The Writings of the Goswamis

by

Srila B. S. Govinda Maharaj

Devotee: Please tell us something about how the Goswamis got the inspiration and vision to write their books.

Srila Maharaj: Actually, they were inspired by Sriman Mahaprabhu, and He sent them to Vrndavan Dham to discover the places of the pastimes of Radha Krishna. First Mahaprabhu went there and later they followed. Mahaprabhu first taught Rupa Goswami in Prayag and Sanatana Goswami in Benares, Varanasi. Then on the order of Mahaprabhu they went to Vrindavana. Nityananda Prabhu also said to Srila Jiva Goswami that Mahaprabhu has given that seva to him and his family, Jiva Goswami was born in the family of Sanatana Goswami. Sanatana Goswami also had an older brother called anupam, but he left his body and Rupa and Sanatana went to Vrndavana and preached the glories to Mahaprabhus mission.

Mahaprabhu instructed Sanatana to make a "Vaishnava Smriti" as there wasn't one in our sampradaya, and for that he compiled the Hari Bhakti Vilasa, given all the rules and regulations there. But they worked under the muslim king and they were apprehensive that some of the hindu section would not listen to them so they took the help of Gopal Bhatta Goswami, who was a great brahmin pandit, and in his name Sanantana made that Hari Bhakti Vilasa. Gopal Bhatta also helped with that book and his full consent was there. The Goswamis composed and presented many wonderful books such as the Brihad Bhagavatamrtam showing the various conceptions proceeding to the Vrndavana conception. Rupa Goswami also composed many books and Raghunath Das Goswami also joined with Rupa and Sanatana and in this way they preached in Vrndavana.

In Nabadwip there are nine sections called Islands, and in Vrindavana there are twelve sections or parts, and in all places there are some pastimes of Krishna and they discovered what took place where. Some things were already known and whatever was unknwon they discovered. Mahaprabhu gave some idea as to how they would do that seva, and Sri Rupa and Sri Sanatana did all the service of Vrindavana Dham. With the help of their associates and friends they served the holy Dham, great Vaishnavas like Dasa Goswami and Kaviraj Goswami saw Rupa and Sanatana as their Guru. At that time many vaishnavas were living in Vrindavana because many associates of Mahaprabhu went there and maybe all of them are not mentioned in the Chaitanya Charitamrta, but a few of them were famous. We will not find the name of Prabhodananda Saraswati mentioned there and he was a very great devotee of Mahaprabhu, Sri Chaitanyadev. Before writing the Chaitanya Charitamrita Kaviraj Goswami went to take permission from Prabhodananda Saraswati and he happily gave his bliessings to Kaviraj Goswami, but Prabhodananda Saraswati requested Kaviraj Goswami not to mention his name while writing about the associates of Mahaprabhu, that is he asked Kaviraj Goswami not to expose him.

Anyhow they lived their lives in a very renounced way, the Goswamis of Vrindavana and they composed many beautiful poems and songs in sanskrit glorifying Sri Sri Radha Krsna. They preached the conception of Mahaprabhu, that is Rupanuga Bhajan and they had no material attachments. They would travel throughout Vrindavana taking shelter of the trees, spending one day here and another day there. Everybody also knew Sanatana Goswami and they affectionetely called him "Boro baba" meaning old father. If there was a quarrel in the household, between the hunsband and wife or a disagreement between family members, they would call on Sanatana to harmonise the situation and whatever his judgement was it was accepted by all parties. Sanatana Goswami was mostly living in the area of Nandagram, where Krsnas father's house and temple are. The bhajan kutir of Sanatana is there and near there, towards javat, where the house of Srimati Radharani is, there is Kadam Kandir and Rupa Goswami Prabhu was living there sometimes. Rupa Goswami composed many books about Krishna lila while living there Lalita Madhava, Vidagdha Madhava and many others also.
When the devotees of Mahaprabhu from other parts of India, went to Vrindavana Dham, they maintained the vaishnavas living there. Giving some shelter and prasadam to the Vaishnavas there, because Mahaprabhu had told them that His devotees in Vrindavana were living in a very poor and simple way. That is they only have one piece of cloth and a waterpot and that they have no money and at night they are taking the shelter of the trees, so please take care of My devotees in Vrindavana when you go there, this was the request of Mahaprabhu to His followers.

Jiva Goswami was born in Bangla Chandradwip, which is situated in present day Bangladesh. He had heard the glories of Mahaprabhu from early childhood. Although he was very young he was very enthusiastic and interested in the mission of Sri Chaitanyadev. Jiva Goswami did not meet Mahaprabhu, but he met with Nityananda Prabhu in Nabadwip and Nityananda Prabhu showed him all the places of the pastimes of Mahaprabhu. He also met with all the great vaishnavas of that time in Nabadwip Dham and Srimati Visnupriya Devi gave much affection to Jiva Goswami.
After seeing Nabadwip Dham and all the followers of Mahaprabhu there Jiva was ordered by Nityananda Prabhu to go to Vrndavana and join with Rupa and Sanatana. Nityananda prabhu had explained how Mahaprabhu had given the service of Vrndavana to his family. So happily on the order of Nityananda Prabhu Jiva set off for Vrndavana. He thought that it would be necessary to learn some sanskrt and he stayed in Benares for some time learning the Vedas, the Upanishads and the sanskrit literature from a big pandit who lived there. Sri Jiva wanted to establish the conception of Mahaprabhu as the topmost conception so in oder to do that he also studied all the revealed scriptures of the Mayavadis and the Vaisnavas available at that time. In Benares he studied all these things. He was very intelligent and a master of the sanskrit language, his family was well versed in sanskrit so he had that capacitiy.
Raghunath Dasa Goswami was living in Saptagram near to Bandel and he was the son of a big Jamindar (land owner). He was very highly qualified and his father was always sending him to learn sanskrit and he became a great pandit, and if you see his literature then you will understand how expert he was.
When Jiva went to Vrndavana he took initiation from Rupa Goswami. Jiva Goswami was such a great scholar that Rupa Goswami would sometimes ask him what was the correct grammar for this or that. But Jiva Goswami was very determined that nobody would challenge his Gurudev, and sometimes big pandits would come and want to debate with Rupa but Jiva Goswami would not let these so called jnanis disturb Sri Rupas programme. Sri Jiva knew that Sri Rupa and Sri Sanatana were living in full Krsna consciousness and his desire was that nobody would disturb them but sometimes it was that Jiva Goswami was not there or these pandits directly came and approached Rupa and Sanatana.
One time a great digvijay pandit came to Vrndavana to defeat the known scholars there, after defeating many pandits he heard that Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami were also very respected pandits so that digvijay pandit wanted to meet with Rupa and Sanatana to debate with them. First that digvijay pandit went to Sanatanas bhajan kutir and wanted to discuss with Sanatana Prabhu but Sanatana Goswami did not want to waste his time debating with this man so he replied to that digvijay that actually we only have a poor fund of knowledge and we cannot debate with you. Then that pandit said o.k., you please give me your signature that I have defeated you and Sanatana Goswami gave his signature that he was defeated. Then that pandit went to find Rupa Goswami and he said to Sri Rupa, "Look, your guru has given me his note, certificate, do you wish to debate with me or will you also sign this certificate." Rupa Goswami looked at the signature and recognising it as his gurus handwritings he also signed that paper.
But Jiva Goswami could not tolerate this unfortunate situation. That digvijay pandit had also heard that the nephew of Rupa and Sanatana was also a great pandit. He thought, "When I defeat Jiva Goswami I will have conquered all the pandits in Vrndavana."
While on his way to take bath Jiva Goswami met that Digvijay pandit. The pandit said to Sri Jiva: "Look your gurus have given me their signatures and certificate, will you also sign or do you wish to debate with me. I have heard that you are also a great scholar." Jiva Goswami asked to see that paper and when the pandit gave it to him he tore it up and threw it away and challenging that digvijay he said to him, "You are a foolish man, you do not know where you are or who you have come to. Sri Rupa and Sri Sanatana are the ocean of knowledge and mercy and are full of Krsna consciousness, they did not wish to waste their time debating with you. You are very foolish and proud man, you have gone to the ocean of mercy but you have not even receibed one drop of that mercy. You are so proud that you want to disturb their bhajan so that you may debate with them, for your own sefish prestige, your name and fame. I am the servant of their servants' servant, so you debate with me and try to defeat me." Then within half an hour Jiva Goswami defeated that digvijay pandit and as his punishment Jiva ordered him to go to his guru and take his lotus feet upon his head. When someone is defeated in a challenge, the winner can give some punishment, it is his right. So that pandit went to Rupa and Sanatana and paid his dandavats to them telling them what had happened. But Rupa Goswami was very unhappy to hear what had taken place and called Jiva to inquire from him. He told Jiva that he could not stay in Vrndavana because he had some ego, that he wanted to defeat that pandit and whoever has that type of ego cannot stay in Vrndavana. Only he who is tolerant, humble and who gives honour to others can stay in Vrndavana and so he asked Jiva to leave Vrndavana.

26-12-92