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Ananta Acharya – Life and Pastimes | Sripat Baruipur (Mahaprabhu Tala)

ananta acharya baruipura

Sri Ananta Acharya was one of the dearest followers of Sri Advaita Acharya. Sri Advaita is one of the major branches to have arisen out of Sri Caitanya’s desire tree of devotional service. Ananta Acharya is the ninth expansion to have originated out of Lord Advaita’s branch. It has been mentioned by Srila Prabhupada in his purport that though Sri Ananta was initially a follower of Advaita prabhu, he later on became a prominent devotee of Gadadhara pandita (Caitanya Caritamrta, Adi 12.58). Caitanya Caritamrta exclaims that the body of Ananta Acharya has always been overwhelmed by the ecstasy of Krishna Prema. He was a reservoir of all good qualities and he was advanced in all respects.Not much is mentioned about Sri Ananta Acharya, but from Caitanya Caritamrta, we come to know that he had a dear disciple named Pandita Haridas (not to be confused with Haridasa Thakura), who had been the chief servitor at Sri Radha Govinda Dev jiu temple in Vrindavana. Sri Krishnadasa Kaviraja highly glorifies the vaishnava qualities of Sri Haridasa Pandita in the Adi lila of Caitanya Caritamrta (Adi 8.55) .Srila Krishnadasa recalls that Haridasa Pandita was one of the devotees who had requested him to compose Caitanya Caritamrta, the exalted biographical work on Lord Caitanya’s life and teachings. ‘The Gaudiya Treasures of Bengal’ has covered the pastimes of Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja in a separate article entitled – ‘Jhamatpura (Near Katwa) – Residence of Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami

ananta acharya baruipura

Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura mentions in his anubhashya that Sri Ananta Acharya is an eternal associate of the Supreme Lord. Sudevi, one of the eight principal gopis of Vrindavana,had incarnated as Sri Ananta Acharya in Lord Caitanya’s pastimes. Sri Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya’s house in Sri Jagannatha Puri, is today known by the name ’GangaMata Matha’. This Matha (monastery) was originally established by Sri Ananta Acharya. Ganga Mata, the princess of Puntiya (located in the Rajshahi district of the present-day Bangladesh), abandoned her home and opulence, in order to accept initiation in Ananta Acharya’s line of disciplic succession. She had later brought a deity named Sri Rasika Raya, from the king of Jaipur ,and installed Him in the house of Sri Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya. This matha(monastery) subsequently came to be known by her name.

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