Adi-lila, Chapter 11 359

TEXT 13

Haraery sia, totes wt |
DSP CUP aT SW ACH StF HW Se 8

$ri-rama-dasa Gra, gadadhara dasa
caitanya-gosdhira bhakta rahe tafira pasa

SYNONYMS

$ri-rama-dasa—of the name Sri Ramadasa; dra—and; gadddhara dasa—of the name
Gadadhara dasa; caitanya-gosahira—of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; bhakta—
devotees; rahe—stay; tafira pasa—with Him.

TRANSLATION

Two devotees of Lord Caitanya named Sri Ramadasa and Gadadhara dasa always
lived with Sri Virabhadra Gosani.

PURPORT

Sri Ramadasa, later known as Abhirama Thakura, was one of the twelve gopdlas,
cowherd boy friends, of Sri Nityananda Prabhu. The Gaura-ganoddesa-dipikd, verse
126, states that Sri Ramadasa was formerly Sridama. In the Bhakti-ratnakara,
Chapter Four, there is a description of Srila Abhirama Thakura. By the order of Sri
Nityananda Prabhu, Abhirama Thakura became a great Gcdarya and preacher of the
Caitanya cult of devotional service. He was a very influential personality, and non-
devotees were very much afraid of him. Empowered by Sri Nityananda Prabhu, he
was always in ecstasy and was extremely kind to all fallen souls. It is said that if he
offered obeisances to any stone other than a $a/agrama-sila, it would immediately
fracture.

Ten miles southwest of the railway station Canpadanga on the narrow gauge
railway line from Howrah in Calcutta to Amita, a village in the Hugali district, is a
small town named KhanakGla-krsnanagara where the temple of Abhirama Thakura
is situated. During the rainy season, when this area is inundated with water, people
must go there by another line, which is now called the southeastern railway. On this
line there is a station named Kolaghata, from which one has to go by steamer to
Ranicaka. Seven and a half miles north of Ranicaka is Khanaktila. The temple of
Abhirama Thakura is situated in Krsnanagara, which is near the k&/a (bank) of the
Khana (Dvarakesvara River); therefore this place is celebrated as Khanakdla-
krsnanagara. Outside of the temple is a bakula tree. This place is known as Siddha-
bakula-kufija. It is said that when Abhirama Thakura came there, he sat down under
this tree. In Khanakdla-krsnanagara there is a big fair held every year in the month
of caitra (March-April) on the Arsna-saptami, the seventh day of the dark moon.
Many hundreds and thousands of people gather for this festival. The temple of
Abhirama Thakura has a very old history. The Deity in the temple is known as
Gopinatha. There are many sevaita families living near the temple. It is said that
