Sri Sri Radha Ramana
Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami and The Appearance of Sri Radha-Raman
The all merciful Lord Sri Gaur Hari, as He travelled from village to village
throughout the south of India, continued to distribute love of Godhead wherever
He went. Hearing the nectarean names of Hari from His lotus mouth, thousands and
thousands men and women felt relief from the blazing fire of material existence.
Various wretched, miserable and fallen souls lives were completely rejuvenated
and thus they became virtuous and happy. While causing rains of love of God to
fall anywhere and everywhere, without consideration of time or place, Sri
Gaurasundor came to the ancient holy place of Sri Rangakshetra on an island in
the middle of the Kaveri river.
The temple of Sri Ranga Kshetra was extremely large, the crest of the temple
tower pierced the sky. Throughout the day and night hundreds and thousands of
pilgrims were going and coming to take darsan of Lord Ranganath. The temple hall
resounded with the sounds of hundreds and thousand of brahmanas chanting Vedic
hymns. In the midst of this scene from Vaikuntha, entered Sri Gaurasundar
chanting the names of Krsna in his sweet voice that defeated the voices of 10
million gandharvas. Everyone in the temple became dumbstruck, amazed and
thrilled with wonder. What unprecedented beauty; His bodily effulgence makes
molten gold appear lack-lustre. From His eyes which are like the full blown
petals of a lotusflower trickled down tears of ecstatic love. Every limb, every
part of His body was filled with such exquisite grace that even the mind of
cupid gets stolen away. The brahmanas began to consider, "Is this a demigod? Can
such symptoms and emotions be found in human beings?" Again resounding the halls
with the transcendental vibrations of Sri Hari's name, when He came before the
Deity and fell down as a tree is blown down by the wind, some people thought
that a mountain of gold was rolling on the ground. Sri Vyenkata Bhatta seeing
this divine personage became restless with ecstasy. His heart being flooded with
devotion he got up and began to move the crowds away so that the Lord could
engage in chanting and dancing. When the Lord had regained His external
consiousness after engaging in sankirtan, Vyenkata Bhatta approached Him and
took the dust of His lotusfeet. Mahaprabhu gazed towards him and saying, "Krsna!
Krsna!" embraced him firmly. Sri Vyenkata Bhatta invited Mahaprabhu to come to
his house and having brought Him there, very reverantly washed His lotusfeet and
along with the other family members, he drank the water. Sri Bhattaji's house
became filled with joy.
Mahaprabhu came to Ranga Kshetra in the Christian year 1511. Vyenkata Bhatta had
two brothers, Tirumalla Bhatta and Prabodhananda Sarasvati. They all belonged to
the Ramanuja sampradaya and Prabodhananda Sarasvati was a tridandi sannyasi of
that order. Vyenkata Bhatta had a son named Gopal, who was then just a child.
When the boy came to offer his obeisances at the lotusfeet of Mahaprabhu picked
him up and very affectionately seated him in His lap. Mahaprabhu would call
Gopal after He had finished His meal and offer His remnants to the boy. In this
way He prepared him for the positon of Acarya.
After remaining at Vyenkata Bhatta's house during the four months of the rainy
season (Chaturmasya) Mahaprabhu prepared to continue His journey of the South.
Vyenkata Bhatta's house began to ebb in a tide of tears in anticipation of His
departure. Gopal fell at His lotusfeet in a dead faint. Therefore Mahaprabhu
remained for a couple of more days in order to con-sole the boy. Being pleased
with Gopala Bhatta Gosvami's sincere service and devotion, Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu initiated him, and ordered him to move to Vrndavana after the
disappearance of his parents and perform bhajan and write. He instructed him to
serve his mother and father and always engage in chanting Krsna's glories and
thereafter to come to Brindavan.
Very quickly Gopal became expert in grammar, poetry and rhetoric and then began
his study of Vedanta. His uncle Prabodhananda, specifically began to instruct
him from the devotional scriptures (Bhakti - shastra).
Gopal Bhatta always remained thinking of the lotus feet of Mahaprabhu and when
he might again be able to meet Him. At the same time however he couldn't leave
his aged mother and father. Finally having reached their final days they called
their son Gopal and instructed him to go to the lotus feet of Mahaprabhu in
Vrindavan. Then while meditating on His lotus feet themselves they went to join
Him in His eternal lila.
At the age of thirty Gopala Bhatta Gosvami came to Vrindavana, and having missed
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu this saddened him.
Thus Gopal set out for Vrindavan and when he arrived there Rupa Gosvami
immediately sent word to Mahaprabhu to inform Him of Gopal's arrival there.
Mahaprabhu had previously indicated to Rupa and Sanatan that Gopal Bhatta would
one day come there to Brindavan, so upon his arrival they treated him with the
same care and affection they would their own brother. They immediately became
life long companions.
However, the all knowing Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
received word that Gopal Bhatta had come to Vrindavan, He was very pleased and
sent with that messenger with the Lord's personal wooden sitting plank (hoki)
which He had used along with a pair of His undergarments and one of His upper
cloths - uttara or chaddar. "Having received these gifts Gopal Bhatta was in
ecstasy and he worshipped them as the prasad (tadiya) of Mahaprabhu.
When he would worship his Deities he would sit on that wooden plank. This piri
(wooden seat) and Mahaprabhus clothes are still being worshipped at Radha-Ramana
Mandir. Gopala Bhatta, like Rupa and Sanatana, had no fixed residence and would
spend the night in various kunjas (forest groves). He spent his time studying
the scriptures and composing various literatures.
After Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's disappearance Gopala Bhatta Gosvami felt intence
separation from the Lord. To relieve his devotee, the Lord instructed Gopala
Bhatta in a dream :"If you want my darsan then make a trip to Nepal".
In Nepal, Gopala Bhatta bathed in the famous Kali-Gandaki River. Upon dipping
his waterpot in the river, he was surprised to see several Shaligrama Shilas
enter his pot. He dropped the shilas back into the river, but the shilas
re-entered his pot when he refilled it.
After emptying and refilling his waterpot for the third time, Gopala Bhatta
Gosvami found twelve Shaligrama shilas sitting there. Thinking this must be the
Lords mercy, he kept all the shilas and returned to Vrndavana.
Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami used to worship twelve Shaligram silas. Wherever he
would go he would bring them with him in a piece of cloth tied at the corner.
One day a wealthy man (Seth) came to Vrndavana and offered Gopala Bhatta a
variety of clothing and ornaments for his Shaligrams. Being very impressed with
the Gosvami he wanted his darshan and to render some service which he presented
in the form of some valuable cloths and ornaments. However, Gopala Bhatta
couldn't use these for his round-shaped Shaligrams, so he advised the donor to
give the Deity decorations to someone else, but the Seth insisted. Gopala Bhatta
kept the cloths and ornaments with his shilas. While Gopala Bhatta Gosvami was
absorbed in remembering how the half-man, half-lion form of the Supreme Lord had
manifested from the pillar in Hiranyakasipu's palace, he prayed in
transcendental lamentation to the Lord: "Oh my Lord, you are very merciful and
always fulfill the desires of your devotees. I wish to serve you in your form,
having arms and legs and blissful smiling face, with lotus eyes.... If I had a
Deity then I would be able to decorate Him so nicely with these clothes and
ornaments."
In the evening after offering some bhoga and arotika to his Shalagram shilas,
Gopala Bhatta put them to rest, covering them with a wicker basket. Late in the
night, Gopala Bhatta took a little rest and then, in the early morning went to
take bath in the Yamuna river. Returning from his bath, he uncovered the
Shalagramas in order to render the puja for Them, and saw amongst Them a Deity
of Krishna playing the flute. There were now eleven shilas and this Deity. The "Damodara
shila", had manifested as the beautiful three-fold bending form of tri-bhangananda-krishna.
Floating in the ocean of ecstasy, he fell to the ground in order to offer his
dandavats and then recited various prayers and hymns. This wonderful event of
the appearance day of RadhaRaman happened on the day after Sri Nrisimha
Chaturdasi, and is celebrated on that day accordingly. That day they offer 500
liters of milk for the Lord's pleasure and many other sweets and different
things. The RadhaRaman temple has the highest standard of Deity worship in all
of Vraj.
When Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis as well as many other devotees received news of
this miraculous event they came running to see the Lord. Gazing on the Lord's
transcendental form, which bewildered all the living entities of the many
various planets, they all bathed Him with their tears. This Deity whom the
Gosvamis named, "Sri Radha-raman Deva" made His appearance on the full moon day
of Vaisakha in the year 1542. Except for Vrindadevi, Sri Radha-Ramanaji is the
only one of the original Deities of Vrindavana who never left to go to Jaipur.
Sri Sri Radha-raman-ji is still being worshipped in Vrindavana near Nidhuban
kunj in the compound of the temple.
The Deity is called Radha-raman although physically there is no apparent Deity
of Radha there. As one can see from the picture at the top of this page, that to
the right of the picture (to Ramanji's left) is a place setting for Srimati
Radhika. In this way the pujaris worship Sri Radha and Ramanji together.
Sri Radha-ramana Deva, unlike other Deities, has very intricate features,
including fingernails and even teeth. On the back side of His body parts of the
original Shalagram shila from which He manifested Himself can be seen. There is
a story that the small son of one of the sevaits was playing with the Deity once
and put a small stick in one ear of the Deity and pushed it through out the
other ear. The stick however, had blood on it, and that boy died vomiting blood
that very day.
If you ever have the great good fortune to attend the Snan-yatra festival in Sri
Vrindavan Dham, then it is a must that you visit the Radha-Raman temple on this
day. The temperatures are hot and dry in the 40+ centigrade and much
anticipation of seeking out cooling water pervades the thoughts in Vrindavan's
hot summer. At the temple, the merciful Ramanji has made a provision so that
first He takes His transcendental bath right at the front of the altar for all
to see - BUT THEN, after He has taken in His expanded kindness the pujaris turn
on the sprinkler system that surrounds the open court-yard - the fan in the
middle is even equipped with pipes to pour out cooling water as it rotates at a
high speed, inundating all the devotees taking the darshan of the Lord, with
great pleasure.
It is truly my favourite place in the world for snan-yatra. Sri Sri Radha Ramaji
ki jaya.
In some discussion with the present day guardians of the temple and Deity, they
told me that some scientists had come to examine the Deity and propound their
doubts that He was self manifested, as the devotees state. They examined the
Deity under the supervision of the devotees, but could find no evidence of
carving.
About todays descendents:
Once Sri Gopala Bhatta went to Haridwar. As he was returning, suddenly a
downpour started and thus he took shelter in the house of one brahmana. This
brahmana was very devoted and he very carefully began to serve Sri Gopala Bhatta,
who thus became very pleased. As this brahmana had no children Sripad Gopal
Bhatta Goswami blessed him that he might have a son who would be a devoted
follower of Lord Hari. The brahman replied out of gratitude that, "My first son
I will send to you in order to serve you."
Approximately ten years later when Gopala Bhatta returned from bathing in the
Yamuna one day, he saw a young boy sitting at the door of his kutir. When the
boy saw the Gosvamiji approaching, he got up and then fell down to offer his
dandavats (obeisances like a stick on the floor before him). Sripada Gopala
Bhatta Goswami enquired who the boy was, to which he replied, "My home was in
Devandyagram within Saharanpur near Haridwar. My father has sent me here to
serve you. My name is Gopinatha."
Then Gopal Bhatta could remember the time when he went to Haridwar many years
ago. So this boy remained with him and very carefully began to serve him.
Eventually he became known as Sri Gopinatha Pujari Gosvami as he served Sri
Radha-ramana Deva through his life as an unmarried brahmachari. His younger
brother Sri Damodara dasa, along with his family, accepted iniation from Sri
Gopinathaji and also became engaged in the service of the Deity. Sri Damodara
dasa's three sons were named Harinatha, Mathuranatha and Harirama. It is from
these family members of Gopinath's brother that todays guardians the Radha-Raman
Gosais so nicely maintain and serve Sri Sri Radha-Ramanji.
Sri Gopala Bhatta's devotion was so special, his devotion so profound that the
Lord appeared for him in this special form - but not only that as if in
confirmation of the pastimes of the Lord, and Mahaprabhu's being directly Radha
Krishna (sri krishna chaitanya radha krishna nahi anya), in his worship of Sri
Radha-ramana would sometimes see that He had taken the form of Sri Gaurasundara
- Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, "Becoming subservient to the love of Sri Gopala
Bhatta, Sri Radha-ramana would sometimes accept the form of Sri Gausundara."
Sri Gopala Bhatta was the initiating guru of Srinivasa Acarya Prabhu. Sripad
Gopal Bhatta Goswami was very learned, trained in pancharatra, coming in the
learned family of Vyenkata Bhattar in the Sri Vaishnava line - he wrote many
books including: Sat-sandarbha karika, Sri Krsna-vallabha (Krsna karnamrtatika),
Sat kriya sara dipika (a brilliant work on Vaishnava samkara viddhi), and Laghu
Hari-bhakti vilasa with Dig darshini tika. From this work, Sri Sanatana Gosvami
compiled the Hari-bhakti-vilasa now followed by all Gaudiya Vaishnavas. It is
said, "Out of affection for Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, Srila Sanatana Gosvami
compiled the famous Vaishnava smriti titled Hari Bhakti Vilas, and published it
under Gopala Bhatta Gosvami's name.
Gopala Bhatta Gosvami resided for forty-five years in Sri Dham Vrndavana, but
out of great humility he requested Srila Krsna das Kaviraja not to mention his
name in the classic work Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita.
Gopala Bhatta Gosvami serves as Guna Manjari. In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika too,
it is mentioned that in the eternal pastimes of Radha and Krsna, Gopala Bhatta
Gosvami's name in Vraja-lila has been given as Guna manjari.
His birth was on the day of the dark fortnight of the month Pausa in the year
1503 (Christian), 1425 (Saka).
His disappearance was on the sixth day of the dark fortnight of the month of
Sravon in the year 1578 (Christian - A.D.), 1500 (Sakabda era) Age: 75 years
Note: Special thanks to Jaya Tirtha Caran prabhu from NZ for allowing us to use some of the content from his site to compile these pages - http://www.hknet.org.nz
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