Three Legendary Vaishnava Saints: Raghunatha Dasa, Krsna Dasa Kaviraja, and Srinivasa Acarya
Raghunatha Dasa:
Introduction:
We have published the tenth and eleventh issues of Sajjana Toṣaṇī. These are known as the “Śrī Śrī Raghu-Kṛṣṇa-Śrīnivāsa” editions. Monday, 5th of Kārttika, is the disappearance day of Śrī Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī and Śrī Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Kavirāja.
Early Life and Renunciation:
Raghunātha Dāsa belonged to the Kāyastha lineage. During his youth, he became deeply immersed in love for Śrī Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu, leading him to forsake his wealth and a virtuous young wife. He wandered through the jungle for three days and reached Śrī Puruṣottama Dhāma. There he eventually took refuge at the lotus feet of Śrīman Mahāprabhu. Mahāprabhu was overjoyed and accepted Raghunātha wholeheartedly.
Life of Extreme Austerity:
Raghunātha’s renunciation was intense. Mahāprabhu praised Raghunātha’s renunciation, stating, “Raghunātha’s renunciation is impossible for any living being.” Raghunātha did not beg; instead, he would go to Śrī Kṣetra, initially standing before the Siṁha-dvārā
(main entrance) of Śrī Śrī Jagannāthadeva with his hands cupped, collecting alms for the Mahā-prasāda. When his hands were full, he would return home and consume that prasāda. However, Raghunātha was not content with this method. He thought, “Is not standing at the Siṁha-dvārā with cupped hands merely an act of a prostitute? They also stand at their doorsteps to sustain their lives. Therefore, I will stop following this method and sustain my life by consuming that stale prasāda that has been rejected.” This led Raghunātha to adopt this new approach. One day, the merciful Caitanyadeva witnessed Raghunātha consuming the abandoned prasāda and inquired, “What are you eating, Raghunātha?” Raghunātha, without offering any further explanation to Caitanyadeva’s question, simply replied, “Ājñā?” At that moment, Caitanya-cānda began to smile, taking a handful of prasāda from Raghunātha’s pot and consuming it. He then said, “Raghunātha! Are you deceiving Me and secretly consuming such nectar alone?” This embarrassed Raghunātha. The interactions between Raghunātha and Mahāprabhu regarding their pastimes at Puruṣottama remained unknown even to the most exalted Vaiṣṇava.
Journey to Vṛndāvana and The Excavation of Śyāma-kuṇḍa and Rādhā-kuṇḍa:
With Mahāprabhu’s consent, Raghunātha left Puruṣottama and journeyed to Śrī Vṛndāvana-dhāma, where he met with Sanātana Gosvāmīpāda and other Vaisnavas. There, he lived by the banks of the Śrī Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Suddenly, one day, a thought struck him, as if in a dream: “If the excavation of Śrī Śyāma-kuṇḍa and Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa were to be undertaken again, wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
The Divine Intervention:
O reader! Isn’t it true that Śrī Śrī Kṛṣṇa is always ready to fulfil the desires of His devotees? From Bādarikāśrama, Śrī Nārāyaṇadeva bestowed upon one man a handful of gold coins and instructed, “You should give these gold coins to Raghunātha Dāsa, the main Vaiṣṇava residing at Ārīṭa village. If he refuses to accept them, you should say that Śrī Nārāyaṇa has sent these gold coins from Bādarikāśrama. Therefore you should take these gold coins and excavate Śyāma-kuṇḍa and Rādhā-kuṇḍa.” As per the order of Nārāyaṇa, a man arrived in Ārīṭa village, bringing coins to offer to Raghunātha. However, Raghunātha declined the offer. Later, the man assured that Nārāyaṇa Himself sent it to Raghunātha. Hearing that Raghunātha became overwhelmed, he exclaimed, “Oh Lord! Oh Master! Oh one who fulfils the desires of the surrendered devotees!” He started weeping. Then he instructed the Vrajabasis to begin the excavation of the two kuṇḍas. They agreed. But there was an old tree near the Śyāma-kuṇḍa that should be cut to ensure that the four corners of the Śyāma-kuṇḍa were of equal length. But, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira came in a dream to Raghunātha and said, “Don’t cut us! We five brothers are present at the banks of Śyāma-kuṇḍa in the form of five trees.” This is why the Śyāma-kuṇḍa is constructed in a curved shape. The remarkable qualities of Śrī Śrī Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī are well-known within the Vaiṣṇava community, thus our narrative will pause here.
Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī:
Early Life and Background:
Śrī Śrī Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī was born into a Vaidya family at Jhamatpur village in the Bardhaman district. The holy place associated with Kavirāja Gosvāmī is the primary reason why Jhamatpur is famous. Kavirāja Gosvāmī was well-versed in all scriptures. This is evident in the texts of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Govinda Līlāmṛta, and the Sāraṅga-raṅgadā commentary on the Śrī Kṛṣṇa Karṇāmṛta.
Birthplace Controversy:
Some claim that Kavirāja was born in Kaṅcaḍapāḍā, near Kumāra-haṭṭa, or in the locality of Hālisahara. However, the exact location of his birth cannot be definitively determined based on this statement. Because the language of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta suggests that he was from Rāḍha-deśa. We need not delve further into this matter.
Literary Contributions:
Kavirāja Gosvāmī was among the most distinguished scholars in the Caitanya sampradāya and was also a great devotee. This claim is supported by the sheer magnificence of his works alone. His compassion was unparalleled, as he showed kindness to those lacking knowledge of the śāstra by composing Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta in Bengali. We believe that without Kavirāja’s compassion, those who do not know the śāstra and philosophy would never be able to understand the teachings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Legacy:
Oh Kavirāja! Both the learned and the ignorant people of the Vaisnava Community will remain indebted to you. It’s impossible to sing about your virtues with a single mouth. The world of Vaiṣṇava is always praising your virtues. Kavirāja! Your words can attract even the atheists at your lotus feet. You have mentioned in the Caritāmṛta, “yadi vā na jāne keha, shunite shunite sei,” etc. It’s only through your profound statements that you can escalate even the foolish members of the Vaiṣṇava community to an advanced level.
Śrīnivāsa Ācārya:
Early Life:
Sunday the Agrahāyaṇa 1, is the disappearance day of Śrī Śrīnivāsa Ācārya Prabhu. He appeared in a Brahmin family in the village of Chākhandī in the Bardhaman district. In his youth, he took shelter at the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu under the influence of his father. Then he received the permission of his parents and accepted the renounced order.
Pilgrimage to Sacred Places
Navadvīpa-dhāma: After taking Sannyas, renouncing material life, Śrīnivāsa first went to Śrī Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma. There he had the darsana of Śrīmatī Viṣṇupriyā Thākurāṇī, Mahāprabhu’s consort and Śrī Śrī Vaṁśīvadanānanda Prabhu, Mahāprabhu’s close associate. With the latter, he visited places related to Mahāprabhu. He stayed at the residence of Viṣṇupriyā Mātā for a few days, immersing himself in listening to Mahāprabhu’s pastimes from Vaṁśīvadanānanda and exploring all his beloved places.
Puruṣottama Dhāma (Jagannath Puri): From Navadvīpa he went to Śrī Puruṣottama Dhāma. There, he met with all the associates of Mahāprabhu. He had the darśana of Śrī Śrī Jagannāthadeva every day and heard the teachings and kīrtana of Mahāprabhu. Some say he went straight to Śrī Puruṣottama after accepting the vairāgya-āśrama. Whatever the details may be, no decision is required regarding this.
In Vṛndāvana: After returning from Śrī Puruṣottama, he stayed in the Gauḍa-mandala for a period. Then, he travelled to Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma. Upon entering Vṛndāvana, he met the Gosvāmī Prabhus and had the darśana of Vrajapura. After many days, he came back to Gauḍa-maṇḍala and delivered those who were unfortunate. The miraculous life of Śrīnivāsa is detailed in the “Śrī Caitanya Prema Līlāmṛta” and “Bhakti Ratnākara”.
[This is an abridged version of the essay “Śrī Śrī Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī Prabhu, Śrī Śrī Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī Prabhu and Śrī Śrīnivāsa Ācārya Prabhu” of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, published in Sajjana Toṣaṇī, Vol.2 issues 10 and 11 in 1885.]
