Gadadhar Pandit – The devotee gives up everything for the Lord; the Lord gives up everything for the devotee

Hare Krishna. On this sacred occasion associated with Srila Gadadhar Pandit, let us try to meditate on a drop in the ocean of his glories.

Gadadhar Pandit being one of the primary associates, the foremost intimate associates of Lord Chaitanya, has many pastimes. We will just focus on one pastime to demonstrate the dynamics of lower and higher dharma that are demonstrated throughout Chaitanya Leela. So Gadadhar Pandit followed Chaitanya Mahaprabhu from Mayapur to Puri.

The others of the Panchatattu Aditya Acharyas, Srivastava, Thakur, Ityan Prabhu, they were all in Bengal. Gadadhar Pandit was the only person who was in Puri with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And when he was staying in Puri, seeing that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was in Puri, he decided to take Kshetra Sanyas and stay in Puri so that he could be having the association of Lord Chaitanya.

Now, if he had told that to Lord Chaitanya, I just want to have your association and that's why I will not travel. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would not have been very agreeable. So he said that I want to worship the deity of Tota Gopinath.

Now, of course, he was extremely devoted to Tota Gopinath. And actually later on, when he became physically initiated, when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu departed from the world, he was so devastated that although he was contemporary to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu departed at the age of 48. So he was 47 at that time roughly.

So still he became like old overnight and his body started deteriorating and he couldn't even get up properly. Such was the extent to which he was overwhelmed. The spiritual bereavement led to emotional overwhelm and then that led to physical deterioration.

And Tota Gopinath ji being so touched by the sincere service attitude of Galadhar Pandit by which he wanted to serve the Tota Gopinath deity, but at the same time his intense and desperate separation from Lord Chaitanya which just took away from his heart the desire to live anymore, to care for the body at all. So Tota Gopinath ji actually sat down because Galadhar Pandit couldn't get up to serve. So he sat down.

That's practically the only deity in the world where Krishna is not standing in Tribhanga, but is sitting down. So, such is the… So this is actually a very special deity in one sense. Of course, every deity is special.

But the point which I'm making here is that Galadhar Pandit was not just serving Tota Gopinath perfunctory. His heart was there in the service. And that's why the Tota Gopinath reciprocate is extraordinary with him.

But at the same time, he also desired fervently to associate with and serve Lord Chaitanya. And that's why when Lord Chaitanya decided to leave Jagannath Puri on his travels, so at that time, Galadhar Pandit said that, you know, I cannot live without you, so I'll also come with you. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, how can you come? You're taking Kshetra Sanyasa.

He said, my dear Lord, wherever you are, that is the most sacred Kshetra in the world. And that is where I will stay. So, he demonstrates the principle of surrendering everything for the sake of the Lord.

At one level, we surrender Adharma. Give up sacrifice. Surrender means sacrifice here.

We give up Adharma. We give up doing sinful activities for the sake of the Lord. But at a higher level, we give up Dharma also for the sake of service of the Lord.

Just as the Gopis gave up their Dharma as wives, as household ladies to go out to Krishna at night. So, giving up Dharma for the sake of the Supreme Lord is following It's the topmost Dharma. So, that's what the Gopis demonstrated.

That's what Gadadhar Pandit is also ready to demonstrate over here. He said, my dear Lord, I don't care for the Kshetra Sanyasa. I just want to serve you.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was internally pleased, extremely pleased by the fervent devotion of Gadadhar Pandit. But he wanted to also maintain the principles of Dharma for society to follow. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was internally in the mood of Radharani, but externally he acted as strict Sanyasis so that people would not become degraded by prematurely imitating Gopi Bhava.

So, similarly, he understood Gadadhar Pandit's putting aside the Kshetra Sanyasa would have no fault. But imitating him, others would do that and that would be faulty. So, to save other people from such unwarranted rejection of regularity principles, he told Gadadhar Pandit that, you know, you will not only spoil your name, you will spoil my name.

You will not only violate Dharma, you will actually cause me to be criticized and blamed. So, you are spoiling Dharma in two ways. First is, you are giving up your service to Bhagwan Gopinath.

And secondly, you are also acting for your own pleasure. So, don't act for your pleasure like this. And then Chaitanya Mahaprabhu departed from there.

And as he departed, what happened? At that time, Gadadhar Pandit fainted. And Sarovam Bhattacharya was there with him. And Sarovam Bhattacharya told Gadadhar Pandit, just see how the Lord has suppressed His heart to preserve your word.

Just as Krishna sacrificed His own word to preserve Bhishma's word. So, the Lord would have loved you to be with Him. He loves you so much.

But He wanted to preserve your word when you had taken Kshetra Sanyasa. And that's why He has left you and gone. What special mercy you have got.

So, Gadadhar Pandit is actually Radharani. But he does not act as Radharani directly because he wants Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to relish the mood of Krishna, the form of being Krishna in the mood of Radharani. So, that very way Lord is manifesting.

And Gadadhar Pandit assists in Lord Chaitanya's mood. And Gadadhar Pandit is so dear to the Lord that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is often known as Gadadharera Gaura. And many of the Gaudiya Mahats actually, where Bhaktadhyasa Thakur made temples, the Gaudiya Mahats have, this is in Srila Prabhupada Bedi Vrindavan, Gauranitai, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, He made Gadadhar and Gaura.

Bhaktadhyasa Thakur had Gauran and Gadadhar. Gadadhar Pandit is such an important associate of the Lord. And we can pray to Him for His mercy by which we can also become devoted, surrendered to the Lord.

And thereby attain life's perfection eventually. Shri Gadadhar Pandit ki Jai. Thank you.