Why did the Goswamis write in Sanskrit?

[Gauracandra 1]

From another thread:

The six gosvamis and others wrote in Sanskrit, and it's a good question, to ask why they almost exclusively did so even though everyone around them was writing in Braj. Anyone have any theories about this?

 

Thanks,

Mukunda Datta dasa

 

This is interesting and I seem to recall one explanation. I had read once that at one point there was a disagreement between the Goswamis and Sri Krsna Das Kaviraja over the use of Bengali in writing Sri Caitanya Caritamrta. Essentially, the way I read it was that the Goswamis wanted to establish Gaudiya Vaisnavism through the language of intellectuals - Sanskrit. I don't know the extent of the disagreement (or if it actually existed). But this might be one reason - to use the language of theology. Any background on this would be of interest.

 

Gauracandra

[Tarun 6]

Even today most Vedik scholars will NOT accept CC as zAstra.

Why? Principle reason is it's not written in SanskRt.

Moreover those same persons refuse to accept MahAprabhu as KRSNa.

"He's a great prophet, no doubt, but He's no ViSNu AvatAr."

In this way, AvatarI = Highest Truth remains covered, mysterious.

That is Bengali's humble seva to both Deva-nagari & VrajabhAsa.

Only those who can transcend all ethnik, geographik & linguistik barriers can grasp, hold onto MahAprabhu's Lotus Feet.

All others fall short of The Mark.

[Gauracandra 1]

I was trying to find where I had read that the Goswamis objected to Sri Caitanya Caritamrta not being written in Sanskrit. I couldn’t find what I was thinking of but came across the following from “Vaisnavism: Contemporary Scholars Discuss the Gaudiya Tradition”. I hadn’t heard this story before:

 

Dr. Huberman: [edited] So you get the running streams of stories, or traditions, smrti, that kind of incarnate in the personage of Caitanya. And in his lifetime, Caitanya is seen to be an avatara. The different schools interpret this in different ways, but the Gaudiya school, based on the works of the Goswamis and, most important – although even the Goswamis didn’t want to accept it at first – is the Caitanya-caritamrta of Krsnadasa Kaviraja. The reason they didn’t want to accept it, of course, is because it is not written in Sanskrit. Its written in Bengali. And you know the apocryphal story: when Jiva Goswami saw it, he took it and threw it in the Yamuna.

 

Steven Rosen: Yeah, where is that story from?

 

Dr. Huberman: I don’t know exactly where its from. And the Yamuna delivered it back, so even he couldn’t deny its value.[continues]

 

Since even this Doctor doesn’t know where this story comes from, it might not be true. It could be something similar to the story about Jiva Goswami refusing to see Mirabai.

[Jagat 1]

The story is in the Vivarta-vilasa, an important Sahajiya text.

 

It is completely false, because the CC was only completed near the time of Jiva Goswami's death in 1612.

 

There is another story that the CC was lost in 1572 (or whenever it was) when Srinivas came to Bengal with the Goswami literature. This is in the Prema-vilasa. It cannot have happened, because the CC was written quite some time later. (This is also one of the significant blemishes on Prema-vilasa that casts doubt on the usual early dates given for its composition.)

 

I have never heard that the language was much of an issue in CC. There were already several Sanskrit books on Chaitanya's life--Karnapur, Murari Gupta, etc. On the other hand, there were several popular biographies in Bengali by that time. It is clear that Kaviraj set out to popularly present the insight of the Vrindavan Goswamis into Mahaprabhu's internal life, as well as many of their theological ideas, with great success, I would say.

 

The Sahajiyas say that Jiva Goswami objected to CC because it presented the parakiya rasa, whereas he favored svakiya.

 

Jagat

 

 

[Tarun 6]

Plausible. Logical. He stayed on this planet about 90 years?

We know KavirAj GoswAmI's hand was trembling, eyes failing.

Do we have KRSNa dAs KavirAj's avirbhav & tirobhav years?

If he's JIva GoswAmI's contempory, 1572 & 1612 make sense.

YamunA-devI's unmoistened throwback:

now there's a prime-time worthy news story if I ever heard one!

[Gauracandra 1]

Interesting, interesting. Thanks for the clarification and backstory guys. Might I ask in what way was Caitanya Caritamrta meant as a bridge to bring together all the various branches of Gaudiya Vaisnavism? Was it because it was in a popular voice that it could unite a broad base community? or are there some deeper philosophical points that seek to unite the various branches.

 

Gauracandra

[Guest guest]

CC was written as an attempt to bridge the various sampradayas of Chaitanyism together under one umbrella.....an official canon if you will.

 

However, as Jagat pointed out, the sahajiyas with their commentary on CC by Akincana das give an even further twist on the teachings that would blow the hat off any Pope's bald head!

So in trying to bring together the various factions of Chaitanyism (and some question if that occurred or not) it may have isolated some and also served as a mouthpiece for Akincana dasa to espouse his "secret sadhana" doctrine...

 

 

jijaji

 

 

 

 

[This message has been edited by jijaji (edited 02-21-2002).]

[dasa 0]

Originally posted by jijaji:

CC was written as an attempt to bridge the various sampradayas of Chaitanyism together under one umbrella.....an official canon if you will.

 

However, as Jagat pointed out, the sahajiyas with their commentary on CC by Akincana das give an even further twist on the teachings that would blow the hat off any Pope's bald head!

So in trying to bring together the various factions of Chaitanyism (and some question if that occurred or not) it may have isolated some and also served as a mouthpiece for Akincana dasa to espouse his "secret sadhana" doctrine...

 

 

jijaji

 

 

[This message has been edited by jijaji (edited 02-21-2002).]

Dear Jijaji, could you please explain what the "secret sadhana" doctrine refers to?

[Gauracandra 1]

Good little nugget of Vaisnava history there Jijaji. I didn't know of this divide between Vrindavan and Navadvipa concerning the worship of Mahaprabhu.

 

Gauracandra

[Guest guest]

One of the reasons CC was written was to bridge the Two main schools of Navadvipa and Brindaban that had some major differences up until that time.

They seemed to have maintained many of their own unique outlooks and practices. After the time of CC they allowed a synthesis of sorts to occur whereby they adopted much of each others practices and siddhanta. One being the Brindaban schools adoption of the image of Sri Chaitanya being worshipped in Radha-Krishna temples.

 

jijaji

 

[This message has been edited by jijaji (edited 02-22-2002).]

[Guest guest]

The "Secret Sadhana" was the sahajiya sadhana wherein a sadhak would take on a "Ritual Partner" for preformance of the "Secret Sadhana"

 

i.e. Bengali Sahajiya Tantric Sex-Magic....

 

Chandi das (whom many accept as a sahajiya) sang about his "Ritual Partner", Rami the washer women, whom Chandi is said to have preformed the "Secret Sadhana" with.

 

Please note that the Vivarta Vilasa of Akincana dasa put forth the Idea that all the Gosvamis and even Chaitanya himself practiced the "Secret Sadhana" and had their own individual "Ritual Partners" as well...

 

The Sahajiya school believed their commentary on CC to be the 'TRUE" interpretation, purport and 'secret' meaning of CC..

 

History Folks...

 

Just History as it happened....

 

I am not saying this is correct or espousing it's doctrine or anything....

 

Nor do I have a "Ritual Partner".....

 

At least not yet anyway!

 

 

jijaji

 

 

 

[This message has been edited by jijaji (edited 02-24-2002).]

[makhanmisri 0]

 

Originally posted by Tarun:

Even today most Vedik scholars will NOT accept CC as zAstra.

What exactly do you mean by "Vedik scholar"?

 

 

That is Bengali's humble seva to both Deva-nagari & VrajabhAsa.

Any ideas on why Bengali/Brajabuli seems to have won out over Brajabhasha as the language of choice?

 

Only those who can transcend all ethnik, geographik & linguistik barriers can grasp, hold onto MahAprabhu's Lotus Feet.

Accha. There's not much doubt that then as now, the broad Gaudiya community was multiethnic and multilingual.

 

Thanks for your response.

 

MDd

 

[Tarun 6]

Some Vedik Scholars only accept & study SanskRt Texts.

No other language.

ChannAvatAr appears hidden, in disguised tongue & verse.

Bengali is SanskRt in disguise.

Clark Kentji becomes Supermanu in Obscure Zabda Phonebooth.

Something like FBI vs CIA vs NSA.

Deep, Deeper, Deepest = Diep, Dieper, Diepste = Gambhira

RAm-lila, KRSNa-lila, Gaura-lila.. AvatarI accepts sannyAs.

[Guest guest]

Originally posted by Tarun:

Some Vedik Scholars only accept & study SanskRt Texts.

No other language.

ChannAvatAr appears hidden, in disguised tongue & verse.

Bengali is SanskRt in disguise.

Clark Kentji becomes Supermanu in Obscure Zabda Phonebooth.

Something like FBI vs CIA vs NSA.

Deep, Deeper, Deepest = Diep, Dieper, Diepste = Gambhira

RAm-lila, KRSNa-lila, Gaura-lila.. AvatarI accepts sannyAs.

and the beat goes on....

and the beat goes on........

 

 

¸..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-

¸.·´ .·´¨¨))

((¸¸.·´ ..·´ -:¦:- jijaji

-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*

 

[This message has been edited by jijaji (edited 02-27-2002).]

[Tarun 6]

Yes. The Beat Goes On...

U just had to have heard & seen Gaudiya VedAnta Samiti's HarinAm SankIrtan party chanting 5:31-37pm Sunday 14Jul2002 outside ISKCON Soho St, London.

Talk about Bastille Jour/Day being properly celebrated.

From & back to Conway Hall: No English, only SanskRt, Sad-GoswAmI style.