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Sanatana Goswami (Longer Biography Part - 2)

Sanatana Goswami and Madana Mohan

The Bhakti-Ratnakara describes how Sanatana began the worship of his Madana-Mohan deity. Among Mahaprabhu's orders to Sanatana was his instruction to establish the worship of the Deity of Krishna. The Bhakti Ratnakara how Shri Sanantana Goswami, when he was staying in Vrindavan, began the worship of Shri Madana-Mohan, also known as Madana Mohana. In Mahavana, nearby Krishna's birthplace in Vrindavana, Sanatana Goswami made a hut of grass. There he would perform his daily bhajan. One day, as he went out begging, he came to a small village on the banks of the Yamuna. At that time Madana Mohana Dev was playing on the side of the river with some small gopa boys. When he saw Santana, he cried out, "O Father! Baba!" With this, he came running after Santana Goswami and grabbed hold of his hand, saying, "Take me with you. I want to go with you."

"Little boy, why do you want to go with me?"

"I want to stay with you."

"If you stay with me, what will you eat?"

"What do you eat?"

"Only some dry chapatis and coarse rice."

"Then I will also eat that, Baba."

"Even if you could eat like that, you can't stay with me. You must stay with your mother and father."

"But, Baba! I want to stay with you."

Making the boy understand his wishes, Sanatana sent him home, and then continued his begging rounds.

That night, the boy appeared to him in a dream. In the dream, the boy was laughing again and again. He took hold of Sanatana's hand and told him, "Baba! My name is Madana Mohana. Tomorrow I shall come to you." Saying this, Madana Mohana disappeared, and with this Sanatana awoke. He was so overcome by ecstasy that he felt as if his soul had been stolen from his body. He thought, "What have I seen? I have never seen such a beautiful boy. His mind was filled with remembrance of Shri Hari. When he opened the door to his kutir, he found that standing in the doorway was a wonderful murti of Shri Madana Mohanaa. That deity was so beautiful that it filled the four directions with its effulgence.

Sanatana Goswami was stunned for some time, but after a while, he came to his senses, and at that time, his eyes filled with tears of ecstasy which gradually wet the earth beneath him. After this, he began the worship of the deity by performing an abhisheka ceremony. When Rupa Goswami saw that wonderful deity, he was filled with prema.

Shri Sanatana used to serve that deity in his own humble grass hut. Shri Rupa Goswami sent word of these auspicious events to Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Jagannatha Puri by messenger.

After begging all day, Shri Sanatana Goswami would return to his grass hut in the evening and offer some dry chapatis to his deity, Madana-Gopala. Sometimes he would also prepare some shak or other vegetables to go with it. In any case, he would never prepare any vegetables with oil or salt. Most of the time he could only offer chapatis. As a result, Sanatana would become sorrowful, thinking himself unfit to properly worship the deity. But he couldn't afford it, because Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had given him a service: to compose devotional scriptures. At the same time he had to spend all day collecting alms. When could he find the time to go out and beg for oil and salt? Shri Sanatana Goswami's mind was filled with grief. As Paramatma, the Lord knew Sanatana's mind. Madana Mohanaa thought to himself, "I am eating dry chapatis, and Sanatana's mind is very unhappy as a result. He wants to serve me in royal style. As a result he feels that his service is of no use.

At that time there was a wealthy merchant of the kshatriya caste named Shri Krishna Das Kapoor. He was on his way to Mathura to do some business. He was coming down the Yamuna in a big boat. When his boat became stuck on a sandbar, and he could see no way to continue, he began to think "What can we do now?" At that time Krishna das Kapoor heard from the local people that there was a big sadhu living in Vrindavan who could help. His name was Sanatana Goswami. When Krishna Dasa Kapoor came to see him, Sanatana was sitting in his hut, writing, wearing only a loincloth, his body lean from austerity and renunciation. Sanatana offered his visitor a grass mat as a seat, and touching Krishna das Kapoor with his hand, bade him sit. At this, Krishna Das Kapoor said, "Baba! give me your mercy."

Sanatana said, "I am only a beggar. What kind of mercy can I give you?"

"I only pray for your blessings. My boat is stuck on a sandbar in the Yamuna river and I can see no way to free it."

"I know nothing about it. Explain it all to Madana Mohana."

Krishna Das Kapoor offered his dandavats before the Madana Mohana deity and said, "O Madana Mohana dev! If you give me your mercy and free my boat, then whatever profit I make from this business I will give it to you for your seva."

With this prayer, Kapoor asked permission to leave. That day a big storm came and rain poured from the heavens, raising the level of the Yamuna's waters. As the waters grew higher and higher, Kapoor's boat was freed from the sandbar and began making its way down the Yamuna. Krishna das Kapoor could understand that this was all the mercy of Madana Mohana. He had made a handsome profit on his cargo, and donated it all to build a lavish temple for Shri Madana Mohana, including a bhogashala where first-class edibles could be stored for the pleasure of the Lord. From that time on, Madana Mohana was served in royal style. Seeing this royal service of Madana Mohana, Sanatana Goswami became very happy. Soon after this, Sanatana Goswami accepted Krishna das Kapoor as his disciple and gave him initiation. The Madana Mohan temple still stands today, and is an important place of pilgrimage for all Gaudiya Vaishnavas.

In discussing the importance of the Madana Mohan Deity, Bhaktivedanta Swami writes, "Srila Sanatana Goswami is the ideal spiritual master, for he delivers one the shelter of the lotsu feet of Madana Mohana. Even though one may be unable to travel on the field of Vrindavan due to forgetfulness of his relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he can get an adquate opportuinty to stay in Vrindavana and dreive all spiritual benefits by the mercy of Sanatana Goswami." Similarly, Krishna das Kaviraj Goswami prays, "jayatam suratau pangor, mama manda-mater gati, mat-sarvasva-padambhojau, radha-madana-mohanau": Glory to the all merciful Radha-Madana-Mohana! I am lame and ill-advised, yet they are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me." Kaviraja Goswami also says, "These three Deities of Vrindavan [Madana-mohana, the Deity of Sanatana Goswami, Govinda, the deity of Rupa Goswami, and Gopinatha, the Deity of Raghunataha Das Goswami] have absorbed the heart and soul of the Gaudiya Vaishanvas, [followers of Lord Chaitanya]. I worship their lotus feet, for they are the Lods of my heart." (CC AL 1.19) Translating the commentary of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada, Sri Bhaktivedanta Swami writes: "The author of Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita offers his respectful obeisances unto the three Deities of Vrindavan named Shri Radha-madana-Mohana, Shri Radha-Govinda-deva, and Shri Radha-Gopinathaji. These three Deities are the life and sol of the Bengali Vaishanvas, or Gaudiya Vaishanvas, who have a natural aptitude for residing in Vrindavana. The Gaudiya Vaishnavas who follow strictly in the line of Shri Chaitanya Mahrapabhu worhsip the Divinity by chanting transcendental sounds meant to develop a sense of one's transcendental relationship wit the Supreme Lord, a reciprocation of mellows (rasas) of mutual affection, and ultimately, the achievement of the desired success in loving service. These three Deities are worshiped in three different stages of one's development. The followers of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu scrupulously follow these principles of approach.

"Gaudiya Vaishanvas perceive the ultimate objective in Vedic hymns composed of eighteen transcendental letters that adore Krishna as Madana-mohan, Govinda, and Gopijanavallabha. Madana-mohana is He who charms Cupid, the god of love, Govinda is He who pleases the senses and the cows, and Gopijanavallbhais the transcendental lover of the gopis. Krishna Himself is called Madana-mohana, Govinda, Gopijanavallbha and countless other names as He plays in His different pastimes with His devotees.

"The three Deities—MadanaMohana, Govinda, andGopijanavallabha—have very specific qualities. Worhsip of Madana-mohana is on the platform of reestablishing our forgotten relationship wioth the Personality of Godhead. In the beginning of our spiritual life we must worship Madana-mohana so that He may attract us and nullify our attachment for material sense gratification. This relationship with Madana-mohana is necessary for neophyte devotees. When one wishes to render service to the Lord with strong attachment, one then worships Govinda on the platform of transcendental service. Govinda is the reservoir of all pleasures. When by the grace of Krishna and the other devotees one reaches perfeciton in devotional service, he can appreciate Krishna as Gopijanavallabha [Gopinatha], the pleasure Deity of the damsels of Vraja.

"Lord Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu explained this mode of devotional service in three stages, and therefore these worshipable Deities were installed in Vrindavan by different Goswamis. They are very dear to the Gaudiya Vaishnavas there, who visit the temples at least once a day."

Bhaktivedanta Swami gives further understanding on this subject in his introduction to the Chaitanya Charitamrita: "In Chaitanya Charitamrita, Krishnadas first offers his obeisances to Madana-mohan vigraha [Santana Goswami's Deity], the Deity who can help us progress in Krishna consciousness. In the execution of Krishna consciousness, our first business is to know Krishna and our relationship with Him. To know Krishna is to know one's self and to know one's self is to know one's relationship with Him. Since this relationship can be learned by worhsiping Madana-mohana-vigraha, Krishnadas Kaviraj first establishes his relationship with HIm.

"When this is established, Krishnadas begins to worship the functional Deity, Govinda [Rupa Goswami's Deity]. ..Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami maintains that the Radha and Krishna Deities [Radha-Govinda] show us how to serve Radha and Krishna. The madana-mohana Deities simply establish that "I am your eternal servant." With Govinda, however, there is actual acceptance of service, and therefore he is called the functional Deity. The Gopinatha Deity is Krishna as master and proprietor of the gopis. He attracted all the gopis or cowherd girls by the sound of his flute, and when they came, he dance with them... Krishna is therefore called Gopinatha because He is the beloved master of the gopis."

This progression—Krishna or Madana-Mohana, Radha-Govinda, Radha-Gopinatha—is also found in the three key words of the eighteen syllable Krishna gayatri. This is explained in Jiva Goswami's remarks on the Gayatri mantram, found in his commentary on the Brahma-Samhita which is translated by Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura. There, Jiva Gosami explains that the mantram has six elements, and that "Krishnaysa," in the mantram refers to Krishna-svarupa, or in Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's language, "the proper self of Krishna." [Madana-Mohana]. The second element in the mantram, or the second aspect of Krishan to be revealed [Govinda] is "krishnasya chinmaya vraja-lila-avilasa-svarupa": "the true nature of Krishna's pastimes in Vrindavana. The third aspect of Krishna is Gopijanavallabha, [Gopinatha] Krishna who is dear to the gopis.

It is therefore said that in the mantram "Klim Krishnaya, Govindaya, Gopijanavallabhaya, etc..." "Krishnaya" is Madana-Mohana, the first object of worship represented in sambandha-jnana, whose acharya is Shri Sanatana Goswami. "Govindaya" is the Lord who is surrounded by his intimate serving group. Because Govinda accepts one's service, He is the deity of abidheya-tattva, whose acharya is Rupa Goswami. "Gopijanavallabhaya" in the mantram refers to Gopinatha, the master of the great rasa dance in which all the gopis take part. This represents the ultimate goal, or prayojana, whose acharya is Raghunatha das Goswami. Raghunatha das Goswami, the acharya of the highest goal of life, accepts the lotus feet of Shri Rupa (the abidheaya acharya) as his highest aspiration and thus shows us the path to the highest goal. Rupa Goswami in his turn always offers his respects to Sanatana Goswami (the sambandha acharya), whom he considered to be his spiritual master.

In his commentary on the talks betwen Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Ramananda Raya, Bhaktivinoda Thakura elaborates further on this theme. Bhaktividanta Swami translates his commentary as follows: "In the mantra: klim kamadevaya vidmahe pushpabanaya dhimahi tan no nangah prachodayat, Krishna is called Kamadeva or Madana-mohana, the Deity who establishes our relationship with Krishna. Govinda, or pushpa-bana, who carries an arrow made of flowers, is the Personality of Godhead who accepts our devotional service. Ananaga or Gopijanavallabha, satisfies all the gopis and is the ultimate goal of life." Bhaktivinoda Thakura, in his Anubhashya commentary on Chaitanya Charitamrita, further explains this version on the basis of Jiva Goswami's comments on the Brahma-samhita verse: atha venuninadasya trayimurtimayi gatih, sphuranti praviveshashu mukhabjani sarojajah. This verse describes how the flutesong of Shri Krishna was heard by Brahma as the Gayatri mantram. Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura translates "trayimurti gatih" to mean that the gayatri is "the mother of the three Vedas." Bhaktivinoda explains that in this verse, the words "trayimurti gatih" means that the sound emanating from the flutesong of Shri Krishna, or Gayatri is the basis of sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana. He says that "trimurtimayi" also indicates the three murtis Madana-mohana, Govinda, and Gopinatha. Upon hearing this sound, Brahma became initiated as a twice-born, and became acquainted with the ocean of truth (sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana), after which he uttered the famous "Govinda" prayers beginning with "chintamani prakara-sadmasu." Bhaktivinoda Thakura supports this view by quoting at length from Brahma-Samhita, Jiva Goswami's commentary, Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakrua, and the Gopal Tappani Upanishad, which all corroborate the above version.

It is clear from the above that Sanatana Goswami occupies a special position in the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya. He is the acharya of sambandha-jnana, or knowledge of our proper devotional relationship with Krishna. Moreover his deity, Madana-mohan, helps us to overcome the influence of the senses and fix our minds in devotional service. Sanatana Goswami's literatures are a storehouse of nectar. His personal example of humility is beyond description. He is an intimate associate of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Radha-Krishna, and the guru of Shrila Rupa Goswami. Let us all pray for the shelter of his lotus feet.

Radharani Appears to Shri Sanatana

In Bhakti-Ratnakara, it is written that one day Sanatana Goswami went to Radha-Kunda to see Shri Rupa and Shri Raghunataha Dasa Goswami. When they saw Sanatana approaching, they rose to offer him respect, and then offered him a seat. With this, the three of them began an ishta-gosthi, a discussion about Krishna. Shri Rupa Goswami had written a Stotram to Radharani called "Chatu-Pushpanjali"—an offering of four flowers. Shri Sanatana Goswami read the verses, and was struck by one in particular:

navagorochana gauri, pravarendi varamvaram,

manistavaka-vidyoti-veni-vyalangana-phanam

"O Vrindabaneshvari! I offer my respects unto you. Because your complexion is like newly molten gold, you are known as Gaurangi. Your dress is beautiful like that of a blue lotus. Your long braid of hair resembles a black serpent decorated with jewels." When Sanatana saw the line, "Your braided hair resembles a black serpent..." he thought about this comparison and said, "Is this a logical or reasonable metaphor? To compare Radharani's hair to a serpent?"

That afternoon Shri Sanatana went to Radha Kunda to take his bath. After offering different reverential prayers to the Radha Kunda, he took his bath there. At that time, a little distance from the Kunda, he could see some gopi boysa dn girls playing, at the foot of some trees. As he glanced in their direction, he could just make out that right behind the head of one of the girls was what might have been a long, black, dangling braid, but looked to Sanatana Goswami much more like a deadly snake, swaying back and forth as if ready to strike. At that time he called out, "O young girl! Be careful: there is a snake creeping up on your back!" The young girl, caught up in the joy of her playing, took no notice. Apparently she couldn't hear him. Thereupon he went running up to her and saw that the girl was none other than Shri Radha Thakurani. When the gopas and gopis saw him, they burst out laughing. They laughed and laughed for some time without stopping. Shri Sanatana Goswami was struck dumb. After this, he could understand the logic of Shri Rupa Goswami's metaphor.

Krishna Brings Milk

The Bhakti Ratnakara records how once Shri Sanatana Goswami was alone in the forest on the banks of the Pavana Sarovara performing his bhajan in a secluded place. He had been fasting from food and drink. As he is the supersoul in all living beings, the Lord could understand everything. He thought, "My devotee is starving. I cannot tolerate this." In the dress of a gopa, Krishna entered the forest where Sanatana was staying, carrying a pot of milk. He came before Sanatana and said, "Baba! I have brought you some milk."

Sanatana said, "Why have you brought me milk?"

"You are not eating properly, that's why."

"How did you know that I am not eating anything?"

"Many gopas have come and gone by here. They told me you have not been eating."

"Why didn't they come?"

"They have much work at home, so they sent me."

"You are such a little boy, by have you taken so much trouble for me?"

"No, no, father. It is no trouble at all."

Taking the pot of milk, Sanatana said, "Sit down, little boy. I will finish the milk and give you back your pot."

"No baba. I cannot sit with you. I have to milk the cows. I will come and fetch the pot tomorrow." Saying this, the boy vanished, and Shri Sanatana became speechless. He could understand that all this was the work of Krishna. He began to drown in the tears that poured from his eyes as he drank the milk. From that day on he ate by practicing madhukari, or only accepting a tiny bit from many different residents of Vrindavan. Gradually the residents of Vrindavan built him a kutir so that he could stay there.

Accepting Service from Shri Radha

One day Shri Rupa Goswami wanted to prepare some sweet rice for Sanatana Goswami, but didn't have the necessary provisions for making sweet rice in his kutir. At that time, she who brings about the fulfillment of the inner aspiration of devotees, Shrimati Radha Thakurani, could understand everything. And so, in the dress of a young gopi girl she brought milk, rice, and sugar to Rupa Goswami, saying, "Swamiji! Swamiji! I have brought you a gift of uncooked rice. Please accept it. Hearing the words of the young girl, Shri Rupa Goswami opened the door to his hut and looked out. There he saw a beautiful young gopi maiden with some offerings of food. Rupa Goswami said, "Little girl! Whay have you come here?"

"Swamiji! I have only brought you some simple uncooked food."

"Why have you taken such trouble for me?"

"Baba! What trouble? I have only come to render a humble service to a saintly person."

Accepting the offering of milk, sugar and uncooked rice, Rupa Goswami said, "Young girl please take your seat, while I put these things away." The girl said, "I'm sorry, but I have some work to do." Saying this, the girl disappeared. When Rupa Goswami turned around and saw that she had gone, he was very bewildered by all this. At length, he prepared the sweet rice and offered the bhoga to his deity, Govindadeva. After some time, he gave the prasada to Sanatana Goswami, who had just arrived. While honoring prasada, Sanatana Goswami experienced an unusual and enchanting kind of joy. He asked Shri Rupa, "Where did you get this milk and rice from?" Rupa Goswami said, "A young gopi girl came by and gave it to me." Sanatana said, "A young girl just came by all of a sudden and gave you this milk and rice?" Rupa Goswami replied, "Yes, she just came by all of a sudden. The strange thing is, I was just thinking, 'how can I make some sweet rice for Sanatana,' and she just appeared, as if by magic, with this milk and rice and some sugar." hearing this, tears of prema began falling from the eyes of Sanatana Goswami. He said, "Can't you recognize something when it is right before your eyes? It was Shri Radha Thakurani Herself who has brought you milk and rice. By accepting service from Her we are ruined. Now we shall never attain our desired goal." And in this way, Sanatana Goswami continually condemned himself again and again for having accepted service from that person whom he most aspired to serve: Shri Radha Thakurani. This pastime of Shri Sanatana Goswami is recorded in the Bhakti Ratnakara.

The Bhakti-Ratnakara also records how, every day, Shri Sanatana Goswami would make the four mile pilgrimage around Govardhan hill, but because of his old age this was very troublesome. Still, he did not want to break his religious principles by not circumambulating Govardhan hill. And so he would suffer great physical hardship while circumambulating Govardhan. The Lord knows everything and thus could understand the pain his devotee Sanatana was experiencing. He decided to do something about this. One day, a little gopa boy came to Sanatana and said, "Baba! You are old. Don't go to such trouble to walk around Govardhan hill. Sanatan said, "This one of the regular principles of my bhajan—I must maintain it." The boy said, "Since you are old, you may give now up this rule." Sanatana said, "I will never give up my religious principles." Krishna then told him, "Baba! Won't you honor my words?" Sanatana said, "If it is honorable, then I shall honor it." At that time Krishna presented Sanatana Goswami with a shila, a stone, bearing the meark of his own lotus feet, and said: "This is Govardhan-shila, a piece of stone from Govardhan itself." Sanatana said, "What shall I do with it?" Shri Krishna said, "If you circumambulate this Govardhan-shila, your vow of walking all the way around Govardhan hill every day will remain intact, for by circumambulating this, you cirucmumbulate Govardhan Hill. You will thereby get the same result, keep your vow intact, and not compromise your religious principles." Shri Sanatan Goswami was silenced. He could understand that Giriraja himself had given him this shila. From that day forward, he used to circumambulate the Govardhan-shila marked with the divine marks of the lotus feet of Shri Krishna.

Following the orders of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Shri Rupa and Shri Sanatana Goswami did not climb Govardhana hill because they considered it nondifferent from Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. On some pretext, the Gopal deity granted Shri Chaitanya mahaprabhu an audience beneath the hill, and Gopala similarly favored Shrila Rupa and Sanatana Goswami. During his ripe old age, when Rupa Goswami could not go to Govadhana Hill because of invlaidity, Gopala kindly went to Mathura and remained at the temple of Viththaleshavara for one month. It was then that Shrila Rupa Goswami could see Gopala's beauty to his heart's content.

The activites of Shrila Rupa and Sanatana Goswami while they resided in Vrindavan are described by Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami in the Chaitanya Charitamrita (CC ML 19.128—132) as follows: "The brothers actually have no fixed residence. They reside beneath trees—one night under one tree and the next night under another. Shrila Rupa and Sanatana Goswami beg a little food from the houses of brahmanas. giving up all kinds o material enjoyment, they only take some dry bread and fried chick-peas. They carry only wterpots, and they wear torn quilts. They always chant the holy names of Krishna and discuss his pastimes. In great jubilation, they also dance. They engage almost twenty-four hours daily in rendering service to the Lord. They usually sleep only an hour and a half, and some days, when they continuously chant the Lord's holy name, they do not sleep at all. Sometimes they write transcendental literatures about devotional service, and sometimes they hear about Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and spend their time thinking about the Lord. When the personal associates of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would hear of the activities of Rupa and Santana Goswamis, they would say, 'What is wonderful for a person who has been granted the Lord's mercy?'"