Śrīmati Viṣṇupriyā Devī Appearance Day

Identity in the spiritual world

śrī sanātana miśro’yaṁ purā satrājito nṛpaḥ |

viṣṇupriyā jagan-mātā yat-kanyā bhū-svarūpiṇī

King Satrājit in Kṛṣṇa Lilā became Sanātana Miśra in Caitanya Lilā. The mother of the universe, the incarnation of the Lord’s Bhū-śakti, is his daughter Viṣṇupriyā. [Śrī Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā 47].

Temples to visit

The Deity of Lord Śrī Gauranga Mahāprabhu at Śrī Dhāmeśvara Mahāprabhu temple is a deity made of neem wood and is the original Deity that Śrīmati Visnupriya worshiped. The Deity’s hands reach forward with upraised palms, a pose indicating, “I am yours.” The Deity is called as Śrī Dhāmeśvara Mahāprabhu. There are also wooden shoes, which were worn by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He gave them to Śrīmati Viṣṇupriyā, which she worshipped until she passed away.

Mahāprabhu’s marriage to Viṣṇupriyā Devī

Excerpt from Śrī Caitanya: His Life and Associates, Swami B.B. Tirtha, Mandala Publishing

Kṛṣṇa married Satyabhāmā, the daughter of King Satrājit and a Yadu princess. In Gaura lila, this same Satrājit became Sanātana Miśra and she became Viṣṇupriyā Devī. All manifestations of Viṣṇu tattva have three energies, known as śrī, bhū and nīlā (or lilā). Lakṣmī-priyā Devī is the śrī-śakti of Mahāprabhu in his majestic Gaura-Nārāyaṇa attitude; Viṣṇupriyā is his bhū-śakti and Navadvīpa is his lilā- śakti.

Excerpt from Caitanya-bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa, chapter 15

Śacīmātā, being anxious to marry her son for the second time, had Kāśīnātha Paṇḍita arrange the marriage of Nimāi with the supremely devoted daughter of Rāja Paṇḍita Sanātana Miśra of Navadvīpa. An intelligent aristocrat named Buddhimanta Khān personally agreed to bear the entire expenses of the Lord’s marriage. On an auspicious day at an auspicious time the festival of Adhivāsa, or the appropriate rituals to be performed the day before the marriage, were performed with great pomp. Riding on a palanquin, the Lord arrived at the house of the Rāja Paṇḍita at the auspicious time of dusk. All the Vedic and social rituals were performed, and the marriage pastimes of Viṣṇupriyā and Gaura, who are nondifferent from Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa were completed with great splendor. With a desire to please Lord Viṣṇu, Sanātana Miśra offered his dearmost daughter in the hands of the Lord and then also gave various gifts to his son-in-law. The next afternoon, sitting on a palanquin with Viṣṇupriyā Devī, the Lord returned home admits a continuous shower of flowers and the accompaniment of song, dance, and music. When Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa were seated inside the house, the entire universe began to glorify Them. If a living entity hears the eternal marriage pastimes of Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa, then he is cleansed of the desire for conjugal happiness that joins together male and female in this material world as enjoyer and object of enjoyment. At that time his good intelligence is awakened, and he understands that Lord Nārāyaṇa alone is the enjoyer of the entire universe.

Life of Viṣṇupriyā Devī after Mahāprabhu took Sannyāsa

Excerpt from Śrī Caitanya: His Life and Associates, Swami B.B. Tirtha, Mandala Publishing

Viṣṇupriyā lived her life in terrible separation from the Lord after His departure. Every morning, she would go for her bath in the Ganges with mother Saci, after which she spent the entire day inside the house, never allowing the moon or sun to see her. Not even the devotees were allowed to see anything more than her feet, nor hear her voice. Constantly shedding tears and eating only Mother Saci’s remnants, she became pale and thin. She took intense delight in the Holy Name, chanting all day long in solitude before a portrait of Gauranga, serving it as though He were present in it and surrendering herself to His lotus feet. In this way, she demonstrated the ideal character of a devoted wife as well as the forbearance spoken of by the Lord in His verse, tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā.

Srinivas Acharya received Viṣṇupriyā Devī's blessing. He personally witnessed her devotion to Mahāprabhu in separation, Narahari Cakravartī has described this in his Bhakti-ratnakara. Every day Srinivas would come to see her. He observed her daily activities, which are beyond description. She had completely renounced sleep, and if ever she closed her eyes, it would be while lying on the bare ground. Her bodily luster, which had formerly glowed more brilliantly than gold, had become dull and she was as thin as the waning moon on its fourteenth day. She set aside grains of rice to count the Holy Names she chanted and would cook only this rice and offer it to her Lord. Of this amount, she would only eat a small portion. No one understood how she managed to stay alive.

Jahnava Devī’s disciple Nityananda Dasa has also described the standard Viṣṇupriyā Devī set for bhajan in his Prema-vilāsa. Listen, brothers, to the way which Viṣṇupriyā would take the names of the Lord. By listening to this, you will get a feeling for the lilā. Every day she would place two clay pots on either side of her, one filled with uncooked rice, the other empty. Each time she completed one mantra of sixteen names and thirty-two syllables, she would joyfully place a grain of rice into the empty container. She would chant in this way until three o'clock in the afternoon, and then would take whatever rice had accumulated and cook it. This is the only food that she prepared, drenching it with her tears before she offered it to the Lord. It is not possible to estimate how many names Mahāprabhu Himself chanted, for He chanted all day and night. Similarly, His beloved wife Viṣṇupriyā chanted incessantly through the day and the night. Such dedication to the Holy Name was not impossible for her, for the Lord had planted the seed of His power in her. It is said that Viṣṇupriyā Devī was the first to establish worship of a deity of Gauranga. Kṛṣṇa came to His beloved wife in this expansion form to remain by her side as the Mahāprabhu deity. Thus she, the incarnation of the goddess of fortune, was able to serve Him constantly.

Lessons from the life of Śrīmati Viṣṇupriyā Devī

1. Devotion in Separation: Śrīmati Viṣṇupriyā Devī's life exemplifies the concept of devotion even in separation. Despite being physically separated from her beloved Lord, she remained devoted to Him with unwavering dedication. This teaches us about the power of love and faith, even in the face of adversity or distance.

2. Forbearance and Patience: Śrīmati Viṣṇupriyā Devī's endurance in her separation from the Lord showcases the quality of forbearance (tṛṇād api sunīcena) mentioned in spiritual teachings. Despite her intense longing, she remained patient and continued her devotional practices without complaint.

3. Selfless Service and Sacrifice: Śrīmati Viṣṇupriyā Devī's selfless service to her Lord is evident in her daily activities. She cooked and offered the Lord only a small portion of rice, sustaining herself on minimal food. This demonstrates the principle of sacrifice and selflessness in the pursuit of spiritual goals.

4. Intense Devotional Practice: Śrīmati Viṣṇupriyā Devī's meticulous chanting of the Holy Names and her strict adherence to devotional practices emphasize the importance of consistent and sincere spiritual effort. Her dedication to chanting and offering prayers reflects the deep connection she maintained with the divine.

5. Divine Grace: Śrīmati Viṣṇupriyā Devī's ability to maintain her rigorous devotional practices was due to the seed of divine power planted within her by the Lord Himself. This underscores the belief in the transformative power of grace in one's spiritual journey.