RAGHUNATHA DASA GOSVAMI

Sri Raghunatha dasa took his birth in the village of Sri Krsnapura in 
the district of Hooghly.  His father's name was Sri Govardhana, whose 
elder brother was Sri Hiranya dasa.  Both of them were respectable 
wealthy landholders belonging to the Kayastha caste.  Their title, 
which was given by the King, was "Majumdar" and their yearly income 
was two million.

In his childhood Sri Raghunatha dasa studied at the house of the 
priest, Acarya Sri Balarama dasa.  Haridasa Thakura was very merciful 
to Balarama dasa and occasionally visited his house.  At these times 
Raghunatha dasa had the good fortune of relishing Thakura Haridasa's 
association and listened to philosophical discourses from him.

Sri Raghunatha dasa was the only son in the family of Hiranya and 
Govardhana and there was no limit to the care and affection which was 
showered upon him.  Though he was brought up just like the son of a 
king, by the powerful influence of saintly devotees, he realized at a 
very young age that material existence is temporary and a mood of 
detachment towards wealth, parents and relatives began to grow within 
him.

Upon hearing the glories of Sri Gauranga and Nityananda, he became 
extremely eager to have darsana of Their lotus feet.  When he heard 
that Sri Gaurasundara had taken sannyasa and was leaving Nadia 
forever, he rushed madly to the home of Advaita Acarya in Santipura to 
meet the Lord.  Seeing Raghunatha fall at His feet, Sri Caitanya 
Mahaprabhu could understand that this was His dear most eternal 
associate, and He embraced Raghunatha firmly.  Crying, Sri Raghunatha 
appealed to the Lord, "I will also go with you."  But the Lord replied 
that He would not take him along at that time, yet upon His return 
from Vrndavana, Raghunatha should, under any pretext, come to Nilacala 
to see Him.  

In CC. Anyta lila, Sixth Chapter, there is a narration of how Sri 
Raghunatha dasa was arrested by the Nawab's men and his subsequent 
release from the bondage of family life.  In that chapter there is 
also a description of the Panihati festival, as well as Raghunatha's 
pastimes in Jagannatha Puri with Sri Gaurasundara.

Sri Raghunatha dasa Gosvami passed his days in the highest happiness, 
continually bathing in the shower of Mahaprabhu's mercy.  But upon the 
disappearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Raghunatha's world grew 
dark.  In separation from their Lord, the devotees hearts burned with 
anguish.  Raghunatha dasa also burned in that fire of separation, but 
taking the order of Mahaprabhu on his head, he went to Sri Vrndavana.  
Previously Sri Sanatana, Sri Rupa, Sri Gopala Bhatta, Sri Raghunatha 
Bhatta, Sri Lokanatha, Sri Kasisvara, and Sri Bhugarbha Gosvami had 
already gone to Vrndavana and were living there by the order of the 
Lord.  Though they all burned in the fire of separation, they pacified 
themselves by gathering together and discussing and writing the 
conclusions of the teaching of Mahaprabhu.  It was the dawn of a 
golden age in Vraja.  Sri Vallava Acarya also visited Vrndavana at 
that time.

Sri Raghunatha used to reside at Sri Radhakunda.  At that time 
Radhakunda had not yet been excavated, though Raghunatha often 
meditated upon how to beautify the kunda.  Once a wealthy merchant 
walked the long, difficult road to Sri Badarikasrama.  With great 
devotion he worshiped Sri Badarinarayana and offered a large portion 
of his wealth in charity.  That night Sri Badarinarayana appeared to 
him in a dream and said, "You should go to the village near Vraja 
named Aritgrama where you will find my devotee, Sri Raghunatha dasa 
Gosvami.  To him you should deliver all your wealth.  If he refuses to 
accept it, tell him I sent you and remind him about restoring 
Radhakunda."  The merchant happily returned to his home and then went 
on to Vraja where he met Sri Raghunatha and explained everything to 
him.  Astonished, Raghunatha gave him permission to restore 
both Radhakunda and Syamakunda

On the banks of the kunda grew five trees, which were actually the 
five Pandavas.  Once there was some talk of cutting the trees down, 
but that night the Pandavas appeared to Raghunatha and forbade the 
trees to be cut.  To this day the trees still grow there.  The 
devotees were overwhelmed with happiness to see the restoration of Sri 
Radhakunda and Sri Syamakunda.  On the outskirts of these two ponds, 
groves of the Astasakhis were planted.  

Raghunatha did not have a fixed residence, but stayed either on the 
banks of Sri Radhakunda or on the banks of the Manasa Ganga.  At that 
time both places were surrounded by a fearful jungle inhabited by 
ferocious tigers and other wild beasts.  One day Sri Sanatana Gosvami 
arrived at the bhajan kutir of Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami on the banks 
of the Manasa Ganga where he would take his midday meal.  When going 
for a bath at Pavan Ghat he saw a tiger very nearby who had just drunk 
water in the ghat. Just a little further on, Raghunatha dasa sat at 
the base of a tree deeply absorbed in his bhajan.  Sanatana Gosvami 
was alarmed and requested Raghunatha to practice bhajan in a cottage 
or hut.  From that day on Raghunatha performed his bhajan in his hut.

In Vraja, Sri Radha and Candravali serve Sri Govinda in the mood of 
parakiya love.  They each have unlimited sakhis who assist them in 
their pastimes.  Sri Raghunatha considered himself to be a maidservant 
in Radha's group, and therefore he never went to Candravali's grove or 
chatted with any of her friends.  In this way he spent his days 
worshiping Krsna within his mind.

A devotee named Sridasa Vrajavasi used to bring a leaf cup of 
buttermilk to Raghunatha dasa everyday.  Raghunatha would drink his 
buttermilk and spend the day doing bhajan.  One day Sridasa Vrajavasi 
took some cows to pasture in the garden groves of Srimati Candravali.  
From that garden he picked some large palasa leaves which he took back 
to his house.  He made leaf cups from the palasa leaves and in one cup 
he took Raghunatha dasa some buttermilk.  Upon receiving the milk 
Raghunatha enquired about the big leaves.  When Sridasa replied that 
he had got them in the grove of Srimati Candravali, Raghunatha dasa 
was filled with rage.  He threw the cup of buttermilk on the ground, 
saying that the followers of Sri Radha never accepted anything from 
that place.  Sridasa was amazed to see Raghunatha dasa Gosvami's firm 
devotion for Sri Radha.

Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was always engaged in worshiping 
Sri RadhaGovinda within his mind.  One day, in his meditation 
he prepared and offered sweetrice to Sri Radha and Krsna.  In 
great happiness They and the gopis ate the sweet rice, and he 
accepted Their remnants.  While he was honoring their Lordship's 
prasada, he was filled with intense love and ate slightly more than 
what he was accustomed to.  The next day, from morning until 
late afternoon his door remained closed, causing the devotees 
some concern.  After they knocked repeatedly on his door, it 
finally opened and they saw him lying down.  "My health is not good," 
he explained to Sridasa.  The devotees were unhappy and 
immediately sent word to Sanatana Gosvami in Mathura.  At that time 
Sri Sanatana was staying at the house of Vallava Acarya. Upon 
hearing the news, Vallavacarya's son, Sri Viththal, sent two doctors 
to see Raghunatha dasa at Radhakunda.

Seeing his condition the physicians insisted that Raghunatha's illness 
was the result of eating too much sweet rice.  The devotee were 
dumfounded by such a suggestion, but eventually understood the 
mystery.  The worship of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was very wonderful.

Kavi Karnapura has written in GGD (186) that Sri Raghunatha was 
Rasamanjari in Krsna lila.  According to some other persons he was 
Ratimanjari or Bhanumati.

Raghunatha dasa wrote many books such as: Stavavali, Danacarita, 
Muktacarita, etc.  He also composed many padas.  He was born in the 
Saka era of 1428 and left the world in the Saka era of 1504, on the 
twelfth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Asvina.  (CC. 
1.10.91-102, 3.6.35-154, GGD. 186, Premavilasa 16.127)

His name has been mentioned in the following texts:  Vaisnava Vandana 
of Jiva Gosvami (149-150), of Devakinandana (55), and of Vrndavanadasa 
(49); Krsnacaitanyacaritam of Murari Gupta 4.17.21; Karnapura's 
Caitanyacandrodayanatakam 10.3.; CC. (R.G. Nath ed.) 2.1.269.

