Class on Gopala Bhatta Goswami (GBG) : By HG Amarendra Prabhu – Part 1 :

First 1 hour.

Hare Krishna Thank you for joining this class on the 3 rd part of the life of 6 Goswamis of Vrindavan. In the
last 2 days we discussed on Raghunatha Bhatta and Raghunatha das Goswamis. 4 more Acharyas to go
in this discussion and this session we are going to dedicate our time listening and speaking abilities unto
the lotus feet of Gopala Bhatta Goswami. Such a glorious wonderful Gaudiya Vaishnava saint whose
works are very significant and profusely quoted.

The hint is this great Vaishnava has contributed so much and lived his life in Vrindavan he is hardly
mentioned anywhere. He is not mentioned in Caitanya Bhagavat, Caitanya Mangal etc. He is not
described by Kavi Karnapura as well. They all seem to mysteriously this great personality and eclipse his
presence. Even in CC krishnadas KAviraja Goswami does not describe him completely. He just says that
GBG as one of the six prominent siksha gurus. Murari Gupta and Narottama das thakur in his book
prema vilas has described GBG. But the profuse description is in Bhakti ratnakara by Narahari Cakravati.

Still not profusely mentioned as Rupa and santana Goswami. The glories of the Goswami was hiding
behind the curtain of the Goswami literatures as soon as we spoke about how bhakti ratnakara has
opened up the curtain on GBG’s life, the lord opened up the curtain to listen to the glories. Srila GBG
glories are very dear to ear of Gaura Nitai.

Srila GBG is an incarnation of Ananga manjari (Younger sister of Radharani) and also incarnation of Guna
Manjari. Sri GBG, who is the incarnation of younger sister of Radharani as Ananga manjari, is in Gaura
Lila. GBGs life starts on the banks of river Cauvery in South India at a place called Belagudi. Very near to
the most exalted sRi Rangam. The capital of Sri Vaishnava Saint Ramanuja. Once in Sri Rangam, Sripad
Ramanujacharya was having prasadam with his associates and he chewed on the pulp of the fruit and
threw the peel of the fruit in to a pond. A Fish swallowed the peel of Sripad Ramanujacharya from the
pond and ascended to vaikunta in a 4 handed form. The disciples were very confused and said , ohh
Guru maharaja we honour your remenants everyday and we haven’t seen any 4 handed form on
ourselves where as this fish when touched the peel of the fruit got the 4 handed form and went home
back home back to godhead. Why this is so ?

Ramanujacharya said : Familiarity Breeds Contempt, you were partaking my remnants but not much in
awe and reverence like the fish. “Atiparicayat Avajna “ (Too much familiarity breeds contempt) When
anything rare becomes easily accessible we lose the importance of it . Like scriptures are easily available
SB, BG etc. Bhakti vinoda Thakura took 8 years to search for CC copy in Bengal ! Now we can walk in to
an Iskcon center and get a copy of CC set. Because if it is easily available, we lose the value of the object
that we are seeking.

In the HQ of his guru Ramanujacharya and Yamunacharya at SriRangam there were 3 brothers, Tirumala
Bhatta Venkata Bhatta Prabhodana bhatt (Later became Probhadananda Saraswati). Vyenkata bhatt the
second gave birth to GBG. He grew up and learnt shastras under Prabhodananda Saraswati his uncle.
The acharyas have also kept the details of HG Prabhodananda Saraswati as well very secretive and
confidential. It is mystical and positively shocking, that the great prabhodananda Saraswati who has
written great works like rasa sudhanidhi, Vrindavan mahimamrita etc Caitanya candrimrita, gita Govinda
vyakhyana, etc. Interestingly no one quotes from these books of SPS (Srila Prabhodananda Saraswati).
No one mentions about their names. Acharyas have eclipsed this personality.

Through academic research it has been mapped that why his details are eclipsed to us. Mapping up to
his history, it was identified that SPS gave shelter to an acharya called Sri Hit Hari Vamsa from Radha
Vallabh sampradaya. And Sri Hita Hari Vamsa was not accepted by Gaudiya acaryas, he being in
Vrindavan got outlined. SPS due to his compassionate nature gave shelter and this could have led to his
mention being obscure or minimal in the texts. SPS work Radha Rasa Sudha nidhi mentions, that due to
his proximity with Sri Hita Hari Vamsa the Radha Vallabha sampradaya line claim this work to be that of
Sri Hita Hari Vamsa’s work. So from critical standpoint, there are 2 acharyas who are very close to each
other and their followers claim Sri Rasa Sudhanidhi to be the individual works of their preceptors. The
gaudiyas claim it is SPS, and Radha vallabha sampradaya says this is from sri Hita Hari Vamsa who
echoed these when he was 6 months old in a cradle.

Sri Hita Hari Vamsa was not from Vrindavan, and Sri Rasa sudhanidhi describes about the glories of
Vrindavan which maps to the times that SPS lived about. So it is more likes Sri Rasa Sudhanidhi was
written by SPS. The academic research also showcased the Sri Rasa Sudhanidhi has got verses on Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sri Hita Hari Vamsa followers claim this was added by gaudiya later in the books
and the Gaudiyas argue this always existed and was written by SPS.

Gaudiyas claim the name of the book is Sri Radha Rasa Sudha nidhi and the Radha Vallaba sampradaya
claim it is Sri Radha Sudha nidhi . The followers of Sri Hita Hari Vamsa claim the book in the year 1800s
claim the name of Sri Hita Hari Vamsa. However Gaudiyas give a compelling proof around the origins of
the author of this work, SPS’s vrrindavan mahimamrita, Caitanya candramrta and ashcharya rasa
prabhanda have the same lines repeated in Radha Rasa Sudha nidhi. It is is unlikely someone else can
have the same structural component of lines as we found in 3 other works. Also the mood of Sri radha
rasa Sudha nidhi matches with that SPS.

Kavi KArnaPura in Gaura Ganodesha dipika describes SPS as the incarnation of one of the ashta sakhis
(Tungavidya) of Vrindavan. And he mentions sarva shastra visharada, an erudite scholar of every part of
shastric studies. Also GBG in his introductory verse to hari bhakti vilas introduces his spiritual master SPS
as bhagavata Priya. Or he was very dear to Bhagavan. Natha ji in bhaktamal describes SPS as Caitanya
Priya parashada, a beloved expansion or plenary of Lord Caitanya.

Life of 3 wonderful brothers

GBG was born in 1500, 1501 0rr 1503 . the date is a bit disputed and debtated. To be safe GBG appeared
around 1500-1503 same time as Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami appeared. Sri Caitanya took sannyas in
1510 at the age of 24. 1510 to 1512 he made the visit to south India. Kaviraja Goswami mentions the
places SCM stopped over, Vishakapatnam, Simhachalam, Godavari banks meeting ramananda raya ,
ahobilam, Tirupati, Kanchipuram and then finally Srirangam on the banks of Cauvery. He took bath in
cauvery and went to see lord Ranganatha. When he went there was a tumultuous kirtan. So many 1000s
of devotees followed him and chanted the names of the lord. SCM roared like a lion in the kirtan
assembly. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is often referred to as Hari, The word hari apart from other
meanings we call as Lion. Narsimha deva is called as NaraHari. Half man half lion.
Why SCM called as a lion ? SPS explains in Caitanya Candramrita

1. Golden complexion so a lion

2. Hair upto shoulders like the mane of a lion
3. Broad chest and thin waist like a lion
4. Appeared in the simha rasi or leo constellation
5. Like a lion would enter a cave and roar and send the resident elephants packing from the cave
for their life. And then occupy the cave similarly SCM as a lion would enter the caves of our
heart and roar “Haribol” and send the elephant like anarthas like lust greed envy packing. Then
later that supreme lord will occupy the cave of our heart.

So this way singing an dancing in Ranganatha kshetra he performed his pastimes. And looking at the
complexion of Rangantha he remembered his shyamasundara or krishna. He would roll on the ground
crying and weeping. When Vyenkata Bhatta saw this he was stunned. Vyenkata Bhatta was a pure
staunch Sri Vaishnava and very high class worshippers of Lakshmi and Narayana. When he saw SCM he
understood this is not any other sannyasi but his own lord visiting. So he held the feet of SCM and
requested my house is close to the temple so kindly visit it . SCM agreed and vyenkata Bhatta took all
the devotees to his house and just like Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami tapana misra washed the lotus feet
of SCM and asked Raghunatha Bhatta to distribute the charanamrita, and sprinkle them on other
vaishnavas, similarly Vyenkata Bhatta gave the caranamrita gave the first holy water to GBG. Young
Gopala Bhatta was 7 to 10 years old At that time it is noted that all GBG, Raghunatha Bhatta and
Raghunatha Das all 3 are getting high class child time association of SCM.

They all follow the same pattern of associating with high class devotees accepting charanamrita and
intense in devotion. GBG it is described in the bhakti ratnakara that when he drank the caranamrita of
SCM he was weeping and crying. Because SCM is Radharani and GBG being Ananga manjari younger
sister they were uniting again.

GBG was an exalted devotee when he saw the cakra on top of the temple at puri , he rolled on the
ground saying Jagannath Jagannath. This was when he was 4 years old. GBG accepted Caranamrit and
under his guidance offered prasadam to SCM , the prasadam remnants were distributed. GBG massaged
the feet of SCM upto his thighs. Vyenkata Bhatta then requested the lord to stay during the 4 months of
caturmasya at his house and engage in bhajan kirtan and hari katha during his stay. SCM found this very
tempting so he agreed for 4 months stay. GBG given the chance of personally serving SCM for 24 hours a
day.

If your child wants to be a Goswami , please do this parental pranali (Art of parenting) of serving the
great devotees and the lord for 24 hours. Then they will cry for radha krishna for the rest of their life.

They will cry when they take the material books to say I will not enter home but look to the forest to
find Radha and Krishna. So 4 months bathe in cauvery and took darshan. GBG was a menial personal
servant for everything that SCM did , GBG will be there. GBG was witnessing the passtimes of SCM on a
daily basis and noting his activities. SCM at that time had a personal servant named Govinda/Krishna
Das. GBG was speaking about SCM to Govinda das and Govinda would speak about how naughty Nimai
was as a child in Nadia. This attracted GBG even more as the pastimes were more relatable of the age
that he was in. He would recite the pastimes of how nimai would fake school and put ink on himself. He
mentioned how SCM would spit on the face of brahmanas who went for taking a bath in the ganges.
Also they would go underwater and pull the dhotis and legs of the sadhus and make them bereft of
cloths. Under the water. Sometimes SCM will pull their beard and sometimes he would sit on their back
and disturb them. He will sit on a pile of dirt and eat them, he will embrace the snake thinking it is
Ananta. He was very naughty sCM. When the thieves kidnap sCM he will bewilder them and get them
back to his house. Ofcourse Yogamaya and mahamaya are at his feet so he bewilders , positively as yoga
maya and negatively as maha maya. GBG wished that I could be born in Nadia and witness these
pastimes myself. GBG always thought brahma placed my birth time and place both incorrectly in Sri
Rangam. My place should have been Nadia and not 15 years late. GBG would cry every day but he will
not tell SCM. GBG will cry and when enquired by SCM, he will not reveal his heart. As SCM as supersoul
understood what is in the heart of GBG.

In the dream of GBG he saw a great mystical dream he was transported Nadia . And in Nadia he saw
SCM’s form , naughty pranks, he saw him as a householder, he saw him chanting and dancing with sri
nitai. Seeing all this GBG was in ecsstacty trembling in his dream, At that time nitai and Advaita both
came very close and spoke a secret in the ears of GBG . he was enthusiastic to hear what was it and at
that time the dream broke. He went to SCM to tell him what he saw, but he did not see SCM but saw
Krishna playing on the flute.

Bahila dekhila tomar sannyasi svarup

Eibe tomar dekhe moi shyama gopa ruup

The sannyasi golden form of renunciation has transformed to lord onf enjoyment in shyama form in the
3 bending forms.

Krishna relishes his own notes, by dancing his eyebrows on the notes played by him. It is mentioned in
the Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 10 , Chapter 35. Describes the venu geet of krishna. The demigods all
appear to hear the song of Krishna. The demigoddesses are waiting to jump from their heavenly plane to
run towards krishna. The earth is trembling in ecstacy, the peacock, the deer and the trees are like
painted pictures looking at krishna. Amidst that krishna is playing the flute looking at his friends and
stylishly moving his eyebrows. When he looked closed he saw him as sCM of Nadia. GBG was ecstatic

GBG revealed his dream and SCM said yes this is why I revealed you my form but please keep it
confidential that I am supreme lord. I have come here to distribute radha bhava. And blessed him that
he will do miraculous acts in the future. He will make it to Vrindavan and do acts that he personally
could not do due to lack of time. He said you GBG will assist Rupa and Sanatana to write literature and
you will give diksha to many disciples. You will teach Bhagavatam literature and I empower you on this.
GBG being ecstatic continued serving of SCM. As 4 months got completed, GBG begged the lord to take
him with him, just like Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami and Raghunatha Das Goswami. The instruction was
the same for GBG : Serve your parents. There were many wonderful conversations during the 4 months
of caturmasya. Every spot in the house has beautiful descriptions . Have you ever felt when guests come
and visit you for 1 or 2 weeks and when they leave the house feels vacant ? And we miss their presence
once they are gone , if this is for devotees imagine the lord staying in our house for 4 months. GBG held
the hand and pleaded him to stay back and not leave. If not 4 months please 2 more months, if not 1
more month, if not upto next Ekadashi. Mahaprabhu agreed. During the 4 months and 1 ekadashi stay
he had wonderful conversations with Vyenkata Bhatta and family.
Sri Vyenkata Bhatta worshipped and adored Sri lakshmi Narsimha , Varaha etc. SCM was bhaav of
Vrindavan and would say I want to ask you a few questions because you are so scholarly. Please tell me
why your lakshmi leave your Narayana to come to Vrindavan ? Vyenkata Bhatta said there is nothing
wrong here Krishna and Narayana are the same personality, so lakshmi is very chaste, she is accepting
one form of her eternal husband to another form. The Sri vaishnavas were convinced that Narayana is
the original lord and even source of incarnation for Krishna.

They say Rama came in Ayodhya, krishna in mathura, Narsimha from a pillar, Varaha from nostril of
brahma but not Narayana he is always there. But we know as jayadeva Goswami writes, keshava dhrta
mina sarira, keshava dhrta…. Who killed keshi demon, krishna killed the demon. Sriman Narayana and
krishna are one but as long as rasa or sweetness is concerned krishna is the emperor of sweetness.
While Sriman Narayana is mode of opulence and greatness. Father at work – Narayan, Father at home –
Krishna (relaxed) . Intimacy is higher at home.

SCM asked Vyenkata Bhatta if so why Lakshmi was not given entry in Rasa lila and she is still doing
tapasya at Baelavana. Vyenkata Bhatta was stumped and said you are the Narayana and that Krishna
please reveal the secret unto me. SCM explained, Vaikunta is the land of greatness, while Vrindavan is
the land of sweetness. Vaikunta is Aishwarya bhumi , Vrindavan is madhurya bhumi. In Vrindavan
Aishwarya does not exist, the madhurya is super excellent so high class that it eclipses all other things of
the lord. In brhad bhagavatamrta describes this factor in the journey of the gopakumar. In Vaikunta
everyone approaches Lord Narayana as the ultimate lord and master, in Vrindavan no one takes krishna
to be the lord. This is one reason he had to leave Vrindavan, because if he spoke Gita in Vrindavan no
one will take it seriously.

The vrajavasis they are dependent on krishna and think krishna too is dependent on them. They punch
play pinch krishna not with consideration that he is god. Their love is independent of the fact he is the
lord. CC says we should walk through the door of Vaidhi bhakti to open the door of madhurya. In
Vrindavan they play with krishna and wrestling with Krishna. He is fighting for his life in the friends with
Vrindavan, he is fighting with sridhama. Sridhama topples krishna and says I won I won pins him on the
floor and says I won and says jay jay. Krishna gets up and joins in singing victory victory. The devotees in
krishna’s camp says you do not say jay you have lost the game .

Krishna says I am saying jaya because I won the game. Everyone perplexed says to krishna we all saw
you were on the ground your back was pinned, how did you win the game, it is Sridham who won the
game. Krishna says I can prove it to you . Everyone said go ahead.

Krishna said when I was punched down look at SriDhama’s nose it was pointing down, but my nose was
pointing up and the competition was he whose nose points down will lose the game. Krishna was told by
friends not to invent new rules. The punishment was to carry the enemy camp on their backs. Krishna
refused the task saying he is the future king of Vrindavan and hence would not do it. I can dictate terms.
Friends and sakhas said do not dictate your terms here , you may be a king at home not here. If you
want to play , play properly. Now become a horse. Krishna said I wont become a horse, when asked why
krishna said , my Dad has 9Lakh cows and I cannot become a HORSE !!!

If you tell me to become a cow I can but not Horse. The friends had a meeting and decided to expel
krishna from their group and said if you cannot become a horse do not be in our group. Krishna said big
deal you think if you expel me I cannot play ? I have other friends I will play with them you go your way
and I will go mine. Krishna went away sat under a tree with a puffed up face. All friends were playing and
seeing at krishna they smiled more to rub more salt in to the wounds Krishna looked hither thither and
started crying. Some friends were compassionate but others claimed he was putting up an act. But as
some sakhas asked the reason krishna said , I left vaikunta to come and play with you and you are
leaving me ? So the friends asked , would you want to play with me ? Krishna said yes I will ! They asked
will you become a horse ? Krishna said let me think. The friends said think fast the next game if you lose
you have to become a donkey , so horse is better. Krishna agreed and he became a horse.

Vaikunta this is not possible. Mother Yasoda her love is very high , she asked why did you eat dirt ?
Krishna denies I ate dirt with a mouth ful of dirt. Krishna asked her who told you I ate dirt ? Some body
told me krishna “ Yashoda said.

Ohh they are all on your side your sakhis, to which Yashoda said no your friends told me I share
everything with my friends if I have ate they have eaten. Yashoda said you ate dirt in private krishna.
Krishna : They are all lying !

Yashoda : How are they lying ?They are all 5 year old boys as per shastras what ever they speak is vedic
truth!

Krishna : They are all lying

Yashoda : Even your elder brother balarama is saying you ate dirt, if you say he is lying then you are
breaking dharma, and if you say he is lying then you are lying

Krishna : Speaks ohh mother I don’t know how this person became my brother, there is lot of pain in the
heart.

Yashoda : What is the pain in the heart ?

Krishna : You sent balarama to protect me as an eyelash to protect the eye. But I need an eyelid to
protect me from the eyelash balaram. Who is the lord of the universe ?

Now yashoda’s attention is diverted from the mud in the mouth to balarama glories. Acharyas explain as
she is thinking krishna was mincing away the mud in his mouth and swallowing it to hide the crime. He
was using his toungue to clean his teeth.

Krishna : Ohh mother I have to tell you something that is very disturbing, in 2.5 years of life I have
suffered so much .

Yashoda :What did balarama do ?

Krishna : In public he makes fun of me , one day in public he came in front and told me krishna I want to
ask you a question.

Balarama Asks : Krishna tell me Mother Yashoda is fair , nanda is fair , I am fair , how are you dark?

Krishna : May be by chance ,

Balarama : No Krishna the world is not as straight forward as you think , I have seen this world than you ,
how can I tell you how can I explain to you
Balarama : You are not the son of nanda and Yashoda no one knows who is the parent of you. (This is all
true because he is eternal) , I want to tell you something krishna, you were rescued from the streets of
Vrindavan. Your parents left you there, nanda took you from the streets and kept it as a secret.

Krishna : Started weeping profusely , comes running to his mother and asks is it true. Yashoda says no
you are my child . Balaram says this all the time, I have a permanent solution .

Yashoda : What is the solution

Krishna : Get me married off to a fair complexion girl some one very beautiful.

Yashoda : Why

Krishna : So that next time balaram says I am dark, I can say I have a beautiful fair wife, you are fair but
you have no girl inyour life

Yashoda : have you also thought of choices of your “Fair girl”

Krishna : Mother in Vrindavan it is not that a boy and girl get married, it is 2 families who get married it
is the father and father in law, the mother and the mother in law come together. And I know for sure
that nanda maharaja and vrishabhanu maharaja are best among friends. And you mother and kirtida are
best friends. Because of that Srimati Radhika who is the daughter feel everything falls in place. So ask
vrishabhanu and kirtida.

yAshoda laughs : As Yashoda remembers all this what krishna said he had cleansed his mouth and
declared, I have not eaten the dirt everyone is telling lies if you don’t believe look in to my mouth.

Yashoda : Saw the whole creation in his mouth.

In other places when krishna shows virata ruup everyone’s love comes to servitude like arjuna but in
Vrindavan he shows his oppulences and the love increases.