Vamshivadananda Thakura
On the Caitra Purnima, the full moon day of the month of Caitra, Sri Vamsivadananda Thakura took birth within this world. It was a sweet moon in 1466, and everyone sang in great joy at the appearance of such a great soul.
Vamsivadananda Thakura is also known as Vamsivadana, Vamsi dasa, or Vamsi. Within Kuliya are the villages known as Teghari, Venciada, Vedadapada, and Cinedanga Grama. Srikara Cattyopadhyaya’s sons moved to Bilvagrama, Paduli Hata, and Venciada in Kuliya. His eldest son was Sri Yudhisthira Cattyopadhyaya. His three sons were Madhava dasa, Haridasa, and Krishnadasa. When Chaitanya Mahaprabhu left Jagannatha Puri and came to Bengal to visit the Ganges and his mother after five years of his sannyasa, he stayed for seven days at the house of Madhava dasa. It was there that the Lord instructed and delivered Devananda Pandita as well as many others, when he granted general amnesty to all those who had committed offenses during the Lord’s early life in Nabadwipa dhama.
It was in the house of Sri Madhava dasa that Vamsivadananda Thakura took birth. His mother’s name was Srimati Candrakaladevi. Vamsivadananda Thakura is the avatara of Krishna’s flute. The day that he took birth, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was staying in the house of Sri Madhava dasa. Advaita Acharya Prabhu was also present. Madhava dasa was a greatly devoted soul and was very attached to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The Lord was very affectionate towards his son, Vamsi. The Chaitanya-Caritamrta makes no mention of Vamsivadananda Thakura. However, in the Caitanya Candrodaya of Kavi Karnapura it is written (9.33): “When the Lord went to Nabadwipa dhama after crossing the Ganges, he stayed for seven days in Kuliya-grama at the house of Madhava dasa.” Mahaprabhu had been in Shantipura at the house of Advaita Acharya. He crossed the Ganges and came to Kuliya-grama, where he stayed for seven days in order to give mercy to the people of Nabadwipa. Sri Narahari Chakravarti Thakura writes in his Bhakti-ratnakara (4.23) that when Shrinivasa Acharya went to visit the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Mayapura during his pilgrimage to Nabadwipa, he met Vamsivadananda Thakura. At that time Vamsivadananda Thakura bestowed his blessings upon the young Shrinivasa Acharya who also managed to take darshana of the holy feet of Sri Vishnupriya devi. Narahari writes, “Vamsivadananda Thakura sat the young Srinivasa Acharya upon his lap and wet his head with tears of ecstasy in love of Godhead.”
After the disappearance of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Vamsivadananda Thakura was engaged as a servant by Vishnupriya devi. It is said that he became the foremost recipient of her mercy. After the disappearance of Vishnupriya devi, he took the Mahaprabhu deity established by her to Koladwipa, which is presently the town known as Nabadwipa dhama. There he established the worship of the Mahaprabhu deity. There, he also established a deity of Krishna known as Pranavallabha. In the summer he used to stay in Bilvagrama. There in Bilvagrama he was famous among the learned scholars, Bhattacaryas, and pious gentlemen. He had two sons named Chaitanya dasa and Nitai dasa. Chaitanya dasa also had two sons: Sri Ramachandra and Sri Sacinandana. In the Gaudiya, published by the Gaudiya Math (Vol. 22 # 30-37) it is written, “Sri Jahnava Mata accepted alms from this Ramachandra and initiated him in the place called Khadadaha after instructing him in the science of Vaishnavism.” Sri Ramachandra Goswami was a brahmachari [celibate student]. He engaged his younger brother Sri Sacinandana in the service of Rama and Krishna in the place called Baghana Pada. Sri Sacinandana Goswami’s sons and descendants are the present day Goswami caste in Baghana Pada.
Vamsivadananda Thakura was a lyrical poet and a composer of songs. All his songs are especially sweet and mellow and express deep moods of devotion. In one famous song he has expressed the separation felt by Mother Sachi upon the taking of sannyasa by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Vamsivadananda Thakura has also composed songs about Krishna’s dana-lila, nauka-vilasa, and vana-vihara-lila.
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