Raghunath Das Goswami is the ICKON of the word “SURRENDER”
Raghunath Das Goswami was the first amongst the six Goswamis to have darshan of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Raghunath Das Goswami is from a very, very rich family that we cannot imagine that every year, his father used to pay 12 lac Gold Coins as Tax to the Govt.
From very young age, Raghunath Das Goswami was listening about Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and when Raghunath Das Goswami was 14 years, developed keen love and thirst for Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Raghunath Das Goswami has seen Chaitanya Maha Prabhu but not spoken because he heard that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was having big, beautiful curly hair, but when seen, found that Chaitany Mahaprabhu in Sanyasa Order(shaved head). Though what he assumed the appearance of SRI CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU(Chaitanya Maha Pabhu) and what he saw physically was different, he felt very happy seeing SRI CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU.
After 04 years gap, at the age of 19, Raghunath Das Goswami went to SRI CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU. and fell on his feet to accept him as HIS disciple. Chaitanya Maha Prabhu asked him to go back, do his duties, and not to show Monkey’s Vairagya (Monkey Vairagya is referred because, monkeys pretend to be having vairagya, living without clothes, moving from one tree to other, from one place to other, but always keeps their mind on material life like fighting with other monkeys, enjoying desires with other monkeys, etc.
Raghunath Das Goswami went back to home in despair. And as and when, Raghunath Das Goswami thinks about SRI CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU, Every time Raghunath Das Goswami runs away from his house to see SRI CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU., but his body guards brings him back to the home.
Seeing the vairagya of Raghunath Das Goswami, his parents does marriage to Raghunath Das Goswami, but still Raghunath Das Goswami keeps on running away from home and again bodyguards bringing him back to home.
Raghunath Das Goswami goes to Panighat to see Nityananda Prabhu. Raghunath Das Goswami thinks that he is unqualified to see and meet Nityananda Prabhu. Therefore, he stands far away in a corner place and takes the Darshan of Nityananada Prabhu.
Seeing him in the corner, Nityananda Prabhu calls Raghunath Das Goswami near and addresses him as “You Are a Thief”, come here. Two people dragged Raghunath Das Goswami and brought to Nityananda Prabhu. Everyone is expecting good / big punishment.
To everyone’s surprise, Nityananda Prabhu puts his both legs on Raghunath Das Goswami’s head and blesses him. Nityananda Prabhu addresses him as Thief because Chaitanya Maha Prabhu is the Property of Nityananda Prabhu and without taking the permission of the owner, Raghunath Das Goswami went to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to get SURRENDERED.
Learning from the above incident, is that
- We should always feel unqualified when we go to saints / Mahatmaas
- We should always take the blessings of great exalted Vaishnavas & Mahaatmas before trying to achieve any task or doing any auspicious thing.
The punishment given to Raghunath Das Goswami was to feed everyone with Cheda Dahi (Parched Rice and Curd). Raghunath Das Goswami has very happily accepted the service given to him and made arrangements. People from all corners and villages started coming. There was no place to sit and eat. People went to river, submerged in river half and eating Cheda Dahi, Chanting HARI…HARI….HARI….HARI….
Nityananda Prabhu called SRI CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU. through meditation. But no one could see Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s presence there.
Both Nityananda Prabhu and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu were taking the food from devotees’ plates and feeding each other’s mouth. This shows that Lord is Dasana Dasana Das….he loves to be servant of servant of servant….
Nityananda Prabhu asks all the senior Vaishnavas to give blessings to Raghunath Das Goswami to approach SRI CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU because Krishna is dasana dasana das and he cannot be approached directly without the blessings of HIS devotees….
After this incident, Raghunath Das Goswami was sent back to home.
After two weeks of this incident, Raghunath Das Goswami sacrifices his entire wealth, Apsara like wife and everything to surrender to Sri Chaitanya Maha Prabhu and to escape from the security guards, he takes the jungle route and walked 12 days to reach Puri and after reaching Puri, falls on Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s feet and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu accepts Raghunath Das Goswami.
Raghunath Das Goswami was very happy, though fasting for 12 days because SRI CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU has accepted him as his disciple. (but whereas, we for doing one day Ekadasi fasting, we feel like totally collapsed).
Raghunath Das Goswami was begging for Prasadam at Puri Simha Dwaaram. His father decided that his son even if brought back, will again escape, therefore sent few soldiers and gold coins to his son, but Raghunath Das Goswami rejects.
Thinking if the soldiers go back to Raghunath Das Goswami’s father, he will fire them, therefore, the soldiers remained at Puri, enjoying the wealth sent by his father.
Raghunath Das Goswami used to take some money from his father’s soldiers and used to feed Sri Chaitanya Maha Prabhu monthly twice for two years. But suddenly Raghunath Das Goswami stopped doing that. When SRI CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU inquires as why he stopped doing that, Raghunath Das Goswami replies that if we eat / feed the food / Prasadam earned by Materialistic minded people, we become contaminated.
After few days, Raghunath Das Goswami stops begging at Simha Dwaarama because he does not want the Priests to have a beggar’s darshan at Simha Dwaaram.
Later, Raghunath Das Goswami starts sitting along with beggars in queue and start begging, but he stops that also as sitting along with other beggars will contaminate one’s mind because if someone gives alms, we praise him and if someone doesn’t give, beggars see angrily or at times, even curse.
At last, Raghunath Das Goswami goes and sits at the back side of Simha Dwaarama and eats the contaminated / excess / waste Prasadam thrown in the garbage, washes the Prasadam and eats it.
Seeing this, Sri Chaitanya Maha Prabhu feels very happy, runs and collects prasadam from Raghunath Das Goswami (collected from drainage) and eats.
For this act of Raghunath Das Goswami, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gives Maala from his body and Shila to Raghunath Das Goswami.
This is what Pure Love and Real Surrender means….
After SRI CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU’s departure, Raghunath Das Goswami wants to sacrifice his life and goes to Vrindavan to jump from the Govardhana. Later, he was convinced to propagate Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s leelas.
Later, Raghunath Das Goswami spent 40 years in Vrindavan,by daily doing 1000 times Pranams to Krishna, 2000 times Pranaams to Vaishnaas & Govardana Shila, chanting 64 rounds and taking only 90 Minutes rest.
Raghunath Das Goswami used to prepare Prasadam, offer to God and Eat everything through MIND only (in trans), but not physically.
One day there was news that Raghunath Das Goswami fell sick. Immediately doctor was brought and doctor says he is suffering because of over-eating. No one could believe this because, Raghunath Das Goswami only takes 100ml of butter milk daily and nothing else. But Raghunath Das Goswami prepares, offers and honors Prasaadam mentally (in trans) – which is beyond materialistic people’s imagination.
Raghunath Das Goswami was absorbed in Bhajan at Radha Khund. At the same time, two tigers drink water and goes without doing any harm to Raghunath Das Goswami. Sanatana Goswami witness this, was astonished to see that Lord Sri Krishna Himself guarding Raghunath Das Goswami from the tigers by standing beside Raghunath Das Goswami.
Raghunath Das Goswami used to live and Chant in Radha Kund in Open Air under hot sun– No Kuteer / Hut and Smt.Radharani Herself used to stand beside Raghunath Das Goswami and put the saree above his head to give shade to Raghunath Das Goswami and sweating herself.
When Swarupa Goswami said that because of Raghunath Das Goswami, Krishna & Radharani are made to suffer to stand under the hot sun, at last Raghunath Das Goswami agreed to have a small Kutir at Radhakund.
This is what SURRENDER Really means!!!!
Do you have it in you???
Honestly speaking, at least, I don’t have.
Therefore, let us all pray at the Lotus Feet of Raghunath Das Goswami to bless us tthat we get the most divine quality of SURRENDER at least 1/1000 part of his, so that we too can relish the joy of Krishna Prema, Krishna Bhakthi & Krishna Seva….
source: Bhagavad Gita Class at ISKCON Vizag
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