Gauridāsa was a disciple of Nityānanda Prabhu and one of the twelve gopālas (Gauragānoddeśādīpikā 128). In his previous incarnation, he was known as Suvalasākha. His śrī-pāṭa is located at Amvikanāgara, near the district of Kalna. Before establishing his śrī-pāṭa, he resided at Saligrāma, near the Mudagachā railway station in the Nāḍiyā district (Bhaktiratnakara 7.330-331).
Family Lineage of Gauridāsa Pandita
- Father: Kansarī Miśra, a Kulin brāhmaṇa
- Mother: Kamalā-devī
Gauridāsa had four brothers: Damodara, Jagannātha, Sūryadāsa, and Kṛṣṇadāsa, as well as Nṛsiṁha-caitanya. Sūryadāsa’s two daughters, Vasudhā-devī and Jahnāva-devī, were both married to Nityānanda Prabhu. Gauridāsa had two sons, Balarāma and Raghunātha.
Kansarī Miśra
_________________________|___________________________________
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Damodara Jagannātha Sūryadāsa Gauridāsa Kṛṣṇadāsa Nṛsiṁha-caitanya
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| Vimala-devī
| (wife)
______________________| |
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Vasudhā-devī Jahnāva-devī |
|
__________|___________
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Balarāma Raghunātha
Pastimes of Gauridāsa with Lord Caitanya
Once, Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda Prabhu traveled by a country boat from Harinādi village to Gauridāsa’s house, rowing themselves. Sitting under a tamarind tree, Gauridāsa, having not seen Lord Caitanya for some time, tried to coax Him to stay permanently at his house. In response, Lord Caitanya made two beautiful wooden deities, one of Himself and one of Nityānanda Prabhu, from a nearby margosa tree, and presented them to Gauridāsa.
It is said that due to Gauridāsa’s unflinching devotion, when he offered bhoga to the deities, the offerings were actually seen to be personally eaten by them. Lord Caitanya also gave him His oar used for rowing the boat, saying: “I hand over this vaitha (oar) to you for ferrying jīvas across the worldly river of life (bhava-nadī).” The tamarind tree still exists at Amvikanāgara. The oar and the Bhagavad-gītā presented by Lord Caitanya to Gauridāsa are preserved at the temple there (Bhaktiratnakara 7.336.361).
Disciplic Successors
According to the Bhaktibhāgavata-mahākāvya, a manuscript titled Suvalamaṅgala, composed by Natavara Dāsa of Amvikanāgara, states that Gauridāsa’s disciple, Hridayācaitanya, was the guru of the famous preacher Syāmananda Prabhu of Orissa. Gauridāsa’s granddaughter was married to the son of Hridayācaitanya. Present-day disciples of the Gosvāmīs of Amvikanāgara, who descend from Hridayācaitanya’s family line, worship sakhyārasa.
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