Jiva Gosvami (1)

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Sunday, January 5th, 2003, Tritiya

Disappearance day of Srila Jiva Gosvami

 

SRILA JIVA GOSVAMI

 

Sri Sanatana, Sri Rupa and Sri Vallabha were three brothers, all

employed in the service of the Badsa Hussain Shah. Amongst the three, there

was only one descendent, Sri Jiva. Having been rewarded richly by the Badsa

for their sevices, their household life was very opulent. There was nothing

lacking in whatever was necessary for the upbringing of the only son. The

house was illuminated by the effulgence of the child's golden complexion;

his eyes were like the expanded petals of the lotus; every part of his body

was graced with a lusterous, radiant splendor.

 

When Sri Gaurasundara came to Ramakeli, Sri Jiva was blessed by

having darsana of His worshippable Lord, though he was just a baby at the

time. Placing the dust of His lotus feet on the child's head, Mahaprabhu

indicated him to be the future sovereign preceptor of the Gaudiya

sampradaya. Though he was only a child, Sri Jiva kept the form of the Lord,

which fascinates all the world, within his heart. As he grew up, while

eating, lying down, in his dreams, while he was awake, at all times, he

would meditate on that form.

 

Later on, when his father and uncles renounced their family life in

order to be with Mahaprabhu, the only child, Sri Jiva, was left with his

mother in the family palace at Fateyabad. Lying in her lap, which was wet

with tears of separation, he gradually began to grow as the waxing moon.

Seeing that the mother and the child's face were always wet with tears,

their friends also fell under the shadow of sadness and only with great

difficulty managed to assuage their grief. Whenever Sri Jiva would remember

his father and uncles, or the lotus feet of Sri Gaura Hari, he would lose

consiousness and fall to the ground.

 

As he got a little older, Sri Jiva took up the worship of the

Deities of Sri-Sri Rama-Krsna. He would carefully decorate Them and offer

bhoga and aroti, serving Them with his full attention. Even in his play,

whatever games he played were connected with Sri Krsna's pastimes.

 

While studying under the local panditas he became proficent in

grammar, poetry and rhetoric. Noting his great intellect, his teachers

commented, "Such brilliance is not often found in a child so young as this.

No doubt he will be a very high-souled, saintly person."

 

Even while engaged in his studies Jiva always thought of Sri Sri

Nitai-Gauranga. Once he saw in a dream that Sri Rama-Krsna had taken the

forms of Nitai-Gauranga and were dancing. [b.R.1.732] Giving him the dust of

Their lotus feet, the Two Lords then disappeared. Having seen such a

wonderful dream, Sri Jiva was consoled somewhat. Then he began to think,

"When will I be able to crawl out of this well of family life and devote my

full time and energy, my very self, to serving these two most magnanimous

Lords?" But he was the only son of the family. Only in his company could his

mother forget somewhat the pangs of separation in her heart. When Sri Jiva

learned that his father had given up his life on the banks of the Ganga, he

was compeletely unsettled. After that his eyes were never dry. The family

members and friends tried to console him but to little avail. Family life

had become the source of his utter sadness.

 

Someone suggested to Jiva to go to Navadwipa and bathe himself in

the coolness emanating from the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda Prabhu so that

his mind and body, burning with with grief, could be refreshed. Thus Sri

Jiva set our for Navadwipa with a group of pilgrims.

[bhakti Ratnakara 1/741]

 

Nityananda Prabhu, the omniscient Lord, could understand that Sri

Jiva was on his way to Navadwipa. Therefore He also left for there from

Khardaha. After a few days, Jiva arrived at Navadwipa. Seeing the beauty of

that place he was charmed. Falling down on the ground, he offered his

dandavats to Mother Ganges. Inquiring from the villagers the directions to

Mayapura, he learned that Nityananda Prabhu was residing at Srivasa

Pandita's house. At last arriving there, he fell down at the door to offer

his dandavats. Nityananda Prabhu came out with Srivasa Pandita and picked

him up and embraced him, asking, "Are you the nephew of Sri Rupa and Sri

Sanatana?"

 

As an answer, Jiva again fell down on the ground at the lotus feet

of Nityananda Prabhu. This time Nityananda Prabhu brought him in the house

and began to inquire after the welfare of his family at Fateyabad. Then Sri

Jiva was introduced to the devotees present in Navadwipa; he offered his

salutations at their lotus feet. Everyone was very happy to meet the nephew

of Sri Rupa and Sanatana. That day Sri Jiva received the remnants of

Nityananda Prabhu's prasadam.

 

The next day, the two of them came to Saci Mata'a house. Seeing the

birthplace of Sri Gaurasundara, which was filled with such splendor, Sri

Jiva was greatly pacified and fell down on the ground to roll in the dust.

In the large courtyard the devotees were singing songs praising the glories

of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Seeing Nityananda Prabhu, everyone stood

up and then fell down, offering their dandavats at His lotus feet. Then Jiva

saw Saci Mata sitting on the veranda.

 

Dressed in white with silk chadder around her shoulders she looked

radiant, the white of her hair blending with her white sari. Though her body

trembled with old age and was very thin, still the courtyard was illuminated

by her divine effulgence. Forgetting herself in remembrance of Sri

Gaurasundara, she was sitting with her eyes closed. Becoming aware that

Nityananda Prabhu had arrived, she covered her head with her sari and called

her servant. "Isana! Sripada has arrived. Please wash His feet."

 

After this was done, Nityananda offered namaskar to the mother of

the Supreme Lord and took His seat. He then introduced Sri Jiva to her. Saci

Mata placed her hand on his head to bless him, and Sri Jiva floated in the

ocean of happiness. Saci Mata then requested the two of them to honor the

Lord's prasada. "Take prasada here at your mother's house today, my

children. I offered there preparations in secret to Sri Gauracandra."

 

Sri Jiva spent some days with Nityananda Prabhu, touring the nine

islands of Navadwipa, in order to have darsana of the holy places of the

Lord's pastimes there. Then, as ordered by Nityananda Prabhu, he set out for

Kasi (Varanasi). At Kasi he studied Vedanta under Sri Madhusudana Vacaspati,

a disciple of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. The conclusions of Vedanta contained

in Srimad-Bhagavatam that were expounded by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to

Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya in Puri had been in turn taught by the Bhattacarya

to Madhusudana Vacaspati, who established a tol at Kasi. From him, Sri Jiva

mastered the same conclusions.

 

From here Sri Jiva set out for Sri Vrindavana where he received

shelter at the lotus feet of his two uncles, Sri Rupa and Sanatana. They

were very pleased to see him and received from him all the news. Jiva stayed

with Sri Rupa, who began to teach him Srimad-Bhagavatam. After initiating

him with the divine mantra, Rupa engaged him in the service of Sri Sri

Radha-Damodara. According to Sadhana-dipika, this Deity of Damodara was

fashioned by Rupa Gosvami's own hand for his dear disciple Sri Jiva. Sri Sri

Radha-Damodara are presently being worshipped in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

 

Seeing that Jiva had quickly become conversant with the conclusion

of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Rupa engaged him in proofreading his

Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. At this time Sri Jiva compiled a commentary on

Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu called Durgama-sangamani. In the year 1476 (Sakabda)

Sri Sanatana Gosvami compiled Sri Vaisnava-tosani, a commentary on the tenth

canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, which he gave to Sri Jiva for proofreading.

Under the order of Sri Sanatana, Sri Jiva compiled a commentary on that,

named Laghu Vaisnava-tosani, in the year 1500 (Sakabda). His writings, along

with those of Sri Rupa and Sri Sanatana, Sri Gopal Bhatta, Sri Raghunatha

Bhatta, Sri Raghunath das, Sri Krsna das, Sri Kasisvar Pandit, and Sri Madhu

Pandit, completely captivated the learned men of that time. It was the

beginning of a golden age at Sri Vraja-dhama.

 

Sri Jiva regularly brought water for Sri Rupa and Sanatana's bath.He

massaged their heads with oil, cleaned their ashram, worship the Deity,

cooked and corrected manuscripts.

 

After the disappearance of Sri Rupa and Sanatana, Sri Jiva continued

the tradition that they had inaugurated. Once Sri Jiva travelled to Agra to

debate with the Rajputs concerning the glories of Jamuna and Ganga rivers.

He established that the Jamuna is more glorious than the Ganga as the Ganga

emananates from Krsna's lotus feet whereas the Jamuna is His own consort. At

this the Moghul emperor was very much satisfied and wanted to present him

something. Sri Jiva replied that he would accept some blank papers. So the

emperor presented Jiva some stained paper. (At that time paper was very rare

and most manuscripts were usually composed on leaves.)

 

There is also a legend that once, when a Moghul emperor (possibly

Akbar) wanted to confer something on the Gosvamis of Vrindavana, they

requested a ferman (emperor's order) that no living beings would be killed

within Vraja. As a result of this no king would come to hunt there anymore.

The disciple of Lokanatha Gosvami, Narottama dasa Thakura Mahasaya, Sri

Gopala Bhatta Gosvami's disciple Srinivasa Acarya Prabhu, and the disciple

of Hrdaya Caitanya Prabhu, Sri Syamananda Prabhu, were greatly favored by

Srila Jiva Goswami. Under his tutelage they studied all the literatures of

the Gosvamis. Later he sent them to preach this knowledge in Bengal.

 

Srila Jiva Gosvami composed many literatures, amongst them:

 

1. Harinamamrta-vyakarana

2. Sutra-malika

3. Rasamrta-sesa

4. Gopala-virudavali

5. Sri-Madhava-mahotsava

6. Sri-Sankalpa-kalpavrksa

7. Brahma-Samhita-tika

8. Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu-tika (Durgama-sangamani)

9. Ujjvala-nilamani-tika (Locana-rocani)

10. Gopala-campu

11. Sat-sandharbha (Tattva-sandarbha, Bhagavata-sandarbha,

Paramatma-sandarbha, Krsna-sandarbha, Bhakti-sandharbha, Priti-sandarbha)

12. Srimad-Bhagavata-tika (Krama-sandarbha)

13. Laghu-vaisnava-tosani (Tenth Canto Bhagavatam commentary)

14. Sarva-sambadina (commentary on Sat-sandarbha)

15. Gopala-tapani-tika (Sri-Suhkha-bodhini)

16. Padma-puranastha-yogasara-stotra-tika

17. Gayatri-vyakhya-vivrti (a commentary on the Gayatri mantra as described

in the Agni Purana, chapters 216-217)

18. Radha-Krsnarcana-candrika

19. Dhatu-sangraha

20. Bhavartha-sucaka-campu.

 

Birth: 1533 (Christian calendar), 1455 (Sakabda), 12th day of the bright

fortnight in the month of Bhadra.

 

Disappearance: 1540 (Sakabda), 3rd day of bright fortnight, Pausa.

 

Age: 85 years