Sri Sri Radhashyam Sundar Jiu
Information – Sri Sri Radhashyam Sundar Jiu and Mahaprabhu are the original deities that were worshipped by Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya.
(Disclaimer: This information is provided by the Temple Management and has not been independently verified from any scriptural reference.)
“O Gauranga! O Kṛṣṇacandra, ocean of mercy! You are the wealth of the wretched and poor, and I am the lowest rascal!” Saying this and weeping continuously. I will move onwards till suddenly I come to Vidyanagara.
This Vidyanagara is the abode of the four Vedas and the sixty-four arts and sciences. Sarasvati, the goddess of learning, resides here without a doubt. At this place. Brahma, Siva, and the rsis revealed all types of knowledge to the material world.
Knowing that the Lord would perform His educational pastimes here, Brhaspati left his residence in svarga, and, as Vasudeva Sarvabhauma, he taught all types of knowledge according to various processes at Vidyanagara.
Whoever lives at Vidyanagara and sings the glories of Gauranga becomes a fortunate teacher and will never know grief. Whoever takes to the worship of Gauranga and receives the vision of His transcendental form will be freed from all ignorance.
Will I ever see Gaurasundara, as He goes to Vidyanagara being attracted to acquire knowledge? The Lord took the side of His devotee here and chastised Devananda Pandita with strong words for committing an offense to Śrīvāsa Pandita.
Even Ananta Seşa does not fully understand the pastimes of my Lord. When He becomes absorbed in these activities, what is His real intention? Why does He give up chanting to punish the students who criticized Him? What type of happiness does He gain by defeating His teachers?
But whatever the Lord does is a cause of bliss. The Lord is independent, and I am simply His servant. My very limited intelligence has no power to judge Him.
All the inhabitants of Navadvipa who act as the Lord’s teachers are nourishers of His eternal pastimes and are worthy of my respect. All of you please be merciful to this miserable pauper; give me the qualification for nama-sankirtana.
I make this petition to the tirtha of Vidyanagara: May the ignorance which hides Gauranga’s identity never cover my mind. May my mind transcend this māyā.
(Sri Navadvipa Bhava-taranga)
The original name of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was Vāsudeva Bhaṭṭācārya. His place of birth, which is known as Vidyānagara, is about two and a half miles away from the Navadvīpa railway station, or Cāṅpāhāṭi railway station.
(CC Adi 10.130)
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya perfectly knows the six philosophical theses. He is therefore the spiritual master of the entire world in teaching the six paths of philosophy. He is the best of devotees. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya has shown Me the limit of devotional service. Only by his mercy have I understood that devotional service to Kṛṣṇa is the essence of all mystic yoga.
(CC Antya 7.21 – 7.22)
By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.” Kṛṣṇa is spread throughout the whole universe in His impersonal form. Since everything is a manifestation of the Lord’s energy, the Lord can manifest Himself through any energy. In this age, the Lord is manifest through wood as Lord Jagannātha, and He is manifest through water as the river Ganges. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered the two brothers—Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and Vidyā-vācaspati—to worship Lord Jagannātha and the river Ganges.
(CC Madhya 15.135 purport)
Kṛṣṇa is one, but when Kṛṣṇa wants to enjoy, He must expand His pleasure potency. That is Rādhārāṇī. Rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir. Kṛṣṇa cannot enjoy anything material. The original spiritual potency, pleasure potency, is Rādhārāṇī. So first of all He expanded, then again He combined together. That is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is the study of the Gosvāmī. Rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī.
Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu is given seat along with Kṛṣṇa. He's combination of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. We may not misunderstand that Caitanya Mahāprabhu is . . . imitating Caitanya Mahāprabhu, there are so many so-called avatāras. But this is approved by the śāstra. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇam (SB 11.5.32). Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa, same category, kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ. Just like we say varṇa: brāhmaṇa varṇa, kṣatriya varṇa, śūdra varṇa, vaiśya varṇa. Varṇa means the same category, varṇa. Or kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ means who is always describing Kṛṣṇa. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu is passing on the road, He's chanting,
kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa he
kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa he
kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa pāhi māṁ
(CC Madhya 7.96)
Therefore kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ is He; iti kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is describing Himself: kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇam. But by His complexion, He is not black—very fair complexion.
(730306 - Lecture BG 10.01-3 - Calcutta)