Verse 1.2.98-99

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 1.2.98-99:

নিগূঢে অনেক আর বৈসে নদীযায পূর্বে সবে জন্মিলেন ঈশ্বর-আজ্ঞায শ্রী চন্দ্রশেখর, জগদীশ, গোপীনাথ শ্রীমান্, মুরারি, শ্রী গরুড, গঙ্গাদাস ॥ ৯৮-৯৯ ॥

निगूढे अनेक आर वैसे नदीयाय पूर्वे सबे जन्मिलेन ईश्वर-आज्ञाय श्री चन्द्रशेखर, जगदीश, गोपीनाथ श्रीमान्, मुरारि, श्री गरुड, गङ्गादास ॥ ९८-९९ ॥

nigūḍhe aneka āra vaise nadīyāya pūrve sabe janmilena īśvara-ājñāya śrī candraśekhara, jagadīśa, gopīnātha śrīmān, murāri, śrī garuḍa, gaṅgādāsa || 98-99 ||

nigudhe aneka ara vaise nadiyaya purve sabe janmilena isvara-ajnaya sri candrasekhara, jagadisa, gopinatha sriman, murari, sri garuda, gangadasa (98-99)

English translation:

(98-99) Many other devotees lived incognito in Nadia. By the will of the Lord, Śrī Candraśekhara, Jagadīśa, Gopīnātha, Śrīmān Paṇḍita, Murāri Gupta, Śrī Garuḍa Paṇḍita, and Gaṅgādāsa all took birth before the Lord.

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

The word nigūḍhe means “most secretively” or “incognito.”

Śrī Jagadīśa is described in the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (192) as

follows: “Śrī Jagadīśa and Hiraṇya previously appeared as the wives of the yajñic brāhmaṇas of Vraja. The Lord asked for the grains they offered to Viṣṇu on the day of Ekādaśī.” The Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (143) also says: “Candrahāsa, the expert dancer and knower of the mellows of Vraja, has now appeared as Śrī Jagadīśa Paṇḍita.” A description of Śrīmān Mahāprabhu’s eating the grains offered to Viṣṇu on Ekādaśī at the house of Hiraṇya and Jagadīśa is found in the Caitanya-bhāgavata, Ādi-khaṇḍa, Chapter Four, and Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 11.30 and Ādi 14.39). It is also stated in the Antya-khaṇḍa (5.736): “Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu with His associates are the life and wealth of the most effulgent Śrī Jagadīśa Paṇḍita.”

Śrī Gopīnātha Ācārya was a brāhmaṇa companion of the Lord at Navadvīpa. He was the brother-in-law (sister’s husband) of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. It is stated in the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (178): The

prāṇa-sakhī gopī Ratnāvalī of Vraja has now appeared as the most pure Gopīnātha Ācārya.” According to the opinion of others, he was an incarnation of Brahmā. The Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (75) states: “Lord Brahmā, the Lord of the universe and one of the nava-vyūhas, has appeared as Śrī Gopīnātha Ācārya.” It is also stated in the Caitanya- caritāmṛta (Ādi 10.130): “There was Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, one of the biggest branches of the tree of the Lord, and his sister’s husband, Śrī Gopīnātha Ācārya.”

In this verse śrīmān refers to Śrīmān Paṇḍita, a resident of Navadvīpa and participant in the Lord’s inauguration of kīrtana. At the time of the Lord’s dancing in the mood of Devī, he held a torch. It is stated in the Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya-khaṇḍa, Chapter Eighteen: “All the beelike devotees happily watched as the lionlike Lord Gaura danced in the mood of Durgā. Śrīmān Paṇḍita held a torch in front of the Lord.” In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 10.37) it is stated: “The fifteenth branch was Śrīmān Paṇḍita, who was a constant servitor of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He used to carry a torch while the Lord danced.”

Śrī Garuḍa Paṇḍita was a resident of Navadvīpa and an associate of the

Lord. It is stated in the Caitanya-bhāgavata (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 8.34): “As Śrī Garuḍa Paṇḍita traveled in ecstasy, the poison of a snake had no effect on him due to the strength of his chanting the holy name.” It is stated in the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (117): “He who previously appeared as Garuḍa has now appeared as Śrī Garuḍa Paṇḍita.” In the Caitanya- caritāmṛta (Ādi 10.75) it is stated: “Garuḍa Paṇḍita, the thirty-seventh branch of the tree, always engaged in chanting the auspicious name of the Lord. Because of the strength of this chanting, even the effects of poison could not touch him.”

Nimāi studied Kalāpa grammar from Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita. His residence was at Gaṅgānagara near the Lord’s house. It is stated in the Gaura- gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (53): “Vaśiṣṭha Muni, who was the spiritual master of Lord Rāmacandra, has appeared as Gaṅgādāsa and Sudarśana.” The Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (111) also says: “Gaṅgādāsa, who is very dear to the Lord was formerly the gopīs’ esteemed Durvāsā of Nidhuvana.” It is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 10.29): “Paṇḍita Gaṅgādāsa was the eighth dear branch of the tree of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. One who remembers his activities attains freedom from all bondage.”