Dhananjaya Pandit

      Caitanya-Bhagavata says that Dhananjaya  Pandita had all the symptoms of a great personality.  At every moment he was dear to Nityananda Prabhu's heart.  In this way, Vrndavana dasa Thakura describes the glories of Dhananjaya Pandita. Dhananjaya Pa.dita's birthplace was in Sitalagrama. This village is in the Bardhaman district in Katwa and is situated near the Mangalakota police station and the post office of Kaicara. Sri Bhaktivedanta Swami remarks, "On the narrow railway from Burdwan to Katwa is a railway station about nine miles from Katwa known as Kaicara. One has to go about a mile northeast of this station to reach Sitala. The temple was a thatched house with walls made of mud. Some time ago, the Zamindars of Bajaravana Kabasi, the Mulliks, constructed a big house for the purpose of a temple, but for the last sixty-five years, the temple has been broken down and abandoned. The foundation of the old temple is still visible. There is a tulasi pillar near the temple, and every year during the month of January the disappearance day of Dhananjaya Pandita is observed. It is said that for some time Pandita Dhananjaya was in a sankirtana party under the direction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and then he went to Vrndavana. Before going to Vrndavana, he lived for some time in a village named Sancadapancada, which is six miles south of the Memari railway station. Somteimes this village is also known as the "place of Dhananjaya" (Dhananjayera Pata). After some time, he left the responsibility for worship with a disciple and went back to Vrndavana. After returning from Vrndavana to Sitala-grama, he established a Deity of Gaurasundraa in the temple. The descendants of Pandita Dhananjaya still look after the temple worship."

     Some people differ with the orthodox opinion of Dhananjaya Pandita's birthplace. According to their view, he took birth within the Cattagrama district in the area known as Jadagrama.  There, in a place which is also called Sitalagrama and is known as Sancada Pancada Grama is a deity whose service was established by him.

     Dhananjaya Pandita was in Nabadwipa when Caitanya Mahaprabhu performed his kirtana pastimes there. After he returned to Bengal from Vrndavana he established a deity in a village called Jalandi Grama. The deities of that temple are Sri Sri Gopinatha, Sri Sri Nitai-Gaura, and a salagrama-sila, Sri Sri Damodara.  Dhananjaya Pandita left no direct descendants. He had a brother named Sri Sanjaya. His son's name was Sri Rama Kanai Thakura. His birthplace is presently known as Muluka-grama and is near present-day Bolapura. Some people say that Sanjaya Pandita was the disciple of Dhananjaya Pandita. At present the service of the deities established in Sitalagrama by Dhananjaya Pandita are worshiped by the descendants of Sri Dhananjaya Pandita's disciples. Sri Dhananjaya Pandita had a disciple named Sri Jiva Krsna who established a deity of Sri Syamasundara which is presently maintained there in the house of a devotee named Sri Gopala Caudhari.   Sri Dhananjaya Pandita's samadhi-mandira or memorial resting place may be found in Sitala-grama. Dhananjaya Pandita passed away and entered into the eternal pastimes of the Lord on the eighth day of the full moon in the month of Karttika.

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