vasudāmā sakhā yaś ca paṇḍitaḥ śrī-dhanañjayaḥ

The cowherd Vasudāmā became Dhanañjaya Paṇḍita in Gaura-līlā. (Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā 127)

Dhanañjaya Paṇḍita, the dear associate of Lord Nityānanda, was previously Vasudāma, one among the twelve bosom friends of Lord Baladeva.

Dhanañjaya Paṇḍita was Nityānanda Prabhu’s dear servant; he was very renounced and full of love for Kṛṣṇa. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 1.11.31)

Opinions vary about Dhanañjaya Paṇḍita’s birthplace and his parentage. In the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Abhidhāna, it is said that he was born in the village of Jhargram in Chittagong district on the fifth day of the waxing moon in the month of Caitra, 1484. His father’s name was Śrīpati Bandopādhyāya; his mother was Kālindī Devī, and Haripriyā was his wife.

In the book Gaurāṅga-mādhurī, another version is given: He was born in the village of Siyan Muluk, near Bolpur in the Birbhum district. His father’s name was Ādideva Vācaspati and his mother, Dayāmayī Devī. Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura subscribes to the former view in his Anubhāṣya.

Dhanañjaya Paṇḍita’s primary home was in the village of Shital Gram, which is served by the Kaichar post office in the precinct of Mangalkot in Burdwan district. Shital Gram is about one mile northeast of the Kaichar railway station, which is nine miles from Katwa railway station. He is also said to have had homes in the Sanchra Panchra and Jalandi villages. The first of these villages lies two miles south of Satdeula Tejapur, which is four miles from the Memari train station. Jalandi is about 10 miles east of the city of Burdwan and is served by Lokanagara post office. Also found in this village is the home of Sañjaya Paṇḍita, who is said by some to have been Dhanañjaya’s brother and by others his disciple. Dhanañjaya had no offspring. Those who supervise the Shital Gram temple are descendants of his disciples.

Both the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Abhidhāna and Gaurāṅga-mādhurī agree that Dhanañjaya Paṇḍita was married and that his wife’s name was Haripriyā. It is also mentioned that he would prostrate himself before Tulasī-devī three times a day. He was married when very young, but this did not stop him from leaving on a pilgrimage shortly after his wedding. His wealthy father gave him money for travelling expenses, but Dhanañjaya gave it all to Mahāprabhu and carried only a begging bowl. This particular action has been recalled by the author of the Vaiṣṇava-vandanā:

vilāsī vairāgī vandoṅ paṇḍita dhananjaya
sarvasva prabhure diyā bhāṇḍa hāte laya

Dhanañjaya’s main home or Sripat was in Shital Gram. The deities of Gopīnātha, Nitāi-Gaurāṅga and Dāmodara worshipped by him are still being served there. These deities are brought into a field not far from the temple where the disappearance day festival is held annually in the middle of Māgha.

Dhanañjaya Paṇḍita participated for a few days with Mahāprabhu in His saṅkīrtana pastimes in Navadvīpa. From there he returned to Shital Gram whence he went on a pilgrimage to Vṛndāvana. Before travelling to Vṛndāvana, he stayed for a few days in Sanchra Panchra, leaving a disciple who was travelling with him in charge of the deity service. At present, there is no further sign of this temple in Sanchra Panchra.

Nityānanda Prabhu delivered the most fallen and crushed the atheistic. These powers were manifest in his dear devotee Dhanañjaya, who converted many robbers and atheists in the Shital Gram area.

Dhanañjaya Paṇḍita was an extraordinarily great Vaiṣṇava. Nityānanda Prabhu took up permanent residence in his heart. (Caitanya Bhāgavata 3.5.773)

As one enters the Shital Gram temple, a small Tulasī altar stands on the left. This is the site of Dhanañjaya Paṇḍita’s samādhi.

His disappearance day is the śuklā aṣṭamī of Kārtika month.