Srila Madhavendra Puri - Appearance

During Nityananda Prabhu's tour of all the holy places of India forthe purpose of purifying them, by the will of providence, hehappened to meet Madhavendra Puripada somewhere in western India.When Nityananda Prabhu saw Madhavendra Puri Goswami he fainted awayin a swoon of ecstatic love and His transcendental body becamecompletely still. Similarly, when Madhavendra Puri gazed uponNityananda Prabhu, he completely forgot himself and fainted to theground.

Sri Gaurcandra used to repeatedly remark that, in relishing themellows of love in devotion, there is no one to compare withMadhavendra Puri. When the disciples of Madhavendra Puri, headed byIsvara Puri, saw their spiritual master and the Prabhu fallen in afaint of ecstatic love, they began to cry. Gradually, Nityananda Prabhu andMadhavendra got back their external consciousness. When their eyesopened and they again got sight of one another, they put their armsaround each other's necks and cried tears of joy. Then they beganto roll in the sandy earth carried by the waves of ecstatic love,while rending the sky with their loud roaring. As a river of lovebegan to flow from their eyes, Mother Earth considered herself to be blessed inbeing flooded by that inundation. With the appearance of thetransformations brought by bhava, trembling, tears, and standing ofthe hairs on end, it could be understood that their bodies hadbecome a place of pastimes for Caitanya Gosai.

Nityananda exclaimed, "Today I have received the fruit of all mytravels to the holy places.In seeing the feet of Madhavendra Puri, I have received thetreasure of love of God, andthus my life has become blessed."

Madhavendra Puri continued to embrace Nityananda Prabhu tightly tohis chest. He wanted to say something but his voice was choked updue to experiencing intense emotions. Isvara Puri, Brahmananda Puriand the other disciples of Sri Puripada present, became completelyenamored by Nityananda Prabhu. Some other pilgrims were present at that place but due tobeing devoid of devotion, they couldn't understand what was goingon and continued to converse amongst themselves. The devotees feltsome sorrow to see the behaviour of those dullheaded brutes so theyretreated into the forest to be rid of their company. When theywere alone together again, their distress was destroyed and theycontinued to relish the mellows of Krsna-prema. In this wayNityananda Prabhu and Madhavendra Puri spent some days together inthe happiness of Krsna-katha.

Madhavendra Puri's love of God was very uncommon. Simply uponseeing a dark raincloud he would fall down unconscious. Day andnight he imbibed the spirituous liquor of Krsna-prema, and thusremained intoxicated, sometimes laughing, sometimes crying, sometimes raising a tumultuoushue and cry. Nityananda also behaved just like a madman, fallingdown on the ground, his body agitated by waves of ecstasy. Aslava belches forth fromavolcano, loud laughter erupted from his mouth while his wholebody, as if in the throes of a great earthquake, trembledviolently.

Never before having seen such unprecedented displays of ecstaticemotions, Madhavendra Puri's disciples continuously remainedengaged in Hari-kirtana. No one knew whether it was day or night.Having become completely absorbed in the mellows of Krsna-prema,the days were passing though it seemed to them that not even amoment had elapsed yet. Whatever was discussed between Madhavendraand Nityananda is known only to them and Sri Krsnacandra. Who elseis capable of understanding such subject matter? Madhavendra Puriwas unable to give up Nityananda's company and so he continued toroam about, keeping Nityananda with him.

Madhavendra Puri told his disciples, "Never before anywhere in allmy travels to all the holy places, have I ever seen such love asthis. I could understand that the Supreme Lord is merciful to mewhen I got a friend like Nityananda as my close companion. Wheneverone gets His association, that place becomes the sum total of allholy places and non-different from Vaikuntha itself. Whoever simplyhears about Him will definitely get the association of SriKrsnacandra. And whoever bears even the slightest enmity towardsHim, though he may be a devotee, is not dear to Krsna." In thisway, day and night, Madhavendra praised the attractive qualities ofNityananda Prabhu.

Lord Nityananda respected Madhavendra Puri as his guru and alwaysbehaved with him in that relationship. After travelling togetherfor some days finally Nityananda Prabhu set of in the direction ofSetu Bandha while Madhavendra Puri started for Sarayu. Having lostcontact with the external world neither of them was aware of hisown body. In order to maintain body and soul together, they thusremained in these transcendental states of consciousness. If inexternal consciousness, they would cease to live. [C.B. Adi9.158-192]

At the time of his departure from this world, Madhavendra Puri wascompletely absorbed in separation from Krsna and constantlyrepeated one sloka. This verse is considered by Gaudiya Vaishnavasto be the essence of expression of the mood of separation.

Among his associates and disciples were Sri Advaita Acarya, SriPundarika Vidyanidhi, Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Iswara Puri, SriParamananda Puri, Sri Ranga Puri, Sri Ramacandra Puri, Sri NrsimhaTirtha, Sri Raghupati Upadhyaya, Sri Sukhananda Puri, amongothers.

"Madhavendra Puri's body is totally imbued with divine love, as arehis followers as well. He takes nothing other than the juice of themellows of love for Krsna as his foodstuffs. Thus his body hasbecome the place of pastimes of Sri Krsna." [C.B.Adi 9.155]

His worshippable Deity, Gopalji, is presently residing at Nathdwarin Rajasthan, and isworshipped by the followers of Vallabhacarya.