Srila Jiva Goswami - The Protector of our Sampradaya

Śrī Chaitanya Sāraswat Maṭh Philippines
September 2018 Issue
[The Protector of the Rūpānuga Sampradāya]
A short talk by His Divine Grace OmViṣṇupād Aṣṭottara-śataśrī
Śrīla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj at the Sri
Chaitanya Saraswat Seva Ashram, Soquel, California
September 25, 2004
Basic transcript by Amiya Kanti Devi Dasi, checked by Sripad B.P. Tirtha
Maharaj and Mahananda Das B.R.
Today is a very auspicious day. It is the Appearance Day of Srila Jiva
Goswami Prabhu, who is the protector of our Sampradaya and a great
Acharyya. Srila Guru Maharaj said, Jivadyair abhiraksitam, our
whole Sampradaya with so much wealth came from Jiva Goswami Prabhu.
Rupa-Sanatan gave so much and Jiva Goswami Prabhu protected them from
the other schools of religion like Sankaracharyya and (the atheist)
Kapila's sankhya philosophy. They wanted to establish nirakara,
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nirvisesa, brahma (impersonalism, non-variagatedness), but Jiva Goswami
Prabhu very authentically and wisely defeated them. He established achintya
bhedabheda siddhanta of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
He was born in Bakla Chandradwip
as a son of Anupama. Anupama
was the brother of Rupa-Sanatan.
After he was maybe twelve years
old, Jiva Goswami came to
Nabadwip and met with
Nityananda Prabhu, and
Nityananda Prabhu showed him
everything, all the Pastime places of
Mahaprabhu Chaitanyadev.
Vishnupriya Devi took him as a son
and gave him so much affectionate
nourishment. Nityananda Prabhu
took Jiva Goswami around the
whole of Nabadwip Dham and
ordered him: "Mahaprabhu
Chaitanyadev has given Vrindavan
Dham to you all, then you go to
Vrindavan. I am giving my mercy, my
blessings, affection, love, everything to you. You establish
Mahaprabhu's Sampradaya."
Jiva Goswami went, and on the way he received some education in Benares,
Kasi. He became highly educated in all the Scriptures: Veda, Vedanta,
Upanishads, Purana, nyaya. Within five years he learned and finished his
education because he knew if he went to Rupa-Sanatan, only service would
be waiting for him. He received education so he could do that service more
expertly, beautifully and authentically.
Then from Benares he went to Rupa-Sanatan in Vrindavan, took shelter and
stayed with Rupa Goswami Prabhu. He took diksa mantram from Rupa
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Goswami and was always serving Rupa Goswami. All the Vaisnavas, all of
the Goswamis — especially Rupa-Sanatan, Bhatta Raghunath, Gopal Bhatta,
Das Goswami — everyone gave him much nourishment and affection. Jiva
Goswami also served the whole Sampradaya by staying in Vrindavan. By the
order of Rupa Goswami, he manifested and established the Radha Damodar
Temple, and when Rupa Goswami Prabhu became aged, he took Rupa
Goswami to stay there at the Radha Damodar Temple. There in the Radha
Damodar Temple we can see the bhajan kutir of Rupa Goswami and
the samadhiof Rupa Goswami, and the samadhi of Krishna Das Kaviraj
Goswami, the samadhi of Jiva Goswami and others.
Once Radha Damodar wanted to give me some service but I had not taken
it because I had no manpower who will serve with their heart and full
devotion. That kind of person is very rare to get. Only instead of money, as
a financial transaction, I could not take that, but Rupa Goswami is so
merciful and Srila Jiva Goswami is so merciful, they gave one piece of land
adjoining Rupa Goswami. That land is also Radha Damodar's land. And
very critically but legally I got that land through my dead telephone! The
telephone did not ring, but I picked up the receiver to see if it was still dead
and suddenly one person from Vrindavan, Krishna Vallabha, is talking on
the line and telling me, "Maharaj, fifteen days are given by the order of the
Magistrate, that if you take this land within fifteen days you will get that
land of Jiva Goswami Prabhu."
Then I was surprised! But within fifteen days where shall I get so much
money? Within fifteen days who will deal with the legal documents? And
Krishna Vallabha said, "You don't worry for money. Money I shall arrange
but you send your person." I sent Purnananda and I told him to legally
transfer it in the name of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math. Jiva Goswami is very
merciful and Rupa Goswami is very merciful to have given that land. I
immediately started service there. Now there is a three storey building and
a very beautiful temple of Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Radha Rasabiharijiu. Srila
Guru Maharaja's pushpa samadhiis inside the temple. You will see when you
go.
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Jiva Goswami Prabhu's character was very strong, and he was very highly
educated in Sanskrit and Scripture. Sometimes he even corrected the
writings of Rupa Goswami. Rupa Goswami told him many times, "Jiva, you
see if it is perfect or not."
Jiva Goswami helped to make the Sat-Sandharbas, super-authentic Scripture
in Mahaprabhu's Sampradaya. Jiva Goswami said, "It was in a disordered
form, so I am making it in an ordered form." That way he gave explanation,
but actually he made everything.
Once it happened that Vallabha Bhatta, who was very learned, saw there
was a little fault in one sloka of Rupa Goswami, and he told Rupa Goswami,
"Rupa, here is a little fault, you can correct it this way." Rupa Goswami was
always giving honour to everyone, and he gave honour to Vallabha Bhatta
and corrected that. But Jiva Goswami knew that what Rupa Goswami wrote
was correct. Then he went to take water from the Jamuna, and there he met
Vallabha Bhatta. He told him, "The sloka you tried to correct is already
correct, I think."
Then Vallabha Bhatta debated with Jiva Goswami about that sloka and he
was very happy to see what Jiva Goswami said was perfect. Then he came
back to Rupa Goswami and said, "Rupa, I said to correct that sloka, but it was
not necessary to corrected it. It was perfect. You can keep it." Then he asked,
"Who is that young boy, that seventeen or eighteen year-old boy?"
Rupa Goswami said, "He is my nephew and he is staying with me. He is my
disciple."
Vallabha Bhatta said, "Oh, he is highly educated and a very big pandit. He
defeated me about this."
Rupa Goswami Prabhu was a little angry with Jiva Goswami: "He is your
Guru. Why you went to correct him? This type of mentality cannot stay with
me. You get out from my kunja. Go back to your father's house, Bakla
Chandradwip. Go back."
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Jiva Goswami Prabhu was very sad. He thought, "What shall I do with my
life if I cannot serve my Guru Maharaj?"
In maybe Vamsivata, under a tree, Jiva Goswami Prabhu was writing one
book, Sri Gopal-champu. Sri Gopal was his good friend, and Sri Gopal was
addicted with sakhya-rasa in Krishna-lila. Jiva Goswami had said, "I shall
keep within our form your sakhya-rasa, and I shall write one book for you,
for your happiness." Jiva Goswami remembered that and he wrote Gopalchampu.
In the meantime, Sanatan Goswami met with Jiva Goswami and saw that he
was doing praya-upavesam, not taking even water, and wanting to leave his
body. Sanatan Goswami went to Rupa Goswami and asked, "Rupa, what are
Mahaprabhu's teachings, can you say?"
Rupa Goswami said, "Yes: Jive-doya Name-ruchi Vaisnava-seva,service to the
Vaisnavas, and jive-doya means being kind to the jivasouls and giving them
Krishna consciousness, and Name-ruchi means take the Holy Name, take
Hari Nama always. That is service. Mahaprabhu's teaching is this."
Then Sanatan Goswami said, "You told jive-doya but Jiva is leaving his body.
It is not good what you have done. Do not throw Jiva out. He is a good boy."
Then Rupa Goswami went to Jiva Goswami and said, "Jiva, you come back."
He gave full service to him, not only full service but service charge —
everything. That Jiva Goswami's avirbhava is
today. Mayavad, sankhyavad, buddhavad, whatever 'vad' was there, all he
defeated, and he established achintya bhedabheda tattva through the Satsandarbha.
Many books Jiva Goswami composed. One very beautiful book, I like that
book very much, is Hari-namamrita-vyakaran, the grammar of Sanskrit. And
that Sanskrit grammar is unique, we cannot conceive that the grammar of
every word indicates Krishna. Grammar is grammar, but he made grammar
in Krishna consciousness. It is inconceivable. But every Name is inside the
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grammar, every matter, all is built by Krishna consciousness. I read that
grammar, and I was very happy. I felt my life is successful, and that
happened also. I do not actually know Sanskrit but by the grace of Jiva
Goswami and the mercy of Guru Maharaj, I am famous in Sanskrit. But
actually I am not so qualified. More qualification is necessary to understand.
But Guru Maharaj gave the vital point to me and I can relish with that.
Guru Maharaj engaged Dr. Dolgobinda Sastri as my teacher. He is a very
good teacher. He is still alive in Cuttak, Orissa, India. Anyhow, that Jiva
Goswami Prabhu's Appearance Day is today. That means all the light, all the
strength, all the beauty and all the beautiful conception of Krishna
consciousness has come through Jiva Goswami Prabhu to us. That is our
wealth. The wealth of life, the wealth of the spiritual world — what Jiva
Goswami Prabhu gave, no one else has given that. For that, Baladeva
Vidyabushan went to defeat the acharya of the Sri Sampradaya, and under
that is also the Ramanandi section. They challenged Baladeva Vidyabushan,
"You have no Vedanta-bhasya." In response, Baladeva Vidyabhusan
made Govinda-bhasya.
Mahaprabhu did not compose Vedanta-bhasya and Jiva Goswami did not
compose Vedanta-bhasya as such. Bhasya means explanation, interpretation.
However it was given by Jiva Goswami through Sat-sandarbha made up of
the Tattva-sandarbha, Bhakti-sandarbha, Priti-sandarbha, Paramatma-sandarbha,
Bhagavat-sandarbha, and Krishna-sandarbha. After reading those Satsandarbhas
Baladeva Vidyabhusan made the pranam mantra for Jiva
Goswami there at the start of the Govinda-bhasya:
yah sankhya-pankena kutarka-pamsuna
vibartta-garttena cha luptadidhitim
staddham vyabhadhak-sudhaya mahesvaram
krsnam sa jivah prabhurastu me gatim
"He is the super-protector of our Sampradaya from other disturbances, then I
bow down to his lotus feet." This way he wrote. He established Krishna, who
is Paramesvara sat-chid-ananda vigraha, who is anadi, who is anadi adir whose
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name is Govinda, who is the cause of all causes. What was written in Brahma
Samhita was established in this world by Jiva Goswami Prabhu.
Today is also Vamandeva's aviribhava also. You know Vamandeva? He
appeared to teach Bali Maharaja. Bali Maharaja started a big fire sacrifice and
there were so many big personalities. If he was successful then he could
defeat everyone and permanently conquer the heavens and other places. For
that, by the order of Sukracharyya, Bali Maharaja started to make that big
fire sacrifice. But at that time all the demigods were very much afraid. They
went to Lord Krishna, and Krishna took the form of Vamandeva.
Aditinandan. His name is Aditinandan. He went that day to Sukracharyya's
disciple, Bali Maharaja, who was making a big fire sacrifice.
He went there in the form of a brahmin beggar with a short figure. Seeing
that, Bali Maharaj said, "I have promised that in this period, if anyone wants
anything from me, I will give it to him. Then you tell me, brahmin boy, what
you want." Sukracharyya is a highly qualified brahmin and he understood
that the brahmin boy was Vishnu and not a brahmin boy, and that He wants
to take everything from Bali Raja. Then he told Bali Raja, "This boy is not a
brahmin boy. He is really Vishnu coming to you to pray for something. But
if you give that, you will lose everything."
Then Bali Maharaja said, "I promised that in this period, whoever will ask
for anything, I will give it to him." Then he said, "Oh brahmin, tell me what
you want." And Vamana said, "I want land — three steps of land by my feet."
"Yes, I promise I shall give you." He took the kamandalu water pot, and
wanted to say the sankalpa mantram (a vedic formality then prevalent ). At
that time Sukracharyya was very disturbed and went inside of the
kamandalu's spout and choked it by staying there. He put his head there so
water could not fall.
"What happened?"
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Vamana replied, "Nothing happened, I am making it clear." Then he took
a kusa grass and pushed it down the spout, and one eye of Sukracharyya was
poked out. Then Sukracharyya came out and left. The water fell for
the sankalpa and he gave it to Vamanadeva.
Vamanadeva then said, "Now I can put my feet on the land. Which land will
you give?"
"Whether on this earth or not, anywhere you can take."
"I want swarga, martya, patala," the heavens, material worlds, and the
underground worlds, patala. When Bali Maharaja gave his steps, he
conquered with his first step swarga-loka, and with his next
step martyaloka. Bali Maharaja then asked, "Where is your other step?"
Nothing was in the hand of Bali Maharaj because swarga and martyawere
taken. Then he gave patala-loka. When Vamandeva took swarga-martyapatala,
then Vamandeva asked him, "Give daksina!"
Bali Maharaja responded, "What daksina I will give? I have nothing. Swargamartiya-patala
already I have given you."
Then Vamandeva said, "You bow down, and I'll put my foot on your head."
He gave blessings to Bali Maharaja and told him, "I am very happy with you.
You go to patala-loka and stay there. Do not to stay here in swarga-loka. I have
selected patala-loka for you. Go and stay there."
Then Bali Maharaja said, "Okay, as your order, I shall do."
Vamanadeva said, "I am very happy with you. You take some boon from
me." And Bali Maharaja said, "If You are satisfied and very happy with me,
then You stay as my doorkeeper in that place, in patala, the abode you
selected for me. Then forever You will be there." Vamandeva accepted.
That Vamandeva's avirbhava (appearance) is today, Vaman dvadasi.Every
time this is a very critical type of dvadasi because sometimes Vishnu-srinkalayoga
is happening, and at that time Ekadasi is going down and Vishnu-
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srinkala is getting that dvadasi day. Anyhow yesterday was Vishnusrinkala,
and today is Vaman dvadasi, so we have both: Vishnu-srinkaladvadasi
and Jiva Goswami's Appearance Day. All these auspicious things
happen today.
Jay Om Visnupad Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jaya!
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