Ananda Vrndavana Campu

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"The three sons of Sivananda Sena, named Caitanya dasa, Ramadasa and Karnapura, were all heroic devotees of Lord Caitanya." (Cc. Adi 10.62)

Kavi-karnapura and his illustrious father, Sivananda Sena, are both eternal associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Kavi-karnapura took diksa from Srinatha Pandita, a disciple of Sri Advaita Acarya. In the Gaudiya Vaisnava Abhidana and in Grantha-ratna pancakam it states that Kavi- karnapura's eternal identity in Vraja is a sakhi named Gunacuda-sakhi."It is stated in Gaura-ganoddesh dipika (145) that the two famous parrots named Daksa and Vicaksana in Krsna tua became the elder brothers of Kavi-karnapura, namely, Caitanya dasa and Ramadasa. Kavi-karnapura, the third son, who was also known as Paramananda dasa or Puri dasa." (Cc. Adi 10.62 p.)

"Sivananda Sena introduced his three sons to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Because they were his sons, the Lord showed the boys great mercy. Lord Caitanya asked the youngest son's name, and Sivananda Sena informed the Lord that his name was Paramananda dasa. Once before when Sivananda Sena had visited Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu at His residence, the Lord had told him, 'When this son is born, give him the name Puri dasa (after Paramananda Puri).

"The son was in the womb of his wife, and when he returned home the son was born. The child was named Paramananda dasa in accordance with the Lord's order, and the Lord jokingly called him Puri dasa. When Sivananda Sena introduced the child to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Lord put His toe in the child's mouth." (Cc. Antya 12.45-50)

SriIa Krsna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami describes another amusing pastime of Lord Caitanya and Kavi-karnapura that occurred sometime later. "Taking his son (Kavi-karnapura), Sivananda Sena went to see Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu at His residence. He made his son offer respectful obeisances at the lotus feet of the Lo~. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked the boy again and again to chant the name of Krsna, but the boy would not utter the holy name. Although Sivananda Sena repeatedly asked his boy to speak Krsna's holy name, the boy would not utter it.

"Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, 'I have induced the whole world to take to the holy name of Krsna, I have induced even the trees and immovable plants to chant the holy name. But I could not induce this boy to chant the holy name of Krsna.

"Hearing this, Svarupa Damodara Gosvami began to speak. 'My Lord,' he said, 'You have given him initiation into the name of Krsna, but after receiving the mantra he will not express it in front of everyone. This boy chants the mantra within his mind, but does not say it aloud. That is his intention, as far as I can guess.

"Another day, when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said to the boy, 'Recite, My dear Puridasa,' the boy (Kavi-karnapura) composed the following verse and expressed it before everyone." (Cc. Antya 16.66-73)

"Sri Krsna is the blue lotus flower on the ears of the gopis, the ointment for their eyes, the blue sapphire on their breasts, and all their other ornaments. May that Sri.Hari be always glorified." (Cc. Antya 16.74)

"Although the boy was only seven years old and still had no education, he composed such - a nice verse. Everyone was struck with wonder." (Cc. Antya 16.75)

The devotees became astonished upon hearing this beautiful Sanskrit verse glorifying Krsna from such a small boy. They concluded that by suck- ing Mahaprabhu's toe he had received some special potency, because miracles easily manifest by the mercy of the Lord. In response to the boy's recitation, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "My dear child! Like a great poet (kavi) you have so nicely described the ornament on the ear (kama) of the Vraja gopis. So from today on you will be known as Kavi- karnapura.

From these descriptions in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta of Mahaprabhu's intimate dealings with Kavi-karnapura one can appreciate his exalted position as a confidential, eternal associate of Radha and Krsna and Lord Caitanya. A literary masterpiece such as Ananda Vrndavana Campu is definite proof that Mahaprabhu directly empowered Kavi-karnapura to write transcendental literature. Otherwise such a substantial work could not have been composed. Moreover, stalwart Gaudiya Vaisnava acaryas like Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura have lavishly praised both Kavi-karnapura and his Ananda Vrndavana Campu. In verse seventy-one of Vraja-riti Cintamani, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura refers to the book. "To the south is the regal, wonderfully constructed place of Radha-Madhava's swing pastimes. The beauty of this place has been eloquently described inAnanda Vrndavana Campu.

Ananda Vrndavana Campu elaborately explains Krsna's eternal Vrndavana pastimes depicted in the tenth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam. Beginning in Gokula with Krsna's playing with the calves and stealing butter, the book progresses to beautifully portray Krsna's frolicking with the cows and cowherd boys, and finally it describes His sweet, intimate pastimes with Srimati Radharani and the Vrajagopis. Kavi-karnapura enriches these ever- expanding, joyful pastimes by revealing the intimate exchanges of Krsna and His premi bhaktas. He discloses the wonderful dialogues and tender personal dealings that occurred during the pastimes that we all know so well such as Putana-mardana, Kaliya-lila, Govardhana-puja, and Rasa-lila. He also offers exceptionally flavorful portrayals of some additional pastimes not mentioned in the Srimad Bhagavatam such as Holi, Vamsi-cauri Lila and Jhulana Lila. Have you ever looked at a painting depicting a pastime of Krsna and Balarama or of Krsna and the gopis and wondered what They are feeling or what They are saying to each other? In Ananda Vrndavana Campu, Kavi-karnapura has opened up the paintings of Krsna's pastimes to clearly reveal just how the Lord feels and what He and His associates are talking about.

The Srimad Bhagavatam is all perfect, all-blissful, and all-successful because it was penned by Srila Vyasadeva, the literary incarnation of the Lord. However, the spotless Purana , Srimad Bhagavatam, became even more perfect and sweet upon emanating from the lips of Srila Sukadeva Gosvami, an eternal associate of Sri Krsna serving Srimati Radharani as Her pet parrot in Vrndavana. Similarly, Ananda Vrndavana Campu, like Srimad Bhagavatam, has the qualities of complete bliss, success, and perfection because it was written by Kavi-karnapura, who is an eternal associate of Krsna. Moreover, five hundred years ago, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally empowered Kavi-karnapura to glorify and speak about Radha and Krsna. In one sense, because of the added sweetness and over flowing magnanimity of Sri Caitanya's touch, Kavi-karnapura'sAnanda Vrndavana Campu is especially endowed with a unique potency to inundate everyone with a cascade of nectarean ambrosia.

In Prema-bhakti-candrika verse sixty, Srila Narottama dasa Thakura says rati premamaya parabandhe, "May I become firmly attached to the books affectionately given by the pure devotees in my tradition (Gaudiya Sampradaya) who are realized in Krsna bhakti-rasa." Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura comments on this verse, "May I always be fully attached to the loving topics about Krsna.lila bhakti-rasa composed by realized premi- bhaktas." The word campu in the title of Ananda Vrndavana Campu means that this book is a combination of prose and perfectly composed Sanskrit poems describing the sweet beauty and blissful pastimes of Krsna in Vrndavana. Each syllable of scriptures composed by mahajanas such as Srila Kavi-karnapura is saturated with the rasa of their realizations and visions of Krsna's transcendental pastimes. Besides that, there is a wonderfully captivating power in the way such pure devotees describe Krsna's beauty. By regularly reading such books, a sensitive devotee will awaken a deep appreciation for Krsna's pastimes, and develop pure love for the beautiful, playful Lord of Vrndavana. This point is confirmed by Srila Krsna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami in the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta wherein he has written this final benediction (phala sruti) for the readers of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta:

Therefore by reading such transcendental books as Ananda Vmdavana Campu, which was divinely inspired by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and expertly presented by Kavi-karnapura, one will be blessed with the attainment of Krsna prema.

We hope that all the devoted readers will derive unlimited spiritual bliss by hearing about Krsna's sweet, joyful pastimes in Vrndavana.