Paramānanda Purī: Paramānanda Purī belonged to a brāhmaṇa family of the Trihut district in Uttara Pradesh. Mādhavendra Purī was his spiritual master. In relationship with Mādhavendra Purī, Paramānanda Purī was very dear to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. In the Caitanya-bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa, there is the following statement:
- sannyāsīra madhye īśvarera priya-pātra
- āra nāhi eka purī gosāñi se mātra
- dāmodara-svarūpa paramānanda-purī
- sannyāsi-pārṣade ei dui adhikārī
- niravadhi nikaṭe thākena dui jana
- prabhura sannyāse kare daṇḍera grahaṇa
- purī dhyāna-para dāmodarera kīrtana
- yata-prīti īśvarera purī-gosāñire
- dāmodara-svarūpereo tata prīti kare
“Among his sannyāsī disciples, Īśvara Purī and Paramānanda Purī were very dear to Mādhavendra Purī. Thus Paramānanda Purī, like Svarūpa Dāmodara, who was also a sannyāsī, was very dear to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and was His constant associate. When Lord Caitanya accepted the renounced order, Paramānanda Purī offered Him the daṇḍa. Paramānanda Purī was always engaged in meditation, and Śrī Svarūpa was always engaged in chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. As Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered full respect to His spiritual master, Īśvara Purī, He similarly respected Paramānanda Purī and Svarūpa Dāmodara.” It is described in the Caitanya-bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa, Chapter Three, that when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu first saw Paramānanda Purī He made the following statement:
- āji dhanya locana, saphala āji janma
- saphala āmāra āji haila sarva-dharma
- prabhu bale āji mora saphala sannyāsa
- āji mādhavendra more ha-ilā prakāśa
“My eyes, My mind, My religious activities and My acceptance of the sannyāsa order have now all become perfect because today Mādhavendra Purī is manifest before Me in the form of Paramānanda Purī.”