PisimaGosvamini.txt

7/27/2019 PisimaGosvamini.txt

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A summary of some of the activities of Smt. Candrasasi Mukherjee,better known as Pisima Gosvamini, and her Gaura-Nitai

Mukunda Datta Das

(They are in a very small temple right across the street fromBankhandi Mahadeva, about three doors down from the intersection ofthe Loi and Bankhandi bazars. It looks rather like a closet door,beneath the second floor window of a plain, whitewashed building. Ithink it's unmarked too. Coming from Krishna-Balarama Mandir, it willbe on the left as one heads for Radha-Syamasundar, Radha-Ramana, etc.)

In a village named Rayapura (Siudi District, Bengal), there wereDeities of Sri Gaura-Nitai that were worshiped by the descendants ofSri Murari Gupta, the eternal associate of Lord Caitanya. TheseDeities of the Lords Caitanya and Nityananda in childhood form wereworshiped until there was no one left in Murari Gupta's family to lookafter Them; after an outbreak of malaria, everyone had left the areaand it became overgrown by the jungle. The temple was abandoned, theDeities were eventually buried beneath so much foliage and dirt, andhaving forgotten the history of the place, people began to use thearea a pasturing ground for their cows. Once, a gopa noticed that hismost productive cow used to drip her milk into a spot on the ground.Curious, they dug in that spot and found the Deities there. Removing

Gaura-Nitai, they saw that the word "dasamurarigupta" was written ontheir base.

The Deities were again established in a temple with first-classworship. After some time, and according to directions he had receivedin a dream, one resident of Orissa, Balaramadasa Babaji, came thereand began to worship Gaura-Nitai.

Fortuitously, a respectable young brahmani named CandrasasiMukhopadhyaya had come to Rayapura on business related to her wealthyfamily's nearby land holdings (around year 1900). She happened to bestaying near the Gaura-Nitai temple. Daily taking darsana of theDeities, a desire to render Them service arose in her - she wanted to

make Them some payesh (sweet rice khir) for Their bhoga offering. Shelater had a dream in which Gaura and Nitai came to her, saying, "Ma,we're very hungry. Feed us some payesh that you've cooked for us."When she later told the temple priest Balaramadasa Babaji about this,he said, "According to Vaishnava sastras, an uninitiated person cannotcook for the Deity." Smt. Candrasasi Mukherjee then accepted hermantra from Balaramadasa and thus she fulfilled her desire to preparebhogas for Gaura-Nitai with her own hands.

That very night in a dream Gaura-Nitai came again and pulling on herancala (the edge of her sari) said, "Ma! Don't go away. If you goaway, who will feed us payesh? You are our Mata. We won't let you go."Candrasasi affectionately smiled and told Them to let go of her cloth,

but They wouldn't let go; from Their repeated tugging at her ancal, apiece of it finally ripped and the swatch of her cloth was in Gaura'shand. Candrasasi's dream broke and she woke up. But she saw that thecorner of her ancala had indeed ripped! At that very moment, she wentto inform Balaramadasa everything about her dream.

At that time, before the sun had risen, the temple wasn't opened yet.Balaramadasa went to the temple to wake the Deities. To the amazementof all present, everyone saw that the piece missing from Candrasasi'scloth was in Gaura's hand. All were immersed in premananda and



everyone began to praise Candrasasi's good fortune. Candrasasi lostall sense of her body and mind, and began to dive and surface inthousands of unprecedented, transcendental feelings all at once.

She forgot all thoughts of going back to her native place. Theillusions of family, prestige, wealth, and so forth had been lost. Shebegan to serve Gaura-Nitai in the temple as her life and soul. Onaccount of her leaving home at such an age (she was only 20 at thattime) to live in the temple along with the Babaji, people naturallybegan to talk about their relationship in so many ways and this gaveher intolerable mental distress. One night, after praying repeatedlyand having emptied her heart before Gaura-Nitai, she eventually fellasleep in that state. Gaura-Nitai came to her in a dream and hangingon to her neck They said, "Ma, take us to Vrndavana now - chalo (let'sgo)."

Immediately she took Gaura-Nitai and along with Balaramadasa Babajiproceeded by boat to Vrndavana. As They arrived there, a devoted ladyfrom Nadiya named Bhakta devi was bathing in the Yamuna and saw Them.She respectfully invited Them to her home in Vanakhandi-mohalla. Ingreat ecstasy, Candrasasi began to serve Gaura-Nitai in her home andBhakta devi used to assist her. People in the neighborhood calledBhakta "Pisima," and so they began to call Candrasasi "Pisima" aswell. Consistent with the Lords' statement to that effect, Pisima used

to dandle and nurture Gaura-Nitai as if They were her own sons.Gaura-Nitai were always pleased by her service. One day, as she wasbusily cooking for Them, she noticed indications of her monthlystri-dharma. Going outside of the temple kitchen, she remained in thecourtyard looking again and again in the direction of Gaura-Nitai andcrying - "Today I won't be able to offer my own cooking forGaura-Nitai's bhoga!" Thus suffering over the matter, she saw a kindof dream-vision, even though she was awake. Both brothers, Gaura andNitai, came and said, "Ma, there's nothing to be sad about. You justdo what mothers in your condition usually do. There's no fault inthat. Get up. Take your bath and give us something to eat. We're veryhungry. From now on, you'll be free of this disease." Pisi Ma did asshe was told. After that, she never had her courses again.

After coming to Vrndavana, Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai began to play with manyother devotees and perform various pastimes. Sometimes, if there was aneed for this or that, they would beg, borrow, or steal it fromanywhere and everywhere. For example, Gaura-Nitai had no shoes. Theyasked Pisi Ma for them, but since she didn't want Them to leave hereven for a moment she probably simply told Them, "What do You needshoes for? Do you have to come or go anywhere?" Thus, Gaura-Nitairemained on the watch for some other devotees who might come there.

Once, in the month of Savan, a woman of a Bengali family travelingfrom Serpura Beguda came to Vrndavana to see the swing festival. Theystayed near Gaura-Nitai's temple, in Cidiyakunja. That very day, in

the midmorning it was raining. Pisima was sitting on the templeveranda. With her left hand, she was pulling the rope attached toGaura-Nitai's fan. With her right hand, she was chanting on herjapa-mala. It began to rain very hard. Pisi Ma dozed off a little. Atthat time, she saw that Nitai had left the temple and was runningabout the courtyard in the water. Gaura then followed Him. Pisimashrieked, "Oh! Where are you going? You'll catch a cold!" This dreamwas as clear as if it weren't a dream at all - it seemed as if she sawit while yet awake. But she again began pulling on the pankha andeventually dozed off again.



Meanwhile, Nitai-Gaura had arrived in Cidiyakunja. The woman fromSerpura Beguda was sleeping at that time. Gaura-Nitai went in and satat the end of the bed. Shaking Their heads, they said, "Have you comehere to sleep? Get up!"

In her sleeping state, the woman mumbled, "Wha... who are you?"

"Our names are Nitai and Gaura; we're the sons of Pisi Ma ofVanakhandi."

"Pisi Ma's kids? How's that?"

"People in the mohalla just call us Pisi Ma's boys. Everybody inVrndavana knows we're her children."

"So why are you here?"

"Look at how our feet are covered with mud. Give us some shoes."

Upon seeing Gaura-Nitai's extraordinary beauty, the woman becamefascinated. She had never before imagined such beauty. Awakening, shebegan to cry, remembering the two boys. Weeping thus, she left thehouse, even though it was still pouring rain. On the road, she asked

anybody she saw where Pisi Ma's children lived. One Vrajavasi showedher Nitai Gaura's mandira at Banakhandi. The woman went inside. PisiMa was still pulling the pankha and chanting japa. The woman asked,"Is this the house of Pisi Ma's Gaura-Nitai?"

"Yes, mother, this is the home of Pisi Ma's Gaura Nitai. Mataji, whyare you crying?"

"Where are your two boys? I want to see them," the highly agitatedwoman said, trying to be demure and respectful.

Pisi Ma respectfully seated the woman and opened the mandira. TakingGaura-Nitai's darsana in the temple, which exactly resembled the

vision in her dream, the woman burst into tears. Her very being wasfilled with trembling in all her limbs. She was simply unable to doanything at all; for a long time she remained fallen on the floor in astate of faint. Upon coming to consciousness and controlling herself,she related the whole story of her dream to Pisi Ma. Pisi Ma too toldof what she had seen. For quite some time, both simply remained in anembrace, shedding tears of ecstasy. That fortunate woman later madesilver shoes for Gaura-Nitai, which remain in Their possession eventoday. Nitai and Gaura continue to use them with love.

Prasanna dasi of Serpura Beguda lived in Vrndavana. One day she dreamtthat Gaura and Nitai were decorated with all kinds of dazzlingornaments and came before her. Showing Their lotus feet, which were

marked with flag, ankusa, thunderbolt, etc., and which are desiredeven by Brahma and Siva, They said: "Look at all the ornaments We got.But We don't have nupura (footbells). Give us nupura." Upon awakening,Prasanna dasi went to Pisi Ma and narrated the whole story, streamingtears of love. Having them made and then putting the golden nupura onGaura-Nitai's lotus feet, her life became successful.

For some days one babaji, a very pure, dear servant of Lord, wasassisting Pisi Ma in the seva-puja of Nitai Gaura. An impure ideaarose in his mind. Opening the temple door at night, he stole the



ornaments worth Rs. 500 and left with them. Arising early nextmorning, Pisi Ma was horrified to see that the door was opened and theDeities were without Their jewels. She thought, "Oh who has done thisdespicable thing? Is there anyone so sinful living in this world?"Full of anxiety, she fell down in the corridor of the temple andremained there, devastated and depressed. She saw Gaura-Nitai in hermind and said, "Who took your jewelry? They replied, "Ma, thatVaisnava is very poor, but he fed us brothers so much rabdi. So wegave it to him. Please, don't say anything to him about it."

What did she do? She was furious over the behavior of these spoiledchildren. From where would she get more jewelry? Personally, she hadalready left her own incomparable wealth long ago - coming toVrndavana in beggar's dress, her only possession was now Sri SriGaura-Nitai. Laughing, she said, "Okay. You can either give Yourthings to somebody or keep them. What's it to me? If you needsomething again, then You'll get it from somewhere. You certainlyaren't bashful about asking people for things."

In another dream, Gaura-Nitai told Pisi Ma, "Take us out forBraja-mandala-parikrama." She then readied a palanquin and assembledsome devotees for Harinama-sankirtana and they set out the very nextday. The Deities were extremely happy on this trip. After a month orso, when They were concluding the parikrama and were at the outskirts

of Mathura, Pisi Ma went with one devotee, Krsnadasa, to makearrangements ahead. Mathuradasa followed behind with the palanquin. Atthat time, there were British soldiers camped in Mathura. Some of thesoldiers were curious about the spectacle of the parikrama procession.Pointing at the palanquin, they asked, "What's in that?"

Mathuradasa replied, "Thakuraji is inside."

The soldiers garrulously said, "Let's see Thakuraji!"

Mathuradasa became afraid - somehow the mlecchas shouldn't touch theDeities. He replied in a very humble voice, "Just now Thakuraji'sdarsana won't be possible."

His comment had escaped the attention of the soldiers, who overwhelmedhim and tried to see the Deities. At that very moment, a blindingflash of light bolted from the palanquin, as powerful as thunder, andblasting them away, scorched the eyes of the soldiers. Screaming out,"Oh God!" they all fled in terror.

When Mathuradasa later narrated the whole episode to Pisi Ma, shesaid, "Now my boys are able to take care of Themselves. I'm very happyto know this. Now I have no anxiety."

Pisima thus passed many years, serving Gaura-Nitai faithfully. Evenwhen she was 100 years old, she continued to take three baths daily in

the sacred Yamuna and personally performed Gaura-Nitai's seva herself.But gradually this became impossible for her to continue and so sheentrusted the seva-puja to Gopesvara Gosvami, a devotee in the familyline of Lord Nityananda. He was a staunch bhakta but wasn't veryexperienced in Deity seva. Thus he happened to bathe Gaura-Nitai incool water once, at the beginning of the cold season. They caught acold and Their noses began to drip. But Gopesvara Gosvami didn't evennotice this. Pisima mostly stayed on the second floor - she could noteasily negotiate the stairs anymore.



But in temple, the Deities were sad because Pisima wasn't thereanymore to pamper Them with her maternal attentions. Somehow Pisimaperceived this. She came down one day and saw that Gaura-Nitai's eyeswere red and Their noses were dripping. Going near Them, she felt thatThey were hot. She could not bear this. She wiped Their noses with theedge of her sari and called for Gopesvara Gosvami. Crying, she said indisbelief, "How could you do this? Bathing Them in cold water, you'venow made Them sick! See how Their noses are running!" She wiped Theirnoses and showed it to him. Gopesvara didn't believe it and he toldher so. Pisima fairly bristled with anger. She indignantly held theother end of her sari to Gaura's nose and then thrust it into hisface, saying, "Gaura's snot!" Just then, Gaura's nose began to dripagain. This filled the temple with an unprecedented, divine fragrancefrom beyond this world. Astonished and full of remorse, Gopesvara fellat Pisima's feet and begged forgiveness.

When she was 103, Pisima mentioned to Gopesvara Gosvami that she wouldsomeday leave her body. On that very day, in good health, whilesitting before Gaura-Nitai, beholding Their beautiful moonlike facesand chanting Their names, she gave up her earthly body and entered theeternal pastimes of the Lord.

Sri Gopesvara Gosvami Prabhu and Srimati Pisima's Gaura-Nitai

During Pisima's presence, everyone was afraid of inciting her wrath.Everything had to go according to her desire. If anything at all wentagainst her wishes, she would become enraged and no shortcoming couldwithstand the face of her display of anger.

Ten lamps used to be lit above the temple doorway. On theKojgara-purnima day, Gaura-Nitai used to enjoy Themselves on theveranda. One day it was Kojgara-purnima. After the evening arati,Gopesvara Prabhu had gone out somewhere, extinguishing the ten lamps,since their oil was expensive. That day Gaura-Nitai were not eventaken out onto the veranda. In the temple, only one flame was burning,in a large brass ghee lamp. Pisima was seated on the veranda chanting

Hare Krsna. All at once there was a loud sound. The temple was thenengulfed in darkness. Gaura had lifted up the lamp and thrown it intoa corner of the mandira. It took no time for Pisima to understand theanger of Gaura. Upon Gopesvara's return, she said, "Gopesvara! Youdidn't take Gaura-Nitai out on the veranda today. You also put out theten lamps. Just see - for this reason Gaura in His anger threw Hislamp and sits in the darkness. Why do you act like this?"

Pisima's order to Gopesvara Gosvami was not to give prasada to anyonebefore having taken their donation. One day, someone placed two annasbefore the Deity and requested prasada. Gopesvara Gosvami neglectedPisima's order, or perhaps he didn't notice the donation, but he gaveprasada to that person. This time too, Pisima was sitting on the

veranda chanting japa. She saw that a candana-grinding stone camebarreling out from within the mandira, as if someone had veryforcefully thrown it. Dashing and knocking against the sides of theveranda, it went into an adjoining room and struck a large pot filledwith grains of rice. The pot was shattered, the rice scattered.Calling Gopesvara prabhu, Pisima said, "See Gaura's two-anna's worthof anger? He broke my big pot and scattered all the rice. Why do youdo things that make Him so angry?" After this incident, Gopesvaraprabhu became more careful in Gaura-Nitai's seva.



Once, after the disappearance of Gosvamini Pisima, Gopesvara Prabhubecame dreadfully ill with smallpox and was bedridden for a month. Heeventually lost the power to speak and then even fell into a coma. Itseemed as if he would die but even in that condition he was able torender service to Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai internally. Late one night hesaw that a fearsome raksasi was trying to take him away but just atthat time Pisima Gosvamini and Gaura-Nitai came to his bedside and theraksasi disappeared. The greatly merciful Nitai stroked Gopesvara'slimbs with His transcendental hand and said, "Dada (uncle), if youremain so listless, who will give us anything to eat? Get up! We'revery hungry." Shortly thereafter, Gopesvara Prabhu regainedconsciousness and coughed up a great deal of phlegm. Sitting up inbed, it then seemed that there was no more disease in his body.

Srila Gopesvara prabhu was a brahmacari from his childhood. He alwaysused to tour holy places before coming to the service of Sri SriGaura-Nitai. It was against his nature to be bound to one place.Therefore he initially hadn't wanted to accept the service ofGaura-Nitai. But, being helpless, in the face of Pisima's stronginsistence, as well as Gaura-Nitai's desire, he had to accept theseva. He would personally do all of the cooking, offer all of thebhogas, all of the aratis, all of the sringaras, sing the kirtanas,even up to scrubbing the Thakuraji's pots, and all the other servicesas well. Sometimes, becoming fatigued after this work, he would even

abusively swear at Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai.

Some time after Pisima's disappearance, one day Gopesvara Prabhuconsidered, "What is the gain from all of this seva that I have done?So many days I have spent doing puja, but nothing has happened. If Igo to do bhajana in seclusion, something would happen." Thinking inthis way, he entrusted the seva to another person and went to KusumaSarovara with the intent of doing his own bhajana. At midnight on thethird day, while doing his bhajana seated beneath a bakula tree on thebank of the sarovara, he saw a transcendental vision - it seemed as ifNitai and Gaura were coming to him. Arriving there, They stood beforehim and said, "Dada! Today, for three days we haven't had any food orwater - chalo!"

Clearly Gopesvara prabhu's bhajana was finished. So he left. Onemahatma at Govardhana saw him on the way and said, "Ah, Gopesvara! Nowyou've come - last night in a dream Nitai-Gaura said to me that Theyhaven't eaten anything in three days! Listen, bhai, go to Vrndavana -do Their seva and make Them happy." Gopesvara prabhu thought, "Accha,now these Two are going all over the place slandering me!" His mindfilling with indignation, he said to the mahatma, "I will not go toVrndavana; I'll do bhajana right here!" The mahatma told him to takeprasada and get a little rest. A little later, when his anger hadsubsided, he was contrite and agreed to go to Vrndavana. As he arrivedin the village of Datiya, it was dusk, and it began to rain very hard.With the intention of waiting out the evening there, he stayed in the

house of a Vrajavasi.

Meanwhile in Vrndavana Gaura-Nitai were anxiously awaiting hisarrival. Each and every second was a great burden for Them. As soon asit was morning, one tanga-wala (horse cart man) who had been searchingeverywhere for Gopesvara Gosvami, arrived at the house of theVrajavasi. He said, "Where is Gopesvara Gosvami? I'm here to take himto Vrndavana. I was ordered to do so in a dream." Climbing onto thetanga, Gopesvara prabhu went to Vrndavana. As soon as he arrived inthe doorway of the temple, he perceived a terrible odor. He asked the



pujari, "What's this smell?" The pujari answered, "I don't know; forthree days I haven't even been able to go into the temple on accountof the stench." Gopesvara prabhu went into the temple andinvestigating every direction, saw that a rat had died on top of theDeities' mosquito net. He then cleansed the temple and washing andwiping everything, he started the seva again.

Gopesvara Gosvami was a staunch devotee of Lord Caitanya but heaspired to worship the Lord in sakhya-rasa. During the time of PisimaGosvamini, Nitai-Gaura had the forms of children, in accordance withher maternal devotion (vatsalya-rasa). The core of his heart wasn'tfully satisfied in the service of Bala-Gaura and Bala-Nitai. As soonas Gopesvara Gosvami prabhu assumed the seva, an extraordinary thinghappened. According to some, Gopesvara Gosvami had incessantly prayedto Nitai-Gaura, and as a result of his supplications, They graduallybegan to grow, such that within a few years, They assumed Theirpresent form as full-fledged youths. But others say that whenGopesvara once told Pisima that he wouldn't be able to worship suchsmall Deities with complete love, she then went to the temple with himand lifting both brother's chins, raised Them up to Their currentdimensions. Whatever happened, those who had seen Them in bothconditions attested that the two Deities were previously smaller.

PisimaGosvamini.txt

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