Visnupriya - The Forgotten Wife of Sri Gauranga - Sisir Kumar Sengupta, Vishnupriya, a life sketch of sri Sri Vishnupriy

Sisir Kumar Sengupta, Vishnupriya, a life sketch of Sri Sri Vishnupriya in Bengali verse, Nabarun Publishers, Calcutta, 1399 Bengali Era, pp. 94, Rs. 25.

Srimati Vishnupriya, the second wife of Gauranga Mahaprabhu of Bengal, in our worldly estimate, led a lonely life after the sannyas of her husband. Since then the followers of Mahaprabhu have been casually remembering Vishnupriya – to them Lord Gauranga is the acme of divine ecstacy of Brajabhumi. The Vaisnavas of Bengal, in fact, consider Gauranga Mahaprabhu as Krishna possessing the essence of Radhaji – the Radhabhavadyuti. Naturally, in this philosophical framework, Vishnupriyaji sinks into oblivion. In other words, she has been sacrificed for the spiritual welfare of the people at the altar of Gaurangaji. In Bengal, however, some devotees of Gauranga in the second half of the 16th century started the worship of Gaur-Vishnupriya as an ideal couple. Even today, Gaur-Vishnupriya sampradaya, perhaps ignoring Gauranga the sanyasi, worship the eternal couple with all divinity.

Sisir Kumar Sengupta in his present versified book has composed a life sketch of Vishnupriya in Bengali in seven sections indicating the advent of both Gauranga and Vishnupriya as well as their marriage, conjugal life, separation and lastly sublimation. In his preface in prose or gaurchandrika Sengupta has give a graphic account of the lifetime of both Gauranga and Vishnupriya. Following it, we know that Gaurangaji was born in 1486 A.D. (27 February), became a sanyasi in 1510 A.D. when he was only 24 years old. Gaurangaji left the world in 1536 A.D. Vishnupriyaji, on the other hand, was born in 1496 A.D. and when she died, she was 65 years old. Sengupta claims that Vishnupriyaji was the first disciple of Gauranga Mahaprabhu.

In versifying the day to day life of Vishnupriya the poet sometimes emphasizes the Vaisnava philosophy. For instance, in a piece number 37 Sengupta wants Vishnupriyaji to ask Gauranga for lessons in Grammar which was his academic forte. In reply, Gauranga promises to teach Vishnupriya Bhava like dasya, sakhya, etc. It seems that Sengupta wants Vishnupriya to assert her rights as a wife. At the same time, he hears sad tune of separation—separation of a wife from husband. But the poet, though convinced of the separation, cannot accept the fact that Vishnupriya, after the sanyas of her husband, had to spend a remorseful life of a husband-forsaken wife. Sengupta writes: "Listen Sri Gauranga/Leave aside spiritual stance/Go back to Nabadwipdham/Be seated by the side of your wife/And regain normal life/devoid of tears of sad preacher."

Gauranga Mahaprabhu, historically speaking used to send Vishnupriyaji sarees from Neelachal Puri, which according to the Poet, were ‘Passionwoven’. To the devotees of Gaur-Vishnupriya, they are ever present in Nabadwipdham. In order to appreciate the spiritual significance of this couple, one should not fall back upon the Vedas, as Gauranga-Vishnupriya lies beyond the pale of the Vedas, the idea is Vedbidhiagochar. Sengupta writes – as Vrindabandham is not comprehensible without Srikrishna, so is Nabadwipdham without Gauranga. The Gaur-Vishnupriya sampradaya sings even today: Hail to Gauranga/the son of Sachi and idol of Vishnupriya/the healer and saviour of Nadia.

Gadadhara Prana Prabhu ji writes his new book on the same subject-Sri Visnupriya devi. The book will be about 400 pages .If I get permission from Prabhuji, I will post some parts...

With respect,

Gadadhar wanted me to proofread this before publication. How much of it do you have?

zrI zrI viSNupriyA-gaurAGgau jayataH
I have been reading a book written by Sri Paada Haridasa goswami prabhu, published in Hindi by Sri Harinama sankirtana Mandal, Vrindavan, titled:
gambhIrA me zrI viSNupriyA - gaurazUnya zacIgRha me zrIviSNupriyA
The original is in Bengali - 'gambhIrAya-viSNupriyA'.
The 603 paged treatise has many sublime 'Bengali rasika-pada' of Sri Chandidas, Vidyapati, Narahari, Manohara, Vasudeva ghosh, Radhamohan, Jnanadas, Haridasa, Govindadasa, Balaramadasa, Jagadananda, Yadunath, Rasamaya dasa and so on...
It is a delicious feast for the hungry rasik devotees of Sri Vishnupriya vallabha!

Yes, Haridas Goswami lived in Nabadwip. He left this world not long before I came on the scene. There is a little temple at Vishnupriya's birthplace, but it is not on many people's radar. I have seen this book and it is indeed a master work, and a credit to his devotion to Vishnupriya.

Anuraagji, do you know this verse?

rAmasya vipina-vAsaH
kRSNasya ca mAthuraM gamanam |
asya ca sannyAsa-vidhis
tritayaM mAtR-trayasya soDhavyam || (CCN 4.37)

rAmasya vipina-vAsaH
kRSNasya ca mAthuraM gamanam |
asya ca sannyAsa-vidhis
tritayaM mAtR-trayasya soDhavyam || (CCN 4.37)

Just as Rama plunged all in the grief of separation when He left Ayodhya
And just as Krishna plunged all in the grief of separation when He left Vraja
So too did Gauranga plunge all in the slow-burning fire of separation and grief
When He left Navadvipa and went to Puri after taking sannyasa.


Yes, Jagatji. I like these even more!

zrIgaurAGga balena AmAra vairAgya svadharmma
vairAgya chADiyA AmAra nAhi kona marmma

and

gopInAM kuca-kuGkumena nicitaM vAsaH kim asyAruNam
nindan-kAJcana-kAnti-rasa-rasika-zleSeNa gauraM vapuH
tAsAM gADha-karAbhibandhana-rasollAsodgamaM dRzyate
AzcaryyaM sakhi pazya lampaTa-guroH sannyAsI-vezaM sthito

First part of the manuscript (some 100 pages) has been sent today to me (GPD said so).

Gauraanga Raayer Vishnupriyaa Daasi Hoibaar Vaanchaa
An offering at Srimati Vishnupriyaa's lotus feet