Sri Syamananda Sataka: The Glory of Sri Syamananda Gopi 
by Sri Rasikananda (Author), Translated by Kusakrtha Dasa , Edited By Purnaprajna Dasa
Rasik?nanda met his spiritual master,
Sy?m?nanda, when he was an eighteen-year old
youth named Rasika Mur?ri Patnaik,
and later on became known as his chief
disciple. He was born in 1590 AD, fifty-six
years after the disappearance of Sri Caitanya
Mah?prabhu. He was the son of a wealthy
landowner in West Bengal.
Rasik?nanda vigorously preached so
that he became a very influential spiritual
master who firmly established the sect known
as Sy?m?nandi Vais?avas, devotees who
execute Krs?a consciousness in the mood of
his guru. This book, Sy?m?nanda-sataka, was
written in the latter part of Rasik?nanda?s life
and it is purely glorification of his spiritual
master, revealing his eternal relationship
with Lord Sri Krsna.In text 27 it is revealed that
Sy?m?nanda was a hop? associate of R?dh?
and Krs?a who left the spiritual world to
descend into this material world for the
purpose of displaying his mercy upon the
fallen conditioned souls struggling in Kaliyuga.
Like an actor on the stage, he played
the part of a human being, causing the
unfortunate souls of this age to fall in love
with Krs?a.
Toward the end of his life, Rasik?nanda
settled in Remuna, Orissa, where the Deity
of Ksira-cor? Gopin?tha is situated. The
sam?dhi of Rasik?nanda Prabhu can still
be seen within the temple of K??ra-cor?
Gopin?tha at Remuna.
Sy?m?nanda was a disciple of Hrdaya
Caitanya Th?kura. When Sy?m?nanda came
to Vrnd?vana, Jiva Gosv?mi introduced
him to Sr?niv?sa ?c?rya and Narottama
d?sa Th?kura. In fact, J?va Gosv?m? placed
Sy?m?nanda under the care of Sriniv?sa ?c?rya. It was Jiva Gosv?mi who gave him
the name Sy?m?nanda, for previously he was
known as Dukhi Krs?ad?sa.
Later on, ?y?m?nanda, along with
Sriniv?sa ?c?rya and Narottama d?sa
Th?kura, delivered the books of the Gosv?mis
to Bengal. After accomplishing this mission,
Sy?m?nanda went to Orissa. One can read
more about the life of Sy?m?nanda in the
book Bhakti-ratn?kara by Narahari d?sa.
I especially enjoyed reading through
this translation by Kusakratha Prabhu. It
so happened that I had spent many days
editing something of a different genre. After
struggling through that task and finally
finishing it, when I dove into the ocean
of nectar that is Kusakratha?s translation
of this work, I felt a wonderful change in
consciousness. I relished transcendental
pleasure within, an experience not to be had
by the likes of me very often. What a relief!
After wallowing in the mire of mundane experience, I felt as if I had been transported
back to where I once belonged. At other times
I generally take transcendental literature for
granted, but I think that this sudden contrast
is what gave me a genuine appreciation of the
value of bhakti-rasa.
P?rnaprajna D?sa