Bhaktivinoda Thakur beautifully proclaims:
“He reasons ill who tells that Vaishnavas die,
When thou art living still in sound!
The Vaishnavas die to live, and living try
To spread the holy name around!”
On the sacred occasion of Sri Murari Gupta’s disappearance, devotees at ISKCON Gurugram gather to honor this cherished Vaishnava, renowned for his unwavering devotion to Lord Rama and devoted service to Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Sri Murari Gupta, the devoted physician and intimate childhood companion of Lord Chaitanya, exemplified humility, faith, and pure love. His disappearance day is a profound moment for followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism to reflect on his spiritual contributions, compassionate service, and inspirational legacy in bhakti yoga. As we commemorate the disappearance of Murari Gupta, his life reminds us of the eternal power of devotional service and the transformative grace of pure love for the Divine.
Murari Gupta: The Humble Devotee and Loyal Companion
The Chaitanya Charitamrita glorifies him as follows:
- “sri-murari gupta sakha-premera bhandara
- prabhura hridaya drave suni’ dainya yanra”
- (Adi-lila 10.49)
Murari Gupta, the twenty-first branch of the tree of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, was a storehouse of love of Godhead. His great humility and meekness melted the heart of Lord Chaitanya.
• Murari Gupta is described as an incarnation of Lord Hanuman in Kali-yuga.
• He belonged to a Vaidya physician family of Srihatta (the paternal home of Lord Chaitanya) and later resided in Navadvipa.
• He was among the senior associates of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
An Ideal Householder and Devotee
Adi 10:50
“pratigraha nahi kare, na laya kara dhana
atma-vritti kari’ kare kutumba bharana”
Murari Gupta never accepted charity. By practicing as a physician he maintained his family and simultaneously satisfied Lord Chaitanya to the best of his ability.
Adi 10:51
“cikitsa karena yare ha-iya sadaya
deha-roga bhava-roga, dui tara kshaya”
“As Murari Gupta treated his patients, both their bodily and spiritual diseases subsided.”
When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu were sitting together in the house of Srivasa Thakura, Murari Gupta first offered his respects to Lord Caitanya and then to Sri Nityananda Prabhu. Nityananda Prabhu, however, was older than Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and therefore Lord Caitanya remarked that Murari Gupta had violated social etiquette, for he should have first shown respect to Nityananda Prabhu and then to Him. In this way, by the grace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Murari Gupta was informed about the position of Sri Nityananda Prabhu, and the next day he offered obeisances first to Lord Nityananda and then to Lord Caitanya. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave chewed pan, or betel nut, to Murari Gupta. Once Sivananda Sena offered food to Lord Caitanya that had been cooked with excessive ghee, and the next day the Lord became sick and went to Murari Gupta for treatment. Lord Caitanya accepted some water from the waterpot of Murari Gupta, and thus He was cured. The natural remedy for indigestion is to drink a little water, and since Murari Gupta was a physician, he gave the Lord some drinking water and cured Him.
This perfectly shows how he combined service to humanity with devotion to the Lord.
Murari Gupta’s Intimate Pastimes and Eternal Rama-Bhakti
Sri Murari Gupta was blessed with many intimate pastimes with Lord Chaitanya.
varaha-avesa haila murari-bhavane
tanra skandhe cadi’ prabhu nacila angane
One day Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu felt the ecstasy of the boar incarnation and got up on the shoulders of Murari Gupta. Thus they both danced in Murari Gupta’s courtyard.
Murari’s devotion to Lord Rama was unshakable—once he prayed to see the form of Raghunatha, and immediately Lord Chaitanya revealed Himself as Lord Ramachandra, accompanied by Sita, Lakshmana, Bharata, and Shatrughna, declaring, “Actually, Murari, you are none other than Hanuman, and I am the same Lord Rama.” Overwhelmed, Murari rolled on the ground in astonishment. On another occasion, he recited verses from his Sri Krishna Chaitanya-carita glorifying Lord Rama’s beauty, after which Lord Chaitanya placed His lotus feet on Murari’s head and inscribed on his forehead the name “Ramadasa” – the eternal servant of Rama.
Murari Gupta’s Literary Contribution
Murari Gupta also composed the Sanskrit epic ‘Sri-Krishna-Chaitanya-carita-mahakavya’ (also known as Karcha, a diary). In it, he described many of Lord Chaitanya’s childhood and boyhood pastimes with devotion and precision.
Conclusion
Sri Murari Gupta’s time in Navadvip, always in the divine presence of Gaurachandra, reveals the greatness of a soul known across the world as the incarnation of Lord Hanuman. Just as Hanuman’s heroic acts in Lord Rama’s pastimes—the burning of Ravana’s palace, conveying news of Sita, and reviving Lakshmana with a healing herb—are legendary, so too does Murari Gupta embody those qualities of devotion, humility, and unwavering service in Kali-yuga. His life stands as a shining example that a true Vaishnava remains steadfast in service amidst all worldly responsibilities. On his disappearance day, we honor his glories and humbly seek even a drop of his profound devotion to Lord Rama and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, drawing inspiration to deepen our own faith and service.