Six Goswamis of Vrindavan
Sri Rupa Goswami
Srila Rupa Goswami was born in 1489 in modern-day Karnataka, India. He was the younger brother of Srila Sanatana Goswami.
Forced by various circumstances, Srila Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami had to work for the Muslim government of Bengal under Nawab Hussein Shah. Rupa Goswami was then known by the Muslim name Dabir Khas ('private secretary'). Although he enjoyed great wealth and prestige, he never forgot Lord Sri Krishna. Even before meeting Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Rupa Goswami had already written several books on Vedic philosophy and was renowned for his learning and devotion.
In 1514, Rupa and Sanatana met Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu for the first time and were initiated by Him. Rupa left government service and spent ten days hearing from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu the philosophy of Krisna Consciousness. Sri Caitanya then ordered Rupa Goswami to go Vrindavana with a fourfold mission:
- to uncover the lost sites of Lord Krishna's pastimes
- to install Deities of the Lord and arrange for their worship
- to write books on Krisna Consciousness
- to teach the rules of devotional life
At first, Rupa Goswami felt it would be very difficult to carry out this desire of Lord Caitanya. But one day, while Rupa was sitting on the bank of the Yamuna River contemplating his mission, a beautiful boy came to him and asked the cause of his despondency. After Rupa Goswami explained the reason, the boy then led him to a small hill.
'Inside this hill', said the boy, 'is the beautiful Deity Govindadeva. He said that the deity had been buried to protect him during a Muslim invasion.
The next day Rupa Goswami led a group of villagers to the site and had them excavate the hill. The deity Govinda was unearthed and Rupa Goswami then had a magnificent temple constructed under the patronage of Maharaja Man Singh of Amber, Rajasthan. Sri Govinda Deva is presently worshiped in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Before he passed away in 1564, he had fulfilled all four parts of the mission given to him by Lord Caitanya. Devotees pay respects to him by visiting his samadhi, in the courtyard of the Radha-Damodara temple in Vrindavana.
Sri Sanatana Goswami
Srila Sanatana Goswami was born in 1488. He was the older brother of Sri Rupa Goswami. They were educated in Sakurma, a village near the capital of Gauda (modern day West Bengal). The brothers were forced to work as government ministers for Nawab Hussein Shah (the ruler of Bengal at the time) in Ramekeli. Sanatana was known as Sakara Mallik and appointed private secretary.
In 1514, Sanatana Goswami met Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Ramekeli and was initiated by him. He eventually managed to abjure his government duties and escape from eventual imprisonment by the Nawab and made his way to Benares, where he met Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu enlightened Sanatana into the truths of bhakti and further instructed him to
- write books on devotional service
- establish proper devotee etiquette
- install deities and proper deity worship
- to excavate the lost holy places of pilgrimage in Vrindavana
Sanatana's literary works include
- Hari-bhakti-Vilasa
- the Brihad-bhagavatamrita which expounds on the science of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's teachings.
- Dasama-tippani, also known as the Brihad-Vaishanva-Tosani, is a commentary on the tenth canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam
- Dasama-charita covers Krishna's pastimes up to Mathura
- Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa, which covers the code and conduct of Vaisnavas is considered to be his most important work.
Sanatana Goswami established worship of the Madana Mohana deity. With the help of a wealthy merchant Krishna Dasa Kapoor, a lavish temple was built for Sri Madana Mohana. This temple still stands today, and is an important place of pilgrimage for all Gaudiya Vaisnavas.
Sanatana passed away at the age of 70 in 1558.
Gopal Bhatta Goswami
Gopala Bhatta was born in 1503 to Vyenkata Bhatta.
He first met Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the year 1510 while Mahaprabhu was touring South India. His father hosted the Lord during the four months of the rainy season. Gopala had the good fortune to serve Lord Caitanya continuously and developed an intense love for Him.
When Lord Caitanya was about to leave, Vyenkata Bhatta fainted and Gopala Bhatta's eyes filled with tears of love. For Gopala Bhatta's sake, Lord Caitanya agreed to stay afew more days.
During this time, Gopala Bhatta had a spiritual vision in which Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu revealed Himself as Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and said that Gopala would someday meet two jewel-like devotees — Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami, in Vrindavana.
When Gopala Bhatta awoke from trance, he wanted to leave for Vrindavana at once. However, Lord Caitanya instructed him to stay and serve his parents.
Gopala Bhatta went on to study rhetoric, poetry, Vedanta, and Sanskrit grammar from his uncle Prabodhananda Sarasvati, a great devotee of Lord Caitanya.
After the passing of his parents, Gopala Bhatta traveled to Vrindavana, where he met Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami. The Lord sent some of His personal belongings to Gopala Bhatta, who worshiped them. The Lord also sent a letter instructing Gopala Bhatta to help Rupa and Sanatana compile transcendental literature. Gopala Bhatta accepted this instruction from the Lord as his life and soul, and later engaged his own disciple, Srinivasa Acarya, in carrying the writings to Bengal.
Once, on a trip to the Gandaki River, in Nepal, Gopala Bhatta obtained twelve salagrama-silas. The silas entered his waterpot as he filled it with water from the river. When he tried to return them to the river and refill his pot, they again entered the pot. Accepting this as the Lord's mercy, Gopala Bhatta decided to bring the silas back to Vrindavana.
One day, Gopala Bhatta felt the need to worship a deity of Krishna. The next morning, he saw that one of his silas had transformed into a beautiful deity of Lord Krsna. Gopala Bhatta named the deity Radha-Ramana, or 'Krsna, who brings pleasure to Radharani'. He established a temple for the worship of Radha-Ramana which is still one of the main places of pilgrimage in Vrindavana.
Ragunatha Bhatta Goswami
Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami was born in 1505 in modern day Bangladesh. His father, Sri Tapana Misra, was a great devotee of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sri Tapana Misra met Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, first in Eastern Bengal, and then again in Varanasi. While in Varanasi, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to dine at Sri Tapana Misra's home and Raghunatha would often massage the Lord's feet.
As a boy Raghunatha was adept in Sanskrit grammar and rhetoric. He became well versed in the scriptures. Upon coming of age his father sent him to Puri, where he met Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. There he spent eight months in the service of the Lord. He would cook for Him on a regular basis. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu instructed Raghunatha never to marry and to study the scriptures. He ordered him to return to Varanasi and to care for his aging parents. He further told him that he would see him again in Jagganatha Puri. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave Raghunatha a tulasi garland from his neck.
When Raghunatha 's parents passed away, he returned to Jagganatha Puri where he spent another eight months in the service of the Lord. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then sent Raghunatha to Vrindavana, to study the Srimad-Bhagavatam and other revealed scriptures under the guidance of Sri Sanatana Goswami and Sri Rupa Goswami. After some time Raghunatha's disciples built a temple for Sri Gaura Govinda in Vrindavana.
He passed away in 1579.
Sri Jiva Goswami
Jiva Goswami was the only child of Sri Vallabha and nephew of Sri Sanatana Goswami & Sri Rupa Goswami.
When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to Ramakeli, Sri Jiva was blessed by having darsana of the Lord, though he was just a baby at the time. Mahaprabhu indicated that baby Jiva would have a great future as a scholar in the Gaudiya sampradaya.
Later on, when his father and uncles renounced their family life in order to be with Mahaprabhu, Sri Jiva, was left with his mother in the family palace at Fateyabad. Jiva missed them greatly and whenever he would remember his father and uncles, or Sri Caitanya he would lose consciousness and fall to the ground.
As he got a little older, Sri Jiva took up the worship of the Deities of Sri-Sri Rama-Krishna. He would carefully decorate Them and offer bhoga and arati, serving Them with his full attention. Even in his play, whatever games he played were connected with Sri Krishna's pastimes.
While studying under the local pandits, he became proficient in grammar, poetry and rhetoric. His teachers noted his great intellect.
When Sri Jiva learned that his father had passed away on the banks of the Ganga, he was completely unsettled. Family members and friends tried to console him but to little avail. Family life had become the source of his utter sadness.
Someone suggested to Jiva to go to Navadwipa and see Lord Nityananda, so he set out for Navadwipa with a group of pilgrims. Everyone at Navadwipa was very happy to meet the nephew of Sri Rupa and Sanatana.
Sri Jiva spent some days with Nityananda Prabhu, touring the nine islands of Navadwipa, in order to visit the holy places of the Lord's pastimes there. Then, as ordered by Nityananda Prabhu, he set out for Varanasi. At Varanasi he studied Vedanta under Sri Madhusudana Vacaspati, a disciple of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. The conclusions of Vedanta contained in Srimad-Bhagavatam that were expounded by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya in Puri had been in turn taught by the Bhattacarya to Madhusudana Vacaspati, who in turn established a school in Varanasi and passed it on to his students.
From here, Sri Jiva set out for Sri Vrindavana where he received shelter at the lotus feet of his two uncles. Sri Rupa and Sanatana. Jiva stayed with Sri Rupa, who began to teach him the Srimad-Bhagavatam. After initiating him with the divine mantra, Rupa engaged him in the service of Sri Sri Radha-Damodara.
Seeing that Jiva had quickly become conversant with the conclusion of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Rupa engaged him in proof-reading his Bhakti-Rasamrta-Sindhu. At this time Sri Jiva compiled a commentary on Bhakti-Rasamrta-Sindhu called Durgama-Sangamani. Sri Sanatana Goswami compiled Sri Vaisnava-Tosani, a commentary on the tenth canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, which he gave to Sri Jiva for proof-reading. Under the order of Sri Sanatana, Sri Jiva compiled a commentary on that named Laghu Vaisnava-Tosani.
While at Vrindavan, Sri Jiva took charge of taking care of Sri Rupa Goswami and Sri Sanatana Goswami -- regularly bringing them water for bathing, massaging their heads with oil, cleaning their asrama, worship the Deity, cooking, etc.
After the passing away of Sri Rupa and Sanatana, Sri Jiva continued the tradition that they had inaugurated. Once Sri Jiva traveled to Agra to debate with the Rajputs concerning the glories of Yamuna and Ganga rivers. He established that the Yamuna is more glorious than the Ganga as the Ganga emanates from Krishna's lotus feet whereas the Yamuna is His own consort. When the Rajputs wanted to give him a gift, he asked for some blank papers. So the emperor presented Jiva some stained paper (At that time paper was rare and most manuscripts were composed on leaves).
The disciple of Lokanatha Goswami, Narottama Dasa Thakura Mahasaya, Sri Gopala Bhatta Goswami's disciple Srinivasa Acarya Prabhu, and the disciple of Hrdaya CaitanyaPrabhu, Sri Syamananda Prabhu, were greatly favoured by Srila Jiva Goswami. Under his tutelage they studied all the literature of the Goswamis. Later he sent them to preach this knowledge in Bengal.
Srila Jiva Goswami works include
- Harinamamrta-Vyakarana
- Sutra-Malika
- Rasamrta-Sesa
- Gopala-Virudavali
- Sri-Madhava-Mahotsava
- Sri-Sankalpa-Kalpavrksa
- Brahma-Samhita-Tika
- Bhakti-Rasamrta-Sindhu-Tika (Durgama-Sangamani)
- Ujjvala-Nilamani-Tika (Locana-Rocani)
- Gopala-Campu
- Sat-Sandharbha (Tattva-Sandarbha, Bhagavata-Sandarbha, Paramatma Sandarbha, Krsna-Sandarbha, Bhakti-Sandharbha, Priti-Sandarbha)
- Srimad-Bhagavata-Tika (Krama-Sandarbha)
- Laghu-vaisnava-Tosani (Tenth Canto Bhagavatam commentary)
- Sarva-Sambadina (commentary on Sat-Sandarbha)
- Gopala-Tapani-Tika (Sri-Suhkha-Bodhini)
- Padma-Puranastha-Yogasara-Stotra-Tika
- Gayatri-Vyakhya-Vivrti (A commentary on the Gayatri mantra as described in the Agni Purana, chapters 216–217)
- Radha-Krsnarcana-Candrika
- Dhatu-Sangraha
- Bhavartha-Sucaka-Campu
Srila Jiva Goswami passed away in 1618 in Vrindavana.
Raghunatha Dasa Goswami
Srila Raghunatha Dasa Goswami was an associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
From his childhood, he had little interest in worldly things, even though he was born to a rich landholder, Raghunatha Dasa. His sole desire was to gain the association of Lord Caitanya and dedicate himself to the Lord's service. His family recognized his inclination for Sanyaas and attempted to keep him at home by all means, including by hiring guards. Raghunatha managed to escape their vigilance, and made his way to Jagannatha Puri to serve Lord Chaitanya.
Raghunatha's life in Puri showed him how to be absorbed in transcendental consciousness. In the Caitanya-caritamrta, Krsnadasa Kaviraja Goswami writes: "Who could list the unlimited transcendental attributes of Raghunatha Dasa? His strict regulative principles were exactly like the lines on a stone." Raghunatha Dasa spent more than twenty-two hours out of every twenty-four chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra and remembering the lotus feet of the Lord. He ate and slept for less than an hour and a half.
Throughout his life he never allowed his tongue to indulge in sense gratification by eating sumptuous foods. His clothing consisted of a small torn cloth and a patchwork wrapper. Whatever he ate was only to keep his body and soul together, and when he ate he would reproach himself thus:
"If one's heart has been cleansed by perfect knowledge and one has understood Krsna, the Supreme Brahman, he then gains everything. Why should such a person act like a debauchee by trying very carefully to maintain his material body?"
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