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TEXT 91
mahaprabhura priya bhrtya--raghunatha-dasa
sarva tyaji' kaila prabhura pada-tale vasa
SYNONYMS
mahaprabhuraof Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu; priyavery dear; bhrtyaservant; raghunatha-dasaRaghunatha dasa Gosvami; sarva tyaji'-renouncing everything; kailadid; prabhuraof the Lord; pada-taleunder the shelter of the lotus feet; vasahabitation.
TRANSLATION
Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, the forty-sixth branch of the tree, was one of the most dear servants of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He left all his material possessions to surrender completely unto the Lord and live at His lotus feet.
PURPORT
Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was most probably born in the year 1416 sakabda (A.D. 1495) in a kayastha family as the son of Govardhana Majumdara, who was the younger brother of the then Zamindar, Hiranya Majumdara. The village where he took birth is known as Sri Krsnapura. On the railway line between Calcutta and Burdwan is a station named Trisabagha, and about one and a half miles away is the village of Sri Krsnapura, where the parental home of Sri Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was situated. A temple of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda is still there. In front of the temple is a large open area but no large hall for meetings. However, a rich Calcutta gentleman named Haricarana Ghosa, who resided in the Simla quarter, recently repaired the temple. The entire temple compound is surrounded by walls, and in a small room just to the side of the temple is a small platform on which Raghunatha dasa Gosvami used to worship the Deity. By the side of the temple is the dying River Sarasvati.
The forefathers of Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami were all Vaisnavas and were very rich men. His spiritual master at home was Yadunandana Acarya. Although Raghunatha dasa was a family man, he had no attachment for his estate and wife. Seeing his tendency to leave home, his father and uncle engaged special bodyguards to watch over him, but nevertheless he managed to escape their vigilance and went away to Jagannatha Puri to meet Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This incident took place in the year 1439 sakabda (A.D. 1518). Raghunatha dasa Gosvami compiled three books, named Stava-mala (or Stavavali), Dana-carita and Muktacarita. He lived a long time. For most of his life he resided at Radha-kunda. The place where Raghunatha dasa Gosvami performed his devotional service still exists by Radha-kunda. He almost completely gave up eating, and therefore he was very skinny and of weak health. His only concern was to chant the holy name of the Lord. He gradually reduced his sleeping until he was almost not sleeping at all. It is said that his eyes were always full of tears. When Srinivasa Acarya went to see Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, the Gosvami blessed him by embracing him. Srinivasa Acarya requested his blessings for preaching in Bengal, and Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami granted them. In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (186) it is stated that Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was formerly the gopi named Rasa-manjari. Sometimes it is said that he was Rati-manjari.
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