SRI KRSNA DASA KAVIRAJA GOSVAMI

Sri Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami was born in a Nadiya family of physicians at the
village of Jhamatpur, within the district of Barddhaman, near Naihati. His
father was Sri Bhagiratha, and his mother was Sri Sunanda. He had a younger
brother named Syama das. The deity of Gaura-Nityananda installed by Sri
Kaviraja Gosvami is still being worshiped there. It appears that his family
line is no more. More information about the early life of Sri Kaviraja is
available in a book called Ananda-ratnavali.

In Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila chapter five, Sri Kaviraja relates the cause
of his leaving family life:

"Lord Nityananda Prabhu had a servant named Sri Minaketana Ramadasa, who was a
reservoir of love. At my house there was sankirtana day and night, and
therefore he visited there, having been invited. Absorbed in emotional love, he
sat in my courtyard, and all the Vaisnavas bowed down at his feet. In a joyful
mood of love of God he sometimes climbed upon the shoulder of someone offering
obeisances, and sometimes he struck others with his flute or mildly slapped
them. When someone saw the eyes of Minaketana Ramadasa, tears would
automatically flow from his own eyes, for a constant shower of tears flowed
from the eyes of Minaketana Ramadasa. Sometimes there were eruptions of ecstacy
like kadamba flowers on some parts of his body, and sometimes one limb would be
stunned while another would be trembling. Whenever he shouted aloud the name
Nityananda, the people around him were filed with great wonder and
astonishment.

"One respectable brahmana named Sri Gunarnava Misra was serving the Deity. When
Minaketana was seated in the yard, this brahmana did not offer him respect.
Seeing this, Sri Ramadasa became angry and spoke:

"Here I find the second Romaharsana-suta, who did not stand to show honor when
he saw Lord Balarama.

After saying this, he danced and sang to his heart's content, but the brahmana
did not become angry, for he was then serving Lord Krsna. At the end of the
festival Minaketana Ramadasa went away, offering his blessings to everyone. At
that time he had some controversy with my brother. My brother had firm faith in
Lord Caitanya, but only a dim glimmer of faith in Lord Nityananda. Knowing
this, Sri Ramadasa felt unhappy in his mind. I then rebuked my brother.

"'These two brothers,' I told him, 'are like one body; They are identical
manifestations. If you do not believe in Lord Nityananda, you will fall down.
If you have faith in one but disrespect the other, your logic is like the logic
of accepting half a hen. It would be better to be an atheist by slighting both
brothers than a hypocrite by believing in one and slighting the other.'

"Thus Sri Ramadasa broke his flute in anger and went away, and at that time my
brother fell down."

That night, because He was pleased with the chastisement that Krsnadasa gave
his brother for offending His dear devotee Mineketana Ramadasa, Lord Nityananda
appeared in his dreams and declared:

Are are krsnadasa, na karaha bhaya, vrndavana yaha, tanha sarva larya haya.
"O my dear Krsnadasa, do not be afraid. Go to Vrndavana, for there you will
attain all things." [C.C. Adi 5.195]

Thus receiving the mercy of Lord Nityananda in his dream, he started for
Vrndavana with a joyful mind. The lotus feet of the spiritual master of Sri
Kaviraja are none other than those of Lord Nityananda Himself.

He accepted the Gosvamis Sri Rupa, Sri Sanatana, Sri Jiva, Sri Raghunatha, Sri
Raghunatha Bhatta and Sri Gopala Bhatta as his instructing spiritual masters.
From Sri Lokanatha Gosvami and Sri Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami he begged
permission to write Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. Lokanatha directed Sri Kaviraja
that he desired to be unmentioned in his book; that is why, in Sri
Caitanya-caritamrta, hardly a reference about Lokanatha Gosvami is to be
found.

Sri Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami compiled the following books still extant: Sri
Govinda-lilamrta, Krsna-karnamrta commentary (Saranga-rangada [kangada?] -tika)
and of course, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta.

Born: 1496 (Christian)

Disappearance: 12th day bright fortnight month of Asvin (the year is not
known).