“I Have Found the Future of Vaiṣṇavism”

The Story of Rasikānanda Prabhu

by Satyarāja Dāsa

(An Article from Back to Godhead Magazine 1999)

Rasika Murāri Patnaik, also known as Rasikānanda Prabhu, was born in 1590, fifty-six years after Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had ended His earthly pastimes. Rasikānanda was born into a powerful zamindar (landowner) family in Royni, on the Suvarṇarekhā River in what is now the Medinipur district of southwest Bengal. This was a glorious time in the history of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism, the disciplic succession of devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa in the line of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: The Six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana had built a veritable storehouse of Sanskrit literature, in the form of poetry, history, aesthetics, and philosophy, unlike any the world has ever seen.

At this time, too, Jīva Gosvāmī had established a large Vaiṣṇava community in Vṛndāvana and had sent his three best disciples—Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, and Śyāmānanda Prabhu—throughout northern India to spread the Gosvāmīs’ teachings. While on this noble mission, Śyāmānanda met eighteen-year-old Rasika Murāri and initiated him into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, giving him the name Rasikānanda. The Gosvāmīs’ teachings touched the heart of this pious young landowner, who gave his life to Kṛṣṇa the moment he met his illustrious guru.

The meeting of Śyāmānanda and the youthful Rasikānanda is retold in Gopījanavallabha’s Rasika Maṅgala, a standard seventeenth-century text about the life of Rasikānanda. Basically, Śyāmānanda and Rasikānanda saw each other and recognized a connection that transcended time itself.

Rasika ran up to his future guru and fell flat at his feet, saying, “You are my eternal savior, and Kṛṣṇa has finally sent you to redeem me.”

Śyāmānanda Prabhu smiled with great pleasure. “I have found the future of Vaiṣṇavism!”

Rasikānanda, like his guru, was a married man, and so his wife, Icchā Devī, also took initiation from Śyāmānanda Prabhu, receiving the name Śyāmā Dāsī.* Śyāmānanda told them to always chant the mahā-mantra: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Soon after Śyāmā Dāsī’s initiation, the couple left Royni for nearby Kāśīpur, a popular city with a large influx of wealthy people. Sometime later, Śyāmānanda visited his two disciples in Kāśīpur and brought a beautiful Deity of Kṛṣṇa for them: Gopījanavallabha.

Seeing how much his disciples loved their newly installed Deity, Śyāmānanda renamed the city Gopiballabhpur (“Gopīvallabha’s town”) and blessed all of the townspeople to develop the same love for the Deity that Rasikānanda and his wife had. He asked Rasikānanda to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness vigorously and made Śyāmā Dāsī head priest of the temple.

Śyāmānanda then left, but he had planted a seed. Rasikānanda thrived, building an unparalleled organization for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He and his wife worked as a team, and together they are said to have brought hundreds of thousands of pious people to the teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

ŚYĀMĀNANDĪ VAIṢṆAVAS

According to historian Ramakanta Chakravarti, “Rasikmurāri was perhaps more successful in converting people into Vaiṣṇavism than any other Vaiṣṇava leader of his time.” His enthusiasm was so pronounced that by the time of his passing away, the region of Medinipur had developed a distinct sect of Vaiṣṇavas in the mood of Śyāmānanda, his guru. These “Śyāmānandī Vaiṣṇavas,” as they came to be called, developed their own style of dress, cooking, tilaka markings, and temple construction. Rasikānanda popularized Vaiṣṇavism to the point of creating an entire subculture based on its principles.

With Gopiballabhpur as the seat of Śyāmānandī Vaiṣṇavism, Rasikānanda spent forty years helping people see the good sense of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He made disciples among great kings and impious rogues, among the brāhmaṇas and lowborn śūdras. He completely ignored caste and outer qualifications (or disqualifications) and gave everyone a taste for Vaiṣṇavism.

The classic histories of the period, such as Śyāmānanda Prakāśa and Rasika Maṅgala, tell how he and his wife, with the help of influential disciples, put an end to animal sacrifice in non-Vaiṣṇava areas and convinced people throughout Orissa and its bordering villages of the validity of Mahāprabhu’s message. With his knowledge, purity, and charisma, he engaged Muslims, Buddhists, and various sects of Hindus in the service of Kṛṣṇa.

Late in his life Rasikānanda wrote a Sanskrit epic about the life of the person who had taught him all he knew. It was called Śyāmānanda-śatakam, and it remains the most authoritative work on Śyāmānanda’s life. Rādhānanda, Rasikānanda’s eldest son, who inherited the Gopīvallabha temple (from his mother), wrote a famous book called Rādhā-Govinda-kāvya, a beautiful devotional poem modeled after Jayadeva’s Gīta-govinda. His eldest son was Nayānanda, who, although like his grandfather an enthusiastic teacher, left no literary work for posterity.

Toward the end of his life, Rasikānanda settled in Remuṇā, Orissa, where he was fascinated by the Deity of Gopīnātha (Kṛṣṇa). It is said that he would spend day and night just gazing at the beautiful Deity. He would utter the mahā-mantra and sit transfixed, stuttering, shedding tears of love. He would point to the Deity as if to say to others, “Don’t you see?” But no one could see what he saw. After having spent his life spreading the teachings of Lord Caitanya and establishing a firm basis for the future of Vaiṣṇavism, he was content to spend his time in the company of the Lord of his life.

Rasika Murāri Patnaik, also known as Rasikānanda Prabhu, was born in 1590, fifty-six years after Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had ended His earthly pastimes. Rasikānanda was born into a powerful zamindar (landowner) family in Royni, on the Suvarṇarekhā River in what is now the Medinipur district of southwest Bengal. This was a glorious time in the history of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism, the disciplic succession of devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa in the line of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: The Six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana had built a veritable storehouse of Sanskrit literature, in the form of poetry, history, aesthetics, and philosophy, unlike any the world has ever seen.

At this time, too, Jīva Gosvāmī had established a large Vaiṣṇava community in Vṛndāvana and had sent his three best disciples—Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, and Śyāmānanda Prabhu—throughout northern India to spread the Gosvāmīs’ teachings. While on this noble mission, Śyāmānanda met eighteen-year-old Rasika Murāri and initiated him into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, giving him the name Rasikānanda. The Gosvāmīs’ teachings touched the heart of this pious young landowner, who gave his life to Kṛṣṇa the moment he met his illustrious guru.

The meeting of Śyāmānanda and the youthful Rasikānanda is retold in Gopījanavallabha’s Rasika Maṅgala, a standard seventeenth-century text about the life of Rasikānanda. Basically, Śyāmānanda and Rasikānanda saw each other and recognized a connection that transcended time itself.

Rasika ran up to his future guru and fell flat at his feet, saying, “You are my eternal savior, and Kṛṣṇa has finally sent you to redeem me.”

Śyāmānanda Prabhu smiled with great pleasure. “I have found the future of Vaiṣṇavism!”

Rasikānanda, like his guru, was a married man, and so his wife, Icchā Devī, also took initiation from Śyāmānanda Prabhu, receiving the name Śyāmā Dāsī.* Śyāmānanda told them to always chant the mahā-mantra: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Soon after Śyāmā Dāsī’s initiation, the couple left Royni for nearby Kāśīpur, a popular city with a large influx of wealthy people. Sometime later, Śyāmānanda visited his two disciples in Kāśīpur and brought a beautiful Deity of Kṛṣṇa for them: Gopījanavallabha.

Seeing how much his disciples loved their newly installed Deity, Śyāmānanda renamed the city Gopiballabhpur (“Gopīvallabha’s town”) and blessed all of the townspeople to develop the same love for the Deity that Rasikānanda and his wife had. He asked Rasikānanda to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness vigorously and made Śyāmā Dāsī head priest of the temple.

Śyāmānanda then left, but he had planted a seed. Rasikānanda thrived, building an unparalleled organization for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He and his wife worked as a team, and together they are said to have brought hundreds of thousands of pious people to the teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

ŚYĀMĀNANDĪ VAIṢṆAVAS

According to historian Ramakanta Chakravarti, “Rasikmurāri was perhaps more successful in converting people into Vaiṣṇavism than any other Vaiṣṇava leader of his time.” His enthusiasm was so pronounced that by the time of his passing away, the region of Medinipur had developed a distinct sect of Vaiṣṇavas in the mood of Śyāmānanda, his guru. These “Śyāmānandī Vaiṣṇavas,” as they came to be called, developed their own style of dress, cooking, tilaka markings, and temple construction. Rasikānanda popularized Vaiṣṇavism to the point of creating an entire subculture based on its principles.

With Gopiballabhpur as the seat of Śyāmānandī Vaiṣṇavism, Rasikānanda spent forty years helping people see the good sense of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He made disciples among great kings and impious rogues, among the brāhmaṇas and lowborn śūdras. He completely ignored caste and outer qualifications (or disqualifications) and gave everyone a taste for Vaiṣṇavism.

The classic histories of the period, such as Śyāmānanda Prakāśa and Rasika Maṅgala, tell how he and his wife, with the help of influential disciples, put an end to animal sacrifice in non-Vaiṣṇava areas and convinced people throughout Orissa and its bordering villages of the validity of Mahāprabhu’s message. With his knowledge, purity, and charisma, he engaged Muslims, Buddhists, and various sects of Hindus in the service of Kṛṣṇa.

Late in his life Rasikānanda wrote a Sanskrit epic about the life of the person who had taught him all he knew. It was called Śyāmānanda-śatakam, and it remains the most authoritative work on Śyāmānanda’s life. Rādhānanda, Rasikānanda’s eldest son, who inherited the Gopīvallabha temple (from his mother), wrote a famous book called Rādhā-Govinda-kāvya, a beautiful devotional poem modeled after Jayadeva’s Gīta-govinda. His eldest son was Nayānanda, who, although like his grandfather an enthusiastic teacher, left no literary work for posterity.

Toward the end of his life, Rasikānanda settled in Remuṇā, Orissa, where he was fascinated by the Deity of Gopīnātha (Kṛṣṇa). It is said that he would spend day and night just gazing at the beautiful Deity. He would utter the mahā-mantra and sit transfixed, stuttering, shedding tears of love. He would point to the Deity as if to say to others, “Don’t you see?” But no one could see what he saw. After having spent his life spreading the teachings of Lord Caitanya and establishing a firm basis for the future of Vaiṣṇavism, he was content to spend his time in the company of the Lord of his life.

Rasika Murāri Patnaik, also known as Rasikānanda Prabhu, was born in 1590, fifty-six years after Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had ended His earthly pastimes. Rasikānanda was born into a powerful zamindar (landowner) family in Royni, on the Suvarṇarekhā River in what is now the Medinipur district of southwest Bengal. This was a glorious time in the history of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism, the disciplic succession of devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa in the line of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: The Six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana had built a veritable storehouse of Sanskrit literature, in the form of poetry, history, aesthetics, and philosophy, unlike any the world has ever seen.

At this time, too, Jīva Gosvāmī had established a large Vaiṣṇava community in Vṛndāvana and had sent his three best disciples—Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, and Śyāmānanda Prabhu—throughout northern India to spread the Gosvāmīs’ teachings. While on this noble mission, Śyāmānanda met eighteen-year-old Rasika Murāri and initiated him into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, giving him the name Rasikānanda. The Gosvāmīs’ teachings touched the heart of this pious young landowner, who gave his life to Kṛṣṇa the moment he met his illustrious guru.

The meeting of Śyāmānanda and the youthful Rasikānanda is retold in Gopījanavallabha’s Rasika Maṅgala, a standard seventeenth-century text about the life of Rasikānanda. Basically, Śyāmānanda and Rasikānanda saw each other and recognized a connection that transcended time itself.

Rasika ran up to his future guru and fell flat at his feet, saying, “You are my eternal savior, and Kṛṣṇa has finally sent you to redeem me.”

Śyāmānanda Prabhu smiled with great pleasure. “I have found the future of Vaiṣṇavism!”

Rasikānanda, like his guru, was a married man, and so his wife, Icchā Devī, also took initiation from Śyāmānanda Prabhu, receiving the name Śyāmā Dāsī.* Śyāmānanda told them to always chant the mahā-mantra: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Soon after Śyāmā Dāsī’s initiation, the couple left Royni for nearby Kāśīpur, a popular city with a large influx of wealthy people. Sometime later, Śyāmānanda visited his two disciples in Kāśīpur and brought a beautiful Deity of Kṛṣṇa for them: Gopījanavallabha.

Seeing how much his disciples loved their newly installed Deity, Śyāmānanda renamed the city Gopiballabhpur (“Gopīvallabha’s town”) and blessed all of the townspeople to develop the same love for the Deity that Rasikānanda and his wife had. He asked Rasikānanda to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness vigorously and made Śyāmā Dāsī head priest of the temple.

Śyāmānanda then left, but he had planted a seed. Rasikānanda thrived, building an unparalleled organization for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He and his wife worked as a team, and together they are said to have brought hundreds of thousands of pious people to the teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

ŚYĀMĀNANDĪ VAIṢṆAVAS

According to historian Ramakanta Chakravarti, “Rasikmurāri was perhaps more successful in converting people into Vaiṣṇavism than any other Vaiṣṇava leader of his time.” His enthusiasm was so pronounced that by the time of his passing away, the region of Medinipur had developed a distinct sect of Vaiṣṇavas in the mood of Śyāmānanda, his guru. These “Śyāmānandī Vaiṣṇavas,” as they came to be called, developed their own style of dress, cooking, tilaka markings, and temple construction. Rasikānanda popularized Vaiṣṇavism to the point of creating an entire subculture based on its principles.

With Gopiballabhpur as the seat of Śyāmānandī Vaiṣṇavism, Rasikānanda spent forty years helping people see the good sense of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He made disciples among great kings and impious rogues, among the brāhmaṇas and lowborn śūdras. He completely ignored caste and outer qualifications (or disqualifications) and gave everyone a taste for Vaiṣṇavism.

The classic histories of the period, such as Śyāmānanda Prakāśa and Rasika Maṅgala, tell how he and his wife, with the help of influential disciples, put an end to animal sacrifice in non-Vaiṣṇava areas and convinced people throughout Orissa and its bordering villages of the validity of Mahāprabhu’s message. With his knowledge, purity, and charisma, he engaged Muslims, Buddhists, and various sects of Hindus in the service of Kṛṣṇa.

Late in his life Rasikānanda wrote a Sanskrit epic about the life of the person who had taught him all he knew. It was called Śyāmānanda-śatakam, and it remains the most authoritative work on Śyāmānanda’s life. Rādhānanda, Rasikānanda’s eldest son, who inherited the Gopīvallabha temple (from his mother), wrote a famous book called Rādhā-Govinda-kāvya, a beautiful devotional poem modeled after Jayadeva’s Gīta-govinda. His eldest son was Nayānanda, who, although like his grandfather an enthusiastic teacher, left no literary work for posterity.

Toward the end of his life, Rasikānanda settled in Remuṇā, Orissa, where he was fascinated by the Deity of Gopīnātha (Kṛṣṇa). It is said that he would spend day and night just gazing at the beautiful Deity. He would utter the mahā-mantra and sit transfixed, stuttering, shedding tears of love. He would point to the Deity as if to say to others, “Don’t you see?” But no one could see what he saw. After having spent his life spreading the teachings of Lord Caitanya and establishing a firm basis for the future of Vaiṣṇavism, he was content to spend his time in the company of the Lord of his life.