Sri Madhavendra Puri Tiro-bhava tithi-dvadasi Monday March 5th

 Srila Prabhupada explains the exalted position of Madhavendra Puri in the Gaudiya Sampradaya
Books : Bhagavad-gita As It Is - Macmillan 1972 Edition : Bg: introduction :

1) Kṛṣṇa, 2) Brahmā, 3) Nārada; 4) Vyāsa, 5) Madhva, 6) Padmanābha, 7) Nṛhari, 8) Mādhava, 9) Akṣobhya, 10) Jayatīrtha, 11) Jñānasindhu, 12) Dayānidhi, 13) Vidyānidhi, 14) Rājendra, 15) Jayadharma, 16) Puruṣottama, 17) Brahmaṇyatīrtha, 18) Vyāsatīrtha, 19) Lakṣmīpati, 20) Mādhavendra Purī, 21) Īśvara Purī, (Nityānanda, Advaita), 22) Lord Caitanya, 23) Rūpa (Svarūpa, Sanātana), 24) Raghunātha, Jīva, 25) Kṛṣṇadāsa, 26) Narottama, 27) Viśvanātha, 28) (Baladeva) Jagannātha, 29) Bhaktivinode, 30) Gaurakiśora, 31) Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, 32) His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Books : Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 2: "The Cosmic Manifestation" : SB 2.9: Answers by Citing the Lord's Version : SB 2.9.6 : PURPORT :

When Lord Brahmā was perplexed about how to construct the material manifestations in the universe and went down within the water to find out the means and the source of his lotus seat, he heard the word tapavibrated twice. Taking the path of tapa is the second birth of the desiring disciple. The word upāśṛṇot is very significant. It is similar to upanayana, or bringing the disciple nearer to the spiritual master for the path oftapa. So Brahmājī was thus initiated by Lord Kṛṣṇa, and this fact is corroborated by Brahmājī himself in his book the Brahma-saṁhitā. In the Brahma-saṁhitā Lord Brahmā has sung in every verse govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Thus Brahmā was initiated by the Kṛṣṇa mantra, by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, and thus he became a Vaiṣṇava, or a devotee of the Lord, before he was able to construct the huge universe. It is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā that Lord Brahmā was initiated into the eighteen-letter Kṛṣṇa mantra, which is generally accepted by all the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa. We follow the same principle because we belong to the Brahmā sampradāya, directly in the disciplic chain from Brahmā to Nārada, from Nārada to Vyāsa, from Vyāsa to Madhva Muni, from Madhva Muni to Mādhavendra Purī, from Mādhavendra Purī to Īśvara Purī, from Īśvara Purī to Lord Caitanya and gradually to His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, our divine master.

Books : Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 3: "The Status Quo" : SB 3.13: The Appearance of Lord Varaha : SB 3.13.8 PURPORT :

Brahmā is the direct recipient of Vedic knowledge from the Personality of Godhead, and anyone discharging his entrusted duties in disciplic succession from Brahmā is sure to gain fame in this life and salvation in the next. The disciplic succession from Brahmā is called the Brahma-sampradāya, and it descends as follows: Brahmā, Nārada, Vyāsa, Madhva Muni (Pūrṇaprajña), Padmanābha, Nṛhari, Mādhava, Akṣobhya, Jayatīrtha, Jñānasindhu, Dayānidhi, Vidyānidhi, Rājendra, Jayadharma, Puruṣottama, Brahmaṇyatīrtha, Vyāsatīrtha, Lakṣmīpati, Mādhavendra Purī, Īśvara Purī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Svarūpa Dāmodara and Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī and others, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Kṛṣṇadāsa Gosvāmī, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Viśvanātha Cakravartī, Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī, Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. 

Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Introduction :

This is the method of paramparā, or disciplic succession. Similarly, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam explains that Kṛṣṇa imparted knowledge into the heart of Brahmā, the first created creature within the universe. Brahmā imparted those lessons to his disciple Nārada, and Nārada imparted that knowledge to his disciple Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva imparted it to Madhvācārya, and from Madhvācārya the knowledge has come down toMādhavendra Purī, to Īśvara Purī, and from him to Caitanya Mahāprabhu

 

Śrī Mādhavendra Purī is one of the ācāryas in the disciplic succession from Madhvācārya.

 Mādhavendra Purī had two principal disciples, Īśvara Purī and Śrī Advaita Prabhu. Therefore the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya is a disciplic succession from Madhvācārya. This fact has been accepted in the authorized books known as Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā and Prameya-ratnāvalī, as well as by Gopāla Guru Gosvāmī. The Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā clearly states the disciplic succession of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas as follows: "Lord Brahmā is the direct disciple of Viṣṇu, the Lord of the spiritual sky. His disciple is Nārada, Nārada's disciple is Vyāsa, and Vyāsa's disciples are Śukadeva Gosvāmī and Madhvācārya. Padmanābha Ācārya is the disciple of Madhvācārya, and Narahari is the disciple of Padmanābha Ācārya. Mādhava is the disciple of Narahari, Akṣobhya is the direct disciple of Mādhava, and Jayatīrtha is the disciple of Akṣobhya. Jayatīrtha's disciple is Jñānasindhu, and his disciple is Mahānidhi. Vidyānidhi is the disciple of Mahānidhi, and Rājendra is the disciple of Vidyānidhi. Jayadharma is the disciple of Rājendra. Puruṣottama is the disciple of Jayadharma. Śrīmān Lakṣmīpati is the disciple of Vyāsatīrtha, who is the disciple of Puruṣottama. And Mādhavendra Purī is the disciple of Lakṣmīpati.Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 6: The Glories of Sri Advaita Acarya : Adi 6.40 : PURPORT

Srila Prabhupada explains the appearance of the associates of Lord Caitanya like Madhavendra Puri

mādhava-īśvara-purī, śacī, jagannātha

advaita ācārya prakaṭa hailā sei sātha

SYNONYMS

 

mādhava—Mādhavendra Purī; īśvara-purī—Īśvara Purī; śacī—Śacīmātā; jagannātha—Jagannātha Miśra; advaita ācārya—Advaita Ācārya; prakaṭa—manifested; hailā—were; sei—this; sātha—with.

TRANSLATION

 

Mādhavendra Purī, Īśvara Purī, Śrīmatī Śacīmātā and Śrīla Jagannātha Miśra all appeared with Śrī Advaita Ācārya.

PURPORT

 

Whenever the Supreme Personality of Godhead descends in His human form, He sends ahead all His devotees, who act as His father, teacher and associates in many roles. Such personalities appear before the descent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Before the appearance of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, there appeared His devotees like Śrī Mādhavendra Purī; His spiritual master, Śrī Īśvara Purī; His mother, Śrīmatī Śacīdevī; His father, Śrī Jagannātha Miśra; and Śrī Advaita Ācārya. Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 3: The External Reasons for Lord Caitanya's Appearance : Adi 3.95 : TRANSLATION :

Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 9: The Tree of Devotional Service : Adi 9.10 : PURPORT :

Śrī Mādhavendra Purī, also known as Śrī Mādhava Purī, belonged to the disciplic succession from Madhvācārya and was a greatly celebrated sannyāsī. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was the third disciplic descendant from Śrī Mādhavendra Purī. The process of worship in the disciplic succession of Madhvācārya was full of ritualistic ceremonies, with hardly a sign of love of Godhead; Śrī Mādhavendra Purī was the first person in that disciplic succession to exhibit the symptoms of love of Godhead and the first to write a poem beginning with the words ayi dīna-dayārdra nātha, "O supremely merciful Personality of Godhead." In that poem is the seed of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cultivation of love of Godhead.Srila Prabhupada explains how Srila Madhavendra Puri rediscovered Gopala ji

yasmai dātuṁ corayan kṣīra-bhāṇḍaṁ

gopīnāthaḥ kṣīra-corābhidho 'bhūt

śrī-gopālaḥ prādurāsīd vaśaḥ san

yat-premṇā taṁ mādhavendraṁ nato 'smi

SYNONYMS

 

yasmai—unto whom; dātum—to deliver; corayan—stealing; kṣīra-bhāṇḍam—the pot of sweet rice; gopīnāthaḥ—Gopīnātha; kṣīra-corā—stealer of a pot of sweet rice; abhidhaḥ—celebrated; abhūt—became; śrī-gopālaḥ—Śrī Gopāla Deity; prāduḥrāsīt appeared; vaśaḥ—captivated; san—being; yat-premṇā—by his love; tam—unto him; mādhavendram—Mādhavendra Purī, who was in the Madhva-sampradāya; nataḥ asmi—I offer my respectful obeisances.

 

TRANSLATION

 

I offer my respectful obeisances unto Mādhavendra Purī, who was given a pot of sweet rice stolen by Śrī Gopīnātha, celebrated thereafter as Kṣīra-corā. Being pleased by Mādhavendra Purī's love, Śrī Gopāla, the Deity at Govardhana, appeared to the public vision.

 

PURPORT

 

Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura annotates that this Gopāla Deity was originally installed by Vajra, the grandson of Kṛṣṇa. Mādhavendra Purī rediscovered Gopāla and established Him on top of Govardhana Hill. This Gopāla Deity is still situated at Nāthadvāra and is under the management of descendants of Vallabhācārya. The worship of the Deity is very luxurious, and one who goes there can purchase varieties of prasāda by paying a small price Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta - 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 4: Sri Madhavendra Puri's Devotional Service : Madhya 4.1 : TRANSLATION :

 

Sri Kavi karnapura explains the unique position of Sri Madhavendra Puri in the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya-Sampradaya

 

srimal laksmipatis tasya    sisyo bhakti  rasasrayah

 

tasya sissyo madhavendro   yad dharmo,yam pravartitah

kalpa-vrkshasyavataro    vraja dhamani tisthgitah

prita preyo vatsalato    ujjvalakhya phala dharinah (Text 22)

 

Lakshmipati's disciple was Madhavendra Puri, a great preacher of devotional service. Madhavendra Puri was the incarnation of a kalpa-vriksha tree in the abode of Vraja.

This tree bears as its fruits the mellows of servitude to Lord Krsna, friendship with Lord Krsna, parental love for Lord Krsna, and conjugal love for Lord Krsna. GGD (22)