MADHAVENDRA PURI – Biography

MADHAVENDRA PURI GOSWAMI

Sri Madhavendra Puri was a great Vaisnava sannyasi, parama-guru of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is famous as first Vaisnava in whom all the symptoms of ecstatic love of God were manifest openly. He is said to be the first in worshipping Sri Radha and Sri Krsna together, and he is also known as person who introduced worship of Krsna in the mood of conjugal love.

Here the most known episodes of his life are described.

Once, Sri Madhavendra Puri traveled to Vrndavana, where he came upon the hill known as Govardhana. Madhavendra Puri was almost mad in his ecstasy of love of Godhead, and he did not know whether it was day or night. Sometimes he stood up, and sometimes he fell to the ground. He could not discriminate whether he was in a proper place or not. After circumambulating the hill, Madhavendra Puri went to Govinda-kunda and took his bath. He then sat beneath a tree to take his evening rest.

While he was sitting beneath a tree, an unknown cowherd boy came with a pot of milk, placed it before Madhavendra Puri, and, smiling, addressed him as follows: “Please drink the milk I have brought. Why don’t you beg some food to eat? What kind of meditation are you undergoing?”

When he saw the beauty of the boy Madhavendra Puri became very satisfied. Hearing His sweet words, he forgot all hunger and thirst. Madhavendra Puri said: “Who are You? Where do you reside? And how did You know that I was fasting?”

The boy replied: “Sir, I am a cowherd boy, and I reside in this village. In My village, no one fasts. In this village a person can beg food from others and thus eat. Some people drink only milk, but if a person does not ask anyone for food, I supply him all eatables. The women who come here to take water saw you, and they supplied Me with this milk and sent Me to you. I must go very soon to milk the cows, but I shall return and take back this milk pot from you.”

Saying this, the boy left the place. Indeed He suddenly could be seen no more, and Madhavendra Puri’s heart was filled with wonder.

After drinking the milk, Madhavendra Puri washed the pot and put it aside. He looked toward the path, but the boy never returned. Madhavendra Puri could not sleep. He sat and chanted the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, and at the end of the night he dozed a little, and his external activities stopped.

In a dream Madhavendra Puri saw the very same boy. The boy came before him and, holding his hand, took him to a bush in the jungle. The boy showed Madhavendra Puri the bush and said: “I reside in this bush, and because of this I suffer very much from severe cold, rain showers, winds and scorching heat. Please bring the people of the village and get them to take Me out of this bush.

Then have them situate Me nicely on top of the hill. Please construct a temple on the hill and install Me in that temple. After this, wash Me with large quantities of cold water so that My body may be cleansed. “For many days I have been observing you, and I have been wondering, `When will Madhavendra Puri come here to serve Me?’ I have accepted your service due to your ecstatic love for Me. Thus I shall appear, and by My audience all fallen souls will be delivered.

My name is Gopala. I am the lifter of Govardhana Hill. I was installed by Vajra, and here I am the authority. When the Mohammedans attacked, the priest who was serving Me hid Me in this bush in the jungle. Then he ran away out of fear of the attack. Since the priest went away, I have been staying in this bush. It is very good that you have come here. Now just remove Me with care. After saying this, the boy disappeared.

Then Madhavendra Puri woke up and began to consider his dream. He began to lament: “I saw Lord Krsna directly, but I could not recognize Him!” Thus he fell down on the ground in ecstatic love. Madhavendra Puri cried for some time, but then he fixed his mind on executing the order of Gopala. Thus he became tranquil.

After taking his morning bath, Madhavendra Puri entered the village and assembled all the people. Then he spoke as follows: “The bushes are very dense, and we will not be able to enter the jungle. Therefore take choppers and spades to clear the way.”

After hearing this the people accompanied Madhavendra with great pleasure. According to his directions, they cut down bushes, cleared a path and entered the jungle. When they saw the Deity covered with dirt and grass, they were all struck with wonder and pleasure.

They cleansed the body of the Deity and the stronger men assembled to carry Him to the top of the hill and the Deity was installed their. All the brahmana priests of the village gathered together there and nine hundred pots of water were brought from Govinda-kunda to bathe the Lord. Gopala was elaborately bathed, rubbed with scents, and dressed with beautiful garments.

After the bathing ceremony was finished bhoga arati was performed and all kinds of food was offered before the Deity. Finally everyone offered prayers and obeisances, falling flat before the Deity in full surrender.

The villagers all brought their entire stocks of rice, dahl and wheat flour and an enormous feast was prepared. In this way the Annakuta ceremony was performed, and Madhavendra Puri personally offered everything to Gopala. Although Sri Gopala ate everything offered, still, by the touch of His transcendental hand, everything remained as before. This was perceived by Madhavendra Puri.

Madhavendra Puri then brought a new cot and a new bedspread and made a bed and invited the Lord to take rest. After this, Sri Madhavendra Puri ordered everyone to take prasada. All the brahmanas and their wives were fed first. Seeing the influence of Madhavendra Puri, all the people gathered there were struck with wonder.

They saw that the Annakuta ceremony, which had been performed before during the time of Krsna, was now taking place again by the mercy of Sri Madhavendra Puri. Sri Madhavendra Puri did not eat anything throughout the day, but at night, after laying the Deity down to rest, he took a milk preparation.

The next morning, the rendering of service to the Deity began again, and people from one village arrived with all kinds of food grains. The inhabitants of the village brought to the Deity of Gopala as much food grains, ghee, yogurt and milk as they had in their village. Thus, the next day there was an Annakuta ceremony.

After this, everyday the same type of ceremony was followed. The devotees offered ten thousand cows for the service of Gopala. Seeing this service to the Gopala Deity, Puri’s mind was filled with joy. Madhavendra Puri initiated two brahmanas from Gauda and engaged them in the service of Lord Gopala.

In this way the Deity worship in the temple was very gorgeously performed for two years. Then one day Madhavendra Puri had a dream. In his dream, he saw Gopala, who said: “My bodily temperature still has not decreased. Please bring a sandalwood from the Malaya province and smear the pulp over My body to cool Me. Bring sandalwood pulp from Jagannatha Puri. Kindly go quickly. Since no one else can do it, you must.”

After having this dream, Madhavendra Puri Gosvami became very glad due to ecstasy of love of Godhead, and in order to execute the command of the Lord, he started east toward Bengal. When he arrived at the house of Advaita Acarya in Santipura, the Acarya became very pleased upon seeing the ecstatic love of Godhead manifest in Madhavendra Puri. Advaita Acarya begged to be initiated by Madhavendra Puri.

After initiating Him, Madhavendra Puri spent a few days with Sri Advaita discussing topics of Krsna. One day Sri Jagannatha Misra invited Madhava Puri to his house. On his arrival Jagannatha washed his feet and fed him sumptuously. Seeing the great devotion of Saci and Jagannatha, Sri Puri Gosvami blessed them profusely. As a result of his blessings, Sri Mahaprabhu was later born in that family.

After a few days in Navadvipa, Sri Madhavendra Puri started for Odissa. Within a few days he arrived at Remuna where Gopinatha is situated. Upon seeing the beauty of the Deity, Madhavendra Puri was overwhelmed. In the corridor of the temple, from which people generally viewed the Deity, Madhavendra Puri chanted and danced. Then he sat down there and asked a brahmana what kinds of foods they offered to the Deity.

From the excellence of the arrangements, Madhavendra Puri understood by deduction that only the best food was offered. Madhavendra Puri thought: “I shall inquire from the priest what foods are offered to Gopinatha so that by making arrangements in our kitchen, we can offer similar foods to Sri Gopala.”

When the brahmana priest was questioned in this matter, he explained in detail what kinds of food were offered to the Deity of Gopinatha. The brahmana priest said: “In the evening the Deity is offered sweet rice in twelve earthen pots. Because the taste is as good as nectar, it is named amrta- keli. This sweet rice is celebrated throughout the world as gopinatha-ksira. It is not offered anywhere else in the world.”

While Madhavendra Puri was talking with the brahmana priest, the sweet rice was placed before the Deity as an offering. Hearing this Madhavendra Puri thought as follows: “If, without my asking, a little sweet rice is given to me, I can then taste it and make a similar preparation to offer my Lord Gopala.”

Madhavendra Puri became greatly ashamed when he desired to taste the sweet rice, and he immediately began to think of Lord Visnu. Puri Gosvami thought, “I have committed an offence. I have desired to taste the preparation before it was offered to the Lord.” Thinking in this way Puri Gosvami left and went to a near-by vacant marketplace. Sitting there he began to chant.

In the meantime, the temple priest laid the Deity down to rest, finished his daily duties, and went to take rest. In a dream he saw the Gopinatha Deity come to talk to him, and He spoke as follows: “Please get up and open the door of the temple. I have kept one pot of sweet rice for the sannyasi Madhavendra Puri. This pot of sweet rice is just behind My cloth curtain. You did not see it because of My tricks. A sannyasi named Madhavendra Puri is sitting in the vacant marketplace. Please take this pot of sweet rice from behind Me and deliver it to him.”

The priest immediately got up, took his bath and went into the temple where he found the condensed milk concealed behind the curtain. Immediately he took the pot and went to market and began searching, calling out the name of Madhavendra Puri. Then he saw a sannyasi chanting with his eyes filled with tears. As soon as the priest saw him, he could understand that he was Madhavendra Puri. After asking his name, the priest gave him the pot of sweet rice and told him everything about the dream.

Hearing this story Sri Madhavendra Puri was filled with ecstatic love. Seeing the ecstatic loving symptoms manifest in Madhavendra Puri, the priest was struck with wonder. He could understand why Krsna had become so much obliged to him, and he saw that Krsna’s action was befitting. The priest offered his obeisances and returned to the temple.

Then, in ecstasy, Madhavendra Puri ate the sweet rice offered to him by Krsna. After this, he washed the pot and broke it into pieces. He then bound all the pieces in his outer cloth and kept them nicely. Each day, Madhavendra Puri would eat one piece of that earthen pot, and after eating it he would immediately be overwhelmed with ecstasy.

Afterwards Madhavendra Puri began to think, “The Lord has given me a pot of sweet rice, and when the people hear of this tomorrow morning, there will be great crowds.” Thinking this, he offered his obeisances to Gopinatha on the spot and left Remuna before morning.

Sri Madhavendra Puri went to Nilacala and saw Lord Jagannatha. At that time various symptoms of loving ecstasy appeared on his body. When he arrived in Puri people were aware of this transcendental reputation. Therefore crowds of people came and offered him all sorts of respect in devotion. Even though one may not like it, reputation, as ordained by providence, comes to him.

Indeed one’s transcendental reputation is known throughout the entire world. Being afraid of his reputation (pratishtha), Madhavendra Puri fled from Remuna. But the reputation brought by love of Godhead is so sublime that it goes along with the devotee as if following him.

Sri Madhavendra Puri told all the residents there about the appearance of Sri Gopala. When all the devotee of Jagannatha Puri heard that the Gopala Deity wanted sandalwood, in great pleasure they all endeavored to collect it. Those who were acquainted with government officers met with them and begged for camphor and sandalwood, which they collected. The king gave a strong servant to Madhava Puri to carry the sandal and camphor and also gave all the documents and clearance certificate for crossing the boundary of the estate.

In this way Madhavendra Puri started for Vrndavana with the sandalwood, and after some days reached the village of Remuna and the Gopinatha temple there. When the priest of Gopinatha saw Madhavendra Puri again, he offered all respects to him ad, giving him the sweet rice prasada, made him eat. Madhavendra Puri took rest that night in the temple, but toward the end of the night he had another dream.

He dreamed that Gopala came before him and said: “O Madhavendra Puri, I have already received all the sandalwood and camphor. Now just grind all the sandalwood together with the camphor and then smear the pulp on the body of Gopinatha daily until it is finished. There is no difference between My body and Gopinatha’s body. They are one and the same. Therefore if you smear the sandalwood pulp on the body of Gopinatha, you will naturally also smear it on My body.

Thus the temperature of My body will be reduced. You should not hesitate to act according to My order. Believing in Me, just do what is needed.” After giving these instructions Gopala disappeared, and Madhavendra Puri awoke. He immediately called for all the servants of Gopinatha and they came before him. Madhavendra Puri said, “Smear the body of Gopinatha with this camphor and sandalwood I have brought for Gopala in Vrndavana. Do this regularly every day.”

The servants of Gopinatha became very pleased to hear that in the summer all the sandalwood pulp would be used to anoint the body of Gopinatha. In this way Gopinathaji was supplied ground sandalwood pulp daily. At the end of the summer, Madhavendra Puri returned to Jagannatha Puri.

Sriman Krsnadasa Kaviraja has described Sri Madhavendra Puri as the root of all transcendental joy. When Lord Caitanya was absorbed in his childhood pastimes, Sri Madhavendra Puri was already quite an old man. There is no mention of any meeting between Mahaprabhu and Sri Madhavendra Puri in Caitanya-caritamrta or Caitanya-Bhagavata.

However, in Caitanya- Bhagavata, when Sri Vrndavana dasa Thakura describes the pilgrimage of Sri Nityananda Prabhu, he mentions that Nityananda Prabhu did meet Madhavendra Puri. He also states that Nityananda Prabhu spent a few days serving Sri Madhavendra Puri and accepted him as His spiritual master. Vrndavana dasa has also described Madhavendra Puri’s delight upon having the company of Sri Nityananda.

After spending a few days with Madhava Puri, Sri Nityananda returned to Vrndavana, and Madhava Puri left on pilgrimage for South India. Generally Madhavendra Puri was accompanied by Sri Isvara Puri, Sri Ranga Puri, Paramananda Puri and some other sannyasis.

When Sri Madhavendra Puri left this material world, the following sloka was uttered by him:

ayi dina-dayardra natha he mathura-natha kadavalokyase
hrdayam tvad-aloka-kataram dayita bhramyati kim karomy aham

The people of Gauda have accepted this stanza as sum and substance of the mood of separation. Lord Caitanya was overwhelmed with joy upon remembering this sloka.

Outwardly, Madhava Puri was a sannyasi belonging to the Dasanami Sankara sect. But in fact, he was the root of the tree of prema-bhakti. Before the Lord appeared in this world he sent His personal associates beforehand, and Sri Madhava Puri was one of them.

Krsnadasa Kaviraja and Sri Vrndavana dasa Thakura have not mentioned anything regarding Madhavendra Puri’s caste or creed.

Sri Madhavendra Puri lived for many years, and taught love and devotion throughout the world. He visited many places throughout India, and exact number of his disciples is not known. His most prominent disciples were Sri Advaita Acarya, Sri Pundarika Vidyanidhi, Sri Paramananda Puri, Sri Ranga Puri, Sri Brahmananda Puri, Sri Brahmananda Bharati, Sri Kesava Bharati, Sri Krsnananda Puri, Sri Ramacandra Puri, Sri Nrsimha Tirtha, Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Isvara Puri, Sri Raghupati Upadhyaya, Sri Sukhananda Puri, and so on (Bhaktiratnakara 5.2272-2274, 5.2330,2332; Caitanya-Bhagavata 1.9.158-188, 1.9.160, 1.9.175, 1.11.125, 3.3.59, 3.3.172, 3.4.433-507).

Five padas composed by Madhavendra Puri have been included in Padyavali (79, 96, 164, 286, 330).

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