SRI RAGHUNANDANA THAKURA

1)

"Sri Khandavasi Mukunda and his son Raghunandana were the thirty-ninth branch
of the all-merciful tree of Lord Caitanya. Sri Mukunda dasa, Madhava dasa and
Sri Narahari Sarakara Thakura were three brothers who lived in the village of
Khanda. Raghunandana was the son of Sri Mukunda dasa." [C.C. Madhya
15.112-113]

"In the house of Sri Mukunda Das, who lives at Sri Khanda, Lord Sri Gopinath
is served with great devotion. One day Mukunda was called out to do some work,
and then he instructed his son Raghunandan to worship the deity and asked him
to serve the Lord Gopinath that day. He explained to him that this deity is in
our family for many generations and thus He has been worshipped by my father
and his father and his father on and on, in this way for many years. Just as
your mother feeds you and I everyday, so also He has to be fed everyday.
Having explained to Raghunandan that this is a very big responsibility and he
should be very careful to give his full attention to this service, Mukunda
went out. Raghunandan meanwhile having been instructed by his father,
collected the items for offering to Sri Gopinathji and entered into the deity
room. Raghunandan was at that time barely 5 years old and therefore, when he
saw that Gopinath hadn't eaten the offering after he had imitated how his
father offered the bhoga, he became very worried. Ultimately he simply
requested Gopinath with tears in his eyes: "Please eat! Eat!" Gopinath became
completely subjected by Raghunandan's simple request, which was made entirely
in love, and thus he stealthily ate up everything without leaving any
remnants.

After some time Raghunandan's father, Mukunda, returned and asked his son if
he had done as he was told. When his son replied "Yes", then Mukunda asked him
to bring some of the prasadam. Raghunandan replied, "Prasadam? I offered
everything just like you told me, and Gopinath ate everything; so what should
I bring you now?" Mukunda was completely taken aback. "This boy is not naughty
and is always accustomed to speak the truth. I doubt if he could have eaten
everything. I wonder what actually happened?"

"Musing on this matter in this way for some time, on another day his curiosity
was so stirred that he again requested Raghunandan to offer the bhoga to
Gopinath on that day. On this day however, having gone out of the house, he
again came in by another way and remained hiding in one place. Raghunandan was
very happy to be able to serve Sri Gopinathji again and brought everything
into the deity room. As before, he again very insistently persuaded Gopinath
to take his meal. As Gopinath had eaten half of a laddu, he espied Mukunda
peering out from his hiding spot. He didn't try to cover up the fact that he
had eaten what he had, but neither did he eat anymore. Seeing all this Mukunda
was completely immersed in ecstatic love and picked up his son and put him on
his lap. He extolled his virtues in a voice trembling with ecstasy, all the
while torrents of tears of joy falling from his eyes. Even today, those who
are greatly fortunate can still see that half-eaten laddu in Gopinatha's lotus
hand. Thus Sri Uddhava das sings the glories of Raghunandan, who is
nondifferent from Madan (Cupid)."

raghunandana seva kare krsnera mandire
dvare puskarini, tara ghatera upare

kadambera eka vrkse phute bara-mase
nitya dui phula haya krsna-avatamse

"Raghunandana is constantly engaged in serving the temple of Lord Krsna.
Beside the entrance of the temple is a lake, and on its banks is a kadamba
tree, which daily delivers two flowers to be used for Krsna's service." [C.c.
Madhya 15.128-129]

Raghunandan was present at the Khetori Utsava. In Krsna lila he was Kandarpa
Manjari & in Dwaraka lila he was Sri Krsna's son Kandarpa. Raghunandan's son
is Kanai Thakur. His descendents are still residing four miles west of Katwa
at Sri Khanda. Sri Khanda can be easily reached from Katwa by bus or train.

He was born in the year 1432 Sakabda.

2)

In Srikhanda lived three brothers, Sri Mukunda dasa, Sri Madhava dasa and Sri
Narahari Sarkara Thakura. The son of Sri Mukunda dasa Thakura was Sri
Raghunandana Thakura. Although Sri Mukunda was the royal physician, he was
always absorbed in ecstatic love for Lord Krsna.

One day in the midst of the royal court Mukunda dasa saw the King's
peacock-feather fan and fainted due to remembrance of Sri Krsna. When the
Badshah questioned him about his behavior, Mukunda tried to conceal his actual
condition by stating that he had fallen due to epilepsy. The emperor, however,
understood his exalted devotional state and respectfully had him escorted
home.

Every year these three brothers came to take darsana of Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu's lotus feet and to perform kirtana during the Ratha-yatra festival
in Puri. Once Mahaprabhu affectionately addressed Mukunda, "Mukunda, between
you and Raghunandana, who is the father and who is the son?" Sri Mukunda
replied, "Raghunandana is my father! The actual father is he from whom we
receive Krsna bhakti." The Lord said, "You are right." Then Caitanya
Mahaprabhu ordered Sri Raghunandana to worship the Deity daily.

In his childhood Raghunandana once fed the Deity sweets. This pastime has been
beautifully described by Uddhava dasa in his padas. The theme of the song is
that by Raghunandana's earnest prayer, Sri Krsna personally appeared and ate
half of the sweet offered. The other half of that sweet is still in Srikhanda
temple.

The festival held by Narottama Thakura and Srinivasa Acarya in Kheturi was
attended by Sri Raghunandana, who performed kirtana there. Once Sri Abhirama
Gopala Thakura and Sri Raghunandana Thakura were performing kirtana and
dancing at Badadangi. While dancing, Sri Raghunandana Thakura's anklet came
off and fell into a pond at Akai-hati, which is located approximately 2/3
miles from Badadangi. Since then the pond has been known as "Nupura kunda". At
present the anklet is in the custody of the Mahantas of Badui village, south
of Akai-hati.

Sri Raghunandana was Kandarpa manjari in Krsna lila and in Dvaraka lila was
Kandarpa, the son of Sri Krsna.

The descendants of Sri Kanai Thakura, the son of Sri Raghunandana are still in
Srikhanda. Sri Pancanan Kaviraja of Srikhanda was born in this family. Sri
Raghunandana was born in the Saka era of 1432. (GGD. 70; CC. 1.10.78; BRK.
13.177-179, 184)
