Are They the Same?

By Narasimha das

The great devotee Srila Pandit Purandar is mentioned in Sri Caitanya-caritamrita. He is an important devotee of Lord Nityananda. In another place in Caitanya-caritamrita, Acarya Purandara is mentioned as the ninth branch of the tree of Lord Caitanya’s disciplic succession of liberated acaryas. These two Purandar’s are likely not the same person. It may well be, however, that Pandit Purandar is the same as Sri Purandar Das of Kishkindhya fame.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Adi Lila, Chapter Eleven, Verse 28) mentions Pandit Purandar as an important devotee of Lord Nityananda.

“The thirteenth important devotee of Sri Nityananda Prabhu was Pandita Purandara, who moved in the ocean of love of Godhead just like the Mandara Hill.”

In his purport to this verse, Srila Prabhupada comments:

“Pandita Purandara met Sri Nityananda Prabhu at Khadadaha. When Nityananda Prabhu visited this village, He danced very uncommonly, and His dancing captivated Pandita Purandara. The pandita was in the top of a tree, and upon seeing the dancing of Nityananda, he jumped down to the ground and proclaimed himself to be Angada, one of the devotees in the camp of Hanuman during the pastimes of Lord Ramacandra.”

Angada is described in Valmiki’s Ramayana as one of the main generals and associates of Sri Sriman Hanuman-ji in Lord Ramachandra’s army. He fought valiantly in the war against Ravana for the sake of recovering Mother Sita Devi. He was the son of King Vali and became the heir to the throne of Kishkindhya (after King Sugriva)– by the direct arrangement of Lord Ramachandra Himself.

Sri Purandar Das, who was born around the same time as Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, is still loved and widely remembered in the sacred land of Kishkindhya Ksehtra. Some sadhus consider him to be an expansion of Narada Muni, but I haven’t seen the scriptural references. Others say he is an incarnation of one of the Alwars. It is said that he composed 450,000 bhajanas and kirtanas!!! These songs, in Sanskrit and classical Kannada, glorify Lord Vishnu, Lord Krishna, Lord Rama and Lord Vitala Paundarangana. No ordinary living being, man or demigod, could compose such a vast compendium of classical music. Hundreds of these songs are sung and performed to this day in Karnataka by classical musicians, such as our friend Sriman Vidyabhusana (one of the foremost bhajana singers in South India).

I have mentioned Sri Purandar Das in my article “Lessons from Kishkindhya.” He is still very popular in the Kishkindhya region. You see his image everywhere: in homes, shops, offices and on decals on windows and vehicles. He is always depicted doing hari-nama, with vina and kartalas in hand. He is worshipped at Hampi at a prominent shrine on the banks of the Tungabhadra River. This shrine is cleansed daily, protected and sanctified with regular puja and offerings.

The question remains: Is Purandar Das the same as the Pandita Purandar mentioned in Sri Caitanya- caritamrita? If so, we could expect that some of his music would be dedicated to Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda. It seems more than coincidence that the Pandita Purandar mentioned in Caitanya- caritamrita proclaimed himself to be Angada– an eternal resident of Kishkindhya Kshetra. He would be around the same age as Sri Purandar Das of Hampi.

There is an interesting story regarding how Purandar Das was saved from the life of a materialistic householder. As a householder, he was supposedly extremely miserly.  But by the good association of his devoted wife and the special intervention of Lord Vitala Himself, he was saved and elevated to the platform of pure devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The era of Lord Caitanya’s manifest pastimes created a precursor “golden age” all over the world. Many great and enlightened men of science, art, literature, philosophy and religion came into prominence during these times. This golden age phenomena was manifest in Europe, China and especially India. This is historical fact. Great devotional personalities such as Vallabhacarya, Tukurama, Purandar Das, Guru Nanak and many others apparently outside the Gauidiya lineage gained great influence all over India due their direct or indirect contact with the potency of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s sankirtana mission.

Gaudiya Vaisnava acaryas and pure devotees during the time of Lord Caitanya and immediately after His disappearance were, for the most part, nitya-siddhas Vaisnavas or great demigods who descended to this world to assist His mission. These great devotees are described in Sri Caitanya-caritamrita and many other spotless Gaudiya Vaisnava literatures, such as Caitanya Bhagavat. Yet in recent times the mission of Lord Caitanya became severely obscured due to contaminations introduced by mayavadis and sahajiyas posing as Vaisnava leaders and gurus. Due to the monumental efforts and mercy of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada the correct philosophy and practices of Lord Caitanya’s great mission have been revived and spread worldwide, as per the desire of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself.

All glories to the bona fide pure Vaisnavas of the guru-parampara. Their lives and stories are an inspiration for all sincere devotees.

*Please see related articles, such as “The Unlimited Branches of Lord Caitanya’s Tree” and “Our Paramahamsa Parampara” at: www.krishnaconsciousnessmovement.com