Sri Caitanya-mangala (Locana dasa Thakura)

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In Sri Caitanya-mangala we find many pastimes and details of pastimes that are not found in the two other principal biographies of Lord Caitanya, Sri Caitanya-bhagaata and Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. Here you will find conversations between the Lord and his mother and wife just before his acceptance of sannyasa. There is also the visit of Narada Muni to Lord Krsna at Dvaraka wherein the great sage expresses his lamentation regarding the fallen condition of the people in the age of kali. There are countless gems to the mined form this wonderful book.

Srila Locana dasa Thakura was born in a Brahmana family near Katwa in west Bengal in the year 1520, thirty-four years after the appearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. His father was Sri Kamalakara dasa and his mother was Srimati Sadanandi. He was their only son, and he spent much of his childhood living with his grandparents. As a young boy Locana dasa met devotees of Lord Caitanya. His nature was that he had great attachment for the Lord and was detached from worldly enjoyment.

As a young man Locana dasa accepted as his spiritual master Sri Narahari Sarakara an intimate associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Narahari Thakura was an expert composer of devotional songs and he instructed Locana dasa, who then wrote many wonderful songs, some of which were frequently sung by Srila Prabhupada.

On January 16, 1969, in Los Angeles, Srila Prahupada lectured on the song Parama karuna, composed by Locana dasa. He said, “Parama Koruna Pahu dui Jana, nitai gauracandra. This is song sung By Locana dasa Thakura a great devotee of Lord Caitanya almost contemporary. He wrote a book, Caitanya-mangala depicting the activities of Lord Caitanya. That is a very famous book, Caitanya-mangala. And he has composed many songs. Practically call Vaisnavas, They are transcendentally poetic. That is one of the 26 qualifications of a Vaisnava. So he says that, ‘These two Lords,’nitai gauracandra, ‘Lord Nityananda and Lord Gauranga or Lord Caitanya, They are very merciful incarnations. “Saba avatara-sara siromani. “They are essence of all incarnations.”

In his commentary on Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Srila Prabhupada explains: Sri Vrndavana dasa Thakura’s Sri Caitanya-bhagavata was originally entitled Sri Caitanya mangala but when Srila Locana Dasa Thakura later wrote another book named Sri Caitanya-mangala, Srila Vrndavana dasa Thakura changed the name of his own book, which is now therefore known as Sri Caitanya-bhagavata.”

To write Caitanya-mangala Locana dasa took inspiration from a Sanskrit book by Sri Murari Gupta entitled Sri Krsna-caitanya-carita. Locana dasa writes, “Murari Gupta who lived in Nadita composed many Sanskrit verses about the life of Sri Gauranga, which he later arranged in the form of a book. Having heard these verses from Murari Gupta, Damodara Pandita taught them to me and I memorized them with great delight. As developed in my mind, they flowed forth me in the form of these pancali verses in Bengali, which I write in glorification of the life and pastimes of Sri Caitanya.

In Sri Caitanya-mangala we find many pastimes and details of pastimes that are not found in the two other principal biographies of Lord Caitanya-caritamrta. Here you will find fascinating conversations between the lord and his mother and wife just before His acceptance of sannyasa. There is also the visit of Narada Muni to lord krsna at Dvaraka wherein the great sage expresses his lamentation regarding fallen condition of the people in the age of Kali.

There are countless gents to be mined from this wonderful book and it must be said that the beautifully lyrical translation of Kusakratha Prabhu is a delightful pot of nectar that can be relished by all classes of men, except of course those who are without a sesame seed’s amount of faith in the divinity of Lord Caitanya and his eternal associates.

Srila Locana dasa Thakura left this world in 1618 to enter the Lord’s eternal pastimes.