Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
Gauridasa Pandita was one of the most famous disciple of Lord Nityananda and an important associate of Lord Chaitanya. He performed his bhajana and worshiped the Deities Radha Shyama-Raya at Dhira Samira Kunja during the period that he lived in Vrindavana. It is said that the Deity of Radha Shyama-Raya was discovered by Gauridas whilst he was bathing in the Yamuna River. Gauridasa Pandita hailed from Ambika Kalna in Bengala and on one occasion both Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda visited his house. Both the daughters of Gauridasa’s elder brother, whose names were Jahnava and Vasudha, were married to Lord Nityananda. Gauridasa begged Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda to stay for a longer period in his house so that he could serve Their Lordships to his heart’s content. In response Lord Chaitanya manifested a set of Gaura-Nitai Deities that were life-like replicas of the two brothers and gave Them to Gauridas Pandita to worship. Even today these same Deities are still being worshiped at Ambika Kalna. Gauridasa Pandita eventually returned to Bengal but his pushpa samadhi can be seen here at Dhira Samira Kunja next to the temple established by his followers and where the Deity of Radha Shyama-Raya is still being worshiped. According to the Gaura-gannoddesha-dipika Gauridasa Pandita is a cowherd boy named Subala in Krishna’s Vrindavana Pastimes and was one of the twelve most important cowherd-boy friends of Krishna known as the dwadasha-gopals.
