The following is a transcription of a discourse delivered by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja in Mathurā, India on October 23, 1996
(Although this class was given on Padmanābha Gaura Dvādaśī, which is the tirobhāva–tithi (disappearance day) of Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, and Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja was incorrectly informed that it was the tirobhāva–tithi of Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī instead of Śrīla Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, and thus he spoke about Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī’s glories first)
First let us glorify Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. During Cāturmāsya-vrata Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to South India, to the Raṅganāthajī temple. He began to dance and perform kīrtana there, and all were attracted. The members of a very holy family met Him there, and they requested Him, “Please stay at our residence for these four months of Cāturmāsya, and after that, You can go anywhere else.”
Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted their invitation and thus stayed for four months in the separate room they had arranged for Him on the bank of the Kāverī River. The head of the family was Trimalla Bhaṭṭa, and he had two younger brothers, named Prabhodānanda Sarasvatī and Veṅkata Bhaṭṭa, who was the father of Gopāla Bhaṭṭa. The three brothers had taken initiation in the line of Śrī Rāmānuja in the Śrī sampradāya, and they were known throughout South India to be very learned persons.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu performed kīrtana at the home of Veṅkata Bhaṭṭa and also spoke hari-kathā to the family members, and in one month, they were all totally changed. At first, they were worshippers of Lakṣmī and Nārāyaṇa, but by the association of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they became Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, worshippers of the divine couple Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. The history is so long – how he and his family became Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas.
This boy, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa, served Caitanya Mahāprabhu in many ways during Mahāprabhu’s visit. When Mahāprabhu would go to take a bath in that sacred Kāverī River, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa used to go with Him, holding His cloth, ḍor and kaupīna. Then, after Mahāprabhu took a bath and returned to His residence, Gopāla used to take His wet clothes to clean and dry. He would cook for Mahāprabhu and render many other services. He served day and night, and Mahāprabhu became so pleased with him.
Gopāla Bhaṭṭa was not only an excellent servant of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, but he was also a vastly learned person because he had been taught by his uncle, Prabhodānanda Sarasvatī, who was one of the greatest learned persons of his time. Prabhodānanda Sarasvatī knew all the Vedas, Upaniṣads, Vedānta-sūtra, and especially Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and he had written many books. Moreover, Caitanya Mahāprabhu had made him a great rasika Vaiṣṇava (a self-realized soul and taster of transcendental mellows). Thus he was able to write books like Śrī Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhi, a brilliant jewel-book.
On His journey in South India, Caitanya Mahāprabhu discovered the books Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta and Brahma-saṁhitā. But then there was a third book, which became so prominent that our disciplic ācāryas have regularly referred to its Sanskrit verses. Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta is somewhat inclined towards Kṛṣṇa, and it shows that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Still, Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhi is more rasika (with relation to the mellows of mādhurya-rasa, or transcendental amorous love), wherein Prabhodānanda Sarasvatī prays to Rādhikā as the master of Kṛṣṇa.
Kṛṣṇa always wants to serve Śrīmatī Rādhikā, and Prabhodānanda Sarasvatī also prays to be Her dāsī. This is the highest topic of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, and Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa took his view –‘rādhā-dāsī‘ and not anything else – they want that Kṛṣṇa should serve Śrīmatī Rādhikā.
We see in rāsa-līlā in Vṛndāvana that the gopīs are all weeping, rolling on the earth, always searching for Kṛṣṇa, “O Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, where are You? Without You, we will die.” On the other hand, Prabhodānanda Sarasvatī has written in Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhi, “Why should the gopīs cry and weep for Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa should weep, rolling down on the earth and lamenting, ‘O Śrīmatī Rādhikā, where are You? I’m dying without You.’ Kṛṣṇa should search here and there, in all groves and mountains. He should desire to meet with Rādhikā and take Her foot-dust.” This is the highest topic given by our Gosvāmīs in their books, especially in Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
Gopāla Bhaṭṭa learned all these topics from Prabhodānanda Sarasvatī, and therefore Prabhodānanda Sarasvatī is his guru-pada-padma (guru). You can imagine how attractive, rasika, bhāvuka (full of transcendental emotions) and learned Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī was.
After Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu left Śrī Raṅgam, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa became mad to meet with Him and to serve Him. But Mahāprabhu told him, “You should serve your father because he’s not only your father but also your guru.” [All three brothers were ācāryas in the Rāmānuja sampradāya, all three greatly learned, and all three trained Gopāla Bhaṭṭa. Thus, his father was his śikṣā-guru. -ed] You should serve him, but after that, you should come to your elder brothers Rūpa and Raghunātha in Vṛndāvana and remain with them.
After the disappearance of Veṅkata Bhaṭṭa, Prabhodānanda Sarasvatī left his home and came to Vṛndāvana. He lived in Kāmyavana and all the twelve forests of Vṛndāvana; in a separation mood, he used to call out, “O, where is Śrīmatī Rādhikā? Lalitā, Viśākhā, where are you?” He was always weeping and rolling down on the earth.
So Gopāla Bhaṭṭa thought about where he should live and how to attain Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s lotus feet. So he also left. He wanted to go to Purī, but he could not go because Mahāprabhu had ordered him to stay home and look after his parents, and after they left their bodies, he should go to Vṛndāvana – to the lotus feet of Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmīpāda and Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmīpāda.
He was now inquiring how to reach Vṛndāvana. On his journey, he went to the Himālayas, where the Gomatī River flows. As he was bathing in the river, he saw a large śālagrāma following him. It was automatically coming, and it seemed to tell him, “I will take your service. Please serve Me.” He, therefore, picked up that śālagrāma in his arms, sometimes keeping Him on his head, sometimes on his eyes, and sometimes on his heart. He took the śālagrāma to Vṛndāvana, where he met Rūpa and Sanātana. Rūpa and Sanātana now embraced this very pure rasika Vaiṣṇava, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī.
In the meantime, Caitanya Mahāprabhu disappeared from this world. [To read more about Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī’s separation feelings for Mahāprabhu, you may like to read the book Bhakti-ratnākara -ed]
In Vṛndāvana, one day, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī went to Rādhā-ramaṇa-gherā, near Sevā-kuñja in the area of Nidhuvana – a very sacred and very secret place of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. He began to think, “How can I serve this śālagrāma?” He wanted to see the Lord’s eyes, face, arms, three-fold-bending form, and lotus feet. He wanted to decorate Him during Jhulana (the swing festival).
During the night, he was so worried, thinking, “How can I serve Him? If He had a beautiful three-folding form and a smiling face with a flute, this would be very good for rendering service to Him.” Then, at midnight, the śālagrāma spoke to him, “O Gopāla Bhaṭṭa, just see how beautiful I am.”
Gopāla Bhaṭṭa got up, went to the Deity, and saw, “O how beautiful! Rādhā-ramaṇa!” He had the face of Govindajī, the chest of Gopīnatha, and the feet of Madana-Mohana. So, Govinda, Gopīnatha and Madana Mohana appeared in Him – three in one, in Rādhā-ramaṇa. Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī was so delighted to see this. He called all the Gosvāmīs, who became amazed, thinking how glorious his bhakti was that the śālagrāma had changed into Rādhā-ramaṇa.
You can imagine what a first-class Vaiṣṇava he was. He was not only a Vaiṣṇava but very dear and near to the Divine Couple Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. He is Guṇa Mañjarī in Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. By his prayers, the śālagrāma became Rādhā-ramaṇa.
He was not only a bhāvuka and rasika-bhakta; as I mentioned, he was vastly learned. He had all the Vedas and all the scriptures of Rāmānuja in his throat (because, previous to his hearing from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in his youth, he was a follower of the Rāmānuja sampradāya and had been well trained by his father and uncles).
Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī told him some rules and regulations according to Vaiṣṇava etiquette by which one can become eligible to worship Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa (or any viṣṇu-tattva Deity) – how to take sannyāsa, how to take dīkṣā, how to take mantra, what are the qualifications of a disciple, and what are the qualifications of a guru. It is not that everyone can be a guru; neither can everyone be a disciple. Only those who are detached from worldly desires and sense gratification, those who are learned in all the Vedas and Vaiṣṇava scriptures, and those who have some realization of service to both Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa can be gurus, regardless of caste or creed.
kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, śūdra kene naya
yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei ‘guru’ haya
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā (8.128)
[“Whether one is a brāhmaṇa, a sannyāsī or a śūdra — regardless of what he is — he can become a spiritual master if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa.”]
If anyone knows kṛṣṇa-tattva, the science of Kṛṣṇa, he is a guru. Those who know who Kṛṣṇa is, who Śrīmatī Rādhikā is, who they themselves are, what is the service of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa – and who is loving Them, performing prema-sevā, not only worship, they are [called] gurudeva. Those who are doing not less than one lakh (64 rounds) of harināma daily and who have controlled Kṛṣṇa in their hearts – are gurus. Those who can take Kṛṣṇa and place Him in the disciples’ hearts are gurus. So, you can imagine the glorious symptoms of a bona-fide guru. If any person has a guru like this, he is so lucky.
We are lucky that we are direct disciples of our gurujī, who was a direct disciple of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. Also, those who are disciples of Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja are so lucky. To have a qualified guru is a great fortune.
Gopāla Bhaṭṭa wrote a book with all such directives, and it was called Hari-bhakti-vilāsa. The title of this book has a very beautiful, wonderful meaning: Hari-bhakti-vilāsa. In the full bloom of youth, Kṛṣṇa is always relishing prema. He is always enjoying loving pastimes (vilāsa). Hari-bhakti-vilāsa. Hari means Kṛṣṇa, who takes the heart of Śrīmatī Rādhikā, and He is Hari who is always dancing and singing in the hearts of Śrīmatī Rādhikā and the gopīs. He is Hari.
At first, Sanātana Gosvāmī gave him some points, based on which he collected all the proofs of scriptures such as the Purāṇas, nigamas, and āgamas and presented his manuscripts to Sanātana Gosvāmī. Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī guided him in selecting those scriptural references that were in accordance with Mahāprabhu’s teachings. Then Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī further refined his work and compiled Hari-bhakti-vilāsa.
Some people are in doubt whether this book was written by Sanātana Gosvāmī or by Gopāla Bhaṭṭa. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu manifested this book in both their hearts. He gave them both the inspiration to write it. In this way, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī wrote Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, Sat-kriyā-sāra-dīpikā (A Lamplight on the Essence of Rituals to be Performed by Devotees), and assisted in the publication of Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī’s Ṣaṭ-sandarbhas. [He also wrote a commentary on Śrīla Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura’s Śrī Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta]
We should follow his guidelines on establishing temples, installing Deities, and giving dīkṣā and mantras. The various aspects of initiation are not actually called ‘first initiation,’ ‘second initiation,’ and ‘third initiation.’ There is only one initiation – which comes first as harināma and then as dīkṣā. Out of his causeless mercy, Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja has made ‘easy grammar’ for this, and therefore, he gave the nomenclatures ‘first initiation,’ etc. The process of dīkṣā is given to make one’s harināma more bona fide.
Dīkṣā (named ‘second initiation’) is essential. Some persons think that dīkṣā is superior to harināma, the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, but you should know that harināma is superior.
ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ
śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam
ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ
sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam
Śikṣāṣṭaka (1)
[“Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.”]
“Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam.” The holy name is Kṛṣṇa Himself. By the dīkṣā-mantras, one develops detachment from the world; this mantra cuts attachment from the world. This mantra also manifests one’s relationship with Kṛṣṇa. For this reason, gurudeva gives his disciple harināma and then dīkṣā, which enables the disciple to chant the holy names with a relation to Kṛṣṇa and Śrīmatī Rādhikā. The disciple’s holy name chanting then becomes so pure and finally manifests as Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Conjugal, the divine couple.
All these activities and principles have been taught in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa and also in Sat-kriyā-sāra-dīpikā.
Anyone who is taking shelter of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and pure Vaiṣṇavas should not worship demigods. Rather, they should worship and serve Rūpa and Sanātana, Yamunā, Govardhana, Rādhā- kuṇḍa, Śyāma-kuṇḍa, Vṛndā-devī, Lalitā, Viśākhā, and others of their calibre. They should avoid even the worship of Rukmiṇī-ramaṇa, Satyabhāmā-ramaṇa, and Mathureśa Kṛṣṇa; otherwise, they will not develop the qualification to enter Vṛndāvana. Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī has explained how to follow all these principles.
Marriage ceremonies should be performed according to Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī’s Sat-kriyā-sāra-dīpikā – not worshipping Gaṇeśa and other such deities. His book also explains everything regarding how a departed Vaiṣṇava sannyāsī should be given samādhi, and he also clearly explained the ten saṁskāras (reformatory processes).
We are very fortunate to be in the line of Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. We are indebted to him, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī and Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.
Source: Purebhakti.com
Image(s) made possible by Pixabay.com, Krishnapath.org and/or Bhaktiart.net
Unless indicated differently, all verse translations and quotes are from the books by Śrīla Prabhupāda (Vedabase.com)