Srila Shyamananda Prabhu’s childhood name was Dukhi. From his very childhood, Dukhi’s heart was imbibed with devotion to Lord Krishna. By listening to the pastimes of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu and Their associates, he used to become ecstatic, weep and moisten his clothes by the tears gliding down his cheeks. Due to deep love for Krishna he would usually show the symptoms of ecstasy such as crying, laughing and dancing. In the month of Phalgun in 1553 A.D. at the age of 18, he left home for Ambika near Navadvip Dham without informing anyone, to take shelter under the lotus feet of his would be spiritual master. On the way he braved many rivers, rivulets, hillocks and dense forests full of beasts. On Phalguni Purnima of 1554 A.D., he took initiation from Sri Hridaya Caitanya Adhikari Thakur, a disciple of Sri Gauri Dasa Pandit (Subal Sakha of Vraja). At initiation he received the name Dukhi Krishna Dasa.
On the instructions of his spiritual master he set out on pilgrimage to all the holy places in India including Sri Vrindavan Dham. After the pilgrimage, he returned to his village in 1562 A.D. and married Gaurangi Dasi as per his parent’s wish. But due to the utmost attraction for Vraja he could not stay in his village for long and returned to Sri Vrindavan Dham in the year 1566 A.D. He experienced that the land of Vrindavan was adorned with desire trees and was made of touchstones. Everywhere the fragrant aroma of the divine love of Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundar pervaded the air. Therefore he glorified Sri Vrindavan Dham as the topmost abode in the universe. Mango, Ashok, Black Catechu trees of Vrindavan and the beautiful forests surrounded by lotuses, Butea fondosa flowers and Neaulea orientalis trees delighted his heart. Vrindavan was embellished with Mimusops, Champaka and pomegranate flowers and was surrounded by beautiful gardens charming even the hearts of the demigods.
He reached Nandagram and after seeing the palace of Nanda Maharaja where Shyamsundar performed many pastimes, he wept bitterly and started paying obeisances to this transcendental village again and again. Dukhi Krishna Dasa then visited the place of King Vrishabhanu known as Barsana. After visiting the pleasure dome of Srimati Radharani, he experienced transcendental joy. Soon after he sojourned Govardhana Hill and after seeing the sacred mountain, memories of Krishna’s pastimes started sprouting in his heart. He started dancing and glorifying Govardhana Hill with choked voice. While circumambulating Govardhana Hill, he had darshan of Sri Radha Kunda and Sri Shyama Kunda. They were full of sweet water and surrounded by beautiful lotus flowers and groves. He felt excited after touching the scintillating water and offered his due respect to the sacred ponds.
Sri Dukhi Krishna Dasa then went to Yavat and returned to Vrindavan. Having darshan of Sri Radha Govinda, Sri Radha Gopinath and Sri Radha Madana-mohan, he lost his senses due to ecstasy and thereupon whenever he saw Krishna, he saw Radharani also because one cannot have a glimpse of the moon without it’s light.
During his meeting with Srila Raghunath Dasa Goswami and Srila Krishna Dasa Kaviraj Goswami at Radha Kunda, Srila Raghunath Dasa Goswami sent him to meet Srila Jiva Goswami. As soon as Dukhi Krishna Dasa met Jiva Goswami and paid his obeisances at his lotus feet, the latter felt a wave of ecstasy passing through him and it occurred to him that his wait for the arrival of a desired personality had come to an end. Sri Srinivasa Acharya (embodiment of Caitanya’s love), Sri Narottama Dasa Thakura (embodiment of Nityananda’s love) were already with him. Now the embodiment of Advaita Acharya’s love also reached there. Srila Jiva Goswami got busy to draw plans to spread Krishna Conscious literature to other parts of the world with the help of this confluence of three Bhakti streams.
Due to his extraordinary personality, his spirituality, humility, virtuousness and devotion, people loved Krishna Dasa very much. For Srinivasa Acharya and Narottama Dasa Thakura he was the wealth of their heart and for Jiva Goswami, he was the apple of his eye. Jiva Goswami advised Krishna Dasa to study books written by the six goswamis, listen to Krishna Katha and chant Hare Krishna but Krishna Dasa requested for some more transcendental service to the Lord.
Sri Krishna Dasa who was a disciple of Sri Gauri Dasa Pandit’s tradition was a devotee in “sakhya rasa” (serving the Lord as a friend). After meeting Jiva Goswami, he developed a liking for Kunja-seva of Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundar and insisted especially for ‘sadhan-bhajan’ education. Srila Jiva Goswami considering him a worthy aspirant, started training him in the stream of madhurya rasa (serving the Lord as a conjugal lover). This way Dukhi Krishna Dasa got the right of devotional service under the guidance of Srila Jiva Goswami, who also granted him the rare opportunity of cleaning the sacred groves of Seva-kunj. From then onwards, Dukhi Krishna Dasa started spending most of his time in the service and worship of Radha and Krishna, chanting of Holy Names, etc. in his underground cave (bhajan-kutir), in addition to cleaning of the groves. He used to rise early in the morning and with a broom and scraping instrument clean the groves. In this way he rendered service for twelve years and progressed in devotional service to Lord Krishna.
On the instructions of his spiritual master he set out on pilgrimage to all the holy places in India including Sri Vrindavan Dham. After the pilgrimage, he returned to his village in 1562 A.D. and married Gaurangi Dasi as per his parent’s wish. But due to the utmost attraction for Vraja he could not stay in his village for long and returned to Sri Vrindavan Dham in the year 1566 A.D. He experienced that the land of Vrindavan was adorned with desire trees and was made of touchstones. Everywhere the fragrant aroma of the divine love of Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundar pervaded the air. Therefore he glorified Sri Vrindavan Dham as the topmost abode in the universe. Mango, Ashok, Black Catechu trees of Vrindavan and the beautiful forests surrounded by lotuses, Butea fondosa flowers and Neaulea orientalis trees delighted his heart. Vrindavan was embellished with Mimusops, Champaka and pomegranate flowers and was surrounded by beautiful gardens charming even the hearts of the demigods.
He reached Nandagram and after seeing the palace of Nanda Maharaja where Shyamsundar performed many pastimes, he wept bitterly and started paying obeisances to this transcendental village again and again. Dukhi Krishna Dasa then visited the place of King Vrishabhanu known as Barsana. After visiting the pleasure dome of Srimati Radharani, he experienced transcendental joy. Soon after he sojourned Govardhana Hill and after seeing the sacred mountain, memories of Krishna’s pastimes started sprouting in his heart. He started dancing and glorifying Govardhana Hill with choked voice. While circumambulating Govardhana Hill, he had darshan of Sri Radha Kunda and Sri Shyama Kunda. They were full of sweet water and surrounded by beautiful lotus flowers and groves. He felt excited after touching the scintillating water and offered his due respect to the sacred ponds.
Sri Dukhi Krishna Dasa then went to Yavat and returned to Vrindavan. Having darshan of Sri Radha Govinda, Sri Radha Gopinath and Sri Radha Madana-mohan, he lost his senses due to ecstasy and thereupon whenever he saw Krishna, he saw Radharani also because one cannot have a glimpse of the moon without it’s light.
During his meeting with Srila Raghunath Dasa Goswami and Srila Krishna Dasa Kaviraj Goswami at Radha Kunda, Srila Raghunath Dasa Goswami sent him to meet Srila Jiva Goswami. As soon as Dukhi Krishna Dasa met Jiva Goswami and paid his obeisances at his lotus feet, the latter felt a wave of ecstasy passing through him and it occurred to him that his wait for the arrival of a desired personality had come to an end. Sri Srinivasa Acharya (embodiment of Caitanya’s love), Sri Narottama Dasa Thakura (embodiment of Nityananda’s love) were already with him. Now the embodiment of Advaita Acharya’s love also reached there. Srila Jiva Goswami got busy to draw plans to spread Krishna Conscious literature to other parts of the world with the help of this confluence of three Bhakti streams.
Due to his extraordinary personality, his spirituality, humility, virtuousness and devotion, people loved Krishna Dasa very much. For Srinivasa Acharya and Narottama Dasa Thakura he was the wealth of their heart and for Jiva Goswami, he was the apple of his eye. Jiva Goswami advised Krishna Dasa to study books written by the six goswamis, listen to Krishna Katha and chant Hare Krishna but Krishna Dasa requested for some more transcendental service to the Lord.
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