Description

Śrīpāṭa of Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī

Jhāmaṭapura is situated in the district of Bardhamān. One can get down at Jhāmaṭapura-Baharāna railway station which is after two stations from Kāṭwā in Howrāh-Āzimgañj route. This station is named in com- bination of two villages. From the station by rickshaw-van one can come to this Śrīpāṭa after crossing Baharāna village and one vast stretch of land.

Jhāmaṭapura is the Śrīpāṭa of Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, author of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Shoes used by Kavirāja Gosvāmī, worship-room, Gaura-Nitāi and Gopāla Deities inside the temple are presently exhibited in this Śrīpāṭa. His hand-written Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta is there in the temple. Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī appeared in a Gosvāmī-vaidya family. His father’s name was Bhagīratha Dāsa and mother’s name was Sunandā Devī. His only brother was Śyāma Dāsa. His father passed away when Kavirāja Gosvāmī was six years old. At that time, his paternal aunt brought up the two brothers. Kavirāja Gosvāmī developed a huge detachment from worldly affairs since his boyhood. That is why he handed over the family responsibility to his brother and he was absorbed in chanting the holy names of Lord Hari.

He left family life and accepted the renounced order of life by the mercy of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu. The way he went to Vṛndāvana has been described by himself in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-līlā, fifth chapter). He narrated in that scripture - Once Harināma Saṅkīrtana was arranged in his house courtyard. One devotee of Nityānanda Prabhu named Mīnaketana Rāmadāsa was invited and he came there. All present there were ashtonished by seeing his absorption in emotional love. Although every one welcomed him, the Pūjārī of the temple, Guṇārṇava Miśra, did not come forward to receive him. He became displeased by this. But he was not angry upon him for he was engaged in serving the Deities in the temple. At the end of the festival, while he was leaving, Mīnaketana Rāmadāsa got into a controversy with Kavirāja Gosvāmī’s brother. Śyāmadāsa had strong faith in Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu but he did not have that much faith in Nityānanda Prabhu. Knowing this mentality, Mīnaketana Rāmadāsa felt unhappy in his mind. Then Kavirāja Gosvāmī chastised his brother. This has been described in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-līlā, 5/175)-

dui bhāi eka tanu samāna-prakāśa
nityānanda nā māna, tomāra habe sarvanāśa

As translated by Śrīla Prabhupāda- “These two brothers,” I told him, “are like one body; They are identical manifestations. If you do not believe in Lord Nityānanda, you will fall down.”

Then Rāmadāsa broke his flute in anger and went away from that place. Kavirāja Gosvāmī said, ‘My brother at that time fell down, that is to say he was deprived of getting the mercy of Nitāicāṅda.’ Kavirāja Gosvāmī described in his book Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-lilā, 5/180-186, 194, 195 and 199)-

bhāike bhartsinu muiñ, lañā ei guṇa
sei rātre prabhu more dilā daraśana

naihāṭi nikaṭe ‘jhāmaṭapura’ nāme grāma
tāṅhā svapne dekhā dilā nityānanda-rāma

daṇḍavat haiyā āmi paḍinu pāyete
nija pādapadma prabhu dilā mora māthe

‘uṭha’ ‘uṭha’ bali’ more bale bāra bāra
uṭhi’ tāṅra rūpa dekhi’ hainu camatkāra

śyāma-cikkana kānti, prakāṇḍa śarīra
sākṣāt kandarpa, yaiche mahā-malla-vīra

suvalita hasta, pada, kamala-nayāna
paṭṭa-vastra śire, paṭṭa-vastra paridhāna

suvarṇa-kuṇḍala karṇe, svarṇāṅgada-vālā
pāyete nūpura bāje, kaṇṭhe puṣpa-mālā

ānande vihvala āmi, kichu nāhi jāni
tabe hāsi' prabhu more kahilena vāṇī

āre āre kṛṣṇadāsa, nā karaha bhaya
vṛndāvane yāha, tāṅhā sarva labhya haya

sei kṣaṇe vṛndāvane karinu gamana
prabhura kṛpāte sukhe āinu vṛndāvana

As translated by Śrīla Prabhupāda-That night Lord Nityānanda appeared to me in dream because of my good quality in chastising my brother. In the village of Jhāmaṭapura, which is near Naihāṭi, Lord Nityānanda appeared to me in a dream. I fell at His feet, offering my obeisances, and He then placed His own lotus feet upon my head. “Arise! Get up!” He told me again and again. Upon rising, I was greatly astonished to see His beauty. He had a glossy blackish complexion, and His tall, strong, heroic stature made Him seem like Cupid himself. He had beautifully formed hands, arms and legs, and eyes like lotus flowers. He wore a silk cloth, with a silk turban on His head. He wore golden earings on His ears, and golden armlets and bangles. He wore tinkling anklets on His feet and a garland of flowers around His neck. I was overwhelmed with transcen- dental ecstasy, not knowing anything else. Then Lord Nityānanda smiled and spoke to me as follows. “O my dear Kṛṣṇadāsa, do not be afraid. Go to Vṛndāvana, for there you will attain all things.” That very second I started for Vṛndāvana, and by His mercy I reached there in great happiness.

Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī wrote many other scriptures besides Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. He wrote sāraṅgadā notes in Śrī Kṛṣṇakarṇāmṛta book and aṣṭakāliya (eight division of a day) pastime in a book named Govinda Līlāmṛta. From all these it is understood that he was a very learned person having vast knowledge in Sanskrit.

At present, this Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta composed by Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī is being translated in various languages and published through The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (Founder Ācārya: HDG A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda) which are being dis- tributed throughout the whole world. The bhoga- mandira (kitchen) and nāṭa-mandira (hall in front of the temple) of this Śrīpāṭa have been renovated by the Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust, Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, Nadia (Founder: HDG A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda).

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