Sri Caitanya Mangala (Locana Dasa Thakura)

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Locana Dasa was born in 1520 A.D. in Kograma within Gauramandala, West Bengal. He was a disciple of Sri Narahari Sarakara Thakura, an intimate eternal associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. One day in 1537 A.D., following his guru's order, Locana Dasa sat on a stone slab under a badari tree and started writing the CaitanyaMangala on a piece of bark.

Since Vrndavana Dasa Thakura had already written a book entitled Caitanya-Mangala, the leading devotees in Vrndavana (Sri Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami, Sri Jiva Gosvami, Kasisvara Pandita, Pandita Haridasa Gosvami, and Anantacarya) met to resolve the problem. They decided that henceforth Vrndavana Dasa's book would be called Caitanya Bhagavata, and Locana Dasa Thakura's book would remain as CaitanyaMangala.

In The History and Literature of the Gaudiya Vaisnavas, Dr. S. Das [a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura) says, “Locana Dasa does not claim to be a doctor of theology. He was a musician like his preceptor [Narahari Thakura). He made music and dedicated his pre-eminent musical abilities toward serving one mission.

“Locana Dasa did not compose this beautiful narrative poem, Caitanya-Mangala, to thrust abstract philosophy and a labyrinth doctrine down the people's throat. Rather, he wanted to impress the divine character of Sri Caitanya on the popular mind, and thereby arouse its religious sensibilities.”

In Vaisnava Abhidana, Haridasa Dasa [a famous Gaudiya Vaisnava historian] describes Caitanya-Mangala, “Locana Dasa based his Caitanya-Mangala on Murari Gupta's authorized Sanskrit biography of Lord Caitanya entitled Sri-Krishna-Caitanya-carita. CaitanyaMangala is written in simple, beautiful language, and it can be sung in various beautiful ragas.

**Contents and Sample Pages**