Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (ed.1975)
CC Adi-lila
TEXT 84
anupama-vallabha, ลrฤซ-rลซpa, sanฤtana
ei tina ลฤkhฤ vแนkแนฃera paลcime sarvottama
On the western side were the forty-third, forty-fourth and forty-fifth branchesโลrฤซ Sanฤtana, ลrฤซ Rลซpa and Anupama. They were the best of all.
ลrฤซ Anupama was the father of ลrฤซla Jฤซva Gosvฤmฤซ and younger brother of ลrฤซ Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ and ลrฤซ Rลซpa Gosvฤmฤซ. His former name was Vallabha, but after Lord Caitanya met him He gave him the name Anupama. Because of working in the Muslim government, these three brothers were given the title Mullik.
Our personal family is connected with the Mulliks of Mahatma Gandhi Road in Calcutta, and we often used to visit their Rฤdhฤ-Govinda temple. They belong to the same family as we do.ย Our family gotra, or original genealogical line, is the Gautama-gotra, or line of disciples of Gautama Muni, and our surname is De.
But due to their accepting the posts of zamindars in the Muslim government, they received the title Mullik. Similarly, Rลซpa, Sanฤtana and Vallabha were also given the title Mullik. Mullik means “lord.” Just as the English government gives rich and respectable persons the title “lord,” so the Muslims give the title Mullik to rich, respectable families that have intimate connections with the government. Thus the title Mullik is found not only among the Muslims but also among the Hindu aristocracy. This title is not restricted to a particular family but is given to different families and castes. The qualifications for receiving it are wealth and respectability.
Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ and Rลซpa Gosvฤmฤซ belonged to the Bharadvaja-gotra, which indicates that they belonged either to the family or disciplic succession of Bharadvฤja Muni. As members of the Krishna consciousness movement we belong to the family, or disciplic succession, of Sarasvatฤซ Gosvฤmฤซ, and thus we are known as Sฤrasvatas. Obeisances are therefore offered to the spiritual master as sฤrasvata-deva, or a member of the Sฤrasvata family (namas te sฤrasvate deve), whose mission is to broadcast the cult of ลrฤซ Caitanya Mahฤprabhu (gaura-vฤแนฤซ-pracฤriแนe) and to fight with impersonalists and voidists (nirviลeแนฃa-ลลซnyavฤdi-pฤลcฤtya-deลa-tฤriแนe). This was also the occupational duty of Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ, Rลซpa Gosvฤmฤซ and Anupama Gosvฤmฤซ.
The genealogical table of Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ, Rลซpa Gosvฤmฤซ and Vallabha Gosvฤmฤซ can be traced back to the twelfth century ลakฤbda, when a gentleman of the name Sarvajna appeared in a very rich and opulent brฤhmaแนa family in the province of Karแนฤแนญa. He had two sons, named Aniruddhera Rลซpeลvara and Harihara, who were both bereft of their kingdoms and thus obliged to reside in the highlands. The son of Rลซpeลvara, who was named Padmanฤbha, moved to a place in Bengal known as Naihฤแนญฤซ, on the bank of the Ganges. There he had five sons, of whom the youngest, Mukunda, had a well-behaved son named Kumฤradeva, who was the father of Rลซpa, Sanฤtana and Vallabha. Kumฤradeva lived in Fateyabad, an area bordering Bฤklฤcandradvฤซpa in East Bengal (now Bangladesh). The present-day village of Prembagh, which lies near Ramshara in the Jessore district of Bangladesh, is said by many to be the site of Kumฤradeva’s house. Of his many sons, three took to the path of Vaiแนฃแนavism.
Later, ลrฤซ Vallabha and his elder brothers ลrฤซ Rลซpa and Sanฤtana came from Candradvฤซpa to the village in the Maldah district of Bengal known as Rฤmakeli. It is in this village that ลrฤซla Jฤซva Gosvฤmฤซ took birth, accepting Vallabha as his father. Because of engaging in the service of the Muslim government, the three brothers received the title Mullik. When Lord Caitanya Mahฤprabhu visited the village of Rฤmakeli, He met Vallabha there. Later, ลrฤซ Rลซpa Gosvฤmฤซ, after meeting ลrฤซ Caitanya Mahฤprabhu, resigned from government service, and when he went to Vแนndฤvana to meet Lord Caitanya, Vallabha accompanied him. The meeting of Rลซpa Gosvฤmฤซ and Vallabha with Caitanya Mahฤprabhu at Allahabad is described in the Madhya-lฤซlฤ, Chapter Nineteen.
So far the title Swami is concerned, although this word is used generally for Sannyasins, this Swami is my particular name as Sannyasi. Therefore, it must be suffixed at the end of my real name, A.C. Bhaktivedanta. So far the prefix “Swami” is concerned, every sannyasi has got to do that, but two ways Swami (Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami) is not good looking. The end “Swami” is necessary because it is my Sannyasa name. The first Swami may be transformed into Goswami, which is on the same order of Swami. Therefore, I use the prefix Tridandi Goswami and suffix Swami, as I have printed on my card enclosed herewith. That will be nice. In small lettering, it can be written above my name “Tridandi Goswami”. Vaisnava sannyasins are known as Tridandi gosvamis, and Mayavadi sannyasins are know as only Swami.
Letter to Rayarama — San Francisco 2 March, 1968
Actually, it is to be understood from the statement of Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ that ลrฤซ Rลซpa Gosvฤmฤซ and Vallabha went to Vrindavana under the instructions of ลrฤซ Caitanya Mahฤprabhu. First, they went to Mathurฤ, where they met a gentleman named Subuddhi Rฤya, who maintained himself by selling dry fuel wood. He was very pleased to meet ลrฤซ Rลซpa Gosvฤmฤซ and Anupama, and he showed them the twelve forests of Vแนndฤvana. Thus they lived in Vแนndฤvana for one month and then again went to search for Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ. Following the course of the Ganges, they reached Allahabad, or Prayฤga-tฤซrtha, but because Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ had come there by a different road, they did not meet him there, and when Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ came to Mathurฤ he was informed of the visit of Rลซpa Gosvฤmฤซ and Anupama by Subuddhi Rฤya. When Rลซpa Gosvฤmฤซ and Anupama met Caitanya Mahฤprabhu at Benares, they heard about Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซโs travels from Him, and thus they returned to Bengal, adjusted their affairs with the state and, on the order of ลrฤซ Caitanya Mahฤprabhu, went to see the Lord at Jagannฤtha Purฤซ.
In the year 1436 ลakฤbda (CE.1514), the youngest brother, Anupama, died and went back home, back to Godhead. He went to the abode in the spiritual sky where ลrฤซ Rฤmacandra is situated. At Jagannฤtha Purฤซ, ลrฤซ Rลซpa Gosvฤmฤซ informed ลrฤซ Caitanya Mahฤprabhu of this incident. Vallabha was a great devotee of ลrฤซ Rฤmacandra; therefore he could not seriously consider the worship of Rฤdhฤ-Govinda according to the instructions of ลrฤซ Caitanya Mahฤprabhu. Yet he directly accepted ลrฤซ Caitanya Mahฤprabhu as an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Rฤmacandra. In the Bhakti-ratnฤkara there is the following statement: “Vallabha was given the name Anupama by ลrฤซ Gaurasundara, but he was always absorbed in the devotional service of Lord Rฤmacandra. He did not know anyone but ลrฤซ Rฤmacandra, but he knew that Caitanya Gosฤรฑi was the same Lord Rฤmacandra.”
The management of our different centers is made by three officers; namely a President, Treasurer, and a Secretary. They have got separate banking accounts in each center. The checks are signed by two officers out of three. Although in each banking account my name is there as Acarya, and when I am in a center sometimes I sign the checks, still, usually I do not. I try to keep myself aloof from business transactions; but as far publications is concerned, I manage the book fund personally.
[AC Bhaktivedanta, Letter to Hanuman Prasad Poddar – Los Angeles 5 February, 1970]
In the Gaura-gaแนoddeลa-dฤซpikฤ (180) ลrฤซ Rลซpa Gosvฤmฤซ is described to be the gopฤซ named ลrฤซ Rลซpa-maรฑjarฤซ. In the Bhakti-ratnฤkara there is a list of the books ลrฤซ Rลซpa Gosvฤmฤซ compiled. Of all his books, the following sixteen are very popular among Vaiแนฃแนavas: (1) Haแนsadลซta, (2) Uddhava-sandeลa, (3) Kแนแนฃแนa-janma-tithi-vidhi, (4 and 5) Rฤdhฤ-kแนแนฃแนa-gaแนoddeลa-dฤซpikฤ, Bแนhat (major) and Laghu (minor), (6) Stavamฤlฤ, (7) Vidagdha-mฤdhava, (8) Lalita-mฤdhava, (9) Dฤna-keli-kaumudi, (10) Bhakti-rasฤmแนta-sindhu (this is the most celebrated book by ลrฤซ Rลซpa Gosvฤmฤซ), (11) Ujjvala-nฤซlamaแนi, (12) ฤkhyฤta-candrikฤ, (13) Mathurฤ-mahimฤ, (14) Padyฤvalฤซ, (15) Nฤแนญaka-candrikฤ and (16) Laghu-bhฤgavatฤmแนta. ลrฤซ Rลซpa Gosvฤmฤซ gave up all family connections, joined the renounced order of life and divided his money, giving fifty percent to the brฤhmaแนas and Vaiแนฃแนavas and twenty-five percent to his kuแนญumba (family members), and keeping twenty-five percent for personal emergencies. He met Haridฤsa แนฌhฤkura in Jagannฤtha Purฤซ, where he also met Lord Caitanya and His other associates. ลrฤซ Caitanya Mahฤprabhu used to praise the handwriting of Rลซpa Gosvฤmฤซ. ลrฤซla Rลซpa Gosvฤmฤซ could compose verses according to the desires of ลrฤซ Caitanya Mahฤprabhu, and by His direction he wrote two books named Lalita-mฤdhava and Vidagdha-mฤdhava. Lord Caitanya desired the two brothers, Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ and Rลซpa Gosvฤmฤซ, to publish many books in support of the Vaiแนฃแนava religion. When Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ met ลrฤซ Caitanya Mahฤprabhu, the Lord advised him also to go to Vแนndฤvana.
ลrฤซ Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ is described in the Gaura-gaแนoddeลa-dฤซpikฤ (181). He was formerly known as Rati-maรฑjarฤซ or sometimes Lavaแน ga-maรฑjarฤซ. In the Bhakti-ratnฤkara it is stated that his spiritual master, Vidyฤ-vฤcaspati, sometimes stayed in the village of Rฤmakeli, and Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ studied all the Vedic literatures from him. He was so devoted to his spiritual master that this cannot be described. According to the Vedic system, if someone sees a Muslim he must perform rituals to atone for the meeting. Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ always associated with Muslim kings. Not giving much attention to the Vedic injunctions, he used to visit the houses of Muslim kings, and thus he considered himself to have been converted into a Muslim. He was therefore always very humble and meek. When Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ presented himself before Lord Caitanya Mahฤprabhu, he said, “I am always in association with lower-class people, and my behavior is therefore very abominable.” He actually belonged to a respectable brฤhmaแนa family, but because he considered his behavior to be abominable, he did not try to place himself among the brฤhmaแนas but always remained among people of the lower castes. He wrote the Hari-bhakti-vilฤsa and Vaiแนฃแนava-toแนฃaแนฤซ, which is a commentary on the Tenth Canto of ลrฤซmad-Bhฤgavatam. In the year 1476 ลakฤbda (CE. 1554) he completed the Bแนhad-vaiแนฃแนava-toแนฃaแนฤซ commentary on ลrฤซmad-Bhฤgavatam. In the year 1504 ลakฤbda (CE. 1582) Srila Jiva Goswami published an edited version of the Bแนhad-vaiแนฃแนava-toแนฃaแนฤซ named Laghu-toแนฃaแนฤซ.
So far my name is concerned, there is no need of adding Tridandi Goswami, but simply have it as A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, as it is already done in my other books, it will be continued. I made the title page sent herewith, and you will see it. You have to make the contents page for TLC. I have not got any copy of the book, neither it is possible to mark page numbers until we get press copy from the printer. But table of contents page is necessary, so please see to it. I do not like for Sri Bhaktivedanta Swami, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami is shorter, and nicer.
Letter to Rayarama — San Francisco 2 April, 1968
ลrฤซ Caitanya Mahฤprabhu taught His principles through four chief followers. Among them, Rฤmฤnanda Rฤya is exceptional, for through him the Lord taught how a devotee can completely vanquish the power of Cupid. By Cupid’s power, as soon as one sees a beautiful woman he is conquered by her beauty. ลrฤซ Rฤmฤnanda Rฤya, however, vanquished Cupid’s pride. Indeed, while rehearsing the Jagannฤtha-vallabha-nฤแนญaka he personally directed extremely beautiful young girls in dancing, but he was never affected by their youthful beauty. ลrฤซ Rฤmฤnanda Rฤya personally bathed these girls, touching them and washing them with his own hands, yet he remained calm and passionless, as a great devotee should be. Lord Caitanya Mahฤprabhu certified that this was possible only for Ramananda Raya. Similarly, Dฤmodara Paแนแธita was notable for his objectivity as a critic. He did not even spare Caitanya Mahฤprabhu from his criticism. This also cannot be imitated by anyone else. Haridฤsa แนฌhฤkura is exceptional for his forbearance because although he was beaten with canes in twenty-two marketplaces, he was nevertheless tolerant. Similarly, ลrฤซ Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ, although he belonged to a most respectable brฤhmaแนa family, was exceptional for his humility and meekness.
In the Madhya-lฤซlฤ, Chapter Nineteen, the device adopted by Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ to get free from government service is described. He served a notice of sickness to the Nawab, the Muslim governor, but actually he was studying ลrฤซmad-Bhฤgavatam with brฤhmaแนas at home. The Nawab received information of this through a royal physician, and he immediately went to see Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ to discover his intentions. The Nawab requested Sanฤtana to accompany him on an expedition to Orissa, but when Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ refused, the Nawab ordered that he be imprisoned. When Rลซpa Gosvฤmฤซ left home, he wrote a note for Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ informing him of some money that he had entrusted to a local grocer. Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ took advantage of this money to bribe the jail keeper and get free from detention. Then he left for Benares to meet Caitanya Mahฤprabhu, bringing with him only one servant, whose name was ฤชลฤna. On the way they stopped at a sarฤi, or hotel, and when the hotel keeper found out that ฤชลฤna had some gold coins with him, he planned to kill both Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ and ฤชลฤna to take away the coins. Later Sanatana Gosvฤmฤซ saw that although the hotel keeper did not know them, he was being especially attentive to their comfort. Therefore he concluded that ฤชลฤna was secretly carrying some money and that the hotel keeper was aware of this and therefore planned to kill them for it. Upon being questioned by Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ, ฤชลฤna admitted that he indeed had money with him, and immediately Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ took the money and gave it to the hotel keeper, requesting him to help them get through the jungle. Thus with the help of the hotel keeper, who was also the chief of the thieves of that territory, Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ crossed over the Hazipur mountains, which are presently known as the Hazaribags. He then met his brother-in-law ลrฤซkฤnta, who requested that he stay with him. Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ refused, but before they parted ลrฤซkฤnta gave him a valuable blanket.
Somehow or other Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ reached Varanasi and met Lord Caitanya Mahฤprabhu at the house of Candrasekhara. By the order of the Lord, Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ was cleanly shaved and his dress changed to that of a mendicant, or bฤbฤjฤซ. He put on old garments of Tapana Miลra’s and took prasฤdam at the house of a Maharashtrian brฤhmaแนa. Then, in discourses with Lord Caitanya Mahฤprabhu, the Lord Himself explained everything about devotional service to Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ. He advised Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ to write books on devotional service, including a book of directions for Vaiแนฃแนava activities, and to excavate the lost places of pilgrimage in Vแนndฤvana. Lord Caitanya Mahฤprabhu gave him His blessings to do all this work and also explained to Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ the import of the ฤtmฤrฤma verse from sixty-one different angles of vision.
Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ went to Vแนndฤvana by the main road, and when he reached Mathurฤ he met Subuddhi Rฤya. Then he returned to Jagannฤtha Purฤซ through Jharikhanda (Jharkhanda), the Madhya Pradesh jungle. At Jagannฤtha Purฤซ he decided to give up his body by falling down beneath a wheel of the Jagannฤtha ratha, but Caitanya Mahฤprabhu saved him.
Then Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ met Haridฤsa แนฌhฤkura and heard about the disappearance of Anupama. Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ later described the glories of Haridฤsa แนฌhฤkura. Sanฤtana observed the etiquette of Jagannฤtha’s temple by going along the beach to visit Lord Caitanya, although it was extremely hot due to the sun. He requested Jagadฤnanda Paแนแธita to give him permission to return to Vแนndฤvana. Lord Caitanya Mahฤprabhu praised the character of Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ, and He embraced Sanฤtana, accepting his body as spiritual. Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ was ordered by ลrฤซ Caitanya Mahฤprabhu to live at Jagannฤtha Purฤซ for one year. When he returned to Vแนndฤvana after that time, he again met Rลซpa Gosvฤmฤซ, and both brothers remained in Vแนndฤvana to execute the orders of ลrฤซ Caitanya Mahฤprabhu.
The place where ลrฤซ Rลซpa Gosvฤmฤซ and Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ formerly lived has now become a place of pilgrimage. It is generally known as Gupta Vแนndฤvana, or hidden Vแนndฤvana, and is situated about eight miles south of English Bazaar (Malda).
There the following places are still visited: (1) the temple of the ลrฤซ Madana-mohana Deity, (2) the Keli-kadamba tree, under which ลrฤซ Caitanya Mahฤprabhu met Sanฤtana Gosvฤmฤซ at night and (3) Rลซpasฤgara, a large pond excavated by ลrฤซ Rลซpa Gosvฤmฤซ. A society named Rฤmakeli-saแนskฤra-samiti was established in 1924 to repair the temple and renovate the pond.
