Madhu Pandita
There is no mention of Sri Madhu Pandit in Caitanya Caritamrta.
Only it is mentioned in Bhakti Ratnakara that Sri Gopinathji manifested
Himself before Him. [BR 2.473]
"Oh Srinivas! What more can I
say? The Lord reveals Himself to His pure devotee, who then preaches
His glories to the world. Who can describe their incomprehensible
activities by which the Lord becomes subservient to their love? Thus
did Sri Vrajendra Kumar reveal himself to Paramananda Bhattacarya and
Sri Madhu Pandit, who is the abode of many wonderful qualities."
"Thus
has Sri Gopinathji, Who is an ocean of mercy, and Who sports on the
enchantingly beautiful banks of Vamsivat, become manifested by the
grace of Sri Madhu Pandit." [Sadhana Dipikayam]
Thus Sri Madhu
Pandit became the servant of Sri Gopinath, Whose bodily luster steals
away the minds of everyone. Hundreds and thousands of people came
running to see Him, famed as He is as sweetness personified. When the
soothing sweetness and coolness of His charming form entered their
hearts through their eyes, they found that the burning fire of material
existence which had previously been burning there, was now
extinguished. Paramananda Bhattacarya and Madhu Pandita were disciples
of Gadadhara Pandita, one of the most intimate devotees of Lord
Caitanya. Madhu Pandita would read Srimad Bhagavatam every day.
The
Deity of Gopinatha was discovered at Vamsivata by Paramananda
Bhattacarya, who entrusted the Deity’s worship to Madhu Pandita. On the
altar in this temple are Deities of Gopinatha, Srimati Radharani
and Her sister, Ananga Manjari. Madhu Pandita arranged to have this
temple built.
Vajranabha, the great-grandson of Krishna,
originally installed Gopinathji in Vrindavana. When the Muslims raided
Vrindavana in 1670, the original Gopinatha Deity was taken to Jaipur.
The Gopinatha Deity in Jaipur is said to exactly resemble Lord Krishna,
from the shoulders down to the waist.
There is a story about
this temple that Srimati Jahnava Devi, the wife of Nityananda, came to
Vrindavana, and she came to the evening aratis at the Radha Gopinatha
Temple. Suddenly, Gopinatha jumped off the altar and took Jahnava Devi
onto the altar and closed the curtains. When the assembled Vaishnavas
opened the curtain, Jahnava Devi was gone and Gopinatha was standing on
the altar.
Later the deity of Ananga Manjari, the younger sister
of Radharani was installed on the altar here. Jahnava Devi is Ananga
Manjari in Krishna’s pastimes. Normally Radharani is to the left of Sri
Krishna. In this temple Radharani is to the right of Krishna, and
Ananga Manjari is placed on the left. Deities of Lalita and Visakha are
also on the altar, along with a Deity of Lord Caitanya.
Sri
Rayasila Shekhavata, who was given a large amount of land by Akbar for
defeating the Afghans, built the original Gopinatha temple. It is
believed that this temple may have been built before the Govindaji and
Madana-Mohan temples. This temple was broken and defiled by Aurangzeb’s
soldiers. Sri Nanda Kumar Bose of Bengal constructed a new temple for
Gopinatha.
“Sri Srila Gopinatha, who originated the
transcendental mellow of the rasa dance, stands on the shore in
Vamsivata and attracts the attention of the cowherd damsels with the
sound of His celebrated flute. May They all confer upon us Their
benediction” (Caitanya Caritamrita Adi 1.17).