Sri Syamananda Sataka: The Glory of Sri Syamananda Gopi
by Sri Rasikananda (Author), Translated by Kusakrtha Dasa , Edited By Purnaprajna Dasa
Rasikänanda met his spiritual master, Syämänanda, when he was an eighteen-year old youth named Rasika Muräri Patnaik, and later on became known as his chief disciple. He was born in 1590 AD, fifty-six years after the disappearance of Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu. He was the son of a wealthy landowner in West Bengal. Rasikänanda vigorously preached so that he became a very influential spiritual master who firmly established the sect known as Syämänandi Vaisñavas, devotees who execute Krsña consciousness in the mood of his guru. This book, Syämänanda-sataka, was written in the latter part of Rasikänanda’s life and it is purely glorification of his spiritual master, revealing his eternal relationship with Lord Sri Krsna.In text 27 it is revealed that Syämänanda was a hopé associate of Rädhä and Krsña who left the spiritual world to descend into this material world for the purpose of displaying his mercy upon the fallen conditioned souls struggling in Kaliyuga. Like an actor on the stage, he played the part of a human being, causing the unfortunate souls of this age to fall in love with Krsña. Toward the end of his life, Rasikänanda settled in Remuna, Orissa, where the Deity
of Ksira-corä Gopinätha is situated. The samädhi of Rasikänanda Prabhu can still be seen within the temple of Kñéra-corä Gopinätha at Remuna. Syämänanda was a disciple of Hrdaya Caitanya Thäkura. When Syämänanda came to Vrndävana, Jiva Gosvämi introduced him to Sréniväsa Äcärya and Narottama däsa Thäkura. In fact, Jéva Gosvämé placed Syämänanda under the care of Sriniväsa Ã„cärya. It was Jiva Gosvämi who gave him the name Syämänanda, for previously he was known as Dukhi Krsñadäsa. Later on, Çyämänanda, along with Sriniväsa Äcärya and Narottama däsa Thäkura, delivered the books of the Gosvämis to Bengal. After accomplishing this mission, Syämänanda went to Orissa. One can read more about the life of Syämänanda in the book Bhakti-ratnäkara by Narahari däsa. I especially enjoyed reading through this translation by Kusakratha Prabhu. It so happened that I had spent many days editing something of a different genre. After struggling through that task and finally finishing it, when I dove into the ocean of nectar that is Kusakratha’s translation of this work, I felt a wonderful change in consciousness. I relished transcendental pleasure within, an experience not to be had by the likes of me very often. What a relief! After wallowing in the mire of mundane experience, I felt as if I had been transported back to where I once belonged. At other times I generally take transcendental literature for granted, but I think that this sudden contrast is what gave me a genuine appreciation of the value of bhakti-rasa.Pürnaprajna Däsa