By Ramai Swami
Sri Syamananda Prabhu, Srinivasa Acarya and Sri Narottama dasa Thakura were
the internal associates of Sri Gaurasundara. They incarnated in this world in
order to spread the teachings of Sri Gaura-Krsna after His departure from it.
Sri Syamananda made his appearance at Utkala in the village of Dharenda
Bahadurpur. His father’s name was Sri Krsna Mandal and his mother’s name was
Sri Durika. Sri Krsna Mandal, who descended in the line of sad-gopas, had many
sons and daughters who unfortunately passed away before the birth of this
son.
Sri Krsna Mandal was himself a very advanced devotee. Seeing that his son was
always absorbed in thinking of Gaura-Nityananda. He told him that he should be
initiated into the divine mantra.
The boy replied, “Sri Hrdaya Caitanya is my guru. He is at Ambika Kalna. His
guru is Sri Gauri dasa Pandita. The two brothers, Sri Gaura-Nityananda, are
eternally present in his house. If you give your permission, I will proceed to
there to become his disciple.”
Sri Hrdaya Caitanya was very pleased to meet him. He told the boy, “From now
your name is Krsna das. Since early this morning I was feeling that someone
would come today.”
Sri Hrdaya Caitanya could see that his new disciple was extremely intelligent
and at the same time very devoted, so he ordered him to go to Vrindavana to
study the literatures of the under the tutelage of Srila Jiva
Gosvami.
Srila Jiva Gosvami was extremely happy to receive Duhkhi Krsna dasa into his
care. Krsna das very carefully began to serve Jiva Gosvami as well as study
the literatures of the Gosvamis.
Srinivasa Acarya and Narottama dasa Thakura also came to Sri Jiva at this time
to study under him. Thus Krsna das had the opportunity to meet them.
Krsna das requested Srila Jiva Gosvami for a special service. Sri Jiva
instructed him to sweep the forest grove of Sevakunja everyday. From that day
he began to carry out this service with great pleasure.
The Lord of Vrindavana and His consort were very pleased with the service of
Krsna das, and desired to grant him Their darshan. One day while Krsna das was
cleaning the kunja, his heart filled with love. Just then he happened to
notice a very beautiful ankle bracelet lying in the dust. He picked
it up, touched it to his head and then bound it in the corner of his upper
cloth. “I’ll give it to whom ever it belongs to when they come to look for
it,” he thought.
The next morning the gopis were quite shocked when they noticed that
Srimati Radharani’s left ankle bracelet was missing. Radharani explained,
“Last night, when I was dancing in the kunja, it must have fallen off. Please
look for it and bring it back to me, whoever finds it.”
When the gopis came to search for the bracelet, Visakha devi noticed Krsna das
sweeping the grove. She asked him, “Have you found an ankle bracelet here?”
Duhkhi Krsna dasa was so mesmerized by her sweet words and radiant form, which
was like that of a demigoddess descended from heaven, that he simply stared at
her dumbfounded. Again she asked him, “Have you found an ankle bracelet here?”
Duhkhi Krsna made obeisances and humbly replied, “Yes, I found it. Who are
you?”
“I am a cowherd girl.”
“Where do you stay?”
“In this village.”
“Is it your ankle bracelet?”
“No it isn’t mine. It belongs to a new bride in our house.”
“How did it get here?”
“She came here yesterday to pick flowers and it must have fallen off then.”
“All right, then please tell her she can come and collect it from me.”
“No, you can just give it to me.”
“No, I want to give it to her personally.”
After a few moments, Visakha devi returned with Srimati Radha Thakurani who
stood in the shade at the foot of a large tree. Visakha called out to Krsna
dasa, “Bhakta, the person who lost her ankle bracelet has come to receive it.”
Visakha then told him, “O best of the devotees! Our Sakhi wants to give you a
benediction to express her gratitude.”
Duhkhi Krsna dasa in trance saw the holy waters of Radha kunda before him.
After offering his obeisances, he immersed himself in her waters. Thus he
attained a transcendentally beautiful feminine form. Coming out of the sacred
kunda, he stood before Visakha devi and offered prayers. Taking this ‘forest
sakhi’ by the hand, Visakha approached Srimati Radha Thakurani, and the new
sakhi fell down at Her lotus feet. Then Srimati Radharani decorated her
forehead with tilaka using the ankle bracelet and the kumkum of her lotus
feet.
“This tilak will remain on your forehead. From today you will be known as
Syamananda. Now you can go.” After She said this, Srimati Radha Thakurani and
Her sakhis were no longer to be seen. Dukhi Krsna dasa’s trance broke and he
found himself as before, alone and in his male body: yet with the tilaka
applied by Srimati Radharani still on his forehead.
Sri Syamananda, Srinivasa and Sri Narottama began to pass their days in great
bliss, studying the literatures of the goswamis and begging a little to eat
from door to door. The three of them resolved to continue in this way and thus
devote the better part of their time to serving and worshipping Sri Krsna in
Vrindavana.
The goswamis held a council together and decided that these three should be
sent to Gaudadesa to preach the teachings of Mahaprabhu as presented in the
gosvami literature. One day Srila Jiva Gosvami called the three of them
together and informed them of this decision. Thus the three of them accepted
that order on their bowed heads.
Thereafter, on an auspicious day Srila Jiva Gosvami sent them on their way
with a large, nicely decorated container filled with scriptures. But the books
were stolen by the dacoit king, Sri Hambhir, in Bisnupur.
There Srinivasa Acarya prabhu remained behind to recover the books while
Narottama continued on towards Kheturi and Shyamananda proceeded to Ambika
Kalna.
Arriving there, Syamananda paid his obeisances to his guru, and Sri Hrdaya
Caitanya Prabhu embraced him and inquired about the well being of the gosvamis
of Vrindavana. When he heard that the books of the gosvamis had been stolen in
Bishnupur, he was very concerned.
Syamananda served the lotus feet of his guru in great happiness and in this
way passed his days. At this time most of the devotees of Lord Caitanya in
Orissa had all passed away.
Thus the preaching of Mahaprabhu’s teachings had all but come to a halt.
Hrdaya Caitanya Prabhu considered this a very serious problem and finally
instructed Syamananda Prabhu to go there to carry on the preaching of
Mahaprabhu’s mission.
Syamananda returned to Gopi-ballabhpur where he observed a great festival for
some days. Then he came to Uddanda Raya Bhui’s house, at Nrsimhapur where he
held a great festival. On the first day of the dark fortnight in the month of
Asar Sri Syamananda Prabhu left this world.
Syamananda Prabhu’s puspa samadhi and the place where he found Srimati
Radharani’s ankle bracelet is just across the street from Sri Sri
Radha-Syamsundara’s temple in Vrndavana. Sri Sri Radha-Syamsundara are his
worshipful Deities.
