SRI GOPALA GURU GOSVAMI

Sri Gopala Guru Gosvami was the disciple of Sri Vakresvara Pandita. He was an
Orissan brahmana. His previous name was Makara Dhvaja Pandita. From his very
childhood he was in the care of his guru. Mahaprabhu was very affectionate to
him and used to enjoy a humorous relation with him. Mahaprabhu would address
him as "Guru". Thus from his childhood he retained this title.

During the time of Gopala Guru the temple of Radhakantha was renovated, and he
installed Deities of Radha and Lalita on each side of Radhakanta as well as
Deities of Sri Sri Nitai Gauracandra, in very beautiful dancing posters.

By the influence of his association with Svarupa Damodara Gosvami and Sri
Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, he became very expert in worshipping the Deity with
loving devotion. Vakresvara Pandita later took up residence at Kasi Bhavan,
after the disappearance of Mahaprabhu. The room where Mahaprabhu stayed is
known Gambhira. After the disappearance of Vakreswar Pandit, Gopal Guru took up
residence there and he continued to worship the Deity of Sri Sri Radhakanta
within Kasi Misra Bhavan.

One story has it that when Mahaprabhu was going to answer the call of nature,
he was biting his tongue which was incessantly and uncontrolably engaged in
chanting the Holy Name. When Gopal saw this, in his innocence as a small boy,
he remarked, "Prabhu! You are the independent Supreme Lord. But just suppose if
one of us ordinary jivas, in following Your example, happens to quit his body
while so indisposed. In the absence of the chanting of Your Holy Name, what
will his future be?"

Prabhu replied, "Gopal! You have spoken correctly. From today your title will
be 'guru'". The news of this incident spread far and wide. Soon thereafter
Abhirama Thakur wanted to come and offer his obeisances to Gopala. [see:
Abhirama Gosvami]. When Gopala received this news he was terrified and ran to
Mahaprabhu and sat in His lap. In order to allay his fears, Prabhu put His
lotus footprint on Gopala's forehead which remained in the form of tilaka. Thus
he was easily able to withstand the force of Abhirama Thakura's pranama.

He compiled a book called Smarana Paddhati, which is composed of twenty-four
chapters. Gopala Guru Gosvami's disciple was Dhyanacandra Gosvami who was a
very influential acarya. He composed a book known as Dhyancandra Paddhati.

After Gopal Guru's disappearance, as soon as his transcendental body was placed
in its samadhi at Swargadwar, the king's men declared that since the sevaitship
of Radhakantha Mandira within Kasi Misra Bhavan had been bestowed upon
Dhyanacandra Gosvami without their permission, they were going to seize the
temple, which they did. Thus Dhyanacandra was plunged into an ocean of grief,
being doubly distressed. His guru had just left and he was feeling great
separation from him. Now on the top that the king's men had barred him from
worshiping Sri Sri Radhakantha, the very service that had been bestowed upon
him by his guru.

After Ratha Yatra, however, someone went on a pilgrimage to Vrindavana where
they saw Gopala Guru sitting underneath a Pankura tree near Vansivat. When
Dhyanacandra received this information he rushed to Vrindavana where he in fact
found his Guru Maharaja. He begged and begged his guru to return to Puri, but
Gopala Guru replied, "I already left my body there. Now I am in Vrindavana so
why should I go back there? If you are feeling separation from me then you can
have a Deity made of me from a neem tree in the garden of Siddha Bakula. I will
be personally present in that murti and will also streighten out the servants
of the king." In this way all of Dhyanacandra's problems were solved by his
guru in the form of this murti.

The murti of Gopala Guru in Puri is still being worshipped at Radha-Kanta
Mandir and another branch of Radhakanta temple with a samadhi mandir and murti
of Gopala Guru was founded near Vansivat in Vrindavana. There are also branches
of Radhakanta Mandira founded by some followers of Gopala Guru at: Vidhuban,
Vrindavana; Kangali Mahaprabhu Math, Vrindavana; Arunananda Kunj, Radhakunda;
Kisori Kund, Yavat; Gambhirar Matha, Koladwipa; Madhavi Devi's Gopinatha
Mandir, Bentpur.

Narottama dasa Thakura met Gopala Guru Gosvami at Kasi Misra Bhavan.
[B.R.8.389]

His disappearence is on the ninth day of the bright fortnight of Kartik.

