Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami
From the book “Sri Vraja-maṇḍala-parikramā”:
To the south-east of Viśākhā-kuñja, or Kadamba-kyārī, and about one mile from Nandagaon is the pond and cottage of Pūrṇamāsī. At the time of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, she lived at this secluded place away from the village as an old ascetic wearing saffron cloth. Nanda and the other Vrajavāsīs had great respect for her and took her blessings before undertaking any important activity. Before coming to Vraja, Pūrṇamāsī lived in Avantīpurī with her husband and her son, Sāndīpani Muni. Madhumaṅgala and Nāndīmukhī are Sāndīpani Muni’s son and daughter. Pūrṇamāsī came to Nandagaon before Kṛṣṇa’s birth with her grandson Madhumaṅgala and granddaughter Nāndīmukhī. Every morning, she came to Nanda-bhavana to see Kṛṣṇa and bless Him. In Kṛṣṇa’s manifest pastimes (prakaṭa-līlā) she is Nārada’s disciple. She is the personification of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s collective pastime-potency (samaṣṭi līlā-śakti), which belongs to the svarūpa-śakti, and she nourishes all of the Divine Couple Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes.
Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
Next to this large kunda is the humble residence of Purnamasi Devi, who was the mother of Krishna’s gurukula teacher Sandipani Muni. Being the widow of a brahmana, she lived at Nandagrama as a tapasvini and always wore simple saffron cloth. Every Vrajavasi respected her and treated her as if she was their guru and no important activity in Vraja was undertaken without her consultation and blessings. On the advice of her spiritual master, Shrila Narada Muni, after the loss of her husband, she left the ashrama of her son Sandipani Muni at Avantipura (Ujjain) and along with her two grandchildren, she came to Vraja to be near her beloved Krishna, whom she loved even more than her own life.
The local Vrajavasis became very much attached to Paurnamasi and made her a thatched cottage out of leaves and bamboo where she stayed with her two grandchildren, the son and daughter of Sandipani Muni named Madhumangala and Nandamukhi. It is said that Purnamasi was especially close to Yashoda Mayi and would go to Nanda Bhavana every day without fail to have darshana of Krishna. It is believed after the marriage of her grandchildren, Purnamasi moved into a cave or gufa near the same spot which can still be seen even today. The marital residence of Nandamukhi, who also played an integral role in Krishna’s pastimes in Vraja, is located nearby.
Shrimati Purnamasi Devi is one of the most important personalities in the Vraja pastimes of Radha and Krishna, because, as an expansion of the internal potency called yogamaya, all the pastimes enacted by Radha and Krishna fall within her supervisory jurisdiction. She is supported in this task by another expansion of the yogamaya potency in the form of Vrinda Devi, and under their control all the various pastimes are unfolding one after another. Consequently Krishna, who has also placed Himself under the controlling feature of the yogamaya potency, can forget His own position as the Supreme Controller and has nothing to do other than enjoy His transcendental pastimes with the gopis in the forests of Vraja, while thinking Himself to be an ordinary cowherd boy from the village of Nandagrama. The Vraja-vilasa-stava says, “I worship the most fortunate Paurnamasi, who bestows all auspiciousness. She very expertly arranges the meetings of Shri Shri Radha and Krishna and therefore she is worshipable by all. She repeatedly enjoys nectarean bliss by organizing the separation and reunion pastimes of Radha Madhava.”
