Text 24
rāghava-paṇḍita — prabhura ādya-anucara
tāṅra eka śākhā mukhya — makaradhvaja kara
rāghava paṇḍita — Rāghava Paṇḍita; prabhura — of the Lord; ādya — original; anucara — follower; tāṅra — his; eka — one; śākhā — branch; mukhya — chief; makaradhvaja — Makaradhvaja; kara — surname.
Rāghava Paṇḍita, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s original follower, is understood to have been the seventh branch. From him proceeded another subbranch, headed by Makaradhvaja Kara.
Kara was the surname of Makaradhvaja. At present this surname is generally found in the Kāyastha community. The Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (166) states:
dhaniṣṭhā bhakṣya-sāmagrīṁ kṛṣṇāyādād vraje ’mitām
saiva sāmprataṁ gaurāṅga- priyo rāghava-paṇḍitaḥ
Rāghava Paṇḍita was formerly a confidential gopī in Vraja during the time of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, and his former name was Dhaniṣṭhā. This gopī, Dhaniṣṭhā, always engaged in preparing foods for Kṛṣṇa.