Shrila Vrindavana Dasa Thakura (Appearance)

Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur was born four years after Mahaprabhu took sannyasa. His mother was Sri Narayani Devi. She was the niece of Srivasa Pandit.

Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur describes how his mother received the mercy of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu when she was just four years old. He told Narayani to chant the Name of Krishna. She became mad with love of God and started crying, ‘O Krishna!’ she was filled with divine love.

Very often she would receive the remnants of Mahaprabhu’s meal. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu liked her very much. By the mercy of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu the incarnation of Vyasa (the writer of the Vedas/Vedic scriptures) came as Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur in the womb of Sri Narayani Devi.

His only thought was Sri Sri Gaura-Nityananda. The father of Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur most probably died while his mother was still pregnant with him. Being without a husband his mother became very poor, and in the end she came to live in the house of Sri Vasudeva Datta Thakur, who lived in Mamagachi. There she used to help doing the household work. At this place Vrindavan Das started to study as well.

At the house of Malini Devi (the wife of Srivasa Thakur) Vrindavan Das used to play, and he grew up there. They use to take care of him and nourish him, just like one would take care of a valuable gem.

When Mahaprabhu left this world Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur was about twenty years old.

He was initiated by Sri Nityananda Prabhu. He was most probably the very last disciple Sri Nityananda Prabhu initiated.

Together with Nityananda Prabhu’s wife, Jahnava Mata, Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur went to the Kheturi Maha-mahotsava (the first Sri Gaura Purnima festival).

Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur wrote Sri Chaitanya Bhagavat. First is was called Sri Chaitanya Mangal. In this book he writes about the Pastimes of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates. Especially he wrote a lot about the early Lila of the Lord.