The Glories of Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami (Part 2)
The Twelve Day Journey
samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ
mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ
bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ
padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.14.58
For those who take refuge in the boat of the Lord’s lotus feet, who shelter’s the creation, and is renowned as Murāri, the ocean of material existence is like the water contained in a calf’s hoof-print. Their destination is the Supreme abode, not the place where danger exists at every step.
Remembering the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya and Nityānanda, Raghunātha dāsa left the general path, fled to the jungle, and ran to Jagannātha Purī. He began walking thirty miles a day, and hardly drank or ate. One night he rested in a cowshed and a milkman gave him some milk. Dāsa Gosvāmī would barely take rest and in this way continually walk or run onward.
Back at his house, the guards and servants were unable to find him. They then went to ask Yadunandana Ācārya, who said, “With my permission, he left my company and went back home.” The alarm was raised, as everyone cried, “Raghunātha has left.”
His father sent out guards to search everywhere; he even had ten of his servants intercept Śivānanda Sena Prabhu and his group of devotees who were traveling to Purī via the main road. Śivānanda Sena informed the servants, “Raghunātha is not with us.” When the servants returned home empty handed, Raghunātha dāsa’s parents were filled with anxiety.
After traveling for some time, Raghunātha turned toward the south and proceeded. He crossed the place known as Chatrabhoga, and avoiding the main road, he traveled on the rural pathways that went from village to village.
Not caring about his body, he traveled all day, without eating. Hunger did not impede him, for his heart and mind was already fixed on the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He would keep his life airs together by eating and drinking whatever he could find here and there. Sometimes he munched on fried grains, sometimes he was able to cook something, and sometimes he would drink milk. Usually, it would take a traveler
at least thirty days to reach Purī by foot, but Raghunātha covered the distance in just twelve days.
Meeting Mahāprabhu in Jagannātha Purī
yo māṁ dustara-geha-nirjala-mahā-kūpād apāra-klamāt
sadyaḥ sāndra-dayāmbudhiḥ prakṛtitaḥ svairīkṛpā-rajjubhiḥ
uddhṛtyātma-saroja-nindi-caraṇa-prāntaṁ prapadya svayaṁ
śrī-dāmodara-sāc-cakāra tam ahaṁ caitanya-candraṁ bhaje
Vilāpa-kusumāñjali 5
I worship the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who, by His unbounded mercy, kindly rescued me from household life, which is just like a covered, dried well, and put me under the care of Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, thus drowning me in an ocean of transcendental joy.
When Raghunātha dāsa arrived in Purī, he went straight to the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who was sitting with His associates, headed by Svarūpa Dāmodara. Seeing Mahāprabhu, he fell down like a rod and offered his obeisance from afar. Mukunda Datta noted, “Raghunātha is here.” Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately welcomed Raghunātha dāsa. “Come here,” He said affectionately. Raghunātha dāsa clasped the Lord’s lotus feet. Mahāprabhu stood up and mercifully embraced him. Raghunātha dāsa offered prayers to all the devotees, headed by Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was thus merciful to Raghunātha dāsa, and all His associates also embraced him.
The Lord spoke to Raghunātha as follows:
prabhu kahe, kṛṣṇa-kṛpā baliṣṭha sabā haite
tomāre kāḍila viṣaya-viṣṭhā-garta haite
Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya 6.193
The mercy of Kṛṣṇa is stronger than anything else. Therefore He delivered you from the ditch of material life, which is like a hole for people to pass stool in.
Raghunātha dāsa thought, “I don’t know Kṛṣṇa. I only know You and that by Your mercy, I have been saved from family life.”
Mahāprabhu said, “Your father and uncle knew Nīlāmbara Cakravartī (the grandfather of Mahāprabhu) well. Therefore, due to their close relationship, I see them as my grandfathers. They were like the younger brothers of Nīlāmbara Cakravartī, serving him in many ways, therefore I may joke about them.
“Your father and uncle are like worms in stool in a ditch. They consider the great pain of the poison of sense gratification to actually be happiness. Even though they give charity to brāhmaṇas and assist them in many ways, they are not pure Vaiṣṇavas—they are vaiṣṇava-prāya. In other words, externally they seem to be Vaiṣṇavas, but internally they lack the true symptoms of pure Vaiṣṇavas.”
“Because of their own actions or karma,” Mahāprabhu continued, “those who are attached to materialistic affairs are blind to spiritual life. They are repeatedly born and die miserably in this world. Śrī Kṛṣṇa kindly delivered you from such a condemned life. The glories of Kṛṣṇa’s mercy are beyond words.”
Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s heart melted when He observed Raghunātha’s skinny and dirty condition.
Speaking to Svarūpa Dāmodara, He said, “I am offering this Raghunātha into your care. Accept him as your son and servant. Now we have three Raghunāthas in our company (the Vaidya Raghunātha, Bhaṭṭa Raghunātha, and Raghunātha dāsa). Raghunātha dāsa shall now be known as Svarūpera-raghu.”
Caitanya Mahāprabhu took Raghunātha dāsa’s hands and placed them into the hands of Śrīla Svarūpa Dāmodara, who embraced Raghunātha and accepted him by the Lord’s desire.
It is not possible to describe Mahāprabhu’s affection for His devotees. Noticing the hardships Raghunātha had endured coming to Purī, Mahāprabhu instructed Govinda to look after Raghunātha for some days, until his health returned. The Lord told Raghunātha to go bathe in the ocean, take darśana of Lord Jagannātha, and return for prasāda. Raghunātha then met with all the devotees present. They were astonished to see Mahāprabhu’s mercy upon him and praised his good fortune.
Once he had darśana of Jagannātha and bathed in the ocean, Raghunātha returned to Govinda, who gave him Mahāprabhu’s remnants. Raghunātha honored prasāda with great happiness.
Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī made all arrangements for Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī and looked after him in all respects.
Mahāprabhu Instructs Raghunātha
yaḥ sarva-lokaika-mano-‘bhirucyā
saubhāgya-bhūḥ kācid akṛṣṭa-pacyā
yatrāyam āropaṇa-tulya-kālaṁ
tat-prema-śākhī phalavān atulyaḥ
Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka 10.4
Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī was very pleasing to all the devotees and was like a fertile ground of good fortune that did not need to be tilled. It was suitable for the seed of prema to be sown in, for it at once grew into an incomparable tree of divine love for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and produced unprecedented fruit.
For the first five days, Govinda Prabhu, the personal servant of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, gave Mahāprabhu’s prasāda remnants to Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. After that however, Raghunātha dāsa started standing outside the eastern gate of the Jagannātha Temple known as the Siṁha-dvāra (Lion gate) to beg alms after watching the puṣpāñjali, or flower offering, to Lord Jagannātha.
After finishing their nightly service, the servants of Lord Jagannātha leave the temple. They arrange prasāda from the shopkeepers and give it to any poor Vaiṣṇava, begging at the Siṁha-dvāra. This has been the custom for thousands of years.
The Vaiṣṇavas perform nāma-saṅkīrtana all day and freely visit Lord Jagannātha. Some beg from charity booths and eat whatever is given, and others beg at night outside the Siṁha-dvāra gate.
mahāprabhura bhakta-gaṇera vairāgya pradhāna
yāhā dekhi’ prīta hana gaura-bhagavān
Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya 6.220
Renunciation is prominent in the lives of Mahāprabhu’s devotees. Seeing their renunciation, Gaura Bhagavān is very pleased.
One day, Govinda Prabhu told Mahāprabhu, “Raghunātha does not take prasāda from me anymore. He begs at the Siṁha-dvāra, and eats whatever he gets.”
Mahāprabhu became pleased and said, “Good. As a renunciant he is acting properly. A vairāgī should maintain his life by begging a little food, like a bumblebee who collects from many flowers.”
vairāgī karibe sadā nāma-saṅkīrtana
māgiyā khāñā kare jīvana rakṣaṇa
vairāgī hañā yebā kare parāpekṣā
kārya-siddhi nahe, kṛṣṇa karena upekṣā
vairāgī hañā kare jihvāra lālasa
paramārtha yāya, āra haya rasera vaśa
vairāgīra kṛtya—sadā nāma-saṅkīrtana
śāka-patra-phala-mūle udara-bharaṇa
jihvāra lālase yei iti-uti dhāya
śiśnodara-parāyaṇa kṛṣṇa nāhi pāya
Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya 6.223–227
A renunciant should always perform congregational chanting of the Lord’s holy names. He should maintain his life by begging and eating what he receives. If a vairāgī depends on others, Kṛṣṇa will neglect him and he will not attain perfection. If a vairāgī is greedy to satisfy his tongue, he will lose all his spiritual wealth and come under the control of the dictates of his tongue. The duty of a vairāgī is to always perform nāma-saṅkīrtana and only fill his belly with whatever green leafy vegetables, fruits, and roots are available. One who runs here and there trying to satisfy his tongue, becoming devoted to the genitals and the belly, does not attain Kṛṣṇa.
One day, Raghunātha dāsa submitted a request at the lotus feet of Svarūpa Dāmodara, “I do not know for what purpose I have given up household life. What is my duty? Kindly instruct me.”
Raghunātha dāsa did not speak directly to the Lord, rather he would speak his mind through Svarūpa Dāmodara and Govinda Prabhu.
The next day, Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī submitted Raghunātha’s question to Mahāprabhu, “Raghunātha dāsa is asking, ‘What is my duty? Please give me some instruction from Your own transcendental mouth.’ ”
Smiling, Caitanya Mahāprabhu told Raghunātha dāsa, “I have already given Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī as your guide. You can learn truths about the goal and process from him. I do not know as much as he. Still, if you have faith in My instructions, then know this for sure:
grāmya-kathā nā śunibe, grāmya-vārtā nā kahibe
bhāla nā khāibe āra bhāla nā paribe
amānī mānada hañā kṛṣṇa-nāma sadā la’be
vraje rādhā-kṛṣṇa-sevā mānase karibe
Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 6.236–237
Do not listen to or discuss worldly topics. Do not eat tasty, rich food, nor dress in expensive clothing. Do not demand respect, but respect everyone, and in this way always chant Kṛṣṇa’s holy names while internally serving Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in Vraja.
“I have instructed you in brief. You can get a detailed explanation from Svarūpa Dāmodara.”
tṛṇād api su-nīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā
amāninā māna-dena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
Thinking oneself lower than a blade of grass, being more tolerant than a tree, not expecting respect, and always honoring others, always chant the Lord’s holy names.
Raghunātha dāsa offered prayers at the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who embraced him out of kindness. Mahāprabhu again entrusted him to Svarūpa Dāmodara, and in his association, Raghunātha began rendering confidential service.
[Excerpted from the Bhakta Bandhav Publication “Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Rāgātmikā Vrajavāsī & prayojana Ācārya“]
