Mukunda Datta
By His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj
From Divine Guidance page 44-45:
When Mahaprabhu experienced mahabhava for seven days in Srivas Pandit's house, the different devotees saw Him in different forms. Devotees of Ramachandra saw Mahaprabhu as Ramachandra, devotees of Vishnu saw Him as Vishnu; others saw Him in the form of Nrsimhadev, and yet others saw Him as different incarnations of Vishnu.
In that gathering Mahaprabhu restricted Mukunda Prabhu: "I shall not give you darshan." Mukunda remained outside the house, weeping. Seeing him crying, the devotees reported to Mahaprabhu, "Mukunda is very sad and he wants to end his life by drowning in the River Ganges. He does not want to maintain his body if he cannot see Your Form. He is continually crying outside."
Mukunda sent a message with the devotees asking Mahaprabhu, "When shall I see Your form?" Mahaprabhu answered, "After crores of births he will be able to see Me." Hearing this, Mukunda became very happy and began dancing outside the entrance, "Oh, after only crores of births I will again see Mahaprabhu! Therefore I have no problem. Crores of births I can tolerate to again have His darshan."
Hearing that, Mahaprabhu was happy and said, "Now he has already crossed those crores of births and he can see Me— he can come immediately."
So the devotees called Mukunda: "Oh Mukunda, come, Mahaprabhu is calling you." But Mukunda said, "Mahaprabhu said 'after crores of births,' then how can I go there now? If I go now I will not be able to see the real form of Mahaprabhu. Only after crores of births shall I be able to see, but not now - if I 'see' Him now, that will not be really seeing Him, it will be illusion. So why shall I go there? I do not want to go there now."
Real vision is necessary, and that is the main thing. Otherwise, seeing the Deity, the Dham or anything else is only an exercise of the eye; it is not actual vision and we shall not gain real benefit from that.
But Mahaprabhu said, "Now his crores of births have gone, and he can come and see Me."
Mukunda very much chastised himself that he had done wrong, and so had caused Mahaprabhu to at first refuse him entrance. Mahaprabhu then showed His real form to him.
The main thing is that without devotion and transcendental knowledge we can neither see the real Vrindavan Dham nor the real Nama, Rupa, Guna and Lila (Name, Form, Qualities and Pastimes) of the Lord. All these are transcendental, therefore we cannot see them with our mundane eyes - that is the main thing.
To read the whole chapter or book, please download: Divine Guidance (pdf book)
Mukunda Datta, a branch of the Chaitanya tree
Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi Lila 10.40
Translation and purport by Srila A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupadsri-mukunda-datta sakha—prabhura samadhyayi
yanhara kirtane nache chaitanya-gosai
TRANSLATION
Mukunda Datta, a class friend of Lord Chaitanya's, was another branch of the Chaitanya tree. Lord Chaitanya danced while he sang.
PURPORT
Sri Mukunda Datta was born in the Chattagrama district, in the village of Chanhara, which is under the jurisdiction of the police station named Patiya. This village is situated ten krosas, or about twenty miles, from the home of Pundarik Vidyanidhi. In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (140) it is said:
vraje sthitau gayakau yau
madhukantha-madhuvratau
mukunda-vasudevau tau
dattau gauranga-gayakau
"In Vraja there were two very nice singers named Madhukantha and Madhuvrata. They appeared in Chaitanya-lila as Mukunda and Vasudev Datta, who were singers in the society of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu." When Lord Chaitanya was a student, Mukunda Datta was His class friend, and they frequently engaged in logical arguments. Sometimes Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would fight with Mukunda Datta, using tricks of logic. This is described in the Chaitanya-bhagavata, Adi-lila, chapters eleven and twelve.
When Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu returned from Gaya, Mukunda Datta gave Him pleasure by reciting verses from Srimad-Bhagavatam about Krishna-lila. It was by his endeavour that Gadadhar Pandit Goswami became a disciple of Pundarik Vidyanidhi, as stated in Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata, Madhya-lila, chapter seven.
When Mukunda Datta sang in the courtyard of Srivas Prabhu, Mahaprabhu danced with his singing, and when Lord Chaitanya for twenty-one hours exhibited an ecstatic manifestation known as sata-prahariya, Mukunda Datta inaugurated the function by singing.
Sometimes Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu chastised Mukunda Datta by calling him 'khadajathiya beta' because he attended many functions held by different classes of nondevotees. This is stated in the Chaitanya-bhagavata, Madhya-lila, chapter ten.
When Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu dressed Himself as the goddess of fortune to dance in the house of Chandrasekhara, Mukunda Datta began the first song.
Before disclosing His desire to take the renounced order of life, Lord Chaitanya first went to the house of Mukunda Datta, but at that time Mukunda Datta requested Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to continue His sankirtan movement for a few days more before taking sannyas. This is stated in Chaitanya-bhagavata, Madhya-lila chapter twenty-six.
The information of Lord Chaitanya's accepting the renounced order was made known to Gadadhar Pandit, Candrasekhara Acharya and Mukunda Datta by Nityananda Prabhu, and therefore all of them went to Katwa and arranged for kirtana and all the paraphernalia for Lord Chaitanya's acceptance of sannyas. After the Lord took sannyas, they all followed Him, especially Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Gadadhar Prabhu and Govinda, who followed Him all the way to Purusottam-ksetra. In this connection one may refer to Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata, Antya-lila, chapter two.
In the place known as Jalesvara, Nityananda Prabhu broke the sannyas rod of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Mukunda Datta was also present at that time. He went every year from Bengal to see Lord Caitanya at Jagannath Puri.
| Links: 'The appearance of Sri Pundarika Vidyanidhi' an excerpt of, Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion Vol.2 by Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj: "Mukunda Datta went to Gadadhar Pandit and asked him, "Would you like to have the darsan of a Vaisnav?".. .From childhood Gadadhar Pandit was very fond of Vaisnavas and Krsna-nama... So Mukunda Datta took Gadadhar Pandit to Pundarik Vidyanidhi. And what kind of Vaisnav was Pundarik Vidyanidhi?.. .Gadadhar Pandit thought, "Mukunda has brought me to this luxury-loving man sitting on the bedstead and smoking? What type of Vaisnav has he brought me to see?" He was disappointed at heart, and Mukunda could guess it." Read more... |
Sri
Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Nabadwip