Pranam Mantra of Sri Isvara Puri
“śrīmadhābendrika padāśrītāgryām , Chaitanyamantreśvara premapurnam
srikrishnalilamrita kavya krityam , sri iswarakhyam puripadmile”
Srila Isvara Puri appeared on Jaishtha Purnima Tithi in a Radiya Brahmana family in Kumarahatta. Kumarhatta is situated in Twenty-four Parganas near Calcutta and about one Krosha west from Halisahar station. Local people point to Mukhopadhyay Para as his birthplace. His father’s name was Sri Shyamsundar Acharya. The great sage Madhvendra Puri was always in a state of trance due to his intense separation from Krishna. Only his disciple Isvara Puri could understand his transcendental ecstasy and recognize them as sattvika vikara. He realized that these are the symptoms of antar dasha. Kaviraja Goswami has described how Isvara Puri used to serve his guru:
“īśvara-purī gosāñi kare śrīpāda-sevana
svahaste karena mala-mūtrādi mārjana”
Translation: Īśvara Purī, the spiritual master of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, performed service to Mādhavendra Purī, cleaning up his stool and urine with his own hand.
“nirantara kṛṣṇa-nāma karāya smaraṇa
kṛṣṇa-nāma, kṛṣṇa-līlā śunāya anukṣaṇa”
Translation: Īśvara Purī was always chanting the holy name and pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa for Mādhavendra Purī to hear. In this way, he helped Mādhavendra Purī remember the holy name and pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa at the time of death.
“tuṣṭa hañā purī tāṅre kailā āliṅgana
vara dilā — ‘kṛṣṇe tomāra ha-uka prema-dhana’”
Translation: Pleased with Īśvara Purī, Mādhavendra Purī embraced him and gave him the benediction that he would be a great devotee and lover of Kṛṣṇa.
“sei haite īśvara-purī — ‘premera sāgara’”
Translation: Thus Īśvara Purī became like an ocean of ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa.
Initiation to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu:
Although Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He accepted Isvara Puri as His own guru. Because He wanted to teach the importance of accepting a bonafide guru.
“tabeta karilā prabhu gayāte gamana, īśvara-purīra saṅge tathāi milana“
Translation: Thereafter the Lord went to Gayā. There He met Śrīla Īśvara Purī.
“dīkṣā-anantare haila, premera prakāśa, deśe āgamana punaḥ premera vilāsa”
Translation: In Gayā, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was initiated by Īśvara Purī, and immediately afterward He exhibited signs of the love of the Godhead. He again displayed such symptoms after returning home.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu glorifies Isvara Puri
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited Lord Vishnu’s footprints at Chakraveda Tirtha. From a Brahmana, He listened to the glorification of the spot. Suddenly the symptoms of ‘asta sattvika vikara” appeared all over His divine body. At the time He met Isvara Puri Mahaprabhu told him that His Gaya trip had been successful.
“ataeva tīrtha nahe tomāra samāna
tīrther o parama tumi maṅgala pradhāna”
Translation: Therefore holy places are not equal to you, for you purify even the holy places.
“saṃsāra-samudra haite uddhāraha
more ei āmi deha samarpilāṅa tomāre”
Translation: Please deliver Me from the ocean of material existence. I surrender Myself unto you.
“kṛṣṇa-pāda-padmera amṛta-rasa pāna,
āmāre karāo tumi’—ei cāhi dāna”
Translation: I beg that you make Me drink the nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet.” (Chaitanya Bhagavata 1.17.53-55)
In this way, Mahaprabhu Himself glorified Isvara Puri.
Meeting Vaishnava is superior to offering pinda to the ancestors:
Mahaprabhu clearly stated that meeting a great Vaishnava is more important than offering pinda to the ancestors as their funeral rites. Therefore His main objective of visiting Gaya Dhama was to get initiated by Isvara Puri. Then Puri initiated Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with Dasakshara Mantra. This pastime depicts how important role Ishwara Puri played in Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s life.
Mahaprabhu sets an example of guru seva:
Mahaprabhu followed the rites as per common belief and performed Tirtha Sraddha in Gaya. Then He returned back. When Ishwara Puri arrived at His home, Mahaprabhu welcomed him and served all dishes with His own hands.
Ishwara Puri was very satisfied by tasting such nectarine prasadam. In this way, Mahaprabhu set an example of how to serve one’s guru.
Earlier Meeting with Mahaprabhu:
Earlier Ishwara Puri met Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Navadvipa. Prior to that, he also met Sri Advaitacharya who was initiated by Madhavendra Puri. Vrindavana Dasa Thakura described in Chaitanya Bhagavata that while Nimai Pandita was manifesting the Vidya Vilasa pastime (started His career as a teacher), Ishwara Puri met Him. He was attracted by the unparalleled beauty of Nimai. Nimai invited him to accept Bhiksha (lunch meal) at His place. Sachi Mata cooked and offered the Bhoga to Krishna. Nimai served the Mahaprasada to Ishwara Puri. During this time, Ishwara Puri had a conversation about Krishna with Nimai.
Mahaprabhu adores Ishwara Puri’s composition:
Ishwara Puri stayed at Gopinatha Acharya’s house in Nabadwip for a few months. He was attracted to the pure devotion of Sri Gadadhara Pandita. At his request, Ishwara Puri started teaching him his own book ‘Shri Krishna Lilamrita’. Nimai also used to go there daily to offer obeisance to Puri. One day
Isvara Puri requested Nimai to point out the faults in his treatise. Hearing this, Nimai chastised his own scholarship and said, “This book is composed by a pure devotee like Sri Isvara Puri. Moreover, the subject is Krishna. Those who would criticize this, commit offense. No matter how it is described, it pleases Krishna. There is no doubt.”
“bhaktera kavitva ye-te-mate kene naya sarvathā kṛṣṇera prīti tāhāte niścaya”
Translation: “Kṛṣṇa is certainly pleased with His devotee’s poetry, even though it is imperfectly composed.
“mūrkha bole ‘viṣṇāya’, ‘viṣṇave’ bole
dhīra dui vākya parigraha kare kṛṣṇa vīra “
Translation: “An uneducated person may chant viṣṇāya, while a sober person will chant the proper form, viṣṇave, but the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa will accept both forms when they are chanted with devotion.
“Ihāte ye doṣa dekhe, tāhāra se doṣa, bhaktera varṇana-mātra kṛṣṇera santoṣa”
Translation: “One who finds fault with a devotee is himself at fault, for a devotee’s descriptions are meant only for the pleasure of Kṛṣṇa.”
But Ishwara Puri requested Him again and again. One day. Mahaprabhu smiled and said, “The verb root of this sentence is incorrect. The ātmanepadī form should not be used here.” Īśvara Purī considered the verb root that he had used and concluded many different angles. He left the verb in its ātmanepadī form, and when Nimāi came the next day, he explained, “I have concluded that the verb that You said yesterday should be parasmaipadī should remain ātmanepadī.” When the Lord heard his explanation, He was most satisfied with His servant’s victory and He did not find any further fault.
Glories of Ishwara Puri in Chaitanya Charitamrita:
Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita states that Madhavendra Puri was the first sprout of the desire tree of Bhakti. Ishwara Puri is the fructifier of the seed. And Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Himself is the main trunk of the tree.
“jaya śrī mādhavapurī kṛṣṇa-prema-pūra
bhakti-kalpatarura teṅho prathama aṅkura”
Translation: All glories to Śrī Mādhavendra Purī, the storehouse of all devotional service unto Kṛṣṇa! He is a desire tree of devotional service, and it is in him that the seed of devotional service is first fructified.
“śrī-īśvarapurī-rūpe aṅkura puṣṭa haila
āpane caitanya-mālī skandha upajila“
Translation: The seed of devotional service next fructified in the form of Śrī Īśvara Purī, and then the gardener Himself, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, became the main trunk of the tree of devotional service.
Ishwara Puri appointed his disciple at the service of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu:
Ishwara Puri sent his two disciples Kasisvara and Govinda to serve Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Although they were Mahaprabhu’s god-brothers, He accepted them, because the guru’s instructions must be observed. Chaitanya Charitamrita says:
“hena-kāle govindera haila āgamana,
daṇḍavat kari’ kahe vinaya-vacana“
Translation: At that time Govinda arrived there. He offered his respectful obeisances and spoke submissively.
“īśvara-purīra bhṛtya, — ‘govinda’ mora nāma,
purī-gosāñira ājñāya āinu tomāra sthāna“
Translation: “I am the servant of Īśvara Purī. My name is Govinda, and following the orders of my spiritual master, I have come here.
“siddha-prāpti-kāle gosāñi ājñā kaila more
kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nikaṭe rahi seviha tāṅhāre“
Translation: “Just before he departs from this mortal world to attain the highest perfection, Īśvara Purī told me that I should go to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and render service unto Him.
“kāśīśvara āsibena saba tīrtha dekhiyā
prabhu-ājñāya muñi āinu tomā-pade dhāñā“
Translation: “Kāśīśvara will also come here after visiting all the holy places. However, following the orders of my spiritual master, I have hastily come to be present at Your lotus feet.”
