Today is a very auspicious day: it is the day of the advent of Srimati Vishnupriya Devi. It is also the appearance day of Srila Raghunath das Goswami and Srila Raghunandan Thakur, and the disappearance day of Srila Visvanath Chakravarti Thakur.
Vishnupriya Devi is the wife of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, whom He left to accept sannyas, the renounced order of life. Srila Sridhar Maharaj says that Vishnupriya Devi's life is that of helping the fallen to go to the highest domain of love, where the jiva can be very, very near to Lord Krishna — Love Divine.
In a talk on this day in 1982, Srila Sridhar Maharaj said: "Five years after taking sannyas Mahaprabhu came here to visit, according to the custom of the sannyasis, and as He approached His previous home, Vishnupriya Devi fell at the feet of Mahaprabhu, the sannyasi.
"Mahaprabhu took off His sandals, blessed her, and immediately went away. 'Soften your burning heart by the help of these sandals.' With these words Mahaprabhu went away. And she took those sandals, and worshipped them as long as she lived. Those sandals are still shown to us by the succession.
"Vishnupriya Devi lived a very quiet, modest life. She did not leave her home. And her contribution towards our relation of devotion is great.
"Today on the day of her appearance, we invoke her mercy on us, that we fallen souls can have the highest benefit of our fortune. He may be propitiated with us."
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