A
disciple of Sri Madhavendra Puri, Pundarika Vidyanidhi was Sri
Gadadhara Pandit's guru, and an intimate friend of Svarupa Damodara. Once
in Jagannatha Puri, Pundarika Vidyanidhi met Svarupa Damodara after a
long separation. In a joyful mood of friendship Pundarika and Svarupa
wanted to take the dust from each other's feet. A scuffle began as they
tried to simultaneously catch the feet of one another, but at the same
time, avoid having their own feet caught. Both being quite strong,
neither won. But Sri Gauranga enjoyed their sporting play and everyone
laughed. Pundarika
Vidyanidhi has other names—Sri Vidyanidhi, Acaryanidhi, Bhaktyanidhi,
and Premanidhi (given by Lord Caitanya). "Simply by hearing his name,"
said Sri Gaura, "the whole world becomes purified." Premanidhi's pure
devotion caused Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to sometimes cry profusely and
call out loudly, "Bop, (father) Pundarika! Pundarika is My father, My
dearmost friend. When will I see him again?" Pundarika Vidyanidhi is
King Vrsabhanu, Sri Radha's father, in Vrndavana lila. Continually floating in the sea of Krishna prema,
Pundarika often showed ecstatic bodily symptoms of tears,
horripilation, falling unconscious. "Whoever recites or hears the
following narration of the meeting of Pundarika Vidyanidhi and Sri
Gadadhara Pandit will receive the treasure of love of God." (Sri Caitanya Bhagavata) When
he first arrived in Navadvipa Pundarika Vidyanidhi disguised himself
as a worldly sense enjoyer. Besides Mukunda, nobody knew that Pundarika
Vidyanidhi was pure a Vaisnava. "Today, I will introduce you to a most
exceptional Vaisnava," said Mukunda, as he took Gadadhara Pandit to meet
Pundarika Vidyanidhi. They
found Pundarika reclining on an opulent brass bed covered with red
satin sheets, silk pillows, and topped with a three-tiered canopy. A
gem-studded pan box stuffed with fragrant spices and betel nuts waited
within arm's reach. Two shiny brass spittoons stood as silent sentries
beside the bed. Seeing the mirror stained red from his chewing pan,
Pundarika laughed heartily. Two servants cooled him with peacock fans. Was
this a Vaisnava or a prince wallowing in luxury wondered Gadadhara
Pandit? Doubts arose in Gadadhara's mind about Pundarika's spiritual
status. Reading his mind, Mukunda decided to reveal the highly exalted
transcendental identity of Pundarika Vidyanidhi. Mukunda recited Srimad Bhagavatam
(10.6.35): "Always hankering to taste the blood of small children,
Putana came to kill baby Krishna. However, because she offered her
breast to the Supreme Lord Putana attained the greatest blessing of
being accepted as a mother of Sri Krishna." Hearing
this verse totally transformed Pundarika Vidyanidhi. A Ganges river of
tears flooded his eyes. Perspiration rained from his body, his hairs
stood erect. He ripped off his embroidered silk shirt and wildly
thrashed his legs about. Rolling on the ground, he wailed, "The Lord is
infinitely merciful. Yet He deprives me of His mercy." His clothes,
brass bed, fine bed sheets, mirror, spittoons, all his opulent trappings
were ripped to shreds-smashed to bits. Ten men tried but couldn't
restrain the force of Pundarika's ecstasy. The manifestations of
Pundarika Vidyanidhi's pure love for Krishna competed with one another
for some time. Finally, his spiritual emotions reached their peak and he
lost external unconscious. After
witnessing this spectacular display of transcendental feelings
Gadadhara Pandit realized his offense in misjudging Pundarika
Vidyanidhi to be a materialistic devotee. To rectify his mistake he
wanted to take initiation from Pundarika Vidyanidhi. Six hours later,
Sri Pundarika returned to external consciousness. Now he seemed calm and
composed. Happily he initiated Gadadhara Pandit.
Pundarika Vidyanidhi era un discípulo de Madhavendra Puri y el Guru de Sri Gadadhara Pandita.Encarnación de Vrisabhanu Maharaja, el padre de Srimati Radharani.
Pundarika Vidyanidhi a veces era mal conocido como muy apegado a los placeres materiales, sin embargo, con sólo oír la recitación de un único verso del Bhagavatam entraba en transe. En los pasatiempos de Krishna era Vrishabanu, el padre de Srimati Radharani.
“Pundarika Vidyanidhi la tercera gran rama, era tan querido por el Señor Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, que en su ausencia, el mismo el Señor Chaitanya a veces lloraba”
CC Adi-lila 10.14
“La misma persona a que anteriormente conocían como Maharaja Vrisabhanu en el distrito de Vraja, apareció en los pasatiempos del Señor Chaitanya como la gran personalidad Pundarika Vidyanidhi”.
“Cuando Él estaba afligido por los sentimientos del amor intenso de Srimati Radharani en la separación del Señor Krishna, el Señor Chaitanya se dirigiría a Pundarika Vidyanidhi con la palabra ‘padre’”.
“El Señor Chaitanya estuvo muy contento con Pundarika Vidyanidhi, y el Señor se dirigiría a el con el nombre Premanidhi. Como Pundarika Vidyanidhi era un discípulo directo de Madhavendra Puri, el Señor lo trataría con gran respeto, como si él fuese el propio maestro espiritual del Señor. Ratnavati-devi la esposa de Pundarika Vidyanidhi, como se considera, por los devotos cultos es la encarnación de Kirtida-devi, la esposa de Maharaja Vrisabhanu”
“Sri Gaura Ganoddesha Dipika 54, 55, 56-57
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