Sivananda Sena (Bengali: শিবানন্দ সেন) was a poet and prominent disciple of the 15th-century Indian Hindu mystic and saint from Bengal, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.[1]
Sivananda Sena (Sen) | |
|---|---|
| Native name | শিবানন্দ সেন |
| Born | Kumarahatta (now Halisahar, West Bengal) |
| Died | Nilachala, Odisha |
| Occupation | Poet, writer, saint |
| Language | Bengali |
| Period | 16th-century |
| Genre | Gaudiya Vaishnavism philosophy |
Life
editSena was born into a Baidya family in Kumarahatta (now Halisahar, West Bengal).[1][a] He was, by all accounts, extremely wealthy, though the source of his wealth is unclear.[3] According to Smith, it is plausible that Sena was appointed to a distinguished position by the royal authority, perhaps as a revenue collector at Kanchrapara, the village where he later settled.[3] He was highly influential and respected in his town,[1][4][5] and likely had several connections.[2]
Sena first met Chaitanya in Puri, after the latter had renounced worldly affairs.[1] Influenced by Chaitanya, he joined his religious movement, Gaudiya Vaishnavism, and soon became one of Chaitanya's most devoted followers.[1] The author Krishnadasa Kaviraja, in the hagiography Chaitanya Charitamrita, mentions Sena as an intimate disciple of Chaitanya, and the only one to have witnessed his three distinct manifestations; his observable form, his possession of a devotee, and his presence in the mind of his followers.[1]
As a close associate of Chaitanya, Sena used his wealth to support all of his followers. He organized the annual trip of the devotees to Puri to see Chaitanya and the Ratha Yatra festival,[2][3][5] and ensured their protection.[1][4] He managed the pilgrims' comforts and needs, paid for their food, transportation and lodging, and handled the payment of road tolls.[6] According to his son, Kavi Karnapura, Sena cared for all devotees, including the outcastes, often at his own expense.[1]
Sena was also a noted poet and writer.[3] He composed several songs and verses in praise of Chaitanya.[1][2][7]
He also constructed a temple at Kanchrapara, wherein he installed deities of Gaura and Gopal.[8][5]
Sena had three sons; Chaitanyadasa, Ramadasa and Paramananda Sena.[1][9] Paramananda Sena, popularly known as Kavi Karnapura, would later become an eminent poet and writer.[4][3] He authored a formal poem, the Chaitanya Charanamrita, and a drama, the Chaitanya Chandrodaya, on the life of Chaitanya.[10][11][7]
Legend
editIn the Chaitanya Charitamrita, Krishnadasa Kaviraja alludes to an apocryphal story about Sivananda Sena, highlighting his care for animals. The text states that on one of his annual trips to Puri, Sena carried a dog with him.[1] He paid additional money to a boatman for the same, who had initially declined to adhere to his request.[12] Sena had strictly instructed the devotees to regularly feed the dog. One day, the devotees forgot to feed the dog, causing the dog to run away. This caused immense pain to Sena, and he refused to eat.[1] Later, when the devotees reached the Jagannath Temple at Puri, they were astonished to find the dog at the feet of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. This was when Sena realized that the dog had attained liberation, or moksha.[12][13]
See also
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Lutjeharms, Rembert (2018). A Vaisnava Poet in Early Modern Bengal: Kavikarnapura's Splendour of Speech. Oxford University Press. p. 24. ISBN 9780198827108.
- ^ a b c d Stewart, Tony K. (2010). The Final Word: The Caitanya Caritamrita and the Grammar of Religious Tradition. USA: Oxford University Press. p. 377. ISBN 9780199889372.
- ^ a b c d e f Smith, Bardwell L. (1982). Hinduism: New Essays in the History of Religions. p. 47. ISBN 9004067884.
- ^ a b c Brzezinski, J. K. "The Authenticity of the Caitanyacaritāmṛtamahākāvya". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. 53: 469–490 – via JSTOR.
- ^ a b c Karṇapūra (1854). Chaitanya-chandrodaya; Or, The Incarnation of Chaitanya: A Drama in Ten Acts. With a Commentary Explanatory of the Prákrita Passages. J. Thomas, at the Baptist Mission Press. p. 6.
- ^ Gosvāmi, Kr̥ṣṇadāsa Kavirāja (1999). Stewart, Tony K. (ed.). Caitanya Caritāmṛta of Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja: A Translation and Commentary. Translated by Dimock, Edward C. Harvard University.
- ^ a b Sanyal, Hitesranjan (2019). Trends of Change in Bhakti Movement in Bengal. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199486700.
- ^ "Sri Sivananda Sena tirobhava tithi [disappearance day]". Hare Krishna Society. 2016-07-09. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
- ^ "Srila Sivananda Sena - Disappearance". iskcondesiretree.com. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
- ^ Srivastava, Dr. Vishnulok Bihari (2009). Dictionary of Indology: Detailed Description of Indian Scriptures, Sanskrit Books, Authors and Trends. V&S Publishers. p. 108. ISBN 9789381384749.
- ^ Mukherjee, Sujit (1998). A Dictionary of Indian Literature: Beginnings-1850. Orient Blackswan. p. 174. ISBN 9788125014539.
- ^ a b Debroy, Bibek (2008). Sarama and Her Children: The Dog in Indian Myth. Penguin Books India. ISBN 9780143064701.
- ^ Allen, Barbara (2016). Animals in Religion: Devotion, Symbol and Ritual. Reaktion Books. p. 321. ISBN 9781780235691.