Chaitanya Bhagavata
by Bhumipati Dāsa | 2008 | 1,349,850 words
The Chaitanya Bhagavata 2.7.9, English translation, including a commentary (Gaudiya-bhasya). This text is similair to the Caitanya-caritamrita and narrates the pastimes of Lord Caitanya, proclaimed to be the direct incarnation of Krishna (as Bhagavan) This is verse 9 of Madhya-khanda chapter 7—“The Meeting of Gadadhara and Pundarika”.
Verse 2.7.9
Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 2.7.9:
এবে শুন শ্রী-বিদ্যানিধির আগমন ‘পুণ্ডরীক’ নাম—শ্রী-কৃষ্ণের প্রিযতম ॥ ৯ ॥
एबे शुन श्री-विद्यानिधिर आगमन ‘पुण्डरीक’ नाम—श्री-कृष्णेर प्रियतम ॥ ९ ॥
ebe śuna śrī-vidyānidhira āgamana ‘puṇḍarīka’ nāma—śrī-kṛṣṇera priyatama || 9 ||
ebe suna sri-vidyanidhira agamana ‘pundarika’ nama—sri-krsnera priyatama (9)
English translation:
(9) Now hear the description of Śrī Vidyānidhi’s arrival. His name was Puṇḍarīka, and he was very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:
Śrī Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi was a learned scholar and a very dear devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
In Vedic literature the Supreme Lord is often addressed as Puṇḍarīkākṣa. Therefore Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi was renowned as the surrendered devotee of that Lord.
In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (1.6.7) it is stated: tasya yathā kapyāsaṃ puṇḍarīkam evam akṣiṇī tasyod iti nāma sa eṣa sarvebhyaḥ pāpmabhya udita udeti ha vai sarvebhyaḥ pāpmabhyo ya evaṃ veda—“The eyes of that personality are as beautiful as the lotus. He is untouched by sinful reactions, and anyone who worships that personality also becomes untouched by sinful reactions.”
In order to increase the sanctity of the province of Caṭṭagrāma, which is situated on the eastern horizon of Gauḍa-deśa, the Lord had his dear devotee Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi appear there. The place of Vidyānidhi’s appearance is known as Mekhalā-grama, which comes under the jurisdiction of the Hāṭa-hājāri police station, in the district of Caṭṭagrāma.