vraje sthitau gayakau yau
madhukantha-madhuvratau
mukunda-vasudevau tau
dattau gauräìga-gayakau
“In Vraja there were two very nice singers named Madhukaëöha and Madhuvrata. They appeared in Caitanya-lélä as Mukunda and Vasudeva Datta, who were singers in the society of Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu.” (Gaura-gaëoddeça-dépikä 140)
Vasudeva and Mukunda Datta were born in Chittagong district, now known as Chattogram, in the village of Chanhara, which is under the jurisdiction of the police station named Patiya. They were very dear to Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. Mukunda Datta was the same age as Mahäprabhu, and they studied in the same school and would play together. Their friendship started when Mukunda Dattt came to Navadvépa along with his elder brother Vasudeva. From childhood, Mukunda Datta was always absorbed in Kåñëa.
Sometimes Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu would fight with Mukunda Datta, using tricks of logic. Mukunda felt irritated in debating with logic aphorisms. He studied literature and rhetoric and tried to defeat Mahäprabhu with aphorisms of rhetoric, but failed each time. So, on seeing Mahäprabhu, he used to run in another direction in fear of futile debate. Mahäprabhu understood the situation and said, “So you are fleeing: then let us see how many days you can remain hidden. I will be such a Vaiñëava that everyone must come to my door.”
Mukunda thought, “A normal human being cannot possess such erudition, He must be a great man. If such a person becomes a devotee of Kåñëa, I will never avoid his association for a single moment.”
When Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu returned from Gaya, Mukunda Datta gave Him pleasure by reciting kåñëa-lila verses from Çrémad–Bhägavatam.
When Mahäprabhu manifested His mahä-prakäça form in Çréväsa Paëòita’s home, different devotees saw Him in different ways. Devotees of Rämacandra saw Mahäprabhu as Räma; devotees of Viñëu saw Him as Visnu; others saw Him in the form of Nåsiàhadeva, and yet others saw Him as different incarnations of Viñëu. Çréväsa Öhäkura noticed that Mahäprabhu was not calling Mukunda to join them, so he pleaded on behalf of Mukunda. Mahäprabhu said, “I shall not give him darçana. He is not worthy of my darçana. Sometimes he takes grass in his teeth, sometimes he hurts Me. He explains devotional service among devotees, but then he goes to Mäyävädés to hear from them the Yoga-vasiñöha Rämäyaëa, which is full of Mäyäväda philosophy. For this I am greatly displeased with him. He is an offender to the lotus feet of Bhakti.”
Mukunda datta are mained outside the house, weeping. Seeing him crying, the devotees reported to Mahäprabhu, “Mukunda is very sad and he wants to end his life by drowning in the River Ganges. He does not want to maintain his body if he cannot see Your form. He is continually crying outside.”
Mukunda sent a message with the devotees asking Mahäprabhu, “When shall I see Your form?” Mahäprabhu answered, “Let him go through another ten million births and then he will certainly see Me.” Hearing this, Mukunda became very happy and began dancing, “Oh, after only millions of births will I again see Mahäprabhu! Therefore I am happy! Millions of births I can tolerate if I am again able to have His darçana!”
Hearing this, Mahäprabhu was happy and said, “In this way he has already crossed those millions of births and can see Me — he can come immediately.” So the devotees called Mukunda: “Oh Mukunda, come! Mahäprabhu is calling you.” But Mukunda said, “Mahäprabhu said after crores of births I could have His darçana, so how can I go there now?” But Mahäprabhu said, “Now his crores of births have gone, and he can come and see Me.”
Mahäprabhu told him, “Get up, get up My dear Mukunda! All your offenses have been exonerated. You lost your wealth of devotion by wrong association, but now again by your loving devotion you have conquered Me and I am indebted to you. I said that after ten million births you will have your desire to see Me fulfilled, but you immediately pushed away all previous doubts and offenses. You had full faith in the infallibility of My words, thus You have bound me eternally in your heart with the bonds of loving devotion.”
amara yemana tumi vallabha ekänta
eimata hau tore sakala mahänta
yekhäne yekhäna haya mora avatära
tathäya gäyana tumi haive ämära
“You will be dear to everyone such as you are dear to Me. Whenever I will decend as an avatära you will be My personal singer.” (Cb Madhya-khaëòa 10.259/60)
Lord Caitanya’s acceptance of the renounced order was made known to Gadädhara Paëòita, Candraçekhara Äcärya, and Mukunda Datta by Nityänanda Prabhu, and therefore all of them went to Katwa and arranged for kértana and all the paraphernalia need for the Lord’s acceptance of sannyäsa.
Vasudeva and Mukunda Datta’s brother, was also a resident of Chittagong. Vasudeva Datta stayed at Çréväsa Paëòita’s house, and in Caitanya-bhägavata it is described that Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was so pleased with Vasudeva Datta and so affectionate toward him that He used to say, “I am only Vasudeva Datta’s man. My body is only meant to please Vasudeva Datta, and he can sell Me anywhere.”
Thrice He vowed that this was a fact and that no one should disbelieve these statements. “All My dear devotees,” He said, “I tell you the truth. My body is especially meant for Vasudeva Datta.”
Once, the devotees of Bengal assembled before Mahäprabhu. Vasudeva Datta was also present there. Mahaprabhu became pleased to see him.
vāsudeva dekhi’ prabhu ānandita hañā
tāṅre kichu kahe tāṅra aṅge hasta diyā
“As soon as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw Vāsudeva Datta, the older brother of Mukunda Datta, He immediately became very happy and, placing His hand on his body, began to speak.”
yadyapi mukunda — āmā-saṅge śiśu haite
tāṅhā haite adhika sukha tomāre dekhite
“Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ‘Although Mukunda is My friend from childhood, I nonetheless take greater pleasure in seeing you than in seeing him.’”
vāsu kahe, — mukunda ādau pāila tomāra saṅga
tomāra caraṇa pāila sei punar-janma
“Vāsudeva replied, ‘Mukunda got Your association in the beginning. As such, he has taken shelter at Your lotus feet. That is his transcendental rebirth.’”
choṭa hañā mukunda ebe haila āmāra jyeṣṭha
tomāra kṛpā-pātra tāte sarva-guṇe śreṣṭha
“Thus Vāsudeva Datta admitted his inferiority to Mukunda, his younger brother. ‘Although Mukunda is my junior,’ he said, ‘he first received Your favour. Consequently he became transcendentally senior to me. Besides that, You very much favoured Mukunda. Thus he is superior in all good qualities.’” (Cc Madhya-lélä 11.137-140)
Vasudeva Datta initiated Çré Yadunandana Äcärya, the spiritual master of Raghunätha däsa, who later became Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé.
Vasudeva Datta spent money very liberally; therefore Caitanya Mahäprabhu asked Çivänanda Sena to become his sarakhela, or secretary, in order to control his extravagant expenses.
Vasudeva was so distressed by the suffering of all living beings that he was ready to accept their sins and suffer in hell, and he prayed emotionally to Mahäprabhu for such a boon: “My Lord! You have appeared in this world to save it, so please accept my prayer. You are omnipotent and all-merciful, so if you agree to fulfil my request, it can be easily done. When I see the suffering of the world, my heart is torn apart. So I ask you, Lord, give their sins to me. I will take their sins and suffer in hell on their behalf, but please deliver them from their material disease.”
When Mahäprabhu heard this emotional plea on behalf of the living beings of the world, he said to Vasudeva:
brahmāṇḍa jīvera tumi vāñchile nistāra
vinā pāpa-bhoge habe sabāra uddhāra
asamartha nahe kṛṣṇa, dhare sarva bala
tomāke vā kene bhuñjāibe pāpa-phala?
tumi yāṅra hita vāñcha’, se haila ‘vaiṣṇava’
vaiṣṇavera pāpa kṛṣṇa dūra kare saba
“You have desired the liberation of all the living beings in the entire universe, so it will be. They will saved without having to suffer the consequences of their sins. Kåñëa is not incapable of doing it, He has all powers, so why should he make you suffer for their sins? Those whose welfare you desire will all become Vaiñëavas, and Kåñëa removes the sins of all those who are Vaiñëavas.” (Cc Madhya-lila 15.167-169)
After the disappearance of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, devotees started taking harinäma saìkértana to different areas. So, Vasudeva Datta began to reside in Kanchrapara near Kumarhatta. He installed Çré Çré Mädana Gopäla in Mamgachi at Çréla Våndävana Däs Öhäkura’s birthplace.
The old cottage of Mukunda Datta and Vasudeva Datta in the Chanhara village is still present. Twelve Çäligräma-çéläs served by them is worshipped there today. From Chanhara, they moved to Mekhal village and stayed there for some days. There one can still see the spectacular bhajan-kuöirä of Mukunda Datta.
How to Go There
Patiya is reached by bus on the Chattogram-Cox’s bazaar route. Chanhara village is seven kilometers from Patiya.
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