10.40
sri-mukunda-datta sakha--prabhura samadhyayi
yanhara kirtane nace caitanya-gosani
SYNONYMS
sri-mukunda-datta—of the name Sri Mukunda Datta; sakha—another branch; prabhura—of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; samadhyayi—class friend; yanhara—whose; kirtane—in sankirtana; nace—dances; caitanya-gosani—Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Mukunda Datta, a class friend of Lord Caitanya’s, was another branch of the Caitanya tree.
Lord Caitanya danced while he sang.
PURPORT
Sri Mukunda Datta was born in the Cattagrama district, in the village of Chanhara, which is under the jurisdiction of the police station named Patiya.
This village is situated ten krosas, or about twenty miles, from the home of Pundarika Vidyanidhi.
In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (140) it is said:
vraje sthitau gayakau yau
madhukantha-madhuvratau
mukunda-vasudevau tau
dattau gauranga-gayakau “In Vraja there were two very nice singers named Madhukantha and Madhuvrata.
They appeared in caitanya-lila as Mukunda and Vasudeva Datta, who were singers in the society of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.” When Lord Caitanya was a student, Mukunda Datta was His class friend, and they frequently engaged in logical arguments.
Sometimes Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu would fight with Mukunda Datta, using tricks of logic.
This is described in the Caitanya-bhagavata, Adi-lila, Chapters Eleven and Twelve.
When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu returned from Gaya, Mukunda Datta gave Him pleasure by reciting verses from Srimad-Bhagavatam about krsna-lila.
It was by his endeavor that Gadadhara Pandita Gosvami became a disciple of Pundarika Vidyanidhi, as stated in Sri Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya-lila, Chapter Seven.
When Mukunda Datta sang in the courtyard of Srivasa Prabhu, Mahaprabhu danced with His singing, and when Lord Caitanya for twenty-one hours exhibited an ecstatic manifestation known as sata-prahariya, Mukunda Datta inaugurated the function by singing.
Sometimes Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu chastised Mukunda Datta by calling him khadajathiya beta because he attended many functions held by different classes of nondevotees.
This is stated in the Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya-lila, Chapter Ten.
When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu dressed Himself as the goddess of fortune to dance in the house of Candrasekhara, Mukunda Datta began the first song.
Before disclosing His desire to take the renounced order of life, Lord Caitanya first went to the house of Mukunda Datta, but at that time Mukunda Datta requested Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu to continue His sankirtana movement for a few days more before taking sannyasa.
This is stated in Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya-lila Chapter Twenty-six.
The information of Lord Caitanya’s accepting the renounced order was made known to Gadadhara Pandita, Candrasekhara Acarya and Mukunda Datta by Nityananda Prabhu, and therefore all of them went to Katwa and arranged for kirtana and all the paraphernalia for Lord Caitanya’s acceptance of sannyasa.
After the Lord took sannyasa, they all followed Him, especially Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Gadadhara Prabhu and Govinda, who followed Him all the way to Purusottama-ksetra.
In this connection one may refer to Sri Caitanya-bhagavata, Antya-lila, Chapter Two.
In the place known as Jalesvara, Nityananda Prabhu broke the sannyasa rod of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Mukunda Datta was also present at that time.
He went every year from Bengal to see Lord Caitanya at Jagannatha Puri.