Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura disappearance day

Identity in the spiritual world

veda-vyāso ya evāsīd dāso vṛndāvano’dhunā

sakhā yaḥ kusumāpīḍaḥ kāryatas taṁ samāviśat

Veda-vyāsa became Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura. Kṛṣṇa’s friend Kusumāpīḍa also entered into him for the sake of the Lord’s pastimes. [Śrī Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā 109]

Veda-vyāsa described Kṛṣṇa-līlā in the Srimad Bhagavatam. Non-different from Vyāsa, Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura described Mahāprabhu’s lila in his book Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata. This book was first called Caitanya-maṅgala, but when Locana dāsa Ṭhākura later gave the same name to his biography of the Lord, it was dubbed “Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata.”

Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura as the son of Nārāyaṇī

Excerpt from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 8.41

In text 43 of the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā, there is the following statement regarding Nārāyaṇī:

ambikāyāḥ svasā yāsīn nāmnā śrīla-kilimbikā

kṛṣṇocchiṣṭaṁ prabhuñjānā seyaṁ nārāyaṇī matā

When Lord Kṛṣṇa was a child, He was nursed by a woman named Ambikā, who had a younger sister named Kilimbikā. During the time of Lord Caitanya’s incarnation, the same Kilimbikā used to eat the remnants of food left by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That Kilimbikā was Nārāyaṇī, who was a niece of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura’s. Later on, when she grew up and married, Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura was born from her womb. A devotee of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is celebrated in terms of devotional service rendered to the Lord; thus we know Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura as the son of Nārāyaṇī.

Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura writes Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata

Excerpts from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta

Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura is Lord Nityānanda’s favorite devotee, and therefore he is the original Vyāsadeva in describing the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura, the son of Śrīmatī Nārāyaṇī, composed Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala [later known as Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata]. [Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 11.54]

O fools, just read Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala! By reading this book you can understand all the glories of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. As Vyāsadeva has compiled all the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Ṭhākura Vṛndāvana dāsa has depicted the pastimes of Lord Caitanya. Ṭhākura Vṛndāvana dāsa has composed Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala. Hearing this book annihilates all misfortune. By reading Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala one can understand all the glories and truths of Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda and come to the ultimate conclusion of devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa. In Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala [later known as Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata] Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has given the conclusion and essence of devotional service by quoting the authoritative statements of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. If even a great atheist hears Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala, he immediately becomes a great devotee. The subject matter of this book is so sublime that it appears that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has personally spoken through the writings of Śrī Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura. I offer millions of obeisances unto the lotus feet of Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura. No one else could write such a wonderful book for the deliverance of all fallen souls. Nārāyaṇī eternally eats the remnants of the food of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura was born of her womb. What a wonderful description he has given of the pastimes of Lord Caitanya! Anyone in the three worlds who hears it is purified. I fervently appeal to everyone to adopt the method of devotional service given by Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda and thus be freed from the miseries of material existence and ultimately achieve the loving service of the Lord. Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has written Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala and therein described in all respects the pastimes of Lord Caitanya. He first summarized all the pastimes of the Lord and later described them vividly in detail. The pastimes of Lord Caitanya are unlimited and unfathomable. Therefore, in describing all those pastimes, the book became voluminous. He saw them to be so extensive that he later felt that some had not been properly described. He ecstatically described the pastimes of Lord Nityānanda, but the later pastimes of Caitanya Mahāprabhu remained untold. [Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 8. 33 – 48]

Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has said very clearly, pṛthivīte yāhā kichu dharma nāme cale: "Whatever is going on, all over the world, in the name of dharma," bhāgavata kahe tāhā paripūrṇa chale" according to the opinion of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, all this rascaldom is simply cheating." [Śrīla Prabhupāda lecture on SB 1.8.41, Māyāpur, October 21, 1974]

Śrī Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura warns against offense to Vaiṣṇavas

Everyone should be very cautious not to commit an offense at the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava. Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura in the Caitanya-bhāgavata (Madhya 13) says:

śūlapāṇi-sama yadi bhakta-nindā kare

bhāgavata pramāṇa—tathāpi śīghra mare

hena vaiṣṇavere ninde sarvajña ha-i

se janera adhaḥ-pāta sarva-śāstre ka-i

"Even if one is as strong as Lord Śiva, who carries a trident in his hand, one will nonetheless fall down from his spiritual position if he tries to insult a Vaiṣṇava. That is the verdict of all Vedic scriptures." He also says this in Caitanya-bhāgavata (Madhya 22):

vaiṣṇavera nindā karibeka yāra gaṇa

tāra rakṣā sāmarthya nāhika kona jana

śūlapāṇi-sama yadi vaiṣṇavere ninde

tathāpiha nāśa yāya—kahe śāstra-vṛnde

ihā nā māniyā ye sujana nindā kare

janme janme se pāpiṣṭha daiva-doṣe mare

"One who blasphemes a Vaiṣṇava cannot be protected by anyone. Even if a person is as strong as Lord Śiva, if he blasphemes a Vaiṣṇava, he is sure to be destroyed. This is the verdict of all śāstras. If one does not care for the verdict of the śāstras and dares blaspheme a Vaiṣṇava, he suffers life after life because of this." [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.10.25 purport]

Lessons from the life of Śrī Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura

1. Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura’s strong statements about offense against a Vaiṣṇava are very significant. Devotional service starts by service to Vaiṣṇavas, is maintained by service to Vaiṣṇavas, and is perfected by service to Vaiṣṇavas. If we are not offensive to devotees and touch any of the five paths [to serve the devotees of the Lord, to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, to worship the Deity of the Lord, and to live in a place of pilgrimage], even if we don’t have faith in them, they will give us their full potency. If one can simply get through life without offending Vaiṣṇavas and try to serve Vaiṣṇavas to the best of one’s ability, one will attain perfection in life by doing these simple things.

2. Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura changed the name of his book when he noticed that Locana dāsa Ṭhākura had come out with a similar named book. Also, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī has informed us that in his Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta he has described whatever Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has not mentioned. This reflects the principle of cooperation and respect. Cooperation is most challenging of all disciplines as it’s natural because we have free will. Cooperation comes when we don’t need to be in the center, and we are happy with progress without having to take credit and realizing that Kṛṣṇa will notice. Respecting each other and trying to expand is the prime method for self-realization.