Nama Sankirtan

Six Goswamis

Nāma-saṅkīrtana
by Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura

I have always liked the following song by Srila Narottama Dasa Thakur. And this song describes very simply, the beginning of the Sankirtan Movement, or The Hare Krishna Movement. The first four lines of the song, are the ones most often sung, with the first verse repeated as refrain.
Full Song and Purport follow.

…“You say that everything means Kṛṣṇa and we should ultimately always be chanting the names of Kṛṣṇa. Just how should we do this?” Then Lord Caitanya began to sing the names of Kṛṣṇa and clap His hands, and He began His nāma-saṅkīrtana movement. The names He sang are the first two lines of this song, and Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura and others have placed these names in the beginning of their writings to immortalize these events in the memory of everyone.

…Then Śrīla Narottama Dāsa chants the names of the six Gosvāmīs. “I offer my obeisances at their feet,” he sings, “which destroy sufferings accumulated over many long years. I am the servant of these six Gosvāmīs, and the dust of their lotus feet is my five kinds of foodstuffs. To serve their lotus feet and keep the association of devotees is my only business, birth after birth.” (from purport to song by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)

Song & Purport More

Transcendental Qualities of the Lord

Gopal

This morning I just felt like singing. The weather is warm, amd Spring is in the air. So I was in our temple room and after singing one of my favorite vaisnava songs, “Śrī Śrī Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka”, Eight Prayers to the Six Gosvamis by Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, I read the English Translations. There was one verse in particular that spoke to me:

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvāmīs, who were engaged in chanting the holy names of the Lord and bowing down in a scheduled measurement. In this way they utilized their valuable lives and in executing these devotional activities they conquered over eating and sleeping and were always meek and humble enchanted by remembering the transcendental qualities of the Lord.

I thought yes, today, let me remember the Transcendental Qualities of the Lord. So with that in mind we are posting Chapter 21 from the Nectar of Devotion, which is a summary study of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, which was written in Sanskrit by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda. He was the chief of the Six Gosvāmīs, who were the direct disciples of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Full Chapter More

Disappearance Day of Srila Jiva Goswami

Handwritting of Six Goswamis

In honor of the disappearance day of Srila Jiva Goswami, we are posting some verses from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta that have been submitted to us by Yasodanandana Prabhu.

…Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī became the ācārya of all the Vaiṣṇavas in Bengal, Orissa and the rest of the world, and it is he who used to guide them in their devotional service. In Vṛndāvana he established the Rādhā-Dāmodara temple, where we had the opportunity to live and retire until the age of sixty-five, when we decided to come to the United States of America. When Jīva Gosvāmī was still present, Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī compiled his famous Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Later, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī inspired Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura and Duḥkhī Kṛṣṇadāsa to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness in Bengal. Jīva Gosvāmī was informed that all the manuscripts that had been collected from Vṛndāvana and sent to Bengal for preaching purposes were plundered near Viṣṇupura, in Bengal, but later he received the information that the books had been recovered.

More

Prayers to the Six Gosvamis

click on image to enlarge

This morning I sang the prayers to the Six Gosvamis and read aloud the English translation. Reading the qualities of the six Gosvamis, and of their compassion toward the conditioned souls in this age…I felt moved to post it here.

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvāmīs, namely Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, and Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who are always engaged in chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and dancing. They are just like the ocean of love of God, and they are popular both with the gentle and with the ruffians, because they are not envious of anyone. Whatever they do, they are all-pleasing to everyone, and they are fully blessed by Lord Caitanya. Thus they are engaged in missionary activities meant to deliver all the conditioned souls in the material universe.

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvāmīs, who are very expert in scrutinizingly studying all the revealed scriptures with the aim of establishing eternal religious principles for the benefit of all human beings. Thus they are honored all over the three worlds and they are worth taking shelter of because they are absorbed in the mood of the gopis and are engaged in the transcendental loving service of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvāmīs, who are very much enriched in understanding of Lord Caitanya and who are thus expert in narrating His transcendental qualities. They can purify all conditioned souls from the reactions of their sinful activities by pouring upon them transcendental songs about Govinda. As such, they are very expert in increasing the limits of the ocean of transcendental bliss, and they are the saviors of the living entities from the devouring mouth of liberation.

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvāmīs, who kicked off all association of aristocracy as insignificant. In order to deliver the poor conditioned souls, they accepted loincloths, treating themselves as mendicants, but they are always merged in the ecstatic ocean of the gopis’ love for Kṛṣṇa and bathe always and repeatedly in the waves of that ocean.

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvāmīs, who were always engaged in worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in the transcendental land of Vṛndāvana where there are beautiful trees full of fruits and flowers which have under their roots all valuable jewels. The Gosvāmīs are perfectly competent to bestow upon the living entities the greatest boon of the goal of life.

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvāmīs, who were engaged in chanting the holy names of the Lord and bowing down in a scheduled measurement. In this way they utilized their valuable lives and in executing these devotional activities they conquered over eating and sleeping and were always meek and humble enchanted by remembering the transcendental qualities of the Lord.

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvāmīs, who were sometimes on the bank of the Rādhā-kunda lake or the shores of the Yamuna and sometimes at Vaṁśīvaṭa. There they appeared just like madmen in the full ecstasy of love for Kṛṣṇa, exhibiting different transcendental symptoms in their bodies, and they were merged in the ecstasy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvāmīs, who were chanting very loudly everywhere in Vṛndāvana, shouting, “Queen of Vṛndāvana, Rādhārāṇī! O Lalita! O son of Nanda Mahārāja! Where are you all now? Are you just on the hill of Govardhana, or are you under the trees on the bank of the Yamunā? Where are you?” These were their moods in executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

for full song More

Teachings to Rūpa Gosvāmī

Today we honor the disappearance day of Srila Rupa Goswami.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter One

Teachings to Rūpa Gosvāmī

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, the younger brother of Sanātana Gosvāmī, went to Prayāga, the modern city of Allahabad, with his younger brother Vallabha. When the two brothers heard that Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was staying there, they both became very happy and went to see the Lord. At that time the Lord was on His way to visit the temple Bindumādhava. On the way to the temple, the Lord was chanting and dancing, and thousands of people were following Him. Some of these people were crying, and some were laughing. Some were dancing, and some were singing, and some were falling on the ground, offering obeisances to the Lord. In all cases, all of them were roaring the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. It is said that in spite of being at the confluence of the rivers Ganges and Yamunā, Prayāga was never flooded until the appearance of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, at which time the city was overflooded by love of Kṛṣṇa.

More

Srila Jiva Goswami

Today is the dissapearence day of Srila Jiva Goswami. We honor him today, with a brief biography of his life.

Srila Jiva Goswami

Srila Jiva Goswami was the son of Sri Vallabha and nephew of Sri Sanatana, Sri Rupa, all of whom were employed in the service of the Badsha Hussein Shah. Having been rewarded richly by the Badsha for their devices, their household life was very opulent.

When Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to Ramakeli, Sri Jiva was blessed by having darshana of his worshipable Lord, though he was just a baby at that time. Mahaprabhu indicated him to be a great future scholar in the Gaudiya sampradaya. Though he was only a child, Sri Jiva would meditate on Sri Chaitanya constantly.

More

Srila Rupa Goswami

Srila Rupa Goswami

The topmost maidservant of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna is Sri Rupa Manjari who appeared as the head of the Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya, Srila Rupa Goswami (1489-1588). Sri Rupa appeared in East Bengal, the son of a pious brahmana named Kumaradeva along with his brothers, Sanatana and Anupama. The three brothers later moved to Ramakeli where they were solicited by the powerful Nawab Hussein Shah to join his government. Due to their association with the Muslim king, Rupa and Sanatana became known by the Muslim names Dabir Khas and Sakir Mallik.

When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to Ramakeli, the three brothers petitioned the Lord to alleviate their suffering condition and grant them His mercy. Mahaprabhu pacified them and told them that Krsna would deliver them very soon.

More

Srila Jiva Goswami


Today is the Appearance Day of Srila Jiva Goswami, one of the six Goswamis of Vrindavan, and direct disciples of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Srila Jiva Goswami

Srila Jiva Goswami was the son of Sri Vallabha and nephew of Sri Sanatana, Sri Rupa, all of whom were employed in the service of the Badsha Hussein Shah. Having been rewarded richly by the Badsha for their devices, their household life was very opulent.

When Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to Ramakeli, Sri Jiva was blessed by having darshana of his worshipable Lord, though he was just a baby at that time. Mahaprabhu indicated him to be a great future scholar in the Gaudiya sampradaya. Though he was only a child, Sri Jiva would meditate on Sri Chaitanya constantly.

More

Sri Rupa Goswami

Sri Rupa Goswami
By Gauridasa Pandita Prabhu

Today is the disapperance day of Sri Rupa Goswami and Gauridasa Pandita

Sri Rupa Goswami

Gaudiya Vaisnava’s, Devotees today and in the future are known as Rupanugas, followers of Sri Rupa Gosvami. Every devotee should aspire to become a servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Sri Rupa Gosvami. Sri Narottama Dasa Thakura sings, sri-rupa-manjari-pada, se more sampada, sei mor bhajana pujana: “The feet of Sri Rupa-manjari (Rupa Gosvami’s eternal form as Sri Radha’s maidservant in Vraja) are my only wealth. They are the only object of my service and worship.”

Srila Rupa Goswami was an incarnation of Rupa Manjari, the most important of the eight confidential maidservants of Srimati Radharani in the spiritual world. It is said that without taking shelter of Srila Rupa Goswami one cannot enter into the pastimes of Lord Chaitanya, and without taking shelter of Rupa Manjari one cannot enter into the confidential loving pastimes of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna.

More

Six Goswami’s of Vrindavan

“I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvamis–Sri Rupa Gosvami, Sri Sanatana Gosvami, Sri Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami, Sri Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Sri Jiva Gosvami, and Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami–who cast off all aristocratic association as insignificant. To deliver poor, conditioned souls, they accepted loincloths and became mendicants, but they were always merged in the ecstatic ocean of the gopis’ love for Krsna, and they were always bathing repeatedly in the waves of that ocean.”

“The six Gosvamis, namely, Sri Sanatana Gosvami, Sri Rupa Gosvami, Sri Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami, Sri Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Sri Jiva Gosvami, and Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, are very expert in scrutinizingly studying the revealed scriptures with the aim of establishing eternal religious principles for the benefit of all human beings. They are always absorbed in the mood of the gopis and are engaged in the transcendental loving service of Radha and Krsna.” (Sad-gosvamy-astaka 2)

More

108 Imporant Slokas from the 1972 Bhagavad-gita As It Is

Click on image to go to Post

Click on image to go to Post

The Hare Krishna Cookbook

Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas

Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1972 Edition “Online”

click on image

click on image to visit site

Srimad Bhagavatam Online

click on image

Raja-Vidya the King of Knowledge

click on image

click on image

Blog Stats

  • 3,987,602 hits

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 3,913 other subscribers

Important Slokas from the Brahma-samhita

click on image

click on image

Slokas from the Sri Isopanisad

click on image

click on image

Prayers By Queen Kunti (Slokas)

click on image

Gajendra’s Prayers of Surrender (Slokas)

click on image

A Short Statement of the Philosophy of Krishna Consciousness

click on image

click on image

July 9th Letter

click on image

click on image

The Hare Krishna Explosion

Reference Material/Study Guide

click on image

click on image