Duhkhiya set out for Ambika Kalna.
Arriving there[1], he inquired from the local people where he might find the house of Gauri Dasa Pandita. Outside the gate of the temple he fell down and offered his dandavat[2].
Sri Hridaya Caitanya happened to be passing there at that time. He looked at Duhkhi for a few moments and then asked:
“Who are you?”
Recognizing his Guru by the description he had heard, Duhkhiya replied:
“I have come to serve Your lotus feet. My home is at Dharenda Bahadurpur. I was born in the caste of shad-gopas[3]. My father’s name is Sri Krishna Mandal. My name is Duhkhiya.”
Hridaya Caitanya was very pleased by the sweet tone of the boy’s speech and replied:
“Early this morning I was feeling that someone would come today. From now on your name is Krishna Dasa.”
Duhkhi Krishna Dasa began his service with great devotion, and on the auspicious day of Phalghuni Purnima on 1553 AD his Guru initiated him in Hari Nama and then in the Sri Krishna Mantra[4]. He gave him the name “Duhkhi Krishna Dasa” and engaged him in the service of Sri Sri Gaura and Nityananda.
Rasikananda Prabhu[5] writes[6]:
“Sri Syamananda was known in this world as Hridayananda’s dear disciple; he was the grand-disciple of Subala Sakha, the most dear friend of the Supreme Lord; he was the crest-jewel of the enjoyers of sacred rapture. May he appear day and night in my mind, bringing an appreciation for the essence of the joys of the beloved of Srimati Radharani[7]”.
Syamananda Prabhu, together with his dear friends Srinivasa Acarya and Narottama dasa Thakura, were eternal associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They incarnated in this world in order to spread the teachings of Sri Gaura Krishna after His departure from it.
Those who read and enjoy reading and knowing about the eternal associates of Sri Gauranga will attain their place by the side of Sri Sri Radha Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His eternal consort.
[1] According to some documents, for some reason he first went to Navadvipa, then to Santipur and finally arrived to Ambika Kalna. The reason why he did so can only be infered.
[2] The word danda means rod or pole. A rod or pole falls straight; similarly, when one offers obeisances to his superior with all eight angas (parts) of the body, he performs what is called dandavat. (Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, 2.1.67, purport) The eight parts of the body that have to touch the ground are: thighs, feet, hands, chest, mind, head, speech, eyes (Maha-bharata, Adi Parva).
[3] Sad Gopa is a cast of cowherds and landlords. They claim to be direct descendents of Lord Krishna.
[4] According to some sources, on the same day he received two initiations, the first in the Harinama Mantra and the second to the Krishna Gayatri Mantra. It’s what we would call harinama-diksa and mantra-diksa.
[5] We’ll write quite a bit on Rasikananda later in this book.
[6] yam loka bhuvi kirtayanti hridayanandasya sisyam priyam / sakhye sri-subalasya yam bhagavatah preshthanushishyam tatha / sa sriman rasikendra-mastaka-manish citte mamaharnisham / shri-radhapriya-narma-marmasu rucim sampadayan bhasatam
[7] This is a verse from the Syamananda-sataka #2.
This is a section of the book “Syamananda, the Joy of Radharani (English)”.
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