Disappearance Srila Jayadeva Gosvami

Excerpt from Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja’s book, Sri Navadvipa-dhama Parikrama

Sri Koladvipa’s south-western part, Campaka-hatta, was named after the large garden of campaka flowers that used to be here.

Its present name is Campa-hati and it is situated in the Vardhamana district. In Satya-yuga an elderly brahmana resided here and worshipped Sri Radha-Govinda with these campaka flowers. Pleased with his service, Sri Syamasundara Krsna appeared before him as the beautiful Sri Gaura, whose complexion is resplendent like a campaka flower, and said, “In Kali-yuga I will manifest the form you now see and distribute the chanting of the holy name and love of Krsna to the living entities. At that time you will also take birth and witness My most munificent pastimes.” In Mahaprabhu’s pastimes that brahmana was Dvija Vaninatha, the younger brother of Sri Gadadhara, who is the personified potency of Sri Gaura. In Krsna’s pastimes Vaninatha was Kamalekha Sakhi. The deities of Sri Gaura-Gadadhara that Vaninatha worshipped are now being served here in Sri Gaura-Gadadhara Gaudiya Matha, which was established by jagad-guru Srila Prabhupada.z

This is Sri Jayadeva Gosvami’s residence and place of bhajana. Jayadeva Gosvami was a contemporary of King Ballala Sena, who greatly honoured him. Jayadeva’s bhajana-kuti was on the Ganga’s eastern bank some distance from Ballala Sena’s royal palace, but when an obstacle arose in his bhajana, he left there with his wife Padmavati and came to this solitary and charming garden. Once, as he was composing the verses of Gita-govinda, a pastime in which Srimati Radhika entered Her sulky mood (mana) appeared in his heart. Krsna’s repeated attempts to remove Her mana all failed. Then the mood entered Sri Jayadeva’s heart in which he understood that to pacify Srimati Radhika, Sri Krsna put His head at Her lotus feet.

This filled Sri Jayadeva with fear and he could not bring himself to write it. He thought, “Sri Krsna is everyone’s worshipful Supreme Lord and He possesses all potencies. Srimati Radhika is His potency and maidservant. How is it possible for Sri Krsna to put His head at Radhika’s lotus feet? That would transgress the principles of religion.” His hand trembled and lost grip of his pen. He could write no more, so he went to take bath in the Ganga. Meanwhile, Sri Krsna, the topmost relisher of transcendental mellows, assumed the form of Sri Jayadeva and went to his house. He asked Padmavati to bring Him the manuscript and then personally completed the verse smara-garala-khandanam (“the deadly poison of amorous love”) that Jayadeva had begun to write, by adding mama sirasi mandanam dehi pada-pallavam udaram (“is counteracted by decorating My head with Your flower-like feet”).

smara-garala-khandanam
mama sirasi mandanam
dehi pada-pallavam udaram

*My beloved, offer the fresh buds of your enchanting feet as an ornament upon my head, so the devastating effect of Cupid’s poison may be alleviated and the harsh fire of amorous desires may also be relieved.*

Sri Krsna left the house and a short time later, Jayadeva returned. Surprised, his wife asked, “How were you able to come back so quickly? Just a short while ago you returned, wrote something in your book, and again went out to take bath.” Jayadeva Gosvami asked for his manuscript and upon opening it saw that his unfinished verse was now complete. Filled with wonder, he told his wife, weeping, “O Devi, you are blessed. You had darsana of Syamasundara Krsna, who personally came here and completed the verse I feared to write. Krsna is brought under control by prema, not by devotion based on rules and regulations.”z

After some time, Jayadeva Gosvami and his wife moved to Jagannatha Puri. Gita-govinda is so beautifully sweet that even Jagannathadeva Himself is eager to hear it. Once in a garden, a deva-dasi [a dancing girl in the Jagannatha Temple] was singing the verses of Gita-govinda, and Jagannathaji came out of the temple and swiftly ran towards that garden. As He ran, thorny bushes tore His cloth and scratched His body. When he had heard all the verses He returned to the temple and took His place on the altar. When the pujari opened the door he was astonished to see Sri Jagannatha’s condition. The head pujari and the king were informed and everyone was filled with concern. The next night Sri Jagannatha appeared to the head pujari in a dream and revealed to him the secret that He heard verses being sung from Gita-govinda, and in His haste to go to the source of the sound, His cloth was torn. When Sri Svarupa Damodara recited Gita-govinda verses to Sriman Mahaprabhu, He became immersed in ecstasy.

Sri Jayadeva received darsana of his beloved Lord in His form as Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu.