Sri Sanatana Gosvami

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SANATANA GOSVAMI, the elder brother of Srila Rupa Gosvami, was the

seniormost among the six Gosvamis of Vrndavana. At Varanasi, Lord Caitanya

Mahaprabhu instructed him in detail about the science of devotional service.

Lord Caitanya sent Srila Sanatana Gosvami to Vrndavana and gave him a

fourfold mission: to uncover the lost sites of Krsna's pastimes, to install

Deities of the Lord and arrange for Their worship, to write books on Krsna

consciousness, and to teach the rules of devotional life. Srila Sanatana

Gosvami, along with Srila Rupa Gosvami, fulfilled all four parts of this

mission.

(See Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 10.84, Madhya-lila 1.35, Madhya-lila

chapters 20-24, and Antya-lila chapter 4.)

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Sri Sanatana Gosvami took his birth in 1488 A.D. (1410, Sakabda). As a

child, he began his studies along with his brothers, from their maternal

uncle's house in a small village called Sakurma near the capital of

Gaura-desa. At the age of 27 he came to live at Braja, and remained there

for 43 years. At the age of 70, Srila Sanatana disappeared on the full moon

day of Asar in the year 1558 A.D.

 

 

In the conclusion of his commentary on the Bhagavata, the

Laghu-Vaisnava-Toshani, Jiva Goswami describes the ancestral line of his

uncle, Sanatana Goswami. This genealogy states that there was a king in

Karnataka called Srisarvajana, who was known as Jagadguru due to his

learning. Srisarvajana's descendant, Aniruddha, gave his kingdom equally to

his two sons, Harihara and Rupesvara, but Harihara forcibly occupied

Rupesvara's dominion and drove him away. Rupesvara then left Karnataka,

taking shelter with King Sikharesvara of Paurastya. He later retired to

Navahatta (Naihati near Kalna) in Bengal, where he associated with king

Danujamardana. His grandson, Kumaradeva, moved to Bakla Candradvipa (East

Pakistan). Rupa, Sanatana, and Anupama were among the many sons born in this

brahmana family.

 

 

As the elder brother of Srila Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana was the topmost among

the six Gosvamis of Vrndavana. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu instructed him at

Varanasi, teaching him the detailed science of devotional service. Lord

Caitanya sent Srila Sanatana Gosvami to Vrndavana and gave him a fourfold

mission: to uncover the lost sites of Krsna's pastimes, to install deities

of the Lord and arrange for Their worship, to write books on Krsna

consciousness, and to teach the rules of devotional life. Srila Sanatana

Gosvami, with the help of Srila Rupa Gosvami, fulfilled all parts of this

mission.

 

 

Sri Sanatana Gosvami compiled many scriptures, including: Sri

Brhad-bhagavatmrta, Sri Hari-bhakti-vilas and its Dig-darsani-tika, Sri

Krsna-lilastava (dasam carit), Sri Bhagavata-tipani (Dasama-tippani)

(commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam), Brihat-vaisnava-tosani (Laghu-tosani),

and Dasama-carita.

 

 

Sanatana Goswami's trancendental position is glorified in Sri

Kavi-Karnapura's Gaura-Ganodesha-Dipika (181):

 

 

sa rupa-manjari-prestha

purasid rati-manjari

socyate nama-bhedena

lavanga-manjari budhaih

 

"Rupa Manjari's closest friend, who is know by the names Rati-Manjari and

Lavanga-Manjari, appeared in the pastimes of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as

Shri Sanatana Goswami, who is considered to be a personal extension of the

body of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu."

 

 

 

 

"Sri Sanatana Gosvami is described in the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (181). He

was formerly known as Rati-manjari or sometimes Lavanga-manjari. In the

Bhakti-ratnakara it is stated that his spiritual master, Vidyavacaspati,

sometimes stayed in the village of Ramakeli, and Sanatana Gosvami studied

all the Vedic literature from him. He was so devoted to his spiritual master

that this cannot be described. According to the Vedic system, if someone

sees a Muslim he must perform rituals to atone for the meeting. Sanatana

Gosvami always associated with Muslim kings. Not giving much attention to

the Vedic injunctions, he used to visit the houses of Muslim kings, and thus

he considered himself to have been converted into a Muslim. He was therefore

always very humble and meek. When Sanatana Gosvami presented himself before

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he admitted, "I am always in association with

lower-class people, and my behavior is therefore very abominable." He

actually belonged to a respectable brahmana family, but because he

considered his behavior to be abominable, he did not try to place himself

among the brahmanas but always remained among people of the lower castes. He

wrote the Hari-bhakti-vilasa and Vaisnava-tosani, which is a commentary on

the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. In the year 1476 Sakabda (A.D. 1555)

he completed the Brhad-vaisnava-tosani commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam. In

the year 1504 Sakabda (A.D. 1583) he finished the Laghu-tosani."

 

Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi lila 10:84

 

 

 

 

"In the First Wave of the book known as Bhakti-ratnakara, it is said that

Sanatana Gosvami understood Srimad-Bhagavatam by thorough study and

explained it in his commentary known as Vaisnava-tosani. All the knowledge

that Sri Sanatana Gosvami and Rupa Gosvami directly acquired from Sri

Caitanya Mahaprabhu was broadcast all over the world by their expert

service. Sanatana Gosvami gave his Vaisnava-tosani commentary to Srila Jiva

Gosvami for editing, and Srila Jiva Gosvami edited this under the name of

Laghu-tosani. Whatever he immediately put down in writing was finished in

the year 1476 Saka (A.D. 1555). Srila Jiva Gosvami completed Laghu-tosani in

the year Sakabda 1504 (A.D. 1583)."

 

Caitanya-caritamrta, Madyam lila 1:35

 

 

 

 

"The Fourth Chapter of Antya-lila is summarized by Bhaktivinoda Thakura in

his as follows. Srila Sanatana Gosvami came alone from Mathura to Jagannatha

Puri to see Lord Caitanya. Because of bathing in bad water and not getting

enough food every day while traveling on the path through Jharikhanda

Forest, he developed a disease that made his body itch. Suffering greatly

from this itching, he resolved that in the presence of Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu he would throw himself under the wheel of Jagannatha's car and in

this way commit suicide.

 

 

When Sanatana Gosvami came to Jagannatha Puri, he stayed under the care of

Haridasa Thakura for some time, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very happy

to see him. The Lord informed Sanatana Gosvami about the death of his

younger brother, Anupama, who had great faith in the lotus feet of Lord

Ramacandra. One day Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said to Sanatana Gosvami, "Your

decision to commit suicide is the result of the mode of ignorance. One

cannot get love of God simply by committing suicide. You have already

dedicated your life and body to My service; therefore your body does not

belong to you, nor do you have any right to commit suicide. I have to

execute many devotional services through your body. I want you to preach the

cult of devotional service and go to Vrndavana to excavate the lost holy

places." After having thus spoken, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu left, and

Haridasa Thakura and Sanatana Gosvami had many talks about this subject.

 

 

One day Sanatana Gosvami was summoned by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who wanted

him to come to Yamesvara-tota. Sanatana Gosvami reached the Lord through the

path along the beach by the sea. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked Sanatana

Gosvami which way he had come, Sanatana replied, "Many servitors of Lord

Jagannatha come and go on the path by the Simha-dvara gate of the Jagannatha

temple. Therefore, I did not go by that path, but instead went by the

beach." Sanatana Gosvami did not realize that there were burning blisters on

his feet because of the heat of the sand. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was

pleased to hear about Sanatana Gosvami's great respect for the temple of

Lord Sri Jagannatha.

 

 

 

Because his disease produced wet sores on his body, Sanatana Gosvami used to

avoid embracing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, but nevertheless the Lord would

embrace him by force. This made Sanatana Gosvami very unhappy, and therefore

he consulted Jagadananda Pandita about what he should do. Jagadananda

advised him to return to Vrndavana after the cart festival of Jagannatha,

but when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu heard about this instruction, He chastised

Jagadananda Pandita and reminded him that Sanatana Gosvami was senior to him

and also more learned, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu informed Sanatana Gosvami

that because Sanatana was a pure devotee, the Lord was never inconvenienced

by his bodily condition. Because the Lord was a sannyasi, He did not

consider one body better than another. The Lord also informed him that He

was maintaining Sanatana and the other devotees just like a father.

Therefore the moisture oozing from Sanatana's itching skin did not affect

the Lord at all. After speaking with Sanatana Gosvami in this way, the Lord

again embraced him, and after this embrace, Sanatana Gosvami became free

from the disease. The Lord ordered Sanatana Gosvami to stay with Him for

that year, and the next year, after seeing the Ratha-yatra festival, he left

Purusottama-ksetra and returned to Vrndavana.

 

 

After meeting Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Rupa Gosvami also returned to

Bengal, where he remained for one year. Whatever money he owned, he

distributed among his relatives, the brahmanas and the temples. In this way

he completely retired and returned to Vrndavana to meet Sanatana Gosvami.

 

 

After narrating these incidents, Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami has given a list

of the main books of Sanatana Gosvami, Srila Rupa Gosvami and Jiva Gosvami."

 

Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya lila, Introduction

 

Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada.