Pranam Mantra of Srila Swarupa Damodara
Caitanya preshtatam lalitavataram gaudiyadarshaika rasajna varyam
Shrikrishna Sangeeta Visharadam Tam Damodrakhyam Prabhumantohsmi
Identity of Svarupa Damodara Goswami:
Srila Svarupa Damodara Goswami was one of the three intimate associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sri Gaurasundara is the incarnation of Krishna with the complexion and mood of Srimati Radharani. Sri Svarupa Damodara is His second expansion. As he is an intimate associate of Mahaprabhu, he knew the confidential causes of Mahaprabhu’s incarnations and pastimes. He propagated the mysterious pastimes of Mahaprabhu. In Gaura Ganoddesa Dipika, Svarupa Damodara Goswami is indicated as Visakha Sakhi in Brajalila.
“Kalam shikshayad Radham ya Visakha vraje pure
Sadya Swarupa Goswami Tattattava vilasavan”
Sriman Mahaprabhu spent His last twelve years of Antya Lila at Puri. During this time He was constantly absorbed in separation from Krishna. He cherished the confidential divine love in association with His two most intimate associates: Svarupa Damodara Goswami and Raya Ramananda. A detailed description is available in Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita.
Appearance:
In this material world, Swarupa Damodara Goswami’s previous name was Purushottama Acharya or Purushottama Bhattacharya. According to Sri Gaudiya Vaishnava Avidhana, his father’s name was Padmagarbhacharya. His mother’s name is not mentioned. His maternal grandfather’s name was Srijayram Chakraborty. The original house of Purushottam Acharya was at Bhitadiya (on the bank of the Brahmaputra River in East Bengal). Jayaram Chakraborty lived in Navadvipa. He performed Padmagarbhacharya’s marriage with his daughter. According to his instruction, Padmagarbhacharya lived in Navadvipa. After the birth of Purushottama Acharya, Padmagarbhacharya went to Kashi to study the scriptures.
Accepting ascetic order:
Purushottama Acharya lived in his maternal grandfather’s house in Nabadwip. Later when Mahaprabhu took sannyasasanyasa Purushottama Acharya could not stay in Nabadwip. He moved to Varanasi. He took sannyasa from Chaitanyananda Bharati who instructed him to study and teach Vedanta to all”. Svarupa Damodara was completely detached from material enjoyment. He was an erudite scholar as well. He devoted his body, mind, and speech to the lotus feet of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He accepted the ascetic order to perform Krishna bhajan in seclusion. He gave up his Shikha and the sacred thread but did not accept the yoga patta. Because of this, His asceticism was not to get respect from people but to get an opportunity to live with Mahaprabhu. HisHe is sannyasa name was Svarupa Damodara. After taking Sannyasa he came to Nilachala and became overjoyed by seeing Mahaprabhu.
Erudition of Svarupa Damodara Goswami:
Svarupa Damodara was “panditera avadhi” i.e. there was no other scholar as great as him. But he did not talk to anyone. He lived in a secluded place and people did not know about him. could not feel his presence. When someone composed a book, verse, or song and wanted to listen to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to listen to it, Svarupa Damodara would first examine it. If it was pure, it would be played to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
An audience of Gadadhara Pandita’s BhagavatamBhagavata recitation:
When Srila Gadadhara Pandita Goswami was used to recite Bhagavatam with great ecstasy in the temple of Tota Gopinatha, His audience was Lord Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself, and Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Shri Advaitacharya Prabhu, Svarupa Damodara, Vakreshvara Pandita, Murari Gupta, Dasa Gadadhara and so on. Shri Gauranga Mahaprabhu listened to the story of Prahlada and Dhruva for about a hundred times from Srila Gadadhara Pandita. The symptoms of Asta sattvika Vikara used to be manifested all over the body of Mahaprabhu during the Bhagavatam recitation of Gadadhara Pandita and the kirtana of Sri Svarupa Damodara.
The Master of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas:
During the Gundica Marjana, a simple-hearted Vaishnava from Bengal suddenly poured a pitcher of water on Mahaprabhu’s lotus feet and drank it. As Sriman Mahaprabhu Himself is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there was no fault in drinking His feet water inside the temple. But Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu expressed his displeasure with Vaishnava for the lesson of external people. Then Mahaprabhu told Svarupa Damodar Goswami:-
“śikṣā lāgi’ svarūpe ḍāki’ kahila tāṅhāre
ei dekha tomāra ‘gauḍīyā’ra vyavahāre”
Translation: The Lord then called for Svarūpa Dāmodara and told him, “Just see the behavior of your Bengali Vaiṣṇava!
“īśvara-mandire mora pada dhoyāila
sei jala āpani lañā pāna kaila“
Translation: This person from Bengal has washed My feet within the temple of the Personality of Godhead. Not only that, but he has drunk the water himself.
“ei aparādhe mora kāhāṅ habe gati
tomāra ‘gauḍīyā’ kare eteka phaijati“
Translation: I now do not know what My destination is because of this offense. Indeed, your Bengali Vaiṣṇava has greatly implicated Me.”
(Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya 12.125-27)
In the context, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Prabhupada interpreted the phrase “Tomara Gaudiya” in his commentary Anubhashya on Sri Caitanya CaritamrtaCaritamrita, Madhya 12/126: “All the Gaudiya Vaishnavas belong to Sri Damodara Svarupa. Therefore Mahaprabhu Himself used the word “your”.
Svarupa Damodara as the main kirtanya during the Rath Yatra:
During the Rath Yatra in Puri, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu always engaged Svarupa Damodara as the main Kirtanya. As soon as the mood of separation arose in the mind of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Svarupa Damodara could feel this and sang accordingly.
Advice to a Brahmin poet:
Svarupa Damodara had an affinity with khanja (lame) Bhagavana Acharya, a resident of Halishahar. Though he was a very generous Vaishnava, his father Shatananda Khan was a materialistic person and his younger brother Gopala Bhattacharya was a Mayavadi. Gopala Bhattacharya came to Puri and met his elder brother. Bhagavan Acharya asked Svarupa Damodara to listen to the recitation of Vedanta commentary from Gopal Bhattacharya. But Svarupa Damodara Prabhu refused to listen to the Mayavada commentary and forbade him as well.
Once a Bengali Brahminbrahmin poet wrote a play according to his whim and told Bhagavana Acharya about it. Bhagavana Acharya requested Svarupa Damodara to present this before Mahaprabhu Because without his permission nobody could represent anything before Mahaprabhu. Many Vaishnavas admired the play. Finally, Svarupa Damodara agreed to listen to the text at the earnest request of Bhagavan Acharya. But heSwaruoop Ddamodara only had to hear the invocation verse to point out that it was showed that the very invocation Nandishloka verse goes against the basic ideology of Bhakti. Everyone was surprised.
However, not everyone has a sense of devotion, despite being Vaishnava. Svarupa Damodar saw the plight of the poet and was kind to him. He advised him to learn the Srimad Bhagavatam under the guidance of a Vaishnava and take exclusive shelter of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s lotus feet.
Rendering Raghunath Das to Svarupa Damodara:
Srila Raghunatha Dasa Goswami was the son of Govardhana Majumdar. His guru and family priest was Sri Yadunandana Acharya. He cleverly took his permission and escaped from home. He reached Puri in twelve days on foot. When he met Mahaprabhu in Puri, Mahaprabhu showed him immense mercy. Then He surrendered him to the hands of Svarupa Damodara. Since then he has been known as “Svarupera Raghu”.
Preparation of banana leaf mattress for Mahaprabhu:
Once in Kashi Mishra Bhavana, Mahaprabhu underwent severe austerity. He always cried by calling the names of Krishna. Day by day, He became more and more lean. Out of strong dispassion, He slept on the dry leaves and barks of the plantain tree. He paid no attention to any kind of pain in His body. The devotees saw that and became very sad. Sri Jagadananda Pandita could not bear it. He dyed fine clothes in saffron color and filled soft Simula cotton in them. After making a beautiful mattress, he gave it to Svarupa Damodara to make Mahaprabhu’s bed. When this Mahaprabhu saw it he became angry. He asked Govinda – “Who made this bed?” As soon as Heyou heard the name Jagadanandaname of Jagadananda, He became afraid. Because He knew that Jagadananda was an incarnation of Satyabhama, T therefore he was very short-tempered. arrogant. But still, Mahaprabhu took away the mattress Govinda and slept on a banana bark. When Svarupa Damodara told Mahaprabhu that Jagadananda would be very sad about this, Mahaprabhu said, “Then bring a cot. Jagdananda wants to make me enjoy material pleasure. A renunciate should sleep on the ground. What is the need of are these beds and pillows? What a shame.” Swarupa Damodara informed Jagadananda about this. Jagadananda became very sad. Swarupa Damodara was very skilled in rendering the services of Mahaprabhu. He tore dry banana leaves and stuffed them inside Mahaprabhu’s garments to make pillowcases in another way. Mahaprabhu reluctantly accepted it. The devotees were very happy. This is a wonderful example of Svarupa Damodar’s service skills.
Final Days and Disappearance:
Nama Sankirtan is the best among all means to attain Krsna prema. Mahaprabhu propagated this doctrine very clearly and emphatically through Svarupa Damodara and Raya Ramananda. In His final days, Mahaprabhu was always absorbed in the separation from Krishna just like Srimati Radharani. During the days of Mahaprabhu’s divyonmada state (a divine state that resembles delusion, and bewilderment), Svarupa Damodara and Raya Ramananda always stayed with Himgave Him company. They nourished the Vipralambha (separation) bhava of Mahaprabhu.
Svarupa Damodara Goswami Prabhu disappeared on the day of Rathayatra.
