Friday, July 27, 2018

Sanatan Goswami Disappearance Day 07/27/18

[Compiled by Yasodanandan das] 

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. Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/cc/adi/1/36


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. Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/cc/adi/1/36


jaya jaya nityānanda, jaya kṛpā-maya
yāṅhā haite pāinu rūpa-sanātanāśraya

SYNONYMS

jaya jaya—all glories; nityānanda—to Lord Nityānanda; jaya kṛpā-maya—all glories to the most merciful Lord; yāṅhā haite—from whom; pāinu—I got; rūpa-sanātana-āśraya—shelter at the lotus feet of Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī.

TRANSLATION

All glory, all glory to the merciful Lord Nityānanda, by whose mercy I have attained shelter at the lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Sanātana. Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/cc/adi/5/201

yāṅhā haite pāinu raghunātha-mahāśaya
yāṅhā haite pāinu śrī-svarūpa-āśraya

SYNONYMS

yāṅhā haite—from whom; pāinu—I got; raghunātha-mahā-āśaya—the shelter of Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī; yāṅhā haite—from whom; pāinu—I got; śrī-svarūpa-āśraya—shelter at the feet of Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī.

TRANSLATION

By His mercy I have attained the shelter of the great personality Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, and by His mercy I have found the refuge of Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara.

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.Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/cc/adi/5/202


Srila Prabhupada describes the relationship between Sanatana Goswami and Raghunatha dasa Goswami

sanātana-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. Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/cc/adi/5/203


Srila Prabhupada explains  how Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught Srila Sanatana Goswami for two months at Prayaga
sanātana gosāñi āsi' tāṅhāi mililā
tāṅra 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. Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/cc/adi/7/47


tāṅre śikhāilā saba vaiṣṇavera dharma
bhāgavata-ādi śāstrera yata gūḍha marma

SYNONYMS

tāṅre—unto him (Sanātana Gosvāmī); śikhāilā—the Lord taught him; saba—all; vaiṣṇavera—of the devotees; dharma—regular activities; bhāgavata—Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; ādi—beginning with; śāstrera—of the revealed scriptures; yata—all; gūḍha—confidential; marma—purpose.

TRANSLATION

On the basis of scriptures like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which reveal these confidential directions, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructed Sanātana Gosvāmī regarding all the regular activities of a devotee.

PURPORT

In the paramparā system, the instructions taken from the bona fide spiritual master must also be based on revealed Vedic scriptures. One who is in the line of disciplic succession cannot manufacture his own way of behavior. There are many so-called followers of the Vaiṣṇava cult in the line of Caitanya Mahāprabhu who do not scrupulously follow the conclusions of the śāstras, and therefore they are considered to be apa-sampradāya, which means "outside of the sampradāya." Some of these groups are known as āula, bāula, kartābhajā, neḍā, daraveśa, sāṅi sahajiyā, sakhībhekī, smārta, jata-gosāñi, ativāḍī, cūḍādhārī and gaurāṅga-nāgarī. In order to follow strictly the disciplic succession of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, one should not associate with these apasampradāya communities.

One who is not taught by a bona fide spiritual master cannot understand the Vedic literature. To emphasize this point, Lord Kṛṣṇa, while instructing Arjuna, clearly said that it was because Arjuna was His devotee and confidential friend that he could understand the mystery of the Bhagavad-gītā. It is to be concluded, therefore, that one who wants to understand the mystery of revealed scriptures must approach a bona fide spiritual master, hear from him very submissively and render service to him. Then the import of the scriptures will be revealed. It is stated in the Vedas (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23):

yasya deve parā bhaktir
yathā deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ
prakāśante mahātmanaḥ

"The real import of the scriptures is revealed to one who has unflinching faith in both the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the spiritual master." Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura advises, sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, hṛdaye kariyā aikya. The meaning of this instruction is that one must consider the instructions of the sādhu, the revealed scriptures and the spiritual master in order to understand the real purpose of spiritual life. Neither a sādhu (saintly person or Vaiṣṇava) nor a bona fide spiritual master says anything that is beyond the scope of the sanction of the revealed scriptures. Thus, the statements of the revealed scriptures correspond to those of the bona fide spiritual master and saintly persons. One must therefore act with reference to these three important sources of understanding. Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/cc/adi/7/48

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