Gopal Bhatta query

[Jagat]

In Harinamacintamani, chapter 12, Bhaktivinoda writes (in the voice of Hari Das Thakur):

 

Hari Das said, “O Lord, to Srila Sanatana Goswami here in Jagannatha Puri

and again to Srila Gopala Bhatta Goswami while wandering in South India,

You taught that one must worship the Lord without distractions;

You counted inattentiveness in chanting amongst the offenses."

 

Does anyone know where Mahaprabhu gave any such instruction to Gopal Bhatta?

 

[Rati]

I am suprised that Bhaktivinode would quote something like that and not give the reference in a footnote. If I run across it, I'll let you know.

[Jagat]

I looked through Bhaktiratnakara, but found no instruction of the sort there. I really can't think where else to look, except Anuraga-valli or Premavilasa, but I don't have copies of those, unfortunately.

[Rati]

I'll have to check to see if I have copies of those. I'll let you know, if I do and something turns up in one of those.

[Rati]

I looked through the suci-patra of Anuraga-valli, but there are no references to the dialogue there. It is quite a few verses, so it will take some time to skim over the whole thing to see if it is there. I'll keep you posted.

[Jagat]

There's definitely a section in Anuraga-valli that talks about Gopal Bhatta and Prabodhananda, near the beginning. If you have the Mrinal Kanti Ghosh edition, check between pages 4 and 7.

[Rati]

Couldn't find it in the first three Chapters (he refers to each chapter as a Manjari). I'll have a look at chapters four through eight later and let you know.

[Rati]

The verse you are referring to on page 4 just says:

grantha-karta nama sri-gopalabhatta koy

prabodhanander sisya taha toi hoy

se prahodhananda va kahar siysa hoy

bhagavaner priya iha janiha niscoy

 

Not that particular quote, however.

 

I saw many references to Gopala Bhatta Goswami all over the place.

 

[This message has been edited by Rati (edited 04-11-2002).]

[gHari]

From the Vedabase Glossary:

GopAla BhaTTa GosvAmI--one of the Six GosvAmIs of VRndAvana, who directly followed Lord SrI Caitanya MahAprabhu and systematically presented His teachings, born at the beginning of the 16th century near SrI RaGgam in South India. He met Lord Caitanya as a child when the Lord stayed with his father, Vyenkata BhaTTa, during the four-month rainy season. On the order of Lord Caitanya he journeyed to VRndAvana to join the other GosvAmIs. While on pilgrimage he obtained twelve zAlagrama-zIlAs. Later, a DAmodara zilA manifested Himself as the beautiful RAdhA-ramaNa Deity, Who is worshiped to this day with great eclat. GopAla BhaTTa assisted SanAtana GosvAmI in his writing.

 

Jagat, I'm not sure if your level of rigor allows you to assume that he never returned to the South or that he continued to live where he was born as a child or even that this glossary is correct, but this was all I could find in the Vedabase.

 

gHari

[Rati]

I searched the remainder of the text, but did not see the reference.

 

Here is a nice verse quoted on page 61:

 

harati sri-krsna-mana krsnahlada-svarupini

ato haretyanenaiva sri-radha parikirttita

 

Perhaps you could translate it for us, Jagat.

 

I see Radha being referred to as of the nature of Krsna's pleasure and the stealer of his mine (or heart?).