11.31
nityananda-priyabhrtya pandita dhananjaya
atyanta virakta, sada krsna-premamaya
SYNONYMS
nityananda-priya-bhrtya—another dear servant of Nityananda Prabhu; pandita dhananjaya—of the name Pandita Dhananjaya; atyanta—very much; virakta—renounced; sada—always; krsna-prema-maya—merged in love of Krsna.
The sixteenth dear servant of Nityananda Prabhu was Dhananjaya Pandita.
He was very much renounced and always merged in love of Krsna.
PURPORT
Pandita Dhananjaya was a resident of the village in Katwa named Sitala.
He was one of the twelve gopalas.
His former name, according to Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika, verse 127, was Vasudama.
Sitala-grama is situated near the Mangalakota police station and Kaicara post office in the district of Burdwan.
On the narrow railway from Burdwan to Katwa is a railway station about nine miles from Kutwa known as Kaicara.
One has to go about a mile northeast of this station to reach Sitala.
The temple was a thatched house with walls made of dirt.
Some time ago, the Zamindars of Bajaravana Kabasi, the Mulliks, constructed a big house for the purpose of a temple, but for the last sixty-five years the temple has been broken down and abandoned.
The foundation of the old temple is still visible.
There is a tulasi pillar near the temple, and every year during the month of January the disappearance day of Dhananjaya is observed.
It is said that for some time Pandita Dhananjaya was in a sankirtana party under the direction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and then he went to Vrndavana.
Before going to Vrndavana, he lived for some time in a village named Sancadapancada, which is six miles south of the Memari railway station.
Sometimes this village is also known as “the place of Dhananjaya” (Dhananjayera Pata).
After some time, he left the responsibility for worship with a disciple and went back to Vrndavana.
After returning from Vrndavana to Sitala-grama, he established a Deity of Gaurasundara in the temple.
The descendants of Pandita Dhananjaya still live in Sitala-grama and look after the temple worship.