Appearance Day of Srila Vrndavana Dasa Thakura

What is the Appearance Day of Srila Vrindavana Dasa Thakura?

The appearance day of Srila Vrindavana Dasa Thakura is a day to honour the author of Sri Caitanya-bhagavata, in which he tells the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In 2027 it falls on Wednesday, 2 June.

Significance

Srila Vrindavana Dasa Thakura is remembered as the last disciple whom Lord Nityananda Prabhu accepted. In his purports to the Caitanya-caritamrta, Srila Prabhupada records that the Thakura appeared as the son of Srimati Narayani Devi. She was a niece of Srivasa Thakura and had eaten the remnants of Mahaprabhu's food.

Vrindavana Dasa Thakura first called his book Caitanya-mangala, but changed the name to Caitanya-bhagavata when Locana dasa Thakura wrote another book with that title. Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami writes that no human being could compose such a work, and that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself seems to speak through its author. That is why Krsnadasa Kaviraja honours him with the name Vyasa, which devotees still use:

As Vyāsadeva has compiled all the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Ṭhākura Vṛndāvana dāsa has depicted the pastimes of Lord Caitanya.

Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 8.34

How to observe it

Read a chapter of his Caitanya-bhagavata, or hear the praise Krsnadasa Kaviraja offers him in the eighth chapter of the Adi-lila of Caitanya-caritamrta. Remember Sri Sri Nitai-Gauranga, the Deities the Thakura is said to have established at Mamgachi in Navadvipa. Like most Vaishnava authors, he kept himself in the background, so this is a good day to pray to Lord Nityananda for the humility to speak only about the Lord.