Vaṁśīvadana Ṭhākura Appearance Day

Identity in the spiritual world

vaṁśī kṛṣṇa-priyā yāsīt sā vaṁśīdāsa-ṭhakuraḥ

Vaṁśīvadana Ṭhākura is Kṛṣṇa’s flute in Vraja. [Śrī Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā 179]

Pastimes in Gaura-līlā

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

The gopis praised the good fortune of Kṛṣṇa's flute, for He was able to constantly drink the nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s lips. Everything in Vraja is spiritual, i.e., conscious, and so the flute could take human form as Śrī Vaṁśīvadana Ṭhākura. His life story has been recounted by his grandson, Sri Ballabha Dāsa, in the book Vaṁśī-vilāsa. Other books which contain details of his life are Sripat-paryatana and Bhakti-ratnākara, and the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava abhidhāna also gives a brief biography.

Vaṁśīvadanananda Ṭhākura was known by five names in Gaudiya Vaishnava society: Vaṁśīvadana, Vaṁśī Dāsa, Vaṁśī, Vadana, and Vadanananda. He was a well-known writer of devotional songs. His appearance took place on the day of the spring full moon (in the month of Chaitra) in either 1416 or 1427 of the Shaka era (1495 or 1506 AD).

When Caitanya Mahāprabhu left Jagannātha Puri and came to Bengal to visit the Ganges and his mother after five years of his sannyāsa, he stayed for seven days at the house of Mādhava Dāsa. It was there that the Lord instructed and delivered Devānanda Paṇḍita as well as many others, when he granted general amnesty to all those who had committed offenses during the Lord's early life in Navadvīpa-dhāma. It was in the house of Sri Mādhava Dāsa that Vaṁśīvadananda Ṭhākura took birth. His mother's name was Śrīmatī Candrakala Devī. Vaṁśīvadananda Ṭhākura is the āvatāra of Krsna's flute. The day that he took birth, Caitanya Mahāprabhu was staying in the house of Sri Mādhava Dāsa. Advaita Ācārya Prabhu was also present.

Mādhava Dāsa was a greatly devoted soul and was very attached to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The Lord was very affectionate towards his son, Vaṁśī. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta makes no mention of Vaṁśīvadananda Ṭhākura. However, in the Caitanya Candrodaya of Śrī Kavi-karṇapūra it is written (9.33): “When the Lord went Navadvīpa-dhāma after crossing the Ganges, he stayed for seven days at the house of Mādhava Dāsa.” Mahāprabhu had been in Śāntipura at the house of Advaita Ācārya. Śrī Narahari Cakravartī Ṭhākura writes in his Bhakti-ratnākara (4.23) that when Śrīnivāsa Ācārya went to visit the birthplace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in Māyāpur during his pilgrimage to Navadvīpa, he met Vaṁśīvadananda Ṭhākura. At that time Vaṁśīvadananda Ṭhākura bestowed his blessings upon the young Śrīnivāsa Ācārya who also managed to take darśana of the holy feet of Śrīmatī Viṣṇupriyā Devī. Narahari writes, “Vaṁśīvadananda Ṭhākura sat the young Śrīnivāsa Ācārya upon his lap and wet his head with tears of ecstasy in love of Godhead.”

After the disappearance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Vaṁśīvadananda Ṭhākura was engaged as a servant by Viṣṇupriyā Devī. It is said that he became the foremost recipient of her mercy. After the disappearance of Viṣṇupriyā Devī he took the Mahāprabhu deity established by her to Koladwipa which is presently the town known as Navadvīpa-dhāma. There he established the worship of the Mahāprabhu deity. There, he also established a deity of Krsna known as Prāṇavallabha.

Vaṁśīvadananda Ṭhākura was a lyrical poet and a composer of songs. All his songs are especially sweet and mellow and express deep moods of devotion. In one famous song he has expressed the separation felt by Mother Saci upon the sannyasa of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Vaṁśīvadananda Ṭhākura has also composed songs about Kṛṣṇa's Dāna-līlā, nauka-vilāsa, and vana-vihāra-līlā.