Sri Murari Gupta is one of the chief associates in Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu childhood pastimes. According to Gauòéya-Vaiñëava abhidhäna , his birthplace is at Goalabazar in Sylhet District.
bhava-roga-vaidya çré muräri-näma
yäìra ‘çréhaööa’ e-saba vaiñëavera ‘avatära’
“They, along with Sri Murari Gupta, who cures the living entities of their material disease, all took birth in Çréhaööa.”
CB Ädi- khaëòa 2.35
Later, Sri Murari Gupta became resident of Navadvépa. Mahäprabhu performed various intimate pastimes with him in childhood. He was a baidya (doctor) by profession, and freed his patients not only from their physical ailments, but also from the disease of material life.
Once Mahaprabhu preached to Muräri about the supreme sweetness and position of Vrajendra-kumära (Kåñëa): “Muräri, just worship Him. He is the ultimate source of Räma.” Muräri Gupta was enthused to meditate on Çré Kåñëa for the whole night, but could not: instead, Lord Çré Rämacandra’s form would manifest in his mind again and again. He had a deep attachment to Lord Rämacandra. That night he prayed to Lord Räma to take his life. He asked for this because he couldn’t stop serving Rama, nor could he defy Çré Caitanya’s request.
The next morning, Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu came to his home and saw him very agitated and languorous. Mahäprabhu asked Him, “What has happened to you?” Muräri replied, “You instructed me just to worship Kåñëa, but I have sold my head to the lotus feet of Lord Rämacandra. My ultimate duty is to follow Your order, yet I am not able to do it. I think I should give up my body to Gaìgä Devi as punishment for not following Your order.”
Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu embraced him and said, “Do not worry. You are the pure devotee of Çré Rämacandra.” Later, in His mahä-prakäça lélä, Mahäprabhu revealed that Muräri Gupta was actually Hanumän in Räma-lila. Therefore he had been immersed in love to Çré Rämacandra.
Analysing the multiple incarnations of the Supreme Lord, Muräri Gupta came to the conclusion that in each appearance the Lord reveals pastimes and conceals them as well. Thus, Mahäprabhu, too, would inevitably disappear at a certain moment. Muräri thought that it would be better for him to depart before facing this scenario, therefore he kept a sharp knife in his home. The Lord knew his intention and came to him, asking Muräri to hand over the knife and telling him, “This is not your body.”
Muräri Gupta resided on the east side of Prithu-kunòa, or Ballaldighi in Navadvépa. He had deities of Çré Çré Sétä-Räma-Lakñmaëa. These deities are still being worshipped now. He wrote the childhood biography of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, which acted as the basis for both Çré Caitanya-bhägavata and Çré Caitanya-caritämåta.
There exists no sign of Muräri Gupta’s birthplace in Goalabazar, yet his descendants still reside there.
How to Go There
Goalabazar is 30 kilometres from Sylhet on the way to Dhaka. Get down at the Goalabazar stop and walk 15 minutes or take an auto-rickshaw.
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