Jalundi

Śrīpāṭa of Śrī Sañjaya Paṇḍita, brother of Śrī Dhanañjaya Paṇḍita who is one of the twelve Gopālas

Jalundi is situated in the district of Bīrbhūm. One has to come to Pālitapura Natunhāṭa from Dālālapura crossing which is near Bolapura railway station. Or else, one can get down at Beṁcātrā by any bus towards Kāṭwā at a distance of sixteen kilometers. From Beṁcātrā by road towards north one can come to this Śrīpāṭa at a distance of five kilometers by rickshaw-van.

This is the Śrīpāṭa of Śrī Sañjaya Paṇḍita, brother of Śrī Dhanañjaya Paṇḍita who is one of the twelve Gopālas. It is mentioned in Śrīpāṭa Paryaṭana-

kāṅcḍāpāḍā janmabhūmi jalundite bāsa
dhanañjaya vasudāma jānivā niryāsa

Kāṅcḍāpāḍā is his birth place and he is the inhabitant of Jalundi. Know for sure that Dhanañjaya was Vasuḍāma before.

Śrī Dhanañjaya Gopāla established the worship of Śrī Rādhā-Vinoda and Śrī Nṛsiṁhadeva here. His grand son Śrī Kānurāma described in this matter-

apūrva jalundi grāma dekhite sundara
rādhā-vinodera sevā ati manohara

The village Jalundi looks very beautiful. The worship of Rādhā-Vinoda is very fascinating.

There is a very big kāṅṭhālī-campaka tree in front of the temple. It is said that the tree is about four hundred years old. There are twenty Śālagrāma Śilās along with one Śilā of Śrī Nṛsiṁhadeva in the temple. During the Danḍa (Punishment) festival at Pānihāṭi, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu gave this Śilā to Dhanañjaya Paṇḍita. Śrīla Dhanañjaya Paṇḍita used to tie it up around his neck. Vinoda Dāṅgā is located at the entrance of Jalundi village. Every year, a fair is held there at the time of Dola festival. But, nowadays the invocation of auspiciousness is not performed. This festival has been stopped due to some misunderstandings amongst the worshipers there. Śitalagrāma, Sāṅcḍā-Pāṅcḍā villages are also considered as his Śrīpāṭa as Śrī Dhanañjaya Paṇḍita was staying there for some time. He started worshiping Śrī Rādhā-Vinoda in Jalundi village and handed over the responsibility of this worship to his youngest brother Śrī Sañjaya Paṇḍita. Śrī Rādhā-Vinoda alongwith Nṛsiṁha-śilā and the proof of service of Nityānanda Prabhu’s associates can be seen by persons who are most fortunate.

Śrī Sañjaya Paṇḍita had a son by name Śrī Yadu Nandana Ṭhākura. He had four sons-Jayarāma, Paraśurāma, Gāṅgārāma and Kānurāma. Kānurāma was a poet amongst these four brothers. When Nityānanda Prabhu’s son, Śrī Viracandra Gosvāmī, was staying at Kāṅdrā Śrīpāṭa of Jñānadāsa, Dhanañjaya Paṇḍita’s son, Śrī Yadu Caitanya Ṭhākura came to know and he went to see him. Viracandra Prabhu cordially received him and told him, ‘You preach the glories of Lord’s name and His loving devotional service’. By saying this he handed over one Stone Inscription of Lord’s transcendental name. Hare Kṛṣṇa Mahāmantra was written on that-

dhara bāp nāmabrahma karaha pracāra
kalihata janagane karaha uddhāra

dhanañjaya paṇḍita suta ṭhākura śrī yadu caitanya
nāma prema dāne yini sarva agragaṇya

Take this transcendental name of the Lord. Preach this mahāmantra and deliver the fallen souls of this Kali-yuga. Śrī Yadu Caitanya Ṭhākura, the son of Dhanañjaya Paṇḍita, was the foremost preacher in distributing the loving name of the Lord.

Śrī Yadu Caitanya Ṭhākura’s fourth subordinate, Śrī Svarupa Cāṅda Ṭhākura, took this Stone Inscription of the Lord’s transcendental name to Begunakodāra of Puruliyā from Jalundi. At present, this Stone Inscription of Lord’s transcendental name is still worshiped in the house of Śrī Vṛndāvana Ṭhākura Gosvāmī at Begunakodāra.