Denūḍa

Śrīpāṭa of Śrīla Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura

Denūḍa is situated in the district of Bardhamān. Boarding a bus from Navadvīpa to Bardhamān one can get down at Kusuma-grāma and from there by another bus one goes to Puṭasuri. Denūḍa is located at the west of Puṭasuri at a distance of one and half a kilometer. Or else, one can go by train to Bardhamān by Howrāh- Bandel-Bardhamān railways and from there go to Denūḍa by bus and then to this Śrīpāṭa.

Denūḍa village is the Śrīpāṭa of Śrīla Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura. By sitting at this place, Śrīla Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura wrote the book, Śrī Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata in the year 1457 Śakābda. It is described in a book published from the Śrīpāṭa at Denūḍa on 24th. Jaiṣṭha (Mid June) in the year 1371 about the stay of Śrīla Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura in Denūḍa Śrīpāṭa-

rāḍhadeśe grāme grāme nāma pracāriyā
upanīta hailā śeṣe denūḍe āsiyā

keśava bhāratī yathā kari bālyalīlā
śṛṅgārī maṭhete giyā sannyāsa lailā

tāṅra bhrātuṣputra haya gopāla brahmacārī
yāra putra gopīnātha ati sadācārī

ei grāme tiṅho bāsa karena ekhana
nityānanda saṅge morā āilāma yakhana

gopīnātha āra bhakta rāmahari dāsa
aneka bhaktera saṅge āilā prabhu pāśa

bhakti kari prabhure sabe praṇāma karilā
harināma gāhi tabe nācite lāgilā

bhojanādi śeṣa kari mukha śuddhi tare
haritakī māgilena nityānanda more

pūrvera sañcita eka haritakī laiyā
prabhura śrī-kare muñi dilāma bhāṅgiyā

hāsi prabhu bale tumi raha ei sthāna
ethā rahi gāo tumi caitanya guṇagāna

prabhure dekhibe hethā nā haio cañcala
ethā thāki kara saba jīvera maṅgala

prabhura vigraha hai karaha sthāpana
vigrahe prabhure sadā pābe daraśana

sei ājñā śire dhari muñi alpa jñāna
likhilā ei grantha tāṅra pada kari dhyāna

caudda-śata sātānna śakera gaṇana
nityānanda dhyāne grantha haila samāpana

śrīkṛṣṇa caitanya nityānanda paṅhujāna
vṛndāvana dāsa tachu pada yuge gāna

He was preaching Harināma village to village in Rāḍhadeśa and in the end, he reached Denūḍa. Keśava Bhāratī performed his boyhood pastime here and he took sannyāsa in Śṛṅgārī Maṭha. His nephew was Gopāla brahmacārī and Gopīnātha was his son who was very righteous.They were all living in this village while all of us came here with Nityānanda Prabhu. Devotees like Gopīnātha and Rāmahari dāsa came to see Prabhu along with many devotees. All offered their obeisances unto Prabhu with devo- tion and everyone started dancing in the Harināma. After having prasāda Nityānanda Prabhu asked for harītakī (one type of nut) to freshen His mouth. I gave a piece of harītakī on His lotus palm which was preserved before. Smiling at me Prabhu told me to stay over here and sing the glories of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Don't be restless and you will see Caitanya Mahāprabhu here. Stay here for the wel- fare of all living beings. Install Parbhu's Deity and you can see Prabhu all the time in His Deity form. I have a poor fund of knowledge. I took that instruc- tion on my head and wrote this book by meditating on His lotus feet. This book was finished in the year 1457 Śakābda by the mercy of Nityānanda Prabhu. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Nityānanda Prabhu are the life and soul of Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura who sings the glories of Their lotus feet.

Śrīla Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura established this Śrīpāṭa in Denūḍa before the year 1457 Śakābda. At present, the beautiful Deities of Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi, Who were worshiped by Śrīla Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura, is exhibited in this Śrīpāṭa. In front of this temple a small beautiful portico is there.There is a kitchen adjacent to this and the hand written Caitanya- bhāgavata of Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura is there inside the temple. There is a Harītakī (myrobalan) tree at the bank of a pond outside the village. Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu’s foot print is there under this tree. The villagers say that the Harītakī pastime between Nityānanda Prabhu and Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura was performed here where this Harītakī tree is standing now. Nityānanda Prabhu instructed Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura to stay over there and He began His journey towards Nīlācala. Afterwards, the devotees made a foot- stool of Nityānanda Prabhu’s Lotus feet as a memorial, which still exists, and on the side of this, a Harītakī tree was planted. That Harītakī tree also still exists.