Sri Syamananda made his appearance at Utkala in the village of Dharenda Bahadurpur. His father’s name was Sri Krsna Mandal and his mother’s name was Sri Durika. Sri Krsna Mandal, who descended in the line of sad-gopas, had many sons and daughters who unfortunately passed away before the birth of this son. For this reason this son was named Dukhiya.
Everyone said that this child would be a very high-souled saintly person. “On the full moon day of the month of Caitra he has taken his birth at a very auspicious moment, by the mercy of Lord Jagannatha.
It is as though Lord Jagannatha has personally brought him here in order to propagate His teachings, and therefore He is personally maintaining him. He looks just like a new cupid. One’s eyes and mind are soothed just to look upon him.”
Sri Krsna Mandal was himself a very advanced devotee. Seeing that his son was always absorbed in thinking of Gaura-Nityananda. He told him that he should be initiated into the divine mantra.
The boy replied, “Sri Hrdaya Caitanya is my guru. He is at Ambika Kalna. His guru is Sri Gauri dasa Pandita. The two brothers, Sri Gaura-Nityananda, are eternally present in his house. If you give your permission, I will proceed to there to become his disciple.”
Sri Hrdaya Caitanya was very pleased to accept him and told the boy, “From now your name is Krsna das. Since early this morning I was feeling that someone would come today.”
Sri Hrdaya Caitanya could see that his new disciple was extremely intelligent and at the same time very devoted, so he ordered him to go to Vrindavana to study the literatures of the under the tutelage of Srila Jiva Gosvami.
Krsna das requested Srila Jiva Gosvami for a special service. Sri Jiva instructed him to sweep the forest grove of Seva-kunja everyday. From that day he began to carry out this service with great pleasure. He felt that his life had become successful.
One day while Krsna das was cleaning the kunja, his heart filled with love. Just then he happened to notice a very beautiful ankle bracelet lying in the dust. He picked it up, touched it to his head and then bound it in the corner of his upper cloth. “I’ll give it to whom ever it belongs to when they come to look for it,” he thought.
The next morning the gopis were quite shocked when they noticed that Srimati Radharani’s left ankle bracelet was missing. Radharani explained, “Last night, when I was dancing in the kunja, it must have fallen off. Please look for it and bring it back to me, whoever finds it.”
When the gopis came to search for the bracelet, Visakha devi noticed Krsna das sweeping the grove. She asked him, “Have you found an ankle bracelet here?” Duhkhi Krsna dasa was so mesmerized by her sweet words and radiant form, which was like that of a demigoddess descended from heaven, that he simply stared at her dumbfounded. Again she asked him, “Have you found an ankle bracelet here?”
Duhkhi Krsna made obeisances and humbly replied, “Yes, I found it. Who are you?”
“I am a cowherd girl.”
“Where do you stay?”
“In this village.”
“Is it your ankle bracelet?”
“No it isn’t mine. It belongs to a new bride in our house.”
“How did it get here?”
“She came here yesterday to pick flowers and it must have fallen off then.”
“All right, then please tell her she can come and collect it from me.”
“No, you can just give it to me.”
“No, I want to give it to her personally.”
After a few moments, Visakha devi returned with Srimati Radha Thakurani who stood in the shade at the foot of a large tree. Visakha called out to Krsna dasa, “Bhakta, the person who lost her ankle bracelet has come to receive it.”
Visakha then told him, “O best of the devotees! Our Sakhi wants to give you a benediction to express her gratitude.”
Duhkhi Krsna dasa saw the holy waters of Radha kunda before him. After offering his obeisances, he immersed himself in her waters. Thus he attained a transcendentally beautiful feminine form. Coming out of the sacred kunda, he stood before Visakha devi and offered prayers.
Taking this ‘forest sakhi’ by the hand, Visakha approached Srimati Radha Thakurani, and the new sakhi fell down at Her lotus feet. Then Srimati Radharani decorated her forehead with tilaka using the ankle bracelet and the kumkum of her lotus feet.
“This tilak will remain on your forehead. From today you will be known as Syamananda. Now you can go.” After She said this, Srimati Radha Thakurani and Her sakhis were no longer to be seen.
Dukhi Krsna dasa’s trance broke and he found himself as before, alone and in
his male body: yet with the tilaka applied by Srimati Radharani still on his
forehead. Being overwhelmed with emotion, he repeated over and over, “What
have I seen?”
“What have I seen?”, while tears of ecstasy rolled down his cheeks.
After reciting prayers hundreds and hundreds of times to Sri Radhika, he finally returned to Srila Jiva Gosvami. Sri Jiva Prabhu was struck with wonder when he saw the brilliant new design of tilaka on his young student’s forehead. After offering his prostrated obeisances, Dukhi Krsna dasa, his eyes brimming with tears, recounted at Jiva Goswami’s request his experience in Sevakunja.
