Srimad Gopal Bhatta Goswami

Sriyuta Achyutacharan Chaudhuri Mahasaya from Maina, Srihatta, compiled an account of Srimad Gopal Bhatta Goswami Mahadaya's biography and presented it in a fifty-four-page newspaper-size publication. This holy writing was composed based on Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Sri Bhakti-ratrakar, Prema-vilasa, Karnananda and other books. The work turned out quite good. Collecting and compiling biographies of former acharyas in this way will make Vaishnavs happy. The price of this book is four anas.

Achyuta Babu wrote that Gopal Bhatta Goswami was born in 1422 Saka (1500 CE). His father, Venkata Bhatta, hailed from Balangundi, Bengal. After his sacred thread ceremony (upanayana), they travelled to Sri Nilachal to have the darshan of Lord Jagannath. From his early childhood, his games often involved staging various festivals related to the worship of gods. He had a very sharp intellect and naturally strong memory. Very soon he started collecting knowledge. Those who saw Gopal were equally attracted by his beauty and good qualities. When Gopal was eleven years old, Sriman Mahaprabhu travelled to South India. On this occasion, his father invited the Lord to stay at their house during the four months of the rainy season. Mahaprabhu accepted their invitation and stayed at their house. Receiving the darshan of Mahaprabhu’s holy feet, Gopal at once fell at His feet. As he started to serve Mahaprabhu, he was overjoyed. One night, by Mahaprabhu’s mercy, Gopal saw Mahaprabhu’s pastimes in Nabadwip in a dream. At first, he was very happy to behold those pastimes, but when the dream broke, he was very sad, so he came to Mahaprabhu. Mahaprabhu bestowed His mercy and first showed him His form of Shyam (Krishna) and then His golden form (Gaura). Touching Gopal lightly with His lotus hand, the Lord consoled him, removing the confusion caused by a surge of divine love in him.

Mahaprabhu instructed Venkata Bhatta about devotion to Lord Krishna and explained to him that the worship of Lord Krishna is many times higher than the worship of Laksmi-Narayan. When Gopal heard these talks and instructions, he developed pure devotion to Lord Krishna. When chaturmasya finished and Mahaprabhu was going to leave for Rangaksetra, He told Venkata Bhatta to make sure that Gopal became well versed in scriptures. He also gave some guidance to Gopal.

Gopal Bhatta started to study scriptures from his younger paternal uncle, Prabodhananda Saraswati. When he was thirty-one years old (in 1453 Saka; 1531 CE), Gopal Bhatta Goswami travelled to Vrindavan. There, Sri Rupa Goswami met him with much affection. He stayed in Vrindavan for a while, and after completing Sri Sanatan Goswami’s Hari-bhakti-vilasa, started to preach the teachings presented in this holy book. He composed a commentary to Krishna-karnamrita. He also rendered much help when the Six Sandarbhas were being compiled, a well-known fact that Achyuta Babu did not write about. After accepting Gopinath as his disciple, Gopal Bhatta Goswami went to North India to preach about devotion to Lord Krishna. When he came back, he brought a Damodar sila with him. This sila is now installed in Sri Vrindavan, near the rasa-mandali place. Bestowing mercy on Sri Gopal Bhatta, this sila manifested Himself as a holy deity of Sri Radha-Raman in 1464 Saka (1542 CE). The Deity is sixteen-angul (about twelve-inch) tall. Gopal Bhatta gave charge of Sri Radha-Raman’s service to his disciple, Bhakta Das Pujari. Gopal Bhatta could see Sri Gauranga-chandra in this holy Deity. In his article, Achyuta Babu also wrote about a devotee called Harivamsa.

Achyuta Babu wrote that in 1468 Saka (1546 CE), Sri Chaitanya Das’s son Srinivas came to Sri Vrindavan. Sri Gopal Bhatta mercifully gave him initiation. Srinivas Acharya also received Sri Jiva’s mercy. He studied scriptures from him and thereby received the title of a preacher of Vaishnavism. Blessing him, the goswamis sent Srinivas Acharya to preach in Bengal the scriptures they had composed. Srinivas Acharya received Sriman Mahaprabhu’s preaching power from the Lord. Acharya Prabhu showed very much zeal in spreading all over Bengal the pure bhakti-yoga preached by the goswamis and thereby purified the entire land. What doubt can there be about it? Particularly, Gaudiya Vaishnavs became eternally indebted to him for peaching the manoharasahi kirtan [a particular style of kirtan]. People would say that Acharya Prabhu was Sriman Mahaprabhu’s second incarnation. To be honest, it is indicated by Sri Narahari Thakur in his book Bhajanamrita why after Sriman Mahaprabhu left Gauda, the whole land of Gauda became enveloped in darkness. When the pure Vaishnavism that was preached by Mahaprabhu had been virtually obliterated due to a lack of genuine spiritual teachers, at that time Sri Acharya Prabhu, Thakur Narottam and Shyamananda came and again started to preach in a pure way. Therefore, we are not shy to call Acharya Prabhu Mahaprabhu’s second incarnation. By the mercy of Srinivas Acharya Prabhu, the supreme transcendental parakiya-rasa of the Lord is being discussed in the holy land of Gauda to this day. If Acharya Prabhu had not come, there would be only dry practice of Buddhist devotion preached in Bengal in the name of Mahaprabhu’s teachings. Nobody would even know about the transcendental spontaneous loving devotion in chaste submission to the residents of Vraja. We are only saddened that Acharya Prabhu was so busy with kirtan that he did not leave a single composed Sanskrit book on devotion. Anyhow, considering the extent of mercy Acharya Prabhu showered on Bengal, if Mahaprabhu’s associates disappear, there is nobody who can manifest that kind of mercy again.

According to Achyuta Babu, Sri Gopal Bhatta disappeared in 1509-1510 Saka (1587-1588 CE). He disputed the year given in Charitamrita, so we cannot feel pleased with that.

Anyhow, Achyuta Babu is a learned man. If he can compile biographies of other great souls in this way, we will be particularly happy.

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