October 17, 2024 is the disappearance day of Śrī Murāri Gupta in Vṛndāvana, India. In honour of his tithi, the Appearance and disappearance day of the True devotees of god is one of the best days to know, glorify and seek their blessings, They shower their mercy on these special day
INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH ŚRĪ CAITANYA-DEVA
Śrī Murāri Gupta took birth in a family of Ayurvedic physicians in the district of Sylhet. When his family moved from Sylhet to take up residence in Navadvīpa, they lived in the same neighborhood as Śrī Caitanya-deva. Murāri Gupta was Śrī Caitanya-deva’s childhood companion and Śrī Caitanya-deva would love to play pranks on him. Śrī Caitanya-deva would tease him, saying, “You are a vaidya [an Ayurvedic physician], You only make packets of medicine powders; therefore, studying will not be possible for you.” In response to this, Śrī Murāri Gupta would ask, “You speak like this, yet which of Your questions have I not responded to?” Although Śrī Murāri Gupta was studying in a higher grade than Śrī Caitanya-deva [at the ṭol (school) of Śrī Gaṅgādāsa Paṇḍita], Sri Caitanya-deva would continue to tease him anyway.
AVOIDING CONFRONTATION
When Śrī Murāri Gupta saw Śrī Caitanya-deva at a distance [moving toward him], he would immediately alter his plan and take a different route to get home, even though his house was right across from and close to Śrī Caitanya-deva’s. Seeing this, Śrī Caitanya-deva would inquire of those who were with Him, “What caused Śrī Murāri Gupta to alter his path?” Generally, His company would respond, “Maybe he had some other work to attend to.” However, Caitanya-deva would say, “No! Since I am not a Vaiṣṇava and he is, this boy avoids speaking to me. I simply make futile inquiries, and for this reason he runs away from Me.”
A TEST OF FIRM FAITH
Later, after returning from Gayā, Śrī Caitanya-deva quit his teaching position. After tying up his books, he declared, “I will not be teaching from this day on.” His students grew disillusioned and depressed. Śrī Caitanya-deva once gave Śrī Murāri Gupta instructions to worship Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
sei kṛṣṇa bhaja tumi, hao kṛṣṇāśraya
kṛṣṇa vinā anya-upāsanā mane nāhi laya
Worship Kṛṣṇa and take shelter of Him. But for His service, nothing appeals to the mind. – Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya 15.142
However, Śrī Murāri Gupta felt fearful and reluctant within his mind, thinking, ‘How can I give up the lotus feet of my worshipable Raghunātha and perform worship of Śrī Kṛṣṇa? At the same time, how can I not follow the order of Śrī Caitanya-deva to worship Śrī Kṛṣṇa?’
As a result, Śrī Murāri Gupta invented a weapon known as a “kāṭi” [a type of knife]. Seeing no other choice, Śrī Murāri Gupta intended to commit suicide with this kāṭi because he felt completely powerless and could not obey his beloved Śrī Caitanya-deva’s command to stop worshiping Śrī Rāmacandra’s lotus feet. But Śrī Caitanya-deva, who knew everything, went to Śrī Murāri Gupta’s house early that morning and said, “Gupta, give me what you have made.” “Please give it to me because I am aware of everything you have made and why you have made it.”
Murari Gupta’s Exclusive Devotion to Ramachandra
Why did Śrī Caitanya-deva instruct him to worship Śrī Kṛṣṇa instead of Śrī Rāmacandra? The sole reason Śrī Caitanya-deva performed this pastime was to show the world Śrī Murāri Gupta’s magnificent, exclusive devotional attitude to Śrī Rāmacandra. In terms of tattva-vicāra [philosophical truth], Śrī Caitanya-deva and Śrī Rāmacandra are identical [they are Viṣṇu-tattva], but not from the perspective of rasa-vicāra [the breadth and depth of affectional bonds and activities]. At that time, Śrī Caitanya-deva gave Śrī Murāri Gupta a vision of Himself as Śrī Rāmacandra.
Those who participated in the Navadvīpa parikramā and visited the Śrīpāṭa of Śrī Murāri know that he is the incarnation of Hanumān.
murāri-gupto hanumān
aṅgadaḥ śrī-purandaraḥ
yaḥ śrī-sugrīva-nāmāsīd
govindānanda eva saḥ(Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā 91)
Śrī Murāri Gupta was Hanumān in Rāmacandra’s līlā; Purandara was Aṅgada and Govindānanda Sugrīva.
Such was the exclusive devotion of Śrī Murāri Gupta unto the lotus feet of his worshipable deity, Śrī Rāmacandra!
Excerpted and Collected from Multiple Sources