Devānanda Paṇḍita Disappearance Day

Identity in the spiritual world

purāṇānām artha-vettā śrī-devānanda paṇḍitaḥ

purāsīn nanda-pariṣat-paṇḍito bhāgurir muniḥ

The scholar Devānanda Paṇḍita knew the meaning of all the Puranas. Previously, he was Bhandari Muni, the scholar in Nanda Maharaj's court. [Śrī Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā 106]

Pastime in Śrī Caitanya līlā

Devānanda Paṇḍita lived in Navadvīpa-dhāma, in the section known as Kuliyā, or Koladwipa. Kuliyā is a neighborhood of Navadvīpa that is situated on the western bank of the Ganges. At that time the town of Navadvīpa was situated on the eastern bank of the Ganges and is presently known as Śrī Māyāpur. The present city of Navadvīpa is ancient Kuliyā. This is the place where one’s offenses are nullified (Aparādha-Bhañjana Pāṭa). [Śrī Caitanya Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 9.98].

Devānanda Paṇḍita was intelligent, austere, and neutral since birth. He was filled with all good qualities. However, even though he taught Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, he was devoid of devotion. People respected him as a great teacher of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, yet because he was devoid of devotion, he did not know the confidential purport. Even though he had some qualification to understand, he was unable because of some offense that only Kṛṣṇa knew. One day by providence Śrīnivāsa Paṇḍita went to hear Śrīmad Bhāgavatam at the house of Devānanda Paṇḍita. Every syllable of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is filled with ecstatic love, so 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. After regaining his external consciousness, Śrīvāsa returned home in distress. At that time the Lord [Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu] had not yet revealed Himself. This is explained in Śrī Caitanya Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa, chapter 21.

Later, during mahābhāva-prakāśa, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed the devotees that He is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, who is the source of all other incarnation. [Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi 17.18]. During this time, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu reminded Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita of this pastime with Devānanda Paṇḍita. This is explained as follows in Śrī Caitanya Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa, chapter 9.

The Lord said to Śrīvāsa, “O Śrīvāsa, do you remember when you once heard Śrīmad Bhāgavatam from Devānanda Paṇḍita? Seeing your distress after Devānanda’s students dragged you out of the assembly, I left Vaikuṇṭha and appeared in your body. Then I sat in your heart and made you cry by awarding you loving devotion. You became ecstatic by hearing Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, and the entire area became wet as if by rain.” Realizing the words of the Lord, Śrīvāsa became overwhelmed. He rolled on the ground, cried, and sighed deeply.

Once when Lord was wandering in the city, He saw Devānanda Paṇḍita and spoke to him in anger. The Lord remembered how Devānanda Paṇḍita had previously committed an offense against Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita. The Lord said “I can understand that even though you teach Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, you have not realized its purport in any of your lifetimes. One who eats to his full satisfaction feels happy when he goes out in the world. But I tell you that even though you teach Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, which is full of ecstatic love, you have not achieved happiness”. After hearing the Lord’s words, the exalted brāhmaṇa Devānanda felt ashamed and did not offer any reply. Lord departed after angrily chastising Devānanda, and Devānanda returned home in distress.

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.

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 the servant of my dear devotee Vakreśvara Paṇḍita. By your service to him you have greatly pleased Me. As a result of your service to him you have come close to Me. Vakreśvara is empowered by Kṛṣṇa-śakti. By serving my dear devotee Vakreśvara Paṇḍita you have attained the mercy of Kṛṣṇa."

Lessons from the pastimes

1. Chastisement is a boon when coming from the Lord or His representative. It helps to get chastised by the right person. Śrīla Prabhupāda says in SB 4.29.21, “The punishment awarded by the state or by God for one’s own faults is actually for one’s benefit. […]. If one accepts punishment as a reward dealt by the master, he becomes intelligent enough not to commit the same mistake again.”

2. Without the mercy of a pure devotee, the essence of śāstras is not revealed to us. Śrīla Prabhupāda says in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Adi 11.59 and Madhya 22.51, respectively, “To get Kṛṣṇa and love of Kṛṣṇa one must seek the mercy of pure devotees.” “Devotional service can be attained only by the mercy of a pure devotee. Without a pure devotee’s mercy, one cannot even escape the bondage of material existence.”

3. If one’s intentions are sincere, Kṛṣṇa will help us to overcome whatever missteps we make. Rectification is close at hand for those who are sincere. Our rectification and subsequent advancement has to do with our attitude. Being fallible is normal and forgivable; being dishonest about our shortcomings isn’t. Therefore, being imperfect is rarely the problem. The problem is when we don’t honestly admit our imperfections.