Sri Gopala Guru Goswami

[krsna 3]

 

 

 

 

Sri Gopala Guru Goswami was a disciple of Sri Vakreshwara Pandit. He was a brahmana from Utkala.

 

From early childhood, he stayed with Vakreshwara Pandit and remained under his care and guidance. Sriman Mahaprabhu was always very affectionate towards him and played many jokes on him. Out of affection, the lord would jokingly call him "guru" and so he became known as Gopal Guru Goswami.

 

Under the authority of Sri Svarupa Damodara and Raghunatha Dasa Goswami, he was instructed in the system of rasa and attained expertise in the rasik principles.

 

At the place where Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu stayed at the house of Kashi Mishra, Vakreshwara Pandita later stayed. After Sri Vakreshwara Pandit passed away, Gopal Guru Goswami stayed at that place, where he installed the deities Sri Sri Radha-Kanta.

 

Sri Gopal Guru Goswami composed a book called Smarana-paddhati, or "The System for Remembering the Lord". This book has twenty-six chapters. Sri Dhayanachandra Goswami was a disciple of Sri Gopal Guru Goswami and an important acharya in the Gaudiya Sampradaya. He wrote a book called the Dhyana Chandra Paddhati.

 

According to some, Gopal Guru Goswami was the gopi known as Tungavidya Sakhi.

 

Sri Gopala Guru Gosvami was also known as Makaradhvaja Pandita, although Mahaprabhu was in the habit of addressing him as Gopala. Among the five chief disciples of Sri Vakresvara Pandita, Gopala Guru was the special object of Mahaprabhu’s mercy. From an early age, Gopala Guru was in the care of his guru.

 

One day Caitanya Mahaprabhu went outside the village to tend to his bodily needs. Gopala was standing some distance away with a waterpot in his hand ready to serve the Lord. He noticed that the Holy Name, which always blissfully danced on His tongue, was not to be heard. Wondering how this could be, he then saw that the Lord was holding his tongue with his hand. After a short while, Gopala, being full of curiosity, inquired from the Lord, “Prabhu! Why are you holding your tongue like that?” Mahaprabhu answered, “The words Krishna Krishna always dance on my tongue, and even when I’m unclean they don’t stop. One is forbidden to chant the Krishna-nama maha-mantra when he is unclean. Transgressing that injunction is an offense. For this reason, I hold my tongue to keep it still.”

 

Gopala replied, “Prabhu! Elegant words don’t adorn my little mouth, but still, in order to understand, I am asking. Your beautiful body doesn’t have a trace of uncleanliness. It is sac-cid-ananda-maya and always pure. Your ‘going to the bathroom’ is an illusion. That’s just your pretending to be human. You are independent, but if an ordinary jiva should die while evacuating, without chanting the Holy Name, how will he attain the transcendental state?”

 

Hearing these profound words from the boy, the Lord replied, “Gopala, you have spoken correctly. In chanting the Sri Krishna-nama there is no consideration of cleanliness or uncleanliness. Chanting is always auspicious for the jiva. You have caused me to remember the highest injunction. From today, you shall bear the title guru.” Mahaprabhu told the devotees this story, and the news quickly spread everywhere. Soon all the Vaisnavas began to call Gopala “Sri Gopala Guru.”

 

After the disappearance of Lord Caitanya, Vakresvara Pandita received the charge of the seva of Gambhira in Kasi Misra’s house, where the Lord used to stay during his visits to Puri. Gopala Guru, who was disciple of Vakresvara, succeeded him as the sevait of the Radhakanta temple at Gambhira. During the time of Gopala Guru the temple of Radhakantha was renovated, and he installed Deities of Radha and Lalita on each side of Radhakanta as well as Deities of Sri Sri Nitai Gauracandra, in very beautiful dancing postures.

 

When Gopala Guru became old, he wanted to arrange for someone to continue the worship of Sri Sri Radha-Kanta. To obtain a suitable sevaka, he offered a mental prayer to the lotus feet of Sriman Mahaprabhu. One night, the Lord appeared to Gopala Guru and said, “Gopala! The sevaka you seek will be the first person you see tomorrow morning. Accept him without hesitation. Like you, he will be learned in all the transcendental ½astras. He will preserve well the worship of Sri Sri Radha-Kanta and reveal my glories to the whole world.”

 

Hearing this order from Mahaprabhu in his dream, Gopala Guru became ecstatic. The next morning, after his morning duties, he went to his doorway. The first person he saw was a very peaceful young brahmana who had been standing there waiting to see him. When the youth approached, he offered dandavats to Gopala Guru’s lotus feet. The Gosvami remembered his dream and blissfully offered the young man his blessings. Seeing his peaceful nature and absorption in krishna-bhakti, Gopala Guru gave him mantra-diksa, etc., and named him Sri Dhyanacandra.

 

After receiving initiation, Dhyanacandra served his guru with great devotion. Gopala Guru engaged him in caring for Sri Sri Radha-Kanta. After a short while in govinda-seva, he received the dress of a Vaisnava ascetic from his guru, and was then ordered to visit Sri Vrindavana-dhama.

 

Gopala Guru compiled a Smarana Paddhati, which is composed of twenty-four chapters. His main disciple was Dhyanacandra Gosvami, who was a very influential teacher. Elaborating upon Gopala Guru’s Paddhati, he wrote another Paddhati which included an appendix on the sequence of eightfold daily service in meditation.

 

Bhakti Ratnakara (8.382-392) narrates Narottama’s meeting of Gopala Guru as follows:

 

“Narottama went to Kasi-misra’s house. There he met Sri Gopala-guru. With great affection he gently, gently spoke these sweet words: “Only by the Lord’s wish do I somehow remain alive. Gazing at this holy place, I will soon bid farewell to this life. O Narottama, look, in this very secluded place Lord Caitanya all alone, would sit on a straw asana. In this place Lord Mahaprabhu would lie down. Sri Govinda would massage His feet. Who has the power to understand Sri Krishna Caitanya Prabhu’s pastimes. He manifested ecstatic spiritual love even Brahma and the demigods cannot attain.”

 

Seeing Lord Caitanya’s bed and asana, Narottam rolled on the ground. Again and again he wept. His heart wild with spiritual love, Sri Gopala-guru hugged Narottama, loudly he wept. After many moments Gopala-guru became peaceful. He consoled Narottama and made him peaceful also. Gopala-guru showed Narottama all the different places where Lord Caitanya was plunged in the ecstaty of spiritual love. Gopala-guru spoke of Vakresvara Pandita’s glorious activities. He made Narottama offer respectful obeisances at the lotus feet of the Deity Sri Radhakanta.”

 

After Gopal Guru’s disappearance, as soon as his transcendental body was placed in its samadhi at Swargadwar, the king’s men declared that since the servitorship of Radhakantha Mandira within Kasi Misra Bhavan had been bestowed upon Dhyanacandra Gosvami without their permission, they were going to seize the temple, which they did. Thus Dhyanacandra was plunged into an ocean of grief, being doubly distressed. His guru had just left and he was feeling great separation from him. Now on the top that the king’s men had barred him from worshiping Sri Sri Radhakantha, the very service that had been bestowed upon him by his guru.

 

After Ratha Yatra, however, someone went on a pilgrimage to Vrindavana where they saw Gopala Guru sitting underneath a Pankura tree near Vansivat. When Dhyanacandra received this information he rushed to Vrindavana where he in fact found his Guru Maharaja. He begged and begged his guru to return to Puri, but Gopala Guru replied, “I already left my body there. Now I am in Vrindavana so why should I go back there? If you are feeling separation from me then you can have a Deity made of me from a neem tree in the garden of Siddha Bakula. I will be personally present in that murti and will also straighten out the servants of the king.” In this way all of Dhyanacandra’s problems were solved by his guru in the form of this murti.

 

The murti of Gopala Guru in Puri is still being worshipped at Radha-Kanta Mandir and another branch of Radhakanta temple with a samadhi mandir and murti of Gopala Guru was founded near Vansivat in Vrindavana. There are also branches of Radhakanta Mandira founded by some followers of Gopala Guru at: Vidhuban, Vrindavana; Kangali Mahaprabhu Math, Vrindavana; Arunananda Kunj, Radhakunda; Kisori Kund, Yavat; Gambhirar Matha, Koladwipa; Madhavi Devi’s Gopinatha Mandir, Bentpur.

 

Gopala Guru disappeared from this world on the ninth day of the bright fortnight of Kartik.

 

 

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[krsna 3]

Explanation of the Mahamantra

By

Gopal Guru Goswami

 

 

(1)

hare - he hare, mac-cittam hrtva bhava-bandhanan mocaya |

 

Hare! O Hari, steal my mind and deliver me from bondage to this material world.

 

krsna - he krsna, mac-cittam akarsaya |

 

Krsna! O Krsna, attract my mind.

 

hare - he hare, sva-madhuryena mac-cittah hara |

 

Hare! O Hari! Capture my mind with the sweetness of your name, form and pastimes.

 

krsna - he krsna, sva-bhakta-dvara bhajana-jnana-danena mac-cittam sodhaya |

 

Krsna! O Krsna! Send me the association of your devotees who will purify my mind through instructions about your devotional service.

 

krsna - he krsna, nama-rupa-guna-liladisu man-nistham kuru |

 

Krsna! O Krsna! Give me unflinching faith in your name, form, qualities and pastimes.

 

krsna - he krsna, rucir bhavatu me |

 

Krsna! O Krsna! Give me a taste for your name, form, qualities and pastimes.

 

hare - he hare, nija-seva-yogyam mam kuru |

 

Hare! O Hari! Make me worthy to engage in your service.

 

hare - he hare, sva-sevam adisaya |

 

Hare! O Hara, Radha! Order me personally in the service you wish me to perform.

 

hare - he hare, sva-presthena saha svabhista-lilam sravaya |

 

Hare! O Hara, Radha! Give me the opportunity to hear about your own favorite pastimes with your beloved Lord

 

rama - he rama, presthaya saha svabhista-lilam mam sravaya |

 

Rama! O Rama! Give me the opportunity to hear about your own favorite pastimes with your beloved Radha.

 

hare - he hare, sva-presthena saha svabhista-lilam darsaya |

 

Hare! O Hara, Radha! Give me the opportunity to see your intimate pastimes with your beloved Lord.

 

rama - he rama, presthaya saha svabhista-lilam mam darsaya |

 

Rama! O Rama! Give me the opportunity to see your intimate pastimes with your beloved Radha.

 

rama - he rama, nama-rupa-guna-lila-smaranadisu mam yojaya |

 

Rama! O Rama! Engage me in hearing, chanting and remembering your name, form, qualities, pastimes.

 

rama - he rama, tatra mam nija-seva-yogyam kuru |

 

Rama! O Rama! As I enter into those pastimes by the path of meditation, make me worthy to engage in your service.

 

hare - he hare, mam svangikrtya ramasva |

 

Hare! O Hari! Please accept me and take pleasure from the service that I offer you.

 

hare - he hare, maya saha ramasva |

 

Hare! O Hari! Take pleasure in me and enjoy with me.

 

(2)

 

hare - krsnasya mano haratiti hara radha, tasyah sambodhane he hare |

 

Hare! Radha is known as Hara because she steals Krsna's mind. I call out to her, O Hare! O Radhe!

 

krsna - radhaya manah karsatiti krsnah, tasya sambodhane he krsna |

 

Krsna! The Lord is known as Krsna because he attracts Radha's mind. Therefore I call out to him, O Lord! O Krsna!

 

hare - krsnasya lokalajjadhairyadi sarvam haratiti hara radha, tasyah sambodhane he hare |

 

Hare! Radha steals Krsna's sense of public shame and his self-possession. She steals everything of his and is thus known as Hara. I therefore call out to her, O Radhe! O Hare!

 

krsna - radhaya lokalajjadhairyadi sarvam karsatiti krsnah, tasya sambodhane he krsna |

 

Krsna! He drags away all of Radha's sense of shame and her self-possession. Therefore I call out to him, O Lord! O Krsna!

 

krsna - yatra yatra radha tisthati gacchati va tatra tatra sa pasyati krsno mam sprsati balat kancukadikam sarvam karsati haratiti krsnah, tasya sambodhane he krsna |

 

Krsna. Wherever Radha is standing, or wherever she happens to be going, she thinks, Krsna is watching me, he is touching me, he he is pulling on my bodice. He is pulling on me. I call out to him, O Lord! O Krsna!

 

krsna - punar harsatam gamayati vanam karsatiti krsnah, tasya sambodhane he krsna |

 

Krsna! Then Krsna makes her feel a thrill of excitement as he pulls her to the woods. I call out to him, O Lord! O Krsna!

 

hare - yatra krsno gacchati tisthati va tatra tatra pasyati radha mamagre parsve sarvatra tisthatiti hara, tasyah sambodhane he hare |

 

Hare! Wherever Krsna goes, wherever he is situated, he sees Radha in front of him, by his side, all around him. In this way she disturbs his mind. I call out to her, O Radhe. O Hare!

 

hare - punas tam krsnam harati sva-sthanam abhisarayatiti hara radha, tasyah sambodhane he hare |

 

Hare! She once again steals Krsna away, making him come to her kunja. She is thus known as Hara. I thus call out to her, O Radhe! O Hare!

 

hare - krsnam vanam harati vanam agamayatiti hara radha, tasyah sambodhane he hare |

 

Hare! She once again steals Krsna away, making him come to her kunja. She is thus known as Hara. I thus call out to her, O Radhe! O Hare!

 

rama - ramayati tam narma-niriksanadiniti ramah, tasya sambodhane he rama |

 

Rama! Krsna is known as Rama because he brings Radha pleasure with his joking words and his loving glances. I thus call out to him, O Krsna! O Rama!

 

hare - tatkalikam dhairyavalambanadikam krsnasya haratiti hara radha, tasyah sambodhane he hare |

 

Hare! She robs Krsna of the momentary self-control he is able to muster in her presence. She is thus known as Hara, and so I call out to her, O Radhe! O Hare!

 

rama - cumbana-stana-karsanalinganadibhi ramate iti ramah, tasya sambodhane he rama |

 

Rama! Krsna delights in kissing Radha, in touching her breasts and in embracing her. He is thus known as Rama, and so I call out to him, O Lord! O Rama!

 

rama - punas tam purusocitam krtva ramayatiti ramah, tasya sambodhane he rama |

 

Rama! Krsna causes Radha to reach the pinnacle of sexual excitement, so that she becomes aggressively active in the love battle, like a man. He is thus known as Rama, and so I call out to him, O Lord! O Rama!

 

rama - punas tatra ramate iti ramah, tasya sambodhane he rama |

 

Rama! All this brings extra delight to Krsna. He is thus known as Rama, and so I call out to him, O Lord! O Rama!

 

hare - punah rasante krsnasya mano hrtva gacchatiti hara radha, tasyah sambodhane he hare |

 

Hare! Once again, at the end of the Rasa dance, as she leaves to return home, she steals Krsna's mind and takes it away with her. She is thus known as Hara, and I therefore call out to her, O Radhe! O Hare!

 

hare - radhaya mano hrtva gacchatiti harih krsnah tasya sambodhane he hare |

 

Hare! Krsna also steals Radha's mind, taking it with him as he leaves. He is thus known as Hari, and I call out to him, O Krsna! O Hare!