The Advent of Jagadbandhu Prabhu

Jai Nitai! Jai Jagadbandhu!

In my previous post I made a .pdf file available which is the chapter about Jagadbandhu Prabhu from The Saints of Bengal, by Dr. Kapoor. There the birth of Prabhu is barely addressed. I wish to share the account of Prabhu’s appearance from the vision of his devotees. The devotees of Jagadbandhu who perceive him as the combination of Nityananda and Gaurahari have a very sweet version of his advent. They describe it thusly:

The Grand Event

The Lord does not descend by the worldly process of birth. Though He has a mother, He is not actually born of mother’s womb. Only the devotees know the secret behind this.

ajo ‘pi sann avyayAtmA bhUtAnAm Izvaro ‘pi san |
prakRtiM svAm adhiSThAya saMbhavAmy Atma-mAyayA ||BG 4.6||

“Though I am the unborn Lord of all entities and have an imperishable body. I appear in My own body by My own mercy, to deliver the jivas”

Dinanath Nyayratna was Jagadbandhu’s father and was a scholar of the highest caliber, and he also received royal patronage. The ruler of Bengal bestowed on him the highest possible honour. Dinanath left his paternal home of Govindapur in the district of Faridpur and reached Dahapara with his family deities, Sri Sri Radha Govinda. He was accompanied by his wife, Bama Devi and their daughter Kailaskamini. At the  arrival of this holy family in Dahapara the town assumed a new look and a new dimension. Dahapara attained the status of a glorious seat of learning, and the holy family became the source of joy to all the residents of Dahapara. Everyone felt some sort of unexplainable delight, but none knew the reason. Flowers bloomed and danced—all of Nature assumed a new face of unprecedented splendor, and the environment became surcharged with an exhilarating and charming character.

This, of course was the work of Yogamaya, the divine creativity. The union of Dinanath and Bama Devi is an eternal and sublime pairing. The eternal couple were continuously engrossed in divine contemplation. They existed in a state of Maha-ananda. The lovely woman Bama Devi appeared to be the loveliest creature. She was a paragon of beauty excelled to infinity. A glowing aura flowed from her body. Their close relatives as well as the neighbours all enjoyed her blooming beauty. Thrilling waves of joy passed through their hearts, but all were clueless to the event to about to come even though some symptoms of pregnancy were starting to become visible on the body of Sri Bama Devi.

One day the blessed couple Dinanath and Bama Devi had to attend a festival in the  palace of Murshidabad, close to Dahapara. Bama Devi talked to all  the  participants with joy and  grace.  At times  she  felt a thrilling sensation, a sort  of  celestial  delight. Gradually dusk came. The night became deep and quiet and after a long and strenuous day Dinanath and Bamadevi  went to bed and passed into a deep slumber.  The mysterious developments accumulated so far nearly reached its stage of culmination. Bama devi  had the  vision of an exquisite sight in a dream.

She had gone to the Ganges for a bath with her husband Dinanath. After their bath they sat to perform meditation. The moon had just disappeared from the sky making room for the dawn. While white foamy waves of the Ganges passed on in a dancing fashion, carried by the current, a full-bloomed lotus appeared before them. On the lotus blossom was lying a cream-soft and golden-colour prodigy. Dinanath picked up the divine being and placed him on the lap of Bama Devi. She embraced the angel-like child with motherly affection. Thrilling waves swept through her body and she woke up.

Dinanath also woke up. The blessed lady told the story of her dream to him. On hearing the transcendental narration, Dinanath became engrossed in deep thought. The blessed couple rushed towards home without giving any notice to the  family that was hosting them. Both of them proceeded in trembling steps deeply absorbed over the supernatural dream. Tension rose high and they wondered if it was a mere dream or reality. They became stupefied.

The couple dragged their bodies along and reached home just before the break of day. With trembling feet they entered into their bedroom and found a new born baby laying upon their bed. A dazzling aura was shining from of the body of the baby and the entire house itself was illuminated by a divine radiance. It was purely a transcendental affair and beyond involvment with any physical law. The eternal mother lifted the prodigy to her breast as it flowed honey. Her symptoms of conception disappeared instantly. It was 28 April,1871.

The celestial touch of the  baby created motherly love from Bama Devi to  an unimaginable height and generated sacred rapture throughout her entire being. This mother and son relationship is eternal. She never carried the divine child in her womb, but he came from her womb nevertheless. Logic does not permit such a thing—it is understood by Seers alone. The world witnessed the birth of the birthless once again. “Jagadbandhu” –The Friend of the Universe.