Disappearance Day of Sri Dhananjaya Pandita

What is the Disappearance Day of Sri Dhananjaya Pandita?

Each year on the eighth day of the bright fortnight of Kartika, devotees keep the Disappearance Day of Sri Dhananjaya Pandita. On that day this dear servant of Sri Nityananda Prabhu left this world. In 2026 the date is Tuesday, 17 November.

Significance

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, quoted by Srila Prabhupada, writes that Dhananjaya Pandita lived at Shitalagrama in the Burdwan district of Bengal and was one of the twelve gopalas. These twelve were cowherd friends of Lord Nityananda, who is Lord Balarama in Krishna's pastimes. The Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika adds that Dhananjaya was formerly Vasudama.

Here is how the Caitanya-caritamrta describes him, in Srila Prabhupada's translation:

The sixteenth dear servant of Nityānanda Prabhu was Dhanañjaya Paṇḍita. He was very much renounced and always merged in love of Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 11.31

How to observe it

Remember Dhananjaya Pandita's renunciation, hear about the associates of Lord Nityananda and chant the holy names. Gopastami is kept on the same date, and so are the disappearance days of Sri Gadadhara Dasa Gosvami and Sri Srinivasa Acarya.

This holy day falls in Kartik, the month of Lord Damodara, when devotees offer Him a lamp each evening and sing Damodarashtakam. Read about Kartik (Damodara) Month, and offer your own lamp from wherever you are through our Kartik Deep Daan Seva.