Devānanda Paṇḍita was a scholar and an ascetic who had been indifferent to the world from an early age. Although he had won a reputation for his erudition, he nevertheless had no feeling of devotion to Kṛṣṇa and so failed to understand that bhakti is the ultimate purport of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Being a mumukṣu, or one who seeks impersonal liberation, Devānanda Paṇḍita praised dry austerities and renunciation and did not speak devotional purports to Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.

One day, Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita came to hear a Bhāgavatam recital at Devānanda Paṇḍita’s house. As he listened to the text of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita became absorbed in a mood of loving devotion and started to cry. Devānanda Paṇḍita’s faithless disciples threw him out of the assembly for causing a disturbance. Since Devānanda Paṇḍita did not object to the action of his students, he was implicated in their offence to a devotee. For this reason, Mahāprabhu was angry with him.

The Lord said: “Whoever recites Śrīmad Bhāgavatam without glorifying devotional service is an ignorant fool who knows nothing. This rascal recites Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and never mentions bhakti. I will go and tear up his manuscript, just watch Me. (Caitanya Bhāgavata 2.21.20-21)

Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura comments on this verse as follows: “When those bereft of devotion forget their actual identity, they become completely indifferent to the service of the Lord. When they identify this indifference as the ultimate goal of life, they become a source of great displeasure to the Lord, even though He is by nature supremely merciful. Here Lord Gaurasundara shows His dissatisfaction and informs us that this attitude of the non-devotee is not only incorrect but reprehensible. He also indicates that both the acts of enjoying and renouncing the fruits of material actions are improper. The devotees find great satisfaction in seeing the Lord become angry in this way.”

Sometime after Devānanda Paṇḍita committed this offence to Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita, Mahāprabhu passed nearby his house and saw that he was engaged in giving a discourse on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. He became angry and rebuked him severely for his lack of faith in the Vaiṣṇavas. Just as blasphemy of the devotees makes one deprived of the Lord’s mercy and destined for downfall, glorifying them and engaging in their service is the best way to find the mercy of the Lord and become freed from all sinful and offensive activity.

“Listen, brāhmaṇa, if you want to be cured after consuming poison, you must ingest ambrosia through the very same mouth you took the poison. In this way, not only will the poison be digested, but your body will become immortal through the ambrosia’s divine power.” (Caitanya Bhāgavata 3.3.449-50)

Through great good fortune, Mahāprabhu’s dear associate Vakreśvara Paṇḍita came to stay at Devānanda Paṇḍita’s house. Because Devānanda took excellent care of Vakreśvara Paṇḍita, Mahāprabhu softened towards him. Previously, Devānanda Paṇḍita had been completely lacking faith in the Lord, but when he heard of Mahāprabhu’s glories from Vakreśvara Paṇḍita, his attitude changed. Through the association of the Lord’s devotee, he began to develop a taste for pure devotional service.

Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura writes in this regard, “For Devānanda Paṇḍita of Kuliya, the fruit of service to the Vaiṣṇava was faith in Mahāprabhu’s lotus feet. Vakreśvara Paṇḍita’s visit to his house was the source of this auspiciousness. Although Devānanda Paṇḍita was a smārta, he was a great scholar and self-controlled. He studied nothing but the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. He believed in God and had control of his senses. All he lacked was faith in Mahāprabhu. By the grace of Vakreśvara Paṇḍita, this faulty intelligence was wiped away and he developed staunch belief in Lord Gaurasundara.”

Devānanda was a scholar of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, but it was through Vakreśvara’s mercy that he was able to understand its meaning from Mahāprabhu. (Caitanya Caritāmṛta 1.10.77)

Mahāprabhu told Devānanda to explain Śrīmad Bhāgavatam in terms of devotional service. It was Devānanda Paṇḍita’s great fortune that he was able to receive the mercy of the Lord in the form of a chastisement.

Devānanda Paṇḍita was a great pious soul, for Mahāprabhu verbally punished him. Only the greatly fortunate can receive the chastisement of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Even if one should die as a result of the Lord’s punishment, he still goes to Vaikuṇṭha. (Caitanya Bhāgavata 2.21.77-8)

Devānanda Paṇḍita received this mercy due to living in Kuliya or Koladvīpa, the place where offences are forgiven. Gopāla Cāpāla was also forgiven his offences in Kuliya.

Devānanda Paṇḍita’s disappearance day is celebrated on the kṛṣṇā ekādaśī of the month of Pauṣa.