Sri Swarup Damodar Goswami
Sri Swarup Damodar is the eternal associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. His
previous name was Sri Purusottam acarya and he resided at Navadwip. He was
always present with Mahaprabhu. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu exhibited His
pastimes of accepting sannyasa, Swarup Damodara became like a madman and,
journeying to Baranasi he also accepted sannyasa from one sannyasi named
Caitanyananda. His sannyasa guru ordered him that, "You should yourself study
the Vedanta and also teach it to others." Sri Purusottama acarya didn't accept
the garments of sannyasa, but simply gave up his sikha and brahmana thread.
Therefore his name became Swarup (a brahmacari name). Thereafter, by the order
of his guru, he came to Sri Nilacal, where he again met Mahaprabhu. Then one
day, Swarup Damodar, who was very intimate with Mahaprabhu, and an ocean of the
mellows of devotion, came to Sri Jagannath Puri. His previous name was
Purusottam acarya and he resided at Navadwip, at the lotus feet of Mahaprabhu.
Seeing that Mahaprabhu had accepted sannyasa, he became like a madman and also
accepted sannyasa at Varanasi. [C. C. Mad. 10.102]. Though his scholarship was
practically unlimited, he spoke very little with others and preferred to remain
alone. Thus very few were aware of his actual position. He was completely
conversant with the understanding of the mellows of devotion to Sri Krsna and
his body was fully imbued with love for Him. He was as though a second
Mahaprabhu. Whenever anyone wanted to present to Mahaprabhu some book, verse or
song that they had composed, Swarup Damodar would first hear what they had
written before it could be presented to Mahaprabhu. If these compositions
contained any points which were in contradiction to the superior position of
bhakti, as concluded in scriptures, then hearing these writings would not be a
source of transcendental pleasure for Mahaprabhu. Therefore Swarup Gosai would
first examine what had been composed and if it was untainted then it could be
presented to Mahaprabhu. Usually he would recite Sri Gita Govinda, and the
writings of Candidas and Vidyapati, for the transcendental happiness of
Mahaprabhu. In music and singing he was like a Gandharva and in knowledge of the
shastras he was like Brhaspati. There was no one to compare with him in talent
and intelligence. He was extremely dear to Sri Advaita and Nityananda Prabhu and
was the life and soul of devotees like Srivas and others. When Sri Swarup
Damodar arrived in Puri from Kasi (Baranasi) he recited this sloka in praise of
Mahaprabhu: "Oh You, who are the personification of mercy - Sri Caitanya. That
which very easily causes grief to retreat far away, and which is spotlessly
pure; which causes the appearance of the highest happiness, and by whose
appearance disputation over the intricacies of scriptural statements ceases;
that which causes the spirit to become extremely agitated in ecstatic love, by a
shower of grace and beauty; may that extremely expansive and auspicious mercy by
its sweetness and dignity shine its rays upon me." (Sri Caitanya Candrodoy Natak.)
Seeing that Swarup Damodar was offering his dandavats to Him, Mahaprabhu picked
him up and as He embraced him he said, "I saw in a dream this morning that you
had come. Just as a blind man finds unlimited happiness by regaining his
eyesight, so I am feeling by regaining your association." Swarup Damodar
replied: "Prabhu, please forgive me. By leaving You and running off to Baranasi,
I made a great mistake. I don't have even a hint of attachment to your lotus
feet, and I have actually become a great sinner by leaving you and going to a
distant country. I gave up your association, but You didn't give me up. Binding
the rope of mercy around my neck You brought me again to Your lotus feet." [C.
C. Mad 10] Hearing these words of Swarup Damodar, spoken in such humility,
Mahaprabhu again embraced him and said: "Krsna is very kind. He has very
mercifully brought us together again." Mahaprabhu kept Swarup Damodar close to
Him. Whenever Mahaprabhu became immersed in a particular ecstatic emotion,
Swarup Damodar would perform a kirtan in that particular mood. During this
period Sri Ray Ramananda also arrived from Vidyanagar in South India. Thus the
two of them, Swarup Damodar and Ramananda Ray would enhance the ecstatic moods
of Mahaprabhu by singing different songs and reciting various poetic verses.
During the day, Mahaprabhu would engage in his pastimes of sankirtan with His
devotees, and at night He would taste the mellows of the ecstatic love of Sri
Sri Radha-Krsna in the company of these two. As Lalita and Visakha were very
intimate with Srimati Radharani, Ray Ramananda and Swarup Damodar were similarly
intimate with Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Swarup Damodar's place of residence in Puri
was the "Satasan Math". This is located near Bhaktivinode Thakur's "bhakti kutir",
near the ocean at Svarga Dwar. Mahaprabhu entrusted him to look after and
instruct Raghunath Das Goswami. Swarup Damodar Goswami disappeared on the second
day of the bright fortnight in the month of Asar.
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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