Srila Sanatana Goswami tirobhava tithi – Tuesday, July 16, 2019 [Mayapura, West Bengal, Bharata Bhumi time]
Subject: Srila Prabhupada glorifies Srila Sanatana Goswami- Purnima- Guru Purnima
compiled by Yasoda nandana dasa
Srila Sanatana Goswami Tirobhava Tithi [disappearance day]
First Month of CaturmasaVyasa-Purnima
Tuesday, July 16, 2019 [Mayapura, West Bengal time]
anupama-vallabha, śrī-rūpa,
sanātanaei tina śākhā vṛkṣera paścime sarvottama
SYNONYMS
anupama—of
the name
Anupama;
vallabha—of the name
Vallabha;
śrī–rūpa—of
the name Śrī
Rūpa;
sanātana—of
the name
Sanātana;
ei—these;
tina—three;
śākhā—branches;
vṛkṣera—of the tree;
paścime—on the western side;
sarvottama—very great.
TRANSLATION
On the western side were the forty-third, forty-fourth and forty-fifth branches-Śrī
Sanātana, Śrī
Rūpa and
Anupama. They were the best of all.
PURPORT
Śrī
Anupama was the father of Śrīla
Jīva Gosvāmī and youngest brother of Śrī
Sanātana Gosvāmī and Śrī
Rūpa Gosvāmī. His former name was
Vallabha, but after Lord
Caitanya met him He gave him the name
Anupama. Because of working in the Muslim government, these three
brothers were given the title Mullik. Our personal family is connected
with the Mulliks of
Mahatma
Gandhi Road in Calcutta, and we often used to visit their
Rādhā–Govinda temple. They belong to
the same family as we do. (Our family
gotra, or original genealogical line,
is the
Gautama–gotra, or line of disciples of
Gautama
Muni, and our surname is
De.) But due to their accepting the posts of Zamindars in the Muslim government, they received the title Mullik. Similarly,
Rūpa,
Sanātana and
Vallabha were also given the title Mullik. Mullik means “lord.” Just
as the English government gives rich and respectable persons the title
“lord,” so the Muslims give the title Mullik to rich, respectable
families that have intimate connections with the
government. The title Mullik is found not only among the
Hindu aristocracy but also among Muslims. This title is not
restricted to a particular family but is given to different families and
castes. The qualifications for receiving it are wealth and
respectabilityi
Sanātana
Gosvāmī and
Rūpa Gosvāmī belonged to the Bharadvāja-gotra,
which indicates that they belonged either to the family or disciplic succession of Bharadvāja
Muni. As members of the
Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we belong to the family, or disciplic succession, of
Sarasvatī Gosvāmī, and thus we are known as Sārasvatas. Obeisances are therefore offered to the spiritual master as
sārasvata–deva,
or a member of the
Sārasvata family (namas
te sārasvate
deve), whose mission is to broadcast the cult of Śrī
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu (gaura–vāṇī-pracāriṇe)
and to fight with impersonalists and voidists (nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe).
This was also the occupational duty of
Sanātana Gosvāmī,
Rūpa Gosvāmī and
Anupama Gosvāmī.
The genealogical table of
Sanātana Gosvāmī,
Rūpa Gosvāmī and
Vallabha Gosvāmī can be traced back to the twelfth century
śakābda, when a gentleman of the name
Sarvajña appeared in a very rich and opulent
brāhmaṇa family in the province of
Karṇāṭa. He had two sons, named
Aniruddhera Rūpeśvara and Harihara, who were both bereft of their
kingdoms and thus obliged to reside in the highlands. The son of
Rūpeśvara, who was named
Padmanābha, moved to a place in Bengal known as
Naihāṭī on the bank of the Ganges. There he had five sons, of whom the youngest,
Mukunda, had a well-behaved son named Kumāradeva, who was the father of
Rūpa,
Sanātana and
Vallabha. Kumāradeva lived in Bāklācandradvīpa, which was in the
district of Jessore and is now known as Phateyābād. Of his many sons,
three took to the path of Vaiṣṇavism. Later, Śrī
Vallabha and his elder brothers Śrī
Rūpa and
Sanātana came from Candradvīpa to the village in the Maldah district of Bengal known as
Rāmakeli. It is in this village that Śrīla
Jīva Gosvāmī took birth, accepting
Vallabha as his father. Because of engaging in the service of the
Muslim government, the three brothers received the title Mullik. When
Lord
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu visited the village of
Rāmakeli, He met
Vallabha there. Later, Śrī
Rūpa Gosvāmī, after meeting Śrī
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu, resigned from government service, and when he went to
Vṛndāvana to meet Lord
Caitanya,
Vallabha accompanied him. The meeting of
Rūpa Gosvāmī and
Vallabha with
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu at Allahabad is described in the
Madhya–līlā,
Chapter Nineteen.
Actually, it is to be understood from the statement of
Sanātana Gosvāmī that Śrī
Rūpa Gosvāmī and
Vallabha went to
Vṛndāvana under the instructions of Śrī
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu. First they went to
Mathurā, where they met a gentleman named
Subuddhi
Rāya, who maintained himself by selling dry fuel wood. He was very pleased to meet Śrī
Rūpa Gosvāmī and
Anupama, and he showed them the twelve forests of
Vṛndāvana. Thus they lived in
Vṛndāvana for one month and then again went to search for
Sanātana Gosvāmī. Following the course of the Ganges, they reached Allahabad, or
Prayāga–tīrtha, but because
Sanātana Gosvāmī had come there by a different road, they did not meet him there, and when
Sanātana Gosvāmī came to
Mathurā he was informed of the visit of
Rūpa Gosvāmī and
Anupama by
Subuddhi
Rāya. When
Rūpa Gosvāmī and
Anupama met
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu at Benares, they heard about
Sanātana Gosvāmī’s travels from Him, and thus they returned to Bengal, adjusted their affairs with the state and, on the order of Śrī
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu, went to see the Lord at
Jagannātha
Purī.
In the year 1436
śakābda (A.D. 1515), the youngest brother,
Anupama, died and went back home, back to Godhead. He went to the abode in the spiritual sky where Śrī
Rāmacandra is situated. At
Jagannātha
Purī, Śrī
Rūpa Gosvāmī informed Śrī
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu of this incident.
Vallabha was a great devotee of Śrī
Rāmacandra; therefore he could not seriously consider the worship of
Rādhā–Govinda according to the instructions
of Śrī
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu. Yet he directly accepted Śrī
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu as an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Rāmacandra. In the
Bhakti-ratnākara there is the following
statement: “Vallabha was given the name
Anupama by Śrī Gaurasundara, but he was always absorbed in the devotional service of Lord
Rāmacandra. He did not know anyone but Śrī
Rāmacandra, but he knew that
Caitanya
Gosāñi was the same Lord
Rāmacandra.”
In the
Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (180) Śrī
Rūpa Gosvāmī is described to be the
gopī named Śrī
Rūpa–mañjarī. In the
Bhakti-ratnākara there is a list of the
books Śrī
Rūpa Gosvāmī compiled. Of all his books, the following sixteen are very popular among Vaiṣṇavas: (1)
Haṁsadūta, (2)
Uddhava–sandeśa,
(3)
Kṛṣṇa–janma–tithi–vidhi,
(4 and 5)
Rādhā–kṛṣṇa-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā,
Bṛhat (major) and
Laghu (minor), (6)
Stavamālā, (7)
Vidagdha–mādhava,
(8)
Lalita–mādhava,
(9)
Dāna–keli–kaumudi,
(10)
Bhakti–rasāmṛta–sindhu
(this is the most celebrated book by Śrī
Rūpa Gosvāmī), (11)
Ujjvala–nīlamaṇi,
(12)
Ākhyāta-candrikā, (13)
Mathurā–mahimā,
(14)
Padyāvalī, (15)
Nāṭaka–candrikā
and (16)
Laghu–bhāgavatāmṛta.
Śrī
Rūpa Gosvāmī gave up all family connections, joined the renounced order of life and divided his money, giving fifty percent to the
brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas and twenty-five percent to his
kuṭumba (family members) and keeping
twenty-five percent for personal emergencies. He met
Haridāsa Ṭhākura in
Jagannātha
Purī, where he also met Lord
Caitanya and His other associates. Śrī
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu used to praise the handwriting of
Rūpa Gosvāmī. Śrīla
Rūpa Gosvāmī could compose verses according to the desires of Śrī
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu, and by His direction he wrote two books named
Lalita–mādhava
and
Vidagdha–mādhava.
Lord
Caitanya desired the two brothers,
Sanātana Gosvāmī and
Rūpa Gosvāmī, to publish many books in support of the
Vaiṣṇava religion. When
Sanātana Gosvāmī met Śrī
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu, the Lord advised him also to go to
Vṛndāvana.
Śrī
Sanātana Gosvāmī is described in the
Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā
(181). He was formerly known as
Rati–mañjarī
or sometimes
Lavaṅga–mañjarī.
In the
Bhakti-ratnākara
it is stated that his spiritual master, Vidyāvācaspati, sometimes stayed in the village of
Rāmakeli, and
Sanātana
Gosvāmī studied all the Vedic literature from him. He was so devoted to
his
spiritual master that this cannot be described. According to the Vedic
system, if someone sees a Muslim he must perform rituals to atone for
the meeting.
Sanātana
Gosvāmī always associated with Muslim kings. Not giving much attention
to the
Vedic injunctions, he used to visit the houses of Muslim kings, and
thus he considered himself to have been converted into a Muslim. He was
therefore always very humble and meek. When
Sanātana Gosvāmī presented himself before Lord
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu, he admitted, “I am always in association with
lower-class people, and my behavior is therefore very abominable.” He
actually belonged to a respectable
brāhmaṇa
family, but because he considered his behavior to be abominable, he did not try to place himself among the
brāhmaṇas but always remained among people of the lower castes. He wrote the
Hari–bhakti–vilāsa
and
Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī,
which is a commentary on the Tenth Canto of
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
In the year 1476
śakābda (A.D. 1555) he completed the
Bṛhad-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
commentary on
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
In the year 1504
śakābda (A.D. 1583) he finished the
Laghu-toṣaṇī.
Śrī
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu taught His principles through four chief followers. Among them,
Rāmānanda
Rāya is exceptional, for through him the Lord taught how a devotee
can completely vanquish the power of Cupid. By Cupid’s power, as soon as
one sees a beautiful woman he is conquered by her beauty. Śrī
Rāmānanda
Rāya, however, vanquished Cupid’s pride. Indeed, while rehearsing the
Jagannātha–vallabha–nāṭaka
he personally directed extremely beautiful young girls in dancing, but he was never affected by their youthful beauty. Śrī
Rāmānanda
Rāya personally bathed these girls, touching them and washing them
with his own hands, yet he remained calm and passionless, as a great
devotee should be. Lord
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu certified that this was possible only for
Rāmānanda
Rāya. Similarly,
Dāmodara
Paṇḍita was notable for his objectivity as a critic. He did not even spare
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu from his criticism. This also cannot be imitated by anyone else.
Haridāsa Ṭhākura is exceptional for his forbearance because although
he was beaten with canes in twenty-two marketplaces, nevertheless he
was tolerant. Similarly, Śrī
Sanātana Gosvāmī, although he belonged to a most respectable
brāhmaṇa
family, was exceptional for his humility and meekness.
In the
Madhya–līlā,
Chapter Nineteen, the device adopted by
Sanātana Gosvāmī to get free from the government service is described. He served a notice
of sickness to the Nawab, the Moslem governer, but actually he was studying
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
with
brāhmaṇas at home. The Nawab received information of this through a royal physician, and he immediately went to see
Sanātana Gosvāmī to discover his intentions. The Nawab requested
Sanātana to accompany him on an expedition to Orissa, but when
Sanātana Gosvāmī refused, the Nawab ordered that he be imprisoned. When
Rūpa Gosvāmī left home, he wrote a note for
Sanātana Gosvāmī informing him of some money that he had entrusted to a local grocer.
Sanātana Gosvāmī took advantage of this money to bribe the jail keeper and get free
from detention. Then he left for Benares to meet
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu, bringing with him only one servant, whose name was Īśāna. On the way they stopped at a
sarāi, or hotel, and when the hotel keeper found out that Īśāna had some gold coins with him, he planned to kill both
Sanātana Gosvāmī and Īśāna to take away the coins. Later
Sanātana
Gosvāmī saw that although the hotel keeper did not know them, he was
being
especially attentive to their comfort. Therefore he concluded that
Īśāna was secretly carrying some money and that the hotel keeper was
aware of this and therefore planned to kill them for it. Upon being
questioned by
Sanātana Gosvāmī, Īśāna admitted that he indeed had money with him, and immediately
Sanātana
Gosvāmī took the money and gave it to the hotel keeper, requesting him
to help
them get though the jungle. Thus with the help of the hotel keeper, who
was also the chief of the thieves of that territory, he crossed over
the Hazipur mountains, which are presently known as the Hazaribags. He
then met his brother-in-law Śrīkānta, who requested
that he stay with him.
Sanātana Gosvāmī refused, but before they parted Śrīkānta gave him a valuable blanket.
Somehow or other
Sanātana Gosvāmī reached
Vārāṇasī and met Lord
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu at the house of
Candraśekhara. By the order of the Lord,
Sanātana Gosvāmī was cleanly shaved and his dress changed to that of a mendicant, or
bābājī. He put on old garments of
Tapana
Miśra and took
prasāda
at the house of a Maharashtran
brāhmaṇa.
Then, in discourses with Lord
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu, the Lord Himself explained everything about devotional service to
Sanātana Gosvāmī. He advised
Sanātana Gosvāmī to write books on devotional service, including a book of directions
for
Vaiṣṇava activities, and to excavate the lost places of pilgrimage in
Vṛndāvana. Lord
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu gave him His blessings to do all this work and also explained to
Sanātana Gosvāmī the import of the
ātmārāma
verse from sixty-one different angles of vision.
Sanātana
Gosvāmī went to
Vṛndāvana by the main road, and when he reached
Mathurā he met
Subuddhi
Rāya. Then he returned to
Jagannātha
Purī through
Jhārikhaṇḍa, the Uttar Pradesh jungle. At
Jagannātha
Purī he decided to give up his body by falling down beneath a wheel of the
Jagannātha
ratha,
but
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu saved him. Then
Sanātana Gosvāmī met
Haridāsa Ṭhākura and heard about the disappearance of
Anupama.
Sanātana Gosvāmī later described the glories of
Haridāsa Ṭhākura.
Sanātana observed the etiquette of Jagannātha’s temple by going through the beach to
visit Lord
Caitanya, although it was extremely hot due to the sun. He requested
Jagadānanda
Paṇḍita to give him permission to return to
Vṛndāvana. Lord
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu praised the character of
Sanātana Gosvāmī, and He embraced
Sanātana, accepting his body as spiritual.
Sanātana Gosvāmī was ordered by Śrī
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu to live at
Jagannātha
Purī for one year. When he returned to
Vṛndāvana after many years, he again met
Rūpa Gosvāmī, and both brothers remained in
Vṛndāvana to execute the orders of Śrī
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu.
The place where Śrī
Rūpa Gosvāmī and
Sanātana Gosvāmī formerly lived has now become a place of pilgrimage. It is generally
known as
Gupta
Vṛndāvana, or hidden
Vṛndāvana, and is situated about eight miles south of English Bazaar. There the following places are still visited: (1) the temple of Śrī
Madana–mohana
Deity, (2) the
Keli–kadamba
tree under which Śrī
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu met
Sanātana Gosvāmī at night and (3) Rūpasāgara, a large pond excavated by Śrī
Rūpa Gosvāmī. A society named
Rāmakeli–saṁskāra–samiti
was established in 1924 to repair the temple and renovate the pond.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 10: The
Trunk, Branches and Sub-branches of the Caitanya Tree : Adi 10.84 :
śrī-rūpa,
sanātana, bhaṭṭa-raghunātha
śrī-jīva, gopāla-bhaṭṭa, dāsa-raghunātha
SYNONYMS
śrī–rūpa—Śrīla
Rūpa Gosvāmī;
sanātana—Sanātana
Gosvāmī;
bhaṭṭa–raghunātha—Raghunātha
Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī;
śrī–jīva—Śrīla
Jīva Gosvāmī;
gopāla–bhaṭṭa—Gopāla
Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī;
dāsa–raghunātha—Śrīla
Raghunātha
dāsa Gosvāmī.
TRANSLATION
The instructing spiritual masters are Śrī
Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī
Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī
Bhaṭṭa
Raghunātha, Śrī
Jīva Gosvāmī, Śrī
Gopāla
Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī and Śrīla
Raghunātha
dāsa Gosvāmī.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 1: The Spiritual Masters : Adi 1.36
When by learning from the self-realized spiritual master one actually engages himself in the service of Lord
Viṣṇu, functional devotional service begins. The procedures of this devotional service are known as
abhidheya, or actions one is dutybound
to perform. Our only shelter is the Supreme Lord, and one who teaches how to approach
Kṛṣṇa is the functioning form of the Personality of Godhead. There
is no difference between the shelter-giving Supreme Lord and the
initiating and instructing spiritual masters. If one foolishly
discriminates between them, he commits an offense in the discharge
of devotional service.
Śrīla
Sanātana Gosvāmī is the ideal spiritual master, for he delivers one the shelter of the lotus feet of
Madana–mohana. Even though
one may be unable to travel on the field of
Vṛndāvana due to forgetfulness of his relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he can get an adequate opportunity to stay in
Vṛndāvana and derive all spiritual benefits by the mercy of
Sanātana Gosvāmī. Śrī Govindajī acts exactly like the
śikṣā–guru
(instructing spiritual master) by teaching
Arjuna the
Bhagavad-gītā.
He is the original preceptor,
for He gives us instructions and an opportunity to serve Him. The
initiating spiritual master is a personal manifestation of Śrīla
Madana–mohana
vigraha, whereas the instructing spiritual
master is a personal representative of Śrīla Govindadeva
vigraha. Both of these Deities are worshiped
at
Vṛndāvana. Śrīla
Gopīnātha is the ultimate attraction in spiritual realization.Sri
Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 1: The Spiritual
Masters : Adi 1.47
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 5:
The Glories of Lord Nityananda Balarama : Adi 5.202 : PURPORT :
Anyone desiring to become expert in the service of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and
Kṛṣṇa should always aspire to be under the guidance of Svarūpa Dāmodara
Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī,
Sanātana Gosvāmī and Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. To come under
the protection of the Gosvāmīs, one must get the mercy and grace of
Nityānanda Prabhu. The author has tried to explain this fact in these
two verses
nātana-kṛpāya pāinu bhaktira siddhānta
śrī-rūpa-kṛpāya pāinu bhakti-rasa-prānta
SYNONYMS
sanātana–kṛpāya—by
the mercy of
Sanātana Gosvāmī;
pāinu—I got;
bhaktira
siddhānta—the conclusions of devotional
service;
śrī–rūpa–kṛpāya—by
the mercy of Śrīla
Rūpa Gosvāmī;
pāinu—I got;
bhakti–rasa–prānta—the
limit of the mellows of devotional service.
TRANSLATION
By the mercy of
Sanātana Gosvāmī I have learned the final conclusions of devotional service, and by the grace of Śrī
Rūpa Gosvāmī I have tasted the highest nectar of devotional service.
PURPORT
Śrī
Sanātana Gosvāmī
Prabhu, the teacher of the science of devotional service, wrote several books, of which the
Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta is very famous;
anyone who wants to know about the subject matter of devotees, devotional service and
Kṛṣṇa must read this book.
Sanātana Gosvāmī also wrote a special commentary on the Tenth Canto of
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam known as the
Daśama–ṭippanī
which is so excellent that by reading it one can understand very deeply the pastimes of
Kṛṣṇa in His exchanges of loving activities. Another famous book by
Sanātana Gosvāmī is the
Hari–bhakti–vilāsa,
which states the rules and regulations for all divisions of Vaiṣṇavas, namely,
Vaiṣṇava householders,
Vaiṣṇava
brahmacārīs,
Vaiṣṇava
vānaprasthas and
Vaiṣṇava
sannyāsīs. This book was especially written, however, for
Vaiṣṇava householders. Śrīla
Raghunātha
dāsa Gosvāmī has described
Sanātana Gosvāmī in his prayer
Vilāpa-kusumāñjali, verse six, where
he has expressed his obligation to
Sanātana Gosvāmī in the following words:
vairāgya-yug-bhakti-rasaṁ prayatnair
apāyayan mām anabhīpsum andham
kṛpāmbudhir yaḥ para-duḥkha-duḥkhī
sanātanas taṁ prabhum āśrayāmi“I was unwilling to drink the nectar of devotional service possessed of renunciation, but
Sanātana
Gosvāmī, out of his causeless mercy, made me drink it, even though I
was otherwise unable to do so. Therefore he is an ocean of mercy. He is
very
compassionate to fallen souls like me, and thus it is my duty to offer
my respectful obeisances unto his lotus feet.”
Kṛṣṇadāsa
Kavirāja Gosvāmī also, in the last section of
Caitanya–caritāmṛta,
specifically mentions the names of
Rūpa Gosvāmī,
Sanātana Gosvāmī and Śrīla
Jīva Gosvāmī and offers his respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of these three spiritual masters, as well as
Raghunātha
dāsa. Śrīla
Raghunātha
dāsa Gosvāmī also accepted
Sanātana Gosvāmī as the teacher of the science of devotional service. Śrīla
Rūpa Gosvāmī is described as the
bhakti-rasācārya, or one who knows the
essence of devotional service. His famous book
Bhakti–rasāmṛta–sindhu
is the science of devotional service, and by reading this book one can
understand the meaning of devotional service. Another of his famous
books is
Ujjvala–nīlamaṇi.
In this book he elaborately explains the loving affairs and transcendental activities of Lord
Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 5: The Glories of Lord Nityananda Balarama : Adi 5.203 :
sanātana gosāñi āsi’ tāṅhāi mililātāṅra śikṣā lāgi’ prabhu du-māsa rahilā
SYNONYMS
sanātana—of
the name
Sanātana;
gosāñi—a great devotee;
āsi‘-coming there;
tāṅhai—there at
Vārāṇasī;
milila—visited Him;
tāṅra—His;
śikṣā—in struction;
lāgi‘-for the matter of;
prabhu—Lord
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu;
du–māsa—two
months;
rahilā—remained there.
TRANSLATION
When
Sanātana Gosvāmī came from Bengal, he met Lord
Caitanya at the house of
Tapana
Miśra, where Lord
Caitanya remained continuously for two months to teach him devotional service.
PURPORT
Lord
Caitanya taught
Sanātana Gosvāmī in the line of disciplic succession.
Sanātana Gosvāmī was a very learned scholar in Sanskrit and other languages, but until instructed by Lord
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu he did not write anything about
Vaiṣṇava behavior. His very famous book
Hari–bhakti–vilāsa,
which gives directions for
Vaiṣṇava candidates, was written completely in compliance with the instructions of Śrī
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu. In this
Hari–bhakti–vilāsa
Śrī
Sanātana Gosvāmī gives definite instructions that by proper initiation by a bona fide spiritual master one can immediately become a
brāhmaṇa. In this connection he says:
yathā kāñcanatāṁ yāti kāṁsyaṁ rasa-vidhānataḥ
tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām
“As bell metal is turned to gold when mixed with mercury in an
alchemical process, so one who is properly trained and initiated by a
bona fide spiritual master immediately becomes a
brāhmaṇa.” Sometimes those born in
brāhmaṇa families protest this, but
they have no strong arguments against this principle. By the grace of
Kṛṣṇa and His devotee, one’s life can change. This is confirmed in
Śrīmad-Bhagavatam by the words
jahāti
bandham and
śudhyanti.
Jahāti
bandham indicates that a living entity is conditioned by a
particular type of body. The body is certainly an impediment, but one
who associates with a pure devotee and follows his instructions can
avoid this impediment and become a regular
brāḥmaṇa by initiation under his strict
guidance. Śrīla
Jīva Gosvāmī states how a non-brāhmaṇa
can be turned into a
brāhmaṇa by the association of a pure
devotee.
Prabhaviṣṇave
namaḥ: Lord
Viṣṇu is so powerful that He can do anything He likes. Therefore it is not difficult for
Viṣṇu to change the body of a devotee who is under the guidance of a
pure devotee of the Lord.Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc.
Adi-lila : Adi 7: Lord Caitanya in Five Features : Adi 7.47 :
mathurāte pāṭhāila rūpa-sanātanadui senā-pati kaila bhakti pracāraṇa
SYNONYMS
mathurāte—toward
Mathurā;
pāṭhāila—sent;
rūpa–sanātana—the
two brothers
Rūpa Gosvāmī and
Sanātana Gosvāmī;
dui—both of them;
senā–pati—as
commanders in chief;
kaila—He made them;
bhakti—devotional service;
pracāraṇa—to broadcast.
TRANSLATION
Lord
Caitanya dispatched the two generals
Rūpa Gosvāmī and
Sanātana Gosvāmī to
Vṛndāvana to preach the
bhakti cult.
PURPORT
When
Rūpa Gosvāmī and
Sanātana Gosvāmī went to
Vṛndāvana, there was not a single temple, but by their preaching they were gradually able to construct various temples.
Sanātana Gosvāmī constructed the
Madana–mohana temple, and
Rūpa Gosvāmī constructed the Govindajī temple. Similarly, their nephew
Jīva Gosvāmī constructed the
Rādhā–Dāmodara temple, Śrī
Gopāla
Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī constructed the
Rādhā–ramaṇa temple, Śrī
Lokanātha Gosvāmī constructed the Gokulānanda temple, and Śyāmānanda
Gosvāmī constructed the Śyāmasundara temple. In this way, many temples
were gradually constructed. For preaching, construction of temples is
also necessary. The Gosvāmīs not only engaged
in writing books but also constructed temples because both are needed
for preaching work. Śrī
Caitanya
Mahāprabhu wanted the cult of His
saṅkīrtana
movement to spread all
over the world. Now that the International Society for Krishna
Consciousness has taken up this task of preaching the cult of Lord
Caitanya, its members should not only construct temples in every
town and village of the globe but also distribute books that have
already been written and further increase the number of books. Both
distribution of books and construction of temples must
continue side by side in parallel lines. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta –
1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 7: Lord Caitanya in Five Features :
Adi 7.164 :
śrī-rūpa,
sanātana, bhaṭṭa raghunāthaśrī-jīva, gopāla-bhaṭṭa, dāsa-raghunātha
SYNONYMS
śrī–rūpa—Śrīla
Rūpa Gosvāmī;
sanātana—Śrīla
Sanātana Gosvāmī;
bhaṭṭa
raghunātha—Raghunātha
Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī;
śrī–jīva—Śrī
Jīva Gosvāmī;
gopāla–bhaṭṭa—Śrī
Gopāla
Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī;
dāsa–raghunātha—Raghunātha
dāsa Gosvāmī.
TRANSLATION
I also remember the six Gosvāmīs-Rūpa,
Sanātana,
Bhaṭṭa
Raghunātha, Śrī
Jīva,
Gopāla
Bhaṭṭa and
Dāsa
Raghunātha.
PURPORT
This is the process for writing transcendental literature. A sentimentalist who has no
Vaiṣṇava qualifications cannot produce transcendental writings. There are many fools who consider
kṛṣṇa–līlā
to be a subject of art and write or paint pictures about the pastimes of Lord
Kṛṣṇa with the
gopīs, sometimes depicting them in a manner practically obscene.
These fools take pleasure in material sense gratification, but one who
wants to make advancement in spiritual life must scrupulously avoid
their literature. Unless one is a servant of
Kṛṣṇa and the Vaiṣṇavas, as
Kṛṣṇadāsa
Kavirāja Gosvāmī presents himself to be in offering respects to Lord
Caitanya, His associates and His disciples, one should not attempt
to write transcendental literature.Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975
Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 9: The Tree of Devotional Service : Adi 9.4
Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures : Canto 1: Lectures : SB 1.2:
Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.8 — Bombay, December 26, 1972 :
721226SB.BOM : Therefore, as recommended here,
nārthasya dharmai-kāntasya. Dharmai-kāntasya: not for the irreligious demons, but those who are actually religious,
dharmaikāntasya. Kāmo lābhāya… No
kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ. Your money should not be free, should not be
spent unnecessarily for sense gratification. Formerly, this was the
civilization in India. We see so many big, big temple in South India, in
other places also, especially South India.
It is not possible—in Vṛndāvana also—it is not possible at the present
moment to construct such huge, expensive temple. But actually they were
done by rich kings, rich mercantile people.
That Madana-mohana temple was constructed by Sindhi merchant. He approached
Sanātana Goswāmī. Sanātana
Goswāmī was sitting underneath the tree, and his Madana-mohana
was hanging in the tree. He had no place, no temple, no cloth.
Madana-mohana was asking Sanātana
Goswāmī that “Sanātana, you are giving Me dried bread, without even salt. How can I eat?” So Sanātana
Goswāmī replied, “Sir, I cannot go to ask for salt. Whatever I’ve
got, I offer You. I cannot help.” This was their talks. So one salt
merchant came, Sindhi salt merchant, he was passing from Vṛndāvana to
Delhi side, and he offered his service, and
Sanātana
Goswāmī asked him to construct the temple of Madana-mohana. That temple is still existing, Madana-mohana’s temple. So this is the proper use. If you have got some money, don’t use it for constructing a big skyscraper building. Better you try
to construct a very nice temple for Kṛṣṇa’s situation. That is proper use.
Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures : Canto 7: Lectures : SB 7.9:
Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.7 — Mayapur, February 14, 1976 :
760214SB.MAY :
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was visited by many learned
brāhmaṇas when He was at Purī, Jagannātha Purī. So one learned
brāhmaṇa, he wrote some poems about Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There were many
brāhmaṇas, they were coming, but all such reading matter, first it
was to be tested by His secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara. If Svarūpa Dāmodara
would pass, then Caitanya Mahāprabhu will hear. Otherwise why should He
waste His time (with) some hodge-podge writing?
So one
brāhmaṇa, he wrote something about Caitanya Mahāprabhu and came to
read, recite before Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Svarūpa Dāmodara found many
mistakes in that poem, so he did not allow him, that “You do not know
how to present theistic literature. You don’t.
You cannot see Caitanya Mahāprabhu.” He chastised him about the
mistake. So to write theistic literature is not to be done by any
ordinary man.
It is not to, because they, they do not know. So we should not read any
literature which is not presented by a bona fide Vaiṣṇava. It has been
forbidden by Sanātana
Goswāmī.
Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures : Canto 7: Lectures : SB 7.9:
Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.7 — Mayapur, February 14, 1976 :
760214SB.MAY :
He said. Sanātana
Goswāmī is our guide,
ācārya. He is warning you that “If a person is not
Vaiṣṇava, don’t hear anything nonsense from him.” That is the
injunction. Don’t hear. This is very rigidly to be followed.
Lectures : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures : Adi-lila: Lectures : Adi
7: Lectures : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 7.39-47 — San
Francisco, February 1, 1967 : 670201CC.SF :
So this, this incident is that Caitanya Mahāprabhu, first of all He
visited Benares and went to Vṛndāvana. Then, while coming back, He
stayed at Allahabad, Prayag, for ten days for instructing Rūpa Goswami.
That we have already discussed. Now again He has come
back to Benares. So He was staying at Candraśekhara’s house, and He was
taking His meals at Tapana Miśra’s house. In the meantime, Sanātana
Goswami came to see Him. Sanātana Goswami, after retirement, he
had many troubles. He was arrested by the Nawab because Nawab thought
him that he was very important hand. “He has now… By sentiment, he’s
going to Caitanya.” So he thought it wise to
arrest him.
And Sanātana Gosvāmī had some money, so he bribed the superintendent of jail, and he let him go away.
So with great difficulty, he reached Caitanya Mahāprabhu,
and he met Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Benares, and for two months he was
instructed all the principles of devotional service and different
incarnations. We have… Some part of this
Sanātana instruction, we have discussed. Again we shall discuss. So this Sanātana Gosvāmī met at Benares while Caitanya Mahāprabhu was returning back
from Vṛndāvana. We shall discuss this point tomorrow.
Lectures : General Lectures : Lecture — Bombay, March 19, 1972 : 720319LE.BOM :
They engaged themselves. They were ministers. Rūpa
Goswāmī and Sanātana Goswāmī, they were two great ministers in the government of Pathan kingdom in Bengal.
And they resigned the post just for the benefit of the mass of people. They became mendicants,
tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ. So this is the mission of all who is born in India. That is the statement by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 1: The Spiritual Masters :
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is none other than the combined form of Śrī
Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. He is the life of those devotees who strictly follow in
the footsteps of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla
Sanātana Gosvāmī are the two principal followers of Śrīla Svarūpa
Dāmodara Gosvāmī, who acted as the most confidential servitor of Lord
Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, known as Viśvambhara in His early life. A direct disciple of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī
was Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. The author of
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, stands as the direct disciple of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī.