Rasikananda’s Birth

Rasikananda Deva Goswami was born in 1512 of the Saka era (1590 AD) in the village of Rohini or Rayni in the Midnapore district. This village is situated at the confluence of the Subarnarekha and Dolanga rivers. His father’s name was Raja Achyutananda and his mother, Bhavani Devi. The Subarnarekha River crosses back and forth across the present-day Bengal-Orissa border. Midnapore district used to be a part of the Orissan kingdom. Raja Achyutananda was an Orissan of the Karana caste, the equivalent of the Kayasthas in Bengal. A Vaishnava is beyond the material qualities and should not be judged in terms of his caste origins. Achyutananda and Rasikananda were born in the Karana caste in order to bless it.

We can assume that Rasikananda was a manjari in Krishna lila. Though his spiritual master Shyamananda had himself been initiated by Hriday Chaitanya Goswami, who worshipped the Lord in the mood of friendship, he later took shelter of the conjugal mood due to the association of the Vraja devotees led by Jiva Goswami. Shyamananda thus initiated Rasikananda into the worship of Radha and Krishna.

Rasikananda was also known by the name Rasika Murari. Mother Jahnava’s disciple Nityananda Das wrote in his Prema-vilasa that Shyamananda had two principle disciples, one named Rasikananda, the other Murari, both of whom lived in Rayni. But Narahari Chakravarti indicates clearly in Bhakti-ratnakara that both names refer to the same individual.

In the village of Rayni lived the famous son of Achyutananda. He had two names: Rasikananda and Murari. Thus he was also known as Rasika-Murari. He became learned in the scriptures in his childhood. (Bhakti-ratnakara 15.27-8)

Rasika Murari Meets Shyamananda Prabhu

Rasika Murari was anxious to find a spiritual master who could give him guidance on the mystical path. One day while in Ghantashila, he went to a solitary place to meditate. He had just entered into a very deep trance when he heard a voice from an unseen source say, “Murari! You need be anxious no longer. Your guru is Shyamananda and you will meet him here very shortly. Take shelter of him and your life will be successful.”

Upon hearing the divine message, Murari began chanting the name of Shyamananda on his beads with joyful enthusiasm. He spent the entire night crying out of eager expectation to meet his guru, until finally at the end of the night, he had a dream vision of Shyamananda Prabhu who said to him, “Don’t worry any longer, for you will meet me on this very day.”

At dawn, Rasika Murari was on the lookout for his guru, when he saw the tall figure of Shyamananda approaching him, as effulgent as the sun. Surrounded by disciples like Kishor Das, he was dancing in a state of absorption in divine love while chanting the names of Nityananda and Chaitanya. Rasika Murari had been waiting anxiously for so long to encounter his guru that he immediately fell down at his feet. Shyamananda affectionately lifted him up and embraced him. Then, after giving him the Radha-Krishna mantra, he offered him up to Chaitanya and Nityananda Prabhus. This whole story demonstrates how we can find a guru through sincere prayers.

Rasikananda Becomes a Potent Preacher

Rasikananda Deva Goswami fully committed himself in body, mind and soul to the service of his guru. Indeed, he served him so well that in a short time he was recognized as Shyamananda’s chief disciple, a very powerful preacher and initiating guru himself. In fact, it is a truism that a good disciple becomes a good teacher. A spiritual master may have innumerable followers who call him their guru, but are disciples in name only. Only a true disciple who has dedicated himself completely to his spiritual mater is imbued with all the powers of the guru. Shyamananda invested Rasikananda with such spiritual power that he was able to convert many criminals, atheists, Muslims, and other fallen spirit souls to the path of devotion, bestowing the jewel of prema upon them all.

On one occasion, a wicked Muslim tried to silence Rasika Murari by having him attacked by an intoxicated elephant, but Rasikananda was able to transform even the elephant into a disciple and engage him in the service of Vishnu and the Vaishnavas. All who witnessed this amazing event were overwhelmed with astonishment at Rasika Murari’s spiritual power and the evil Muslim zamindar himself came and surrendered to him.

Shyamananda turned the service of his personal Govinda deity in Gopiballabhpur over to Rasikananda. He delivered unlimited living beings without any consideration of their caste or religious background. Rasikananda remained constantly intoxicated in Harinam sankirtana. Who will not be overcome with emotion on reciting his virtues? (Bhakti-ratnakara 15.81-6)

The Prema-vilasa corroborates this account in the 19th chapter, “He delivered many criminals and Muslims.”

The Raja of Mayurbhanj in Orissan, Vaidyanath Bhanj, was also attracted to the transcendental power of Rasikananda and became his disciple. Other important disciples were Ganapati, the zamindar of Patashpur in Midnapore, Sri Bhima and Srikara, zamindars of Dharenda, and Ahmed Beg, the son-in-law of Ibrahim Khan, the governor of Orissa.

Rasikananda Deva Goswami wrote a number of works, including Syamananda-staka, Bhakta-Bhagavatastaka, and Kunjakeli-dvadasaka.

Rasikananda’s Disappearance

It is said that just prior to Rasikananda’s disappearance in AD 1652, he went with seven of his disciples to a village named Bansdaha near Jaleswar. Mahaprabhu passed through the village when traveling to Puri with Nityananda. (Chaitanya Bhagavata 3.2.263-4)

Rasikananda and his party walked from there to Remuna, chanting kirtan the whole way. When they arrived in the courtyard of the famous Khirchora Gopinath temple, Rasikananda suddenly merged into the body of the Gopinath deity. His disciples also left their bodies in the same place. Rasika Murari’s flower samadhi and those of his seven associates are still maintained in the courtyard of the Khirchora Gopinath temple. An annual festival lasting twelve days is held in Remuna to celebrate his disappearance. This takes place on Siva-caturdasi in the month of Magh.

Visvambharananda Deva Goswami, the author of the celebrated Astikya-darsana, was Rasikananda’s descendant.

gauravirbhava-bhumes tvam, nirdestha saj-jana-priyah
vaishnava-sarvabhaumah shri-jagannathaya te namah

“I offer my respectful obeisances to Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, who is respected by the entire Vaishnava community and who discovered the place where Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared.”

The Greatest of Vaisnavas (A manifest form of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna)

By Srila Bhakti Bibudha Bodhayan Maharaj

CLICK HERE TO HEAR AND DOWNLOAD THE BHAJAN

Jaya Shiva Shankara, Hara Gangadhara

Chandra Shekhara Jaya Jaya

Jaya Shiva Shakara – All glories to Lord Shiva, who makes everything peaceful and auspicious.  Hara Gangadhara – who removes or destroys all inauspiciousness and who retains Ganga Devi on his head*.  Chandra Sekhara jaya jaya – All glories to Lord Shiva whose form is adorned with the moon on top of his head.

Jaya Naga Bhusana, Jaya Trilochana

Jaya Panchanana Jaya Jaya

Jay Shiva Shankara, Hara Gangadhara

Chandra Shekhara Jaya Jaya

Jaya Naga Bhusan – All glories to Lord Shiva who is adorned with the King of snakes around his neck.  Jaya Trilochana – All glories to Lord Shiva who has three eyes.  Panchanana jaya jaya – All glories to the Lord who has five faces.

Parvati Ramana, Ganesha Bhavana

Bhighna Vinashana Jaya Jaya

Jay Shiva Shankara, Hara Gangadhara

Chandra Shekhara Jaya Jaya

Jaya Parvati Ramana – All glories to the husband of Parvati Devi.  Ganesh Bhavana – the Chief of the Demigods.  Bighna-Vinasana jaya jaya – All glories to the remover of obstacles.

Siddhi Yogeshvara, Bhava Bhuteshwara

Mura Maheshvara Jaya Jaya

Jay Shiva Shankara, Hara Gangadhara

Chandra Shekhara Jaya Jaya

Siddhi-Yogeshvara – All glories to the Lord of all yogic mystic powers. Bhava-Bhutesvara – The Lord of the Ghosts.  Mura-Maheshvara – The Great Master or Magnanimous Lord.

Jaya Kameshvara, Jaya Nandishvara

Jaya Gopeshvara Jaya Jaya

Jay Shiva Shankara, Hara Gangadhara

Chandra Shekhara Jaya Jaya

Jaya Kameshvara – All glories to the Lord of sense-enjoyers.  Jaya Nandishvara – The Lord of Nandi (his bull).  Jaya Gopeshvara – All glories to the Guardian of Vrndavan.

Tara Tarakesvara, Jaya Chakleshvara

Sarva Digamvara Jaya Jaya

Jay Shiva Shankara, Hara Gangadhara

Chandra Shekhara Jaya Jaya

Tara Tarakeshvara – That personality who mercifully gives all types of benedictions.  Jaya Chakleshvara – All glories to Lord Shiva’s special form for helping Krishna’s devotees. (This form also resides on the North side of Govardhana at Manasi-Ganga).  Sarva Digamvara – All glories to all who are not wearing the proper dress sue to being in ecstatic devotion to Lord Krishna.

Vaisnava Pradhana, Lainu Sharana

Kara Paritrana Namo Namah.

Jay Shiva Shankara, Hara Gangadhara

Chandra Shekhara Jaya Jaya

Vaisnava Pradhana – O Greatest Vaisnava amongst all Vaisnavas.  Laina Sharana, Kara Paritrana – I offer my humble obeisances, and taking your shelter I pray for you to deliver me from all types of danger in mundane society.

*In ancient times, King Bhagirath requested Ganga Devi to descend to the world.  But Ganga Devi was afraid the force of her waters would be too much for the Earth to bear.  Lord Shiva offered to break the force of her fall with his head.  For this reason he is known as Gangadhara.

Disappearance Day of Sri Isvara Puri

Ishvara Puri was born in the town of Kumara Hatta on the full moon day of the month of Jyestha to a family of Brahmins hailing from Rarha. Kumara Hatta is in the 24 Paraganas district about two miles from the Halisahar train station. The town is also important for Gaudiya Vaishnavas because Srivas Pandit and his brothers moved here after Mahaprabhu took sanyassa because they were unable to tolerate all the painful reminders of Him in Nabadwip. Their home is not far from the place in the Mukhopadhyaya Para neighborhood where Ishvara Puri was born.

Ishvara Puri’s birthplace is popularly known by the name “Chaitanya Doba.” The word doba means “a pool of water”. When Chaitanya Mahaprabhu passed through Kuymara Hatta on His way to Puri, He showed respect for His spiritual master by picking up some earth from the place of his birth, wrapping it in his cloth and taking it with him. Thousands of pilgrims have since followed His example, thus forming a pit that has since filled with water.

The Mercy of the Spiritual Master

Ishvara Puri is a sannyas name. Though his name prior to taking sannyas is unknown, we do know that his father’s name was Shyamasundara Acharya. Ishvara Puri took initiation from Madhavendra Puri, the embodiment of nectarean devotional love. Madhavendra Puri was pleased with Ishvara Puri’s guileless, sincere and affectionate service and thus showered him with blessings, so that he too became immersed in the ocean of love for Krishna. If a disciple can satisfy his spiritual master, then he will be fortunate and attain all auspiciousness and the fulfillment of all his desires. On the other hand, if the guru is unhappy with his disciple, then he will only know inauspiciousness.

Mahaprabhu Takes Initiation From Ishwara Puri

Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and has no need of any teacher. Even so, He wishes to teach the world that it is absolutely necessary to take shelter of a bonafide spiritual master. For this reason, He played the role of a disciple by taking initiation from Ishvara Puri when He met him at Gaya. This in itself shows beyond a doubt Ishvara Puri’s greatness and importance.

Then the Lord went to Gaya where he met Ishvara Puri. After taking initiation from him, He started to display the signs of love of God, and when He returned to His homeland He began to engage in the pastimes of divine love.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.17.8-9)

When they met, Mahaprabhu and Ishvara Puri were overcome by the ecstasy of love and drenched each other in tears of prema that fell from their eyes. The Lord said, “my pilgrimage to Gaya is successful for today I have seen your lotus feet. When one makes the pinda (offerings to the ancestors at a holy place), then that ancestor is delivered. But simply by seeing you, ten million ancestors are delivered from all forms of bondage in a single moment. Therefore no holy place is your equal, and you are the primary source of auspiciousness for even the holy places. Please lift Me up from the ocean of material suffering: I offer this body up to your service. The only gift I ask of you is that you give Me the nectar of Krishna’s lotus feet to drink.”
(Chaitanya Bhagavata 1.17.49-55)

Mahaprabhu was acting the role of an ordinary mortal, a pilgrim who had come to Gaya to offer the sraddha oblations for His deceased father. On the day that He performed these rituals, He returned to His room and began to cook. When Ishava Puri came and placed his holy feet in Mahaprabhu’s room, Mahaprabhu personally served him the rice and vegetables that He Himself had cooked with great satisfaction. In so doing, Mahaprabhu demonstrated most perfectly how to serve the guru.

[Excerpted from Sri Chaitanya: His Life & Associates] By Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaja

On December 27, 1936, several days prior to the setting of the blazing sun of the Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya, Om Vishnupada Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur, he spoke to an gathering of his closest disciples, at which time he said the following words:

“I have disturbed many people because I felt myself obliged to speak the unadulterated truth. I have told everyone to worship Hari without hypocrisy and because of this some people have perhaps considered me to be their enemy. So I have caused many people anxiety by telling them to give up other desires and hypocrisy and to sincerely serve Krishna. Some day they will be able to understand what I was getting at.

“All of you please preach the message of Rupa and Raghunath with great enthusiasm. The ultimate object of our desires is to become specks of dust at the lotus feet of the followers of Rupa Goswami. Remain united in following the asraya-vigraha in order to satisfy the transcendental senses of the one, non-dual supreme truth. Make your way through this impermanent, transitory life in whatever way you can, keeping the goal of worshiping the Lord foremost in your minds. Don’t abandon this goal, even in the face of hundreds of dangers, insults, or persecutions. Don’t lose your spirit if you see that the majority of people cannot accept the principle of selfless service to the Supreme Lord. Never abandon your bhajana, hearing and chanting Krishna-katha, the be-all and end-all of your devotional life. Please always chant the name of the Lord, being humbler than a blade of grass and more tolerant than the tree.

“This body is like the aging cow which in ancient times was meant to be offered up in sacrifice. Only we desire to offer the body to Krishna in the sacrifice of the Holy Name established by Sri Krishna Chaitanya and his associates. We do not seek to become heroes performing great works or religious deeds; our true being and our identity is that of a speck of dust at the lotus feet of Sri Rupa Prabhu, life after life. The stream which flows from Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur will never be dammed up. Remember this and vow to double your efforts to fulfill Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur’s desires. Amongst you are many capable and worthy individuals. We seek nothing for ourselves; our only motto is:

adadanas trnam dantair idam yace punah punah |
srimad rupa-padambhoja-dhulh syam janma-janmani ||

Taking grass between my teeth, I pray repeatedly that I may become a speck of dust at Sri Rupa Goswami’s lotus feet, birth after birth. (Raghunath Das Goswami, Muktacarita.)

“While living in the world, we encounter many difficulties; but there is no need for us to be bewildered by these difficulties — nor need we make any effort to remove them. What is necessary is for us, while we are still here, is to learn what will remain after we have removed all those difficulties — what will be the nature of our eternal life. There are so many things which we want or don’t want, but we have to come to terms with this duality of attractions and repulsions. The more we distance ourselves from Krishna’s lotus feet, the more these things will draw us in. We can only begin to comprehend the exquisite taste of service to Krishna’s lotus feet after transcending these worldly attractions and

repulsions and being attracted by his holy name. The doctrines of Krishna-bhakti seem startling at first, perhaps even perplexing. Knowingly or unknowingly, every human being is struggling to eliminate the adventitious elements in life which interfere with his direct experience of eternal fulfillment. Our only obligation is to go beyond duality and to enter the world of that eternal fulfillment.

“We have no attachment for anyone in this world, nor any hostility. Whatever arrangements we make in this world last but a moment, while the need to search out the supreme fulfillment is equally unavoidable for everyone. May all of you work united and in harmony toward the same goal: to earn the right to serve the root asraya-vigraha. May the current of ideas propagated by Rupa Goswami flow throughout the world. May we never under any circumstances become indifferent to the seven-tongued sacrificial flame of the Holy Name. If our attraction to it remains ever-increasing, we will achieve all perfection. Remain faithful to Rupa Goswami’s followers and preach Rupa and Raghunath’s teachings enthusiastically and fearlessly.”

—Excerpted from the book “Sri Chaitanya: His Life and Associates” by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was born in the holy pilgrimage place of Jagannatha Puri to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, a great Vaisnava acarya in the line of succession coming from Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Although employed as a government magistrate, Srila Bhaktivinoda worked tirelessly to establish the teachings of Lord Chaitanya in India. He envisioned a worldwide spiritual movement and prayed for a son to help him achieve his dream. On February 6, 1874, in the sacred pilgrimage town of Jagannath Puri, where Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura served as superintendent of the famous Jagannatha temple, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta appeared in this world. He was given the name Bimala Prasada. At the age of seven, Bimala Prasada had memorized the more than seven hundred Sanskrit verses of the Bhagavad-gita and could speak illuminating commentaries upon them. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, the author of many important books and other writings on Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy, trained his son in printing and proofreading. By the time he was twenty-five years old, Bimala Prasada had acquired an impressive reputation as a scholar of Sanskrit, mathematics, and astronomy. His astronomical treatise, Surya-siddhanta, won him the title Siddhanta Sarasvati in recognition of his immense learning. In 1905, following the advice of his father, Siddhanta Sarasvati accepted spiritual initiation from Srila Gaurakishora dasa Babaji. Although Srila Gaurakishora dasa Babaji was illiterate, he was renowned throughout the continent as a great saint and Vaisnava acarya. Siddhanta Sarasvati, although a great scholar, exhibited humility and dedication in the presence of Srila Gaurakishora. Satisfied with such humility and dedication of his highly educated disciple, Srila Gaurakishora gave Siddhanta Sarasvati his full blessings and requested him to “preach the Absolute Truth and keep aside all other work.” Upon the disappearance of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in 1914, Siddhanta Sarasvati became editor of his father’s journal, Sajjana-tosani, and founded the Bhagawat Press for the publication of Gaudiya Vaisnava literature. In 1918 Siddhanta Sarasvati accepted the renounced order of spiritual life, assuming the title Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja. For purposes of propagating Gaudiya Vaisnavism throughout India, he organized the Gaudiya Math, with sixty-four branches throughout the country. The headquarters of his mission, the Chaitanya Gaudiya Math, is located in Sridhama Mayapura, the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta adjusted ancient traditions to conform with technological and social conditions of the twentieth century. He considered the printing press a most effective means of spreading this message throughout the world and was himself the author of many important translations, commentaries, and philosophical essays. He was the first spiritual teacher in this line to allow his renounced preachers (sannyasis) to wear Western clothes and travel in modern conveyances rather that on foot. Throughout the 1930s, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta expanded and increased his missionary work and succeeded in reestablishing Gaudiya Vaisnavism as the leading force in Indian spiritual life. On January 1, 1937, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura passed from this world.

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In his Prema Bhakti Chandrika, Srila Narottama das Thakura has written:

“All glories to Sri Sanantan and Rupa Goswami who are fathomless wellsprings of prema-bhakti-rasa. They personify ujjvala-rasa. They are desire trees whose mercy frees everyone from pain and sorrow. The books of those two great souls clearly explain prema-bhakti. Hearing of them will bring one great joy for they are the ashraya-vigrahas of madhura-rasa. O Rupa and Sanatana, you are endowed with the greatest wealth of divine love - radha-krishna-prema - which in your hands is like thousands of cupid’s golden arrows. O Rupa and Sanatana, bestow some of that treasure upon me by piercing my heart with those jeweled arrows. The essence of Shrimad Bhagavatam is the ninefold path of bhakti. I shall always follow that path, without taking shelter of any other god. O brothers! Krishna-bhakti is the supreme form of bhajan. Making the words of guru, shastra and the sadhus my mind’s only meditation I shall dive and surface in the ocean of Krishna-prema. The karmis and jnanis have no bhakti. Bhakti is different – it is without any trace of karma, exploitation, or jnana, calculation. Thus sings Narottama of the truth.”

“I have no other topic of discussion but your lotus feet. I worry my mind with nothing other than the thought of your lotus feet, O Lord. I can speak of nothing else but your holy qualities in the company of other devotees. I have no other vow but your service. I have no other object of charity. I am interested in no other kind of knowledge besides knowing how to please you. I have no other duties. I worship no other gods before you. Chanting, “O Krishna! O Krishna!” I shall wander in ecstasy, thinking of nothing other than You. Radha-Krishna are my goal in life and death and the masters of my breath. Performing my bhajan only for them I rise and fall in the ocean of prema, divine love. I pray that I may always maintain this conception within my heart as my highest ideal: Let me serve the lotus feet of Shri Shri Radha and Govinda. Let my mind be filled with dedication to their divine forms whose beauty surpasses that of Cupid and Rati. With a straw between my teeth I fall at their feet and present my humble petition: “O Kishora-Kishori! O son of King Nanda, Shyamasundara! And O daughter of King Vrishabhanu, Shri Radhika, you who enchant even Hari, you whose bodily complexion is the color of a golden lotus. O Krishna, whose bodily color is that of a blue jewel, whose beauty mocks cupid. O topmost dancer and danseuse, Shri Krishna and Shri Radha: Please dance within my mind. O you whose beauty increases the charm of your dazzling ornaments, my only wish is that day and night, in great ecstasy, I shall go on singing your glories.”