Srila Sanatana Goswami

[Guest guest]

Srila Sanatana Goswami

 

 

Disappearance Day 10th July

 

 

 

Sri Sanatana Goswami appeared in 1488, five years before Sri Rupa Goswami,

in a Sarasvata brahmana family in Bengal. Sanatana and his two brothers,

Rupa and Anupama, were always absorbed in bhava bhakti from early childhood.

Remembering Vrndavana, they named the forests in which they played after

Vraja's twelve forests

 

( Talavana, Kamyavana, Mahavana ). They called their favourite bathing ponds

Radha-Kunda and Shyam-Kunda.

 

 

 

In his youth, Sri Sanatana dreamt that a beautiful brahmana boy gave him

Srimad Bhagavatam. Feeling ecstatic he awoke. But seeing neither the boy nor

the Bhagavatam he felt sad. When Sanatana began his puja that morning,

however Krishna Himself, disguised as a beautiful brahmana boy, came and

said " Take this Srimad Bhagavatam from Me, always study it and you will

attain perfection."

 

 

 

In Krishna lila stava, Sri Sanatana Goswami glorifies the Srimad Bhagavatam:

"O holy Bhagavata, you are my only company, personal saviour. You are my

greatest treasure and my personal saviour. You are the emblem of my highest

fortune and the very form of ecstasy. I offer my obeisances unto you."

 

 

 

Forced to submit to the ruling Muslim government, Sri Rupa and Sri Sanatana

became ministers and lived at Ramakeli. But their real engagement was

teaching sastras, which they learned from Vidyavacaspati, brother of

Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. Pandits and brahmanas from all over India came to

study under the two brothers. Sri Rupa and Sri Sanatana were acclaimed as

the "crest jewels of the Gaudiya Vaisnava scholars". After

 

the Lord visited Ramakeli and freed them, they renounced everything for Lord

Gauranga's service. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ordered Sri Rupa and Sanatana

Goswami to move to Vrndavana and perform four services:

 

 

 

1. Uncover Sri Krishna's pastime places.

2. Install Deities, arrange for their puja.

3. Compile bhakti scriptures.

4. Propagate the rules of devotional life.

 

" Entering Lord Caitanya's service, they resolutely gave up power, riches

and position to live in Vrndavana as humble beggars absorbed in bhajana

until one renounces all attachments both internally and externally, and

adopts a life of simplicity and humility."

 

(Sri Vraja Mandala Prikrama).

 

 

 

They travelled extensively through Vraja mandala discovering many lila

sthans of Radha-Madhava. Having no fixed residence, they would catch a few

winks of sleep (no more than one and a-half hours per day) under a tree or

bush. Sri Rupa and Sri Sanatana Goswami spent all their time writing,

discussing Krishna's holy names.

 

 

 

To maintain himself Sanatana would beg some wheat flour, roll it into a ball

by adding a touch of Yamuna water, and drop it in smouldering coals to cook.

He would offer this bati (salt free, baked bread ball) to his Deity of

Madana Mohan. Giving up all kinds of material enjoyment, the Goswami

accepted the poorest way of life as mendicants. They ate just enough to

maintain their bodies. The Radha Madana Mohan mandir established by Sanatana

Goswami was the first one opened in Vrndavana by six Goswamis. Described as

personal "extension of the body of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu," Sri Sanatana is

ideal spiritual master because he gives one shelter at the lotus feet of

Madana Mohan. The three Vrndavana Deities (Madana Mohan, Govindaji and

Gopinatha) are the life and soul of Gaudiya Vaisnavas. The Deity of Madana

Mohan has specific quality of helping the neophyte devotees understand their

eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri

Krishna.

 

 

 

Madana Mohan means Krishna who is so indescribably beautiful that He even

attracts Cupid, Kamadeva. Sanatana Goswami is the sambandha Acarya who gives

us knowledge of our proper relationship with Krishna, and his deity, Madana

Mohan, helps us overcome our attraction for material sense gratification

(Cupid) and fix our mind on devotional service.

 

 

 

Sri Sanatana Goswami spent forty-three years wandering from village in

Vrndavana. The Vrajavasis would affectionately care for treating him like

their father. With patience and concern he listened to their problems. Then

he would please all the villagers by his preaching and practical advice on

everything from increasing crop yields to solving family quarrels.

 

 

 

"Renouncing all worldly pleasures, Sanatana Goswami was humble, detached,

always absorbed in study. Mahaprabhu often said that Sanatana Goswami was

His favourite devotee. As an ocean of love and mercy, Sanatana excelled all

other devotees in his compassion toward the suffering souls".

(Bhakti-ratnakar)

 

 

 

In his last years, he left his beloved Deity of Madana Mohan with Krishna

Dasa bramacari, his disciple. He did bhajana on the banks of Manasi Ganga

next to Caklesvara Mahadeva at Govardhana Hill. When Sanatana Goswami first

stayed here, there were so many mosquitoes, he decided to move elsewhere.

Just at that moment as he was packing up his few belongings, Cakalesvara

Mahadeva (Lord Siva) appeared before him in the guise of a brahmana and

asked him why he was going away. Sanatana explained that the mosquitoes were

a constant source of disturbance and found it very difficult when he was

writing his books. The brahmana informed Sanatana that from now on

mosquitoes would no longer disturb him and he could continue staying here at

Cakra-tritha. Sanatana stayed and found that he was no longer bothered by

the mosquitoes. Local people still say that even today no mosquitoes can be

found at Citra-tritha.

 

 

 

Daily he walked the twenty-four mile parikrama of Govardhana Hill. Although

he was sixty-five years old, he kept his daily vow of offering 1,008

obeisances to Govardhana Hill and to any Vaisnava whom he met. Understanding

the difficulty of His pure devotee, Sri Madana Mohana appeared one day and

said, 'Baba! You are too old. Don't take so much trouble to walk around

Govardhana Hill everyday.' Sanatana replied, 'this is one of the daily

activities of my bhajana; I must maintain it.'

 

 

 

'Since you are old,' said Madana Mohana, 'you may now give up this vow.'

Starting to walk again, Sanatana replied, 'I will never give up my religious

principles.'

 

 

 

Sanatana Goswami's firm determination to complete his daily devotional vow

pleased Sri Madana Mohan. But in the loving dealings between the Lord and

His pure devotee, Krishna's desire to please His devotee often defeats the

devotee's desire to please Him. So out of loving compassion for his

devotee, Sri Krishna stood on a large flat stone (Govardhana sila) taken

from Giriraja. He played his irresistible flute. The Govardhana sila

melted in ecstasty, capturing the impression of Krishna's lotus feet.

 

 

 

Presenting this to Sanatana, Krishna said, "if you circumambulate this sila

everyday it will be the same as going around Govardhana Hill everyday. You

will keep your vow intact and not compromise your religious principles."

Seeing that Giriraja Himself (Sri Krishna) had given the sila , Sanatana

gosvami gratefully accepted. One can still see that Govadhana sila in the

Radha Damodara temple.

 

 

 

Sri Bhaktivinoda Thakura said in Jaiva Dharma: "Sanatana Gosvami was

empowered to explain the esoteric aspects of Krishna's manifest and

unimanifest Vraja lilas. Sanatana made a significant literary contribution

to the Gauidya sampradaya with his Hari-bhakti-vilasa, Brhad-Bhagavatamrta,

and Brhad-Vaisnava-tosani.

 

 

 

In the form of Labanga Manjari Sanatana Gosvami serves Srimati Visakha-sakhi

in Radha-Madhava's nitya nikunja-lila. Sanatana Gosvami's samadhi is behind

Radha Madana Mohana's temple.