No other devotee knows more about Radha-Madhurya Krishna’s rasa than Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya, who spoke to the Lord before Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu met him. When Lord Chaitanya and Ramananda, a forty-year-old devotee, met, the Lord said, even though the two were half his age, “Both you and I, my sweet Sri Ramananda Raya, are completely bonkers. Apart from being Governor of Madras, he was an accomplished poet and Sanskrit scholar and a playwright well-versed in rasa literature and music, singing, and dancing.
History of Sri Ramananda Raya
Five hundred years ago, in the Puri area, a well-known devotee lived in the Bentapur village near the Brahmagiri Alalnath temple, Bhavananda Raya. Ramananda was the eldest of Bhavananda’s five sons. Choudhury Pattanayaka is the family name for those descended from this lineage. There are rumours that Lord Caitanya made a yearly pilgrimage to Alalnath, the birthplace of Ramananda.
Ramananda was not just a distinguished statesman but also a poet and scholar.
Bhavanand Ray had five sons, namely Ramanand Ray, Pattan Yak Guru, Kalanidhi, Sudhan Yak Guru, and Nayaka Guru.
Sri Ramananda Raya was Arjuna in His Past Incarnation
It is stated in the Gaura Ganoddesa Dipika (120-124) that Ramananda Raya was Arjuna in his previous life.
It’s also thought that Lalita is an incarnation of Visakha, while others believe he was an incarnation of Lalita.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had to say about it: “Even though I’m an ascetic, my thoughts are often disturbed by the sight of women.
On the other hand, Ramananda Raya is superior to you because he remains calm no matter how close he gets to a lady.”
Unfortunately, certain mischievous people are copying Ramananda Raya’s work.
Srimad Bhagavatam verses recited by Ramananda Raya and Svarupa Damodara calmed Lord Caitanya’s pleasant feelings of separation from Krsna.
Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya recommended Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to see Ramananda Raya when he was about to leave for South India. He claimed that he was the only devotee who had mastered the conjugal love between Krsna and Gopis to the extent that he did.
When Lord Chaitanya travelled to South India, he came across Ramananda by the riverside. In this extended lecture, Ramananda Raya took on the character of a teacher, and the Lord was his student.
“My darling Ramananda Raya, both you and I are madmen, so we met intimately, on an equal level,” Lord Caitanya said at the end of these conversations.
As instructed by Lord Chaitanya, Ramananda Raya has returned to Jagannath Puri to live with Lord Chaitanya.
Lord Chaitanya and Orissa’s King Prataparudra met, thanks to Ramananda Raya’s skillful orchestration.
After the Rathayatra event, Ramananda Raya was present to see the Lord indulge in water sports. Ramananda Raya was a grihastha in the government service, whereas Sanatana Gosvami was a total detachment from all material activity. Regardless, they were both devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus equal in their renunciation, according to the Lord. Lord Caitanya spoke with Ramananda Raya about the most private aspects of Krsna consciousness in a group of three and a half people.
What Lord Chaitanya Advised Pradyumna Misra?
Lord Chaitanya instructed Pradyumna Misra to study with Ramananda Raya to understand Krsna’s consciousness better.
Ramananda Raya helped Lord Chaitanya deal with his sentiments of separation from Krsna; similarly, Subala helped Krsna deal with Radharani in Krsnalila.
Ramananda Raya penned down Jagannatha Vallabha nataka.
Lord Chaitanya’s Discourses with Raya Ramananda
How Lord Caitanya and Ramananda Raya interacted is detailed in Iswar das’ Caitanya Bhagavata (edited by AB Mohanty, Utkal University).
Caitanya overcame with emotion and tears in his eyes after hearing Ramananda Raya describe the core of Prema Bhakti, so he embraced him in his arms.
The Meeting of Lord Chaitanya and Ramananda Raya
Lord Chaitanya’s interaction with Sri Ramananda Raya is described in greater detail. Ramananda Raya rode in on a palanquin to take a bath, music playing in the background. Ramananda Raya followed the Vedic principles of several Brahmanas. Ramananda Raya bathed and made offerings to his ancestors by the Vedic traditions.
Conclusion
There are several reasons that Lord Chaitanya enjoyed privately, and Ramananda Raya was one of the first to convey them to the world. In his mind, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu seemed like the combination of Rasaraja and Mahabharata in one. Suddenly, Rasaraja Shri Lord Krishna and Mahabhava Svarupini Shri Radha emerged in a dazzling form as one united entity.
Lord Chaitanya once stated, “A wooden woman can nevertheless cause my mind to be troubled even if I’m in the renounced order of life.” The unusual behaviour of Shri Ramananda Raya should not even be attempted in dreams. He was instructing young females, known as Devadasis, to please him in the Temple of Lord Jagannatha. Aside from that, he’d pamper the girls’ bodies with massages and makeovers. Ramananda Raya is the only one in all of god’s creation who possesses this unique combination of ultimate self-control and total detachment.
Gauranga told Ramananda’s father, Bhavanand Ray, that he was “Pandu” and that his five sons, Ramananda, Gopinath, Vaninath, Kalanidhi, and Sudhanidhi, were the five Pandavas when they met.
