Gadadhara Pandita | |
|---|---|
 Deity of Gadadhara Pandita, ISKCON Mayapur | |
| Personal life | |
| Known for | ExpoundedGaudiya Vaishnavism,Bhakti yoga along withChaitanya Mahaprabhu |
| Other names | Gadādhar Bhaṭṭ,[1] Gadai |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Philosophy | Bhakti yoga,Achintya Bheda Abheda |
| Religious career | |
| Guru | Pundarika Vidyanidhi (mantra guru) |
| Reincarnation | Krishna's internal energy |
Gadadhara Pandita (Gadadhāra Pandita), also known asPandita Goswami, was a close childhood friend ofChaitanya Mahaprabhu, the founder of the Hindu tradition ofGaudiya Vaishnavism.[2]
Gadadhara is described as a handsome young boy, student ofNyaya (Indian logic) and ranked highest among the inner circle of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's followers.[3]
In the later part of his life, Gadadhara lived in the Tota Gopinatha Temple.[4] As per the local temple legend (which is disputed), the central temple deity ofKrishna sat down to accommodate Gadadhara's worship as he was old and feeble. Chaitanya lived a mile away during that time, at the Gambhira. He used to come to hear Gadadhara speak on Krishna while Gadadhara's eyes would rain tears. The firstRadha deity installed inVrindavan was sent by Gadadhara. Theparakiya worship of Radha started from that time.[5]
Some say that Chaitanya and Gadadhara disappeared on the same day inside theGundicha Temple ofPuri.
Devotees of Gadadhara would assemble at Govinda temple in Vrindavan. The Govinda deity was installed byRupa Goswami, sometimes described as a disciple of Gadadhara. The temple head priest was Radha Krishna Goswami in the lineage of Gadadhara who wrote in theSadhana Dipika that Gadadhara was Radha.
TheGadadhara Parivara (Parivara means 'family') is one of the traditional Chaitanya lineages that have continued till modern times;[6] theAdvaita Parivāra is another example.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu personally gave Gadadhara a deity to worship, and the responsibility to teach theBhagavata Purana.[7] Gadadhara's guru was Pundarika Vidyanidhi. Gadadhara initiated Bhugarbha Goswami, and Bhugarbha Goswami gave rise to one line of theGadadhara parivara.
Because Gadadhara is considered to be an incarnate of the goddessLakshmi orRadha, his followers of come directly under her.[8] The custom of theGadadhara parivara is to worship the deities of Chaitanya and Gadadhara.
Followers of theGadadhara parivara opine that Rupa andSanatana Goswami,Narottama Dasa and his guru Lokanath Goswami were disciples of Gadadhara.[9] Others hold that Sanatana Goswami was the disciple of Chaitanya or Madhusudana Vidyavacaspati, the brother of the logicianSarvabhauma Bhattacarya, and Rupa Goswami was the disciple of Sanatana Goswami.
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