SRI RAGHUNATHA BHATTA GOSWAMI

While Raghunath Bhatta was walking from Vanarasi to Puri, he was thinking, "I
wonder if Mahaprabhu will remember me? I was a small child then, and here at
Puri He has so many devotees, I doubt if he would remember such a worthless
wretch as me. And even if He does I wonder if he will still show the same
affection to me as He did at our house in Kasi." But when he arrived in Puri
and was about to offer his dandavats to Mahaprabhu, Sri Gaurasundar called out,
"Raghunath" and before Raghunath could offer his obeisances, Mahaprabhu
embraced him very firmly. Raghunath's eyes filled with tears of joy and as he
cought hold of the lotusfeet of Mahaprabhu he spoke to Him, "Oh most merciful
Lord, You still remember me." Mahaprabhu, "What to speak of this life! I
remember the affection that you and your mother and father have showed to Me
life after life. How your mother lovingly fed Me everyday when I stayed at
Kasi."

Then Mahaprabhu introduced Raghunath to the other devotees who were very
pleased to meet him. Raghunath conveyed his mother's and father's obeisances
and the news of Candrashekara Vaidya and the other devotees in Kasi to
Mahaprabhu. Then he brought out the various preparations from his bag, which
his mother had prepared for Sri Gaurasundara. Mahaprabhu was very pleased and
called Govinda to come and store everything away carefully.

Raghunath's father's name was Sri Tapan Misra. when Nimai Pandit travelled to
East Bengal as a teacher he had met with Tapan Misra at that time. Though Tapan
Misra was a learned scholar and had discussed the conclusions of the scriptures
with many other pandits still he was uncertain as to the actual goal and how to
achieve it. One night after having thought on these matters for some time, he
saw a dream in which one divine person was telling him, "Misra! Don't worry
yourself on this subject anymore. Nimai Pandit is coming here very soon. If you
can, you should meet Him and He will be able to explain to you life's goal and
how to attain it."

"He is not an ordinary human being, but an incarnation of Nara-Narayana. He has
come into this world as a human being to perform His pastimes but He is
actually the cause of the universe." [C.B Adi 14/123] Saying this much that
demigod disappeared.

In the morning after finishing his bath and puja, Tapan Misra set out to meet
Nimai Pandit. Having arrived at the place where he was staying, he saw that the
Pandit was seated on the bedstead, the whole house being illuminated by His
bodily effulgence. His eyes were like the petals of the full blown lotus, His
head was covered with curly hair, on His chest was a white brahmana thread, and
he was wearing yellow cloth. All around Him were seated His disciples like
various constellations sorroundin the full moon. Tapan Misra paid his dandavats
and with folded hands spoke to Mahaprabhu, "Oh You who are full of compassion!
I am very lowly and fallen. Please bestow your mercy on me." Mahaprabhu smiled
and, seating Tapan Misra next to Him, requested his introduction. After
introducing himself Tapan Misra inquired about the goal of life and how to
attain it.

Mahaprabhu replied that, "In every age the Supreme Lord advents Himself, and
for the welfare of the living entities he gives instructions how to attain His
association. In Satya-yuga the process was meditation, in Treta-yuga
sacrificial rituals, in Dvapara-yuga worship of the Deity and in Kali-yuga
congregational chanting of the Holy Name of the Lord, Harinam sankirtan. [C.B.
Adi 14/137]

Considering the strengh, prowess and longevity of the living beings, the
Supreme Lord accepted the form of the Acarya and ascertained these various
processes for various ages. If anyone follows any other process than the
authorised one he achieves no result. Therefore in the age of Kali, the essence
of all the scriptual processes is the chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord:
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Hare, Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama,
Rama, Hare, Hare. These are the Holy Names of the Lord and are to be chanted at
all times. By this process you will be able to understand what is the goal of
life and how to achieve it. There is no difference between these names and whom
they indicate.

There is no other way than Sri Nama-sankirtan. Giving up all other processes
one should always chant the Holy Name of Sri Krsna.

By the influence of this mantra you will be able to understand everything about
the goal of life and how to attain it. Sri Nama is Himself what we are striving
to realise and repeating this Name is the process for realising what the name
is. There is no difference between the Holy Name of the Lord and Himself.

Having received these invaluable instructions from Nimai Pandit, Tapan Misra
offered his dandavats at the lotusfeet of the Pandit and asked if he might
accompany Him on his return to Navadwip. To his request Mahaprabhu replied that
he should immediately go to Kasi where they would again meet together in the
future. "At that time I will particularly describe all of these transcendental
topics regarding the Absolute Thruth in complete detail." Thus Nimai Pandit
began His return journey to Navadwip while Tapan Misra set out for Kasi Dham,
accompanied by his wife.

Some years thereafter when the Incarnation of Mercy, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
was proceeding to Vrindavan on the path through the jungles of Jharikhanda by
way of Choto Nagpur, He arrived at Sri Kasi Dham. While Tapan Misra was bathing
at Manikarnika ghat, a sannyasi arrived there and began to make the heavens
resound with the sounds of "Hari bol! Hari bol!" Tapan Misra was startled to
suddenly hear the sound of the Holy Name. In the middle of the desert, to hear
the sound of rushing flow of water is uncommon; so to hear the Holy Name of
Hari admist so many Mayavadis was not an ordinary occurance. Then standing
behind so many sannyasis, Tapan Misra sighted one especially tall and handsome
sannyasi, whose effulgence made everything around Him glow. He began to think,
"Who could that be?" I have heard that Nimai Pandit accepted sannyasa but could
that be Him?" Coming out from the water he became convinced that it must be the
same Nimai Pandit that he had met with in East Bengal and thus falling at His
lotusfeet he began to shed tears of ecstasy. Mahaprabhu picked him up and
embraced him in great love and then Tapan Misra very affectionately led
Mahaprabhu to his house. After so many days they had once again been able to
meet together. Arriving at his house Tapan Misra washed Mahaprabhu's lotusfeet
and along with his family members drank that water in great ecstacy. The
pastimes that took place at that time with Raghunath are nicely described in
the 'Caitanya-caritamrta'.

Mahaprabhu gave Raghunath Bhatta His own neckbeads and later on a Tulasi
garland of Lord Jagannath's, 14 hands in length, as well as the betel and pan
prasad remnants of Lord Jagannath. [C.C. Ant. 13/126]

Unlike the other Gosvamis it is not known if Raghunath Bhatta Gosvami
worshipped any particular Sri Vigraha if the Lord or not. His worshippable
Deity of 'Srimad-Bhagavatam' however is still being worshipped at 'Gadadhar
Bhatta Pith' within another Madan Mohan temple which is nearby the
Radha-Vallabha Mandir in Vrindaban. There is also a very beautiful painting of
Sri Sri Gaura-Gadadhar here. Raghunath Bhatta was the disciple of Sri Gadadhar
Pandit.

In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika it is described that Raghunath Bhatta was Raga
Manjari in Krsna lila. His birth was in 1427 (Saka), 1505 (Christian) on the
12th day of the bright fortnight of Asvin. His disappearance was in 1501
(Saka), 1579 (Christian) on the 10th day of the bright fortnight of Jyestha.
