The early life of Sri Jiva Goswami, his leaving home and his meeting Nityananda Prabhu in Navadvipa.  
Bhakti Ratnakara (684-780)

Sri Jiva had grown very discontent in Gauda and he was pulled by his attractions to his uncles in Vrindavana. The visit to Vrindavana by Sri Jiva was a peculiar incident.

From the day of Rupa and Sanatana's going to Vrindavana a peculiar feeling began to grow in the mind of Sri Jiva who decided to give up all pleasures regarding ornaments, beautiful dresses, comfortable beds and voraciousness etc. In discussions of royal affairs or worldly matters he simply felt bored.

Observing Sri Jiva in his perturbed state of mind, someone commented, "O my dear friend, from the sons of Kumeradeva three became great vaisnavas and scholars of scripture: Sanatana; Rupa and Vallabha. I have never seen such stocism and neutrality as exhibited by Sri Vallabha in his detachment from worldly pleasures. When he died on the bank of the Ganges his young son Jiva was stunned. But Sri Jiva also had no interest in wealth or riches. My heart breaks when I think of him. One day I saw him in a lonely place crying bitterly."

But another person replied, "My dear friend, this is natural. It is the blessing of Lord Krishna which makes Sri Jiva behave like this. He has become very reserved and does not think of anything but Srimad Bhagavatam, which has become his very life. He loves to swim in that ocean of happiness created by discussions about Krishna. No one dares speak anything to him but topics about Krishna. He must have met Prabhu privately because I have seen him faint on the ground after crying out the name of Sri Krishna Caitanya. My heart aches when I see him rolling onthe ground crying so bitterly that his body is soaked with tears. I cannot bare to hear his lamentation."

"My dear friends, it is certain that Sri Jiva will soon leave his house for ever." "But he is merely a boy," someone argued. "How will he tolerate the troubles of travelling from place to place." "His love for Prabhu knows no bounds," commented another man. "He is the light of the brahmin class," said another. "The whole village will sink into utter darkness if he leaves."

The discussion of Sri Jiva continued amongst the village gentlemen. They could not even return to their homes leaving Sri Jiva in that condition. At the same time Sri Jiva sat wondering when he would leave his house. One evening, he sat alone crying and singing the holy name. Although he tried to control himself, he finally broke down and cried out, "O my Prabhu Sri Krishna Caitanya! O Nityananda! O my Prabhu Sri Advaita candra the ocean of mercy! O dear associates of Prabhu! Please be kind to this wretched fellow!" Throughout the night his lamentation kept him from sleeping.

Once before in Ramkeli Sri Jiva had had a dream in which he saw Prabhu and His associates dancing in sankirtana and enchanting the world with a flow of love unobtainable by Lord Brahma. Tonight he saw tht same scene in his dream. Lakhs of people came forward to join that sankirtana, uttering the name of Hari which filled the earth and the sky. Suddenly Prabhu disappeared and as the dream faded Jiva awoke up in a sorrowful state. Again he fell asleep and a second wonderful scene appeared in his dream. I will tell you later what he saw in his dream, but now I want to acquaint you with the former history of Sri Jiva.

When Sri Jiva was only a boy, he avoided playing with his friends or other activities which had no connection with Krishna. He would make images of Krishna and Balarama, worship them with flowers and sandal paste and dress them with fine clothes and ornaments. When he would bow on the ground before them he would weep. He offered them various kinds of sweetmeats and then enjoyed eating the prasad of the deities with his friends. He loved the deities of Krishna and Balarama so much that even when he was alone he would play with them. At bed time he would clasp the deities tightly to his chest and sleep. His parents could not separate their son from his deities although they thought he was merely playing. Everyone was happy to see Jiva’s love for Krishna and Balarama.

Caitanya and Nitai were so bound by his love for them that they appeared to him in a dream. Krishna and Balarama also appeared in a dream, and Sri Jiva was enchanted to see Krishna in dark blue color and Balarama in white color. They looked like Kandarpa and enchanted the universe with their beautiful postures. Suddenly Krishna and Balarama were replaced by Gaura and Nitai and the universe was perfumed by the scent of their bodies. Overjoyed with his vision Sri Jiva wept and fell at he feet of the two masters.

Gaura-Nityananda Rai, the twin oceans of mercy put their feet on the head of Sri Jiva and embraced him affectionately. Whatever they spoke fell like nectar on the ears of Sri Jiva. In ecstatic love Sri Gaura sundara offered Jiva to the gracious feet of Sri Nityananda. But Nityananda repeatedly instructed Sri Jiva, "Let my Gaura Prabhu be your life and soul." When Sri Jiva bowed against their feet, they disappeared and Sri Jiva fell into an abyss of disappointment. When he woke from sleep, the dawn was breaking and he prepared to leave for Vrindavana on the pretext of studying there.

The people of Navadvipa knew he was going to Vrindavana. He bid farewell to his followers and left Fateya with only one servant. n the ecstasy of love, Sri Jiva wandered hypnotically arousing the curiouslity of the other travellers on the road. "Who is this young man?", they wondered. "He must be a prince with a complexion of gold like a champaka flower. What a beautiful face! Just see his attractive wide eyes, nose, eyebrows, forehead, ears and curly hair. See his neck, his chest and his nails and fingers on his lotus like hands! How beautiful are his thighs, knees and legs."

They all admired the tulasi garland hanging around his neck and the milk white sacred thread lying across his chest. Someone said, "My dear friend, I cannot take my eyes off him. I wish I could die carrying away all misfortune which might befall him. They said, "We cannot understand why we are feeling so perplexed to see him? We wish we can get ourselves initiation to him." Although the people talked, Sri Jiva continued his journey rapt in ecstasy.

When he entered Navadvipa, everyone acknowledged him as he was the nephew of Rupa and Sanatana. Being overwhelmed by Sri Jiva’s scholarship and devotional practices, the brahmans discussed with him. Sri Jiva was enchanted by the beauty of Navadvipa. That holy dhama covered sixteen krosa of land with many beautiful flower gardens, tanks, forests, groves, cottages and the banks of the Ganga.

As he wondered, Sri Jiva saw many Vaisnavas who were happy to meet him and took him directly to the cottage of Srivasa Pandita where Nityananda Prabhu and his associates were sitting. Nityananda had already foretold Sri Jiva’s arrival to Srivasa and Srivasa gladly informed Prabhu when Sri Jiva was waiting outside the cottage door. Nityananda was glad to hear it and requested someone to call him in. Sri Jiva’s eagerness to meet Nityanada made him cry uncontrollably and he fell humbly at the feet of Prabhu.

Nityananda Prabhu affectionately placed his feet on the head of Sri Jiva. He raised Sri Jiva from the ground, embraced him warmly and said, "I have come here from Kardaha simply to meet You." In this way he pacified Sri Jiva in various ways and asked Srinivasa and other Vaisnavas to favor him. He kept Sri Jiva in his association for some days and then requested him to go West. At the time of his departure Sri Jiva bowed at the feet of Nityananda in the sadness of their intimate separation. By placing his feet on the head of Sri Jiva he affectionately embraced him and said, "Go to Vrindavana soon because it is the order of Mahaprabhu that your family should be settled at that place." Sri Jiva offered his respects to the feet of all the Vaisnavas and then left for Vrindavana. Srivasa and other devotees blessed Sri Jiva in various ways.

From Navadvipa Sri Jiva went to Kashi where he met Sri Madhusudana Vachaspati, the professor of all Sastras who was as great as Brihaspati. The scholar was pleased to eet Sri Jiva and kept him at his place for a long time during which he gave him lessons on Vedanta and other sastras. Sri Vachaspati was impressed by the scholarly capabilities of Sri Jiva that he glorified him throughout Kashi and he soon became respected as the foremost scholar of Nyaya, Vedanta and other scriptures. From Kashi, Sri Jiva went to Vrindavana and got the mercy of Rupa and Sanatana.