Śrī Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi came to Navadvīpa because he wished to live by the banks of the Ganges. Mahāprabhu, the indweller of all beings, knew prior to his coming that he had such a desire, and one day in the assembly of devotees started calling out, “Puṇḍarīka, My friend, My father!” and crying.

When His associates asked Him why He was crying in this way, the Lord described Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi to them in the following way: “His character is quite extraordinary. Just by hearing his name, the whole world is purified, but he dresses and looks just like a materialistic person in the midst of the accouterments of the life of pleasure. No one is able to recognize him as a Vaiṣṇava, yet he remains constantly merged in the deep ocean of devotion for Kṛṣṇa. He never bathes in the Ganges because he is afraid to touch the holy waters with his feet, which would show disrespect. He only goes to take darśana of the Ganges at night and from a distance. He cannot bear to see people engaged in offensive behavior to the Ganges by gargling, cleaning their teeth, washing their hair in her waters, so he never goes there during the daytime. He never engages in worship of the deity without Ganges water. He has homes in both Chittagong and in Navadvīpa and will soon be arriving here. Because of his apparently materialistic behavior, you will not be able to recognize him, but I feel unwell because I am not able to see him.”

The Supreme Lord appeared in Navadvīpa. He heaved long sighs because He was unable see Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi. One day, after dancing Lord Gaurāṅga sat down calling out loudly, “Puṇḍarīka, my father! Puṇḍarīka, My friend, My father! When will I see you?” and wept. (Caitanya Bhāgavata 2.7.11-3)

It is supposed that Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi took initiation from Mādhavendra Purīpāda at the same time that Advaita Ācārya did. Mahāprabhu always showed him the respect that was due the godbrother of His own guru. In the Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī writes:

I know Śrī Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi to be a major branch of the Caitanya tree, for the Lord Himself cried while spontaneously calling out his name. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 1.10.14)

Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita, Mukunda Datta and Vāsudeva Datta were also originally from Chittagong and so they were acquainted with Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi. Indeed, Gadādhara Paṇḍita’s father Mādhava Miśra was his good friend. Mukunda Datta knew his transcendental personality and that he was a Vaiṣṇava, but Gadādhara did not, even though he was from the same town. This was, of course, a pretense for the sake of the līlā.

When Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi was living in Navadvīpa, Mukunda Datta told Gadādhara Paṇḍita one day that he wanted to introduce him to a great Vaiṣṇava. Gadādhara Paṇḍita was a brahmacārī from childhood and extremely detached from the senses and ascetic in his lifestyle. When he saw Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi sitting on comfortable cushions covered in sheets as white as the foam of milk, and wearing very expensive clothes and perfumes, smoking from a hookah, and generally surrounded by all the trappings of a sensual lifestyle, he was unable to recognize him as a Vaiṣṇava. Indeed, he felt let down.

Mukunda Datta could see from Gadādhara Paṇḍita’s face what was going through his head, and in order to bring out Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi’s inner mood, recited two verses from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam that ignited flames of love for Kṛṣṇa.

aho bakīyaṁ stana-kāla-kūṭaṁ
jighāṁsayāpāyayad apy asādhvī
lebhe gatiṁ dhātry-ucitaṁ tato’nyaṁ
kaṁ vā dayāluṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajema

How truly amazing! The sister of Bakāsura, the evil Putanā, was sent on a mission to kill Kṛṣṇa. He drank the kālakūṭa poison mixed with her breast milk, and despite her evil intentions, awarded her the position of a wet nurse (as Ambikā Kilimbā in Goloka). Is there anyone else I can take shelter of who is more merciful than Him? (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.2.23)

pūtanā lokabālaghnī rākṣasī rudhirāśanā
jighāṁsayāpi haraye stanaṁ dattvāpa sad-gatim

That she-demon Putanā was a blood-drinking killer of infants. Even though she wanted to kill Kṛṣṇa, she attained the auspicious goal of a nurse in Goloka because she had given Him her breast to drink. (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.6.35)

As soon as he heard these two verses in glorification of Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, Śrī Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi cried out “Hā Kṛṣṇa!” and fell to the floor in a swoon. He began to roll on the floor in ecstasy, knocking over the hookah and tearing his clothes.

When he saw these transcendental symptoms of love on Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi’s body, Gadādhara Paṇḍita realized that he had committed an offense, which he began to regret. He decided that the only way to rid himself of this offense would be to take initiation from Puṇḍarīka and he related this idea to Mukunda. Mukunda Datta then communicated his desire to Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi Prabhu who happily set a date for the auspicious act. Mahāprabhu also gave His approval and so Gadādhara Paṇḍita took mantra initiation from Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi.

In Kṛṣṇa-līlā, Śrī Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi is King Vṛṣabhānu and Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosvāmī is Rādhā. Because of Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi’s identity as Vṛṣabhānu, Mahāprabhu would call out to him as “father!” when He was Himself in the mood of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. The deep affection from their previous life’s relation became apparent between Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi and Gadādhara Paṇḍita. No one can understand the pastimes of the Vaiṣṇavas without their mercy.

vaiṣṇava cinite nāre devera śakati
mui kon chāra śiśu alpamati

Even the gods are unable to recognize a Vaiṣṇava, so how can a foolish, fallen child like myself do so?

Even though Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi was a great Vaiṣṇava, he kept it a secret and went about just like a materialistic person. One cannot recognize a Vaiṣṇava through any superficial examination. Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura warns using his Gauḍīya-bhāṣya to the Caitanya Bhāgavata: “Kṛṣṇa-līlā is not accessible to limited sensory understanding. Kṛṣṇa’s servants occasionally go unrecognized by an external display of materialistic surroundings. In this way they deceive the conditioned souls. Ignorant critics take Kṛṣṇa’s activities to be those of a material hero because of their materialistic vision, and thus they have no faith in Him. Others consider Kṛṣṇa to be an ordinary man Who is born, undergoes transformation and dies; thus they have no idea of who He really is. Kṛṣṇa’s devotees are also sometimes reluctant to reveal their real selves to the unworthy and thus make a pretense of being ordinary materialistic persons. Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu is also sometimes called the pracchanna-avatāra or hidden avatāra. In the same spirit, Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi put on the show of being a sensualist for those who were capable of being deceived by someone’s external appearance.”

Once Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi came to see Mahāprabhu when it was already quite late at night. As soon as he saw the Lord, he was so overcome by love that he could not even pay his obeisances. Mahāprabhu was similarly anxious to see His most dear devotee, Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi, and He immediately took him to His chest and washed him with tears of love. When the other devotees heard Mahāprabhu cry and call Puṇḍarīka “father” and “treasure of love”, they knew just how dear he was to Him. Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi was also known to Mahāprabhu’s associates as Ācāryanidhi.

The Supreme Lord cried and called out “Puṇḍarīka! Father! Today I have seen My own father! Today I rose from My sleep at an auspicious moment, and I saw Premanidhi standing before Me.” (Caitanya Bhāgavata 2.7.131, 143)

Śrī Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi participated in the nightly saṅkīrtana festival in Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita’s house along with Mahāprabhu and His other associates. On Mahāprabhu’s order, Nityānanda Prabhu and Haridāsa Ṭhākura went door to door to spread the chanting of the Holy Names and thus to liberate the conditioned souls, including Jagāi and Mādhāi. Later, when Jagāi and Mādhāi were sitting amongst the devotees before Mahāprabhu, they also displayed the ecstatic symptoms of prema. Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi was also present there and he became completely submerged in loving ecstasy to see their great fortune. It is stated in the Bhakti-ratnākara that Mahāprabhu celebrated the appearance day of Rādhārāṇī at Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi’s house. (Bhakti-Ratnākara 12.3177)

On Mahāprabhu’s order, the devotees led by Advaita Ācārya went each year to see the Ratha-yātrā. Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi was one of those principle associates of Mahāprabhu among the party of pilgrims that visited Purī-dhāma annually.

All of Mahāprabhu’s servants such as Advaita Ācārya, Nityānanda Prabhu, Mukunda, Śrīvāsa, Vidyānidhi, Vāsudeva and Murāri came together each year to meet with Him and they would stay four months. The Lord enjoyed many pastimes in their company. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 2.1.255-6)

Śrī Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi was also present at Lord Jagannātha’s Candana-yātrā festival when Mahāprabhu and all His devotees played in the water of Narendra Sarovara, also known as Candana-pukura. Puṇḍarīka and Svarūpa Dāmodara were close friends and they laughed and joyfully splashed water on each other as a part of these pastimes. (Caitanya Bhāgavata 3.8.124)

Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi also participated with Mahāprabhu and His associates in the cleaning of the Guṇḍicā temple, relishing mahā-prasāda with them afterwards.

One day, Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita asked Mahāprabhu if he could hear his initiation mantra from Him. He said,

“Ever since I repeated my iṣṭa-mantra to someone, I have been unable to concentrate when I chant. Please repeat the mantra to me, then my mind will be calmed.”

Mahāprabhu answered,

“You already have a guru. Be careful, otherwise you will become an offender to him. Everything I have is yours, even My life, what to speak of the mantra. But as long as your guru is alive it is improper for Me to repeat it to you.” (Caitanya Bhāgavata 3.10.23-6)

Gadādhara answered, saying, “He isn’t here. Please do it in his place.”

Mahāprabhu replied: “Destiny will bring your guru Vidyānidhi to you.” The omniscient Mahāprabhu continued, “Śrī Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi will be coming to Purī to see Me and will be here in ten days.” And that is what came to pass. Mahāprabhu became ecstatic, crying, “Father has come! Father has come!” Gadādhara went to Vidyānidhi upon his arrival.

Gadādhara Deva asked Premanidhi to again initiate him in the iṣṭa-mantra, which he lovingly did. How can I sufficiently glorify Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi, who has a loving disciple like Gadādhara Paṇḍita! (Caitanya Bhāgavata 3.10.79-80)

Our most worshipable Śrīla Prabhupāda commented on the above verse (3.10.24) in the following way: “The mantra is śabda brahma, the divine sound that destroys the mental aptitude for sense gratification. If one instructs a faithless person in the divine sound, the instructor’s mind becomes contaminated. If one’s divine knowledge (divya-jñāna) is lost due to bad association, then one must seek the same again. Gadādhara Paṇḍita understood this and so he asked Gaurasundara Mahāprabhu to reinitiate him. Mahāprabhu’s instruction, however, was that he should go to his own guru to hear the mantra again.”

The lesson to be learned here is this: Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosvāmī is Mahāprabhu’s eternal associate; it is thus impossible that any contamination could have entered his mind. Through Gadādhara Paṇḍita, Mahāprabhu was instructing that if one instructs an unqualified person in the mantra, it loses its potency and no longer brings the same joy to the heart of the practitioner. When this happens, it is necessary to go to the guru and hear the mantra from him again. It is against custom to hear the mantra again from someone who is not one’s guru because one cannot change initiating spiritual masters in this way. When Gadādhara Paṇḍita said “nā sphure bhālo mati”, i.e., “the ecstatic feelings no longer come when I chant”, it was out of an exemplary humility designed to teach humanity.

On the Oḍana-ṣaṣṭhī festival, Lord Jagannātha’s servants dress Him in a cloth that still has starch (māruwā) in it. Śrī Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi was a pure sad-ācārī, i.e., attached to the proper etiquette of Vaiṣṇava-dharma. When he observed this custom, he did not feel happy about it and said to his friend, Svarūpa Dāmodara, “Why do they give this unwashed cloth to the Lord? The people of this country know the rules in the Smṛtis and the Śrutis, so why do they give this māṛuwā cloth to the Lord?”

Svarūpa Dāmodara Prabhu answered that the Supreme Lord is beyond the customary rules and regulations of the scriptures and that therefore there was no fault. Vidyānidhi did not find this conclusion satisfying and he countered by saying, “That may be true for the Lord Himself. But His servants should follow the rules of the scripture. The śrī-vigraha of the Lord is beyond the material qualities, so you can say this of Him, but His servants are not of the same nature as He. So they have to judge whether or not it is proper to offer a particular object in the service.”

Vidyānidhi is Mahāprabhu’s dear associate and beyond any fault, but once again we see that the Lord teaches particular lessons through His devotees. Here He wished to show that we have no right to make judgments or to find fault with the behaviour of Lord Jagannāth’s devotees. That night Mahāprabhu entered in the dream of Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi as Lord Jagannātha. Vidyānidhi was frightened when he saw the anger of the Lord. He saw both Lord Jagannātha and Lord Balarāma slap him on each of his cheeks and he started to cry out in distress, “Kṛṣṇa, save me! Kṛṣṇa, save me! Forgive my offence!” Lord Jagannātha said,

“There is no end to your offensiveness. Just as there is no question of pure and impure in My case, the same holds true for My servants. You are staying here; you should know all this. If you thought that it was impure, then why did you stay at all? Go home and maintain your purity.” (Caitanya Bhāgavata 3.10.131-3)

When Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi woke up in the morning, the devotees saw the marks of the Lords’ slaps on his cheeks, which had swollen as a result, and they started to laugh. This pastime shows just how dear Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi was to Lord Jagannātha and to Mahāprabhu, for the Lord only comes to His dearest devotees to personally punish them in this way.

That night Lord Jagannātha and Balarāma came to him and, laughing all the while, slapped him on the cheeks. Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi felt a secret joy at his swollen cheeks, as has been described by Vṛndāvana Dāsa in detail. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 2.16.80-1)

Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura concludes the Caitanya Bhāgavata with the following glorification of Śrī Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi:

The Supreme Lord Gaurāṅga called out the name of this devotee, crying “Puṇḍarīka, My father.” Anyone who hears about his life and activities will undoubtedly attain Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. (Caitanya Bhāgavata 3.10.183-4)