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HOME > Braja Mandala > Braja Sadhus & Gurus > Sri Sanatana Gosvami | |||||||||||||
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Sri Sanatana Gosvamiu Srila Sanatana Gosvami was born into a Sarasvata-brahmana community in Bengal. His father was named Kumara Deva and mother was named Revati. His mother was the daughter of Hari Narayan Visarad of Madhaipur. Jiva Gosvami traces their ancestry to Sarvajna Jagadguru, a king in Karnataka. Sanatana appeared in 1484 (other dates are also given), five years before Rupa Gosvami. In their childhood Sanatana and Rupa were named Amra and Santos. They studied nyaya from Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. They then studied in the tola (Sanskrit school) of the younger brother of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, Vidyavacaspati. It is generally believed that Vidyavacaspati was the diksha-guru of Sanatana. While engaged in studying, Sanatana would also read Srimad Bhagavatam. Sanatana and Rupa were forced to become ministers in the Muslim government. When they worked for the king of Bengal, Hussain Shah, Sanatana was given the title Sakara Mallik, which means Prime Minister and Rupa was given the title Dabir Khas, which means Private Secretary. They became the right and left hand men of Hussain Shah and he would not do anything without consulting them. During the day they would dress like Muslims and speak in Arabic and Persian. In the evening they would purify themselves by taking bath and engage in their religious duties of japa, studying the scriptures and engaging in religious discourses. When Hussain Shah attacked Orissa and destroyed the
temples there, Sanatana decided that he had to get out of being Prime
Minister. Rupa Gosvami first left his responsibilities. He left ten
thousand gold coins with a merchant in case Sanatana needed it to
escape his service to Hussain Shah. Sanatana gave up his duties and
was then imprisoned by Hussain Shah, who was greatly in need of his
services. Sanatana escaped from jail by paying the jailer the large
amount of money, which was left by Rupa Gosvami. After escaping from prison Sanatana Gosvami traveled
to Benares (Varanasi) and met Lord Caitanya there. Lord Caitanya then
instructed him on the science of Krishna consciousness (devotional
service). Sanatana then went to Vrindavana and Lord Caitanya went
to Jagannatha Puri. When he arrived in Vrindavana he met Lokanatha
Gosvami, Bhugarbha Gosvami and Subuddhi Raya. He lived in a solitary
place on the bank of the Yamuna, at Aditya Tila. Because hardly anyone
lived in Vrindavana he would go to Mathura for madhukari (begging).
He would also collect whatever leaves or vegetables that were in the
forest and cook them without salt or spices. He spent 43 years going from village to village in the
area of Braja Mandala. His worshipable Deity was Madana Mohana. There
are several places in the Braja Mandala area where Sanatana Gosvami
did his bhajana. He did bhajana near Cakalesvara Mahadeva Siva temple
on the bank of Manasi Ganga. When he stayed at Govardhana Hill, he
would do parikrama of Govardhana Hill daily. “When Srila Sanatana Gosvami came to Vrindavana
there were no temples. The city was lying like an open field. Sanatana
Gosvami sat down on the bank of the Yamuna, and after some time he
gradually constructed the first temple; then other temples were constructed,
and now the city is full of temples, numbering about five thousand.”
(Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi 7.160 purport)
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