Nityananda Prabhu delivered the most fallen and crushed the atheistic. These powers were manifest in his dear devotee, Dhananjaya. Dhananjaya Pandit converted many robbers and atheists in the Shitala Gram area.
vasudāmā sakhā yaś ca paṇḍitaḥ śrī-dhanañjayaḥThe cowherd Vasudāmā became Dhananjaya Pandit in Gaura-lila.
(Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā 127)
Dhananjaya Pandit, the dear associate of Lord Nityananda, was previously Vasudama, one among the twelve bosom friends of Lord Baladeva.
Dhananjaya Pandit was Nityananda Prabhu’s dear servant; he was very renounced and full of love for Kṛṣṇa.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.11.31)
Opinions vary about Dhananjaya Pandit’s birthplace and his parentage. In the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Abhidhāna, it is said that he was born in the village of Jargram in Chittagong district on the fifth day of the waxing moon in the month of Chaitra, 1484. His father’s name was Sripati Bandyopadhyaya, his mother’s was Kalindi Devi. His wife was Haripriya.
In the book Gauranga-mādhurī, another version is given: He was born in the village of Siyan Muluk, near Bolpur in the Birbhum district. His father’s name was Ādideva Vachaspati and his mother, Dayamayi. Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura subscribes to the former view in his Anubhāṣya.
Dhananjaya Pandit’s primary home was in the village of Shitala Gram, which is served by the Kaichara post office in the precinct of Mangalkot in Burdwan district. Shitala Gram is about one mile northeast of the Kaichara railway station, which is nine miles from Katwa railway station. He is also said to have had homes in the village of Sanchara Panchara and Jalandi villages. This first of these villages lies two miles south of Satdeula Tejapur, which is four miles from the Memari train station. Jalandi is about 10 miles east of city of Burdwan and is served by Lokanagara post office. Also found in this village is the home of Sanjaya Pandit, who is said by some to have been Dhananjaya’s brother and by others his disciple. Dhananjaya had no offspring. Those who supervise the Shitala Gram temple are descendants of his disciples.
Both the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Abhidhāna and Gauranga-mādhurī agree that Dhananjaya Pandit was married and that his wife’s name was Haripriya. It is also mentioned that he would prostrate himself in obeisances before Tulasī Devi three times a day. He was married when very young, but this did not stop him from leaving on a pilgrimage shortly after his wedding. His wealthy father gave him money for travelling expenses, but Dhananjaya gave it all to Mahāprabhu and carried only a begging bowl. This particular action has been recalled by the author of the Vaiṣṇava-vandanā:
vilāsī vairāgī vandoṅ paṇḍita dhananjaya
sarvasva prabhure diyā bhāṇḍa hāte laya
Dhananjaya’s main home or Sripat, was in Shitala Gram. The deities of Gopinath, Nitai-Gauranga and Damodar worshiped by him are still being served there. These deities are brought into a field not far from the temple where the disappearance day festival is held annually in the middle of Magh.
Dhananjaya Pandit participated for a few days with Mahāprabhu in His sankirtan pastimes in Nabadvīpa. From there he returned to Shitala Gram whence he went on a pilgrimage to Vrindavan. Before travelling to Vrindavan, he stayed for a few days in Sanchara Panchara, leaving a disciple who was travelling with him in charge of the deity service. At present, there is no further sign of this temple in Sanchara Panchara.
Nityananda Prabhu delivered the most fallen and crushed the atheistic. These powers were manifest in his dear devotee, Dhananjaya. Dhananjaya Pandit converted many robbers and atheists in the Shitala Gram area.
Dhananjaya Pandit was an extraordinarily great Vaiṣṇava. Nityananda Prabhu took up permanent residence in his heart.
(Chaitanya Bhagavata 3.5.773)
As one enters the Shitala Gram temple, a small Tulasī altar stands on the left. This is the site of Dhananjaya Pandit’s samadhi.
His disappearance day is the Kṛṣṇa-aṣṭamī of Karttik month.
Excerpt from “Sri Chaitanya: His Life and Associates” by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj
