The leader of the Six Goswamis and author of Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, whose followers, the rupanugas, include every Gaudiya Vaishnava.
Biography
Srila Rupa Gosvami (1489-1564), Rupa-manjari in Krishna-lila, is the foremost of the Six Goswamis, and all followers of Lord Chaitanya are called rupanugas, followers of Rupa. With his elder brother Sanatana he served the Bengal ruler Hussain Shah as minister (Dabir Khas), until meeting Mahaprabhu at Ramakeli inspired him to renounce everything. The Lord personally instructed him in the science of devotion for ten days at Dasasvamedha Ghat in Prayag and sent him to Vrindavan to uncover the lost holy places and write devotional literature. Settling in Vraja in 1516, he brought to light Sri Govindadeva and composed about 100,000 verses, including Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, Ujjvala-nilamani, Upadeshamrita, Vidagdha-madhava and Lalita-madhava. After Mahaprabhu's disappearance he held the young Gaudiya movement together. His samadhi is at the Radha-Damodara temple, beside the rooms where Srila Prabhupada later lived.
Before meeting the Lord, Rupa had already written Hamsaduta. After their meeting at Ramakeli in 1514 he gave away his wealth, met the Lord again at Prayag, and later stayed with Him in Puri, where Ramananda Raya and the Lord relished the verses of his dramas. In Vrindavan his bhajana kutir at the Radha-Damodara temple and his kutir at Ter Kadamba near Nandagram became centres of his writing. The Govindaji temple, built in 1590 by Raja Man Singh, was raised for the Deity he revealed.
Teachings
Bhakti is the eternal function of the soul; devotional service is developed in stages from faith to love of God; one should accept whatever is favourable and reject whatever is unfavourable to devotion; and spontaneous devotion follows the mood of the residents of Vraja.
Qualities
Leadership, Scholarship, Poetic genius, Renunciation, Humility, Deep absorption in Radha-Krishna lila
Timeline
- 1489
Appearance
Bakla-Chandradvip (Barisal)
Born to Kumaradeva and Revati Devi.
- 1514
Meets Lord Chaitanya at Ramakeli
Ramakeli, Bengal
Met the Lord and soon resolved to give up his government post.
Instructions at Prayag
Dasasvamedha Ghat, Prayag
Received the Lord's teachings on devotional service for ten days.
- 1515
Meeting with Ramananda Raya
Jagannatha Puri
His dramas were discussed and relished by Ramananda Raya and the Lord.
- 1516
Settles in Vrindavan
Vrindavan
Arrived in Vraja and began uncovering the holy places and writing.
- 1532
Completes Vidagdha-madhava
Vrindavan
Finished his drama of Krishna's Vrindavan pastimes.
- 1537
Completes Lalita-madhava
Vrindavan
Finished his drama of Krishna's Dvaraka pastimes.
- 1541
Completes Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu
Vrindavan
Finished his great work on the science of devotional service.
- 1564
Disappearance
Vrindavan
Entered samadhi; entombed by Jiva Gosvami at the Radha-Damodara temple.
Books
Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu
1541The science of devotional service and its transcendental mellows; known in English as The Nectar of Devotion.
Ujjvala-nilamani
A detailed analysis of the conjugal love of Radha and Krishna.
Vidagdha-madhava
1532A drama of Krishna's pastimes in Vrindavan.
Lalita-madhava
1537A drama of Krishna's pastimes in Dvaraka.
Upadeshamrita
Eleven essential instructions for devotional life; known in English as The Nectar of Instruction.
Laghu-bhagavatamrita
A summary of the incarnations and expansions of Krishna.
Dana-keli-kaumudi
A one-act drama on Krishna's toll-tax pastime.
Padyavali
An anthology of devotional verses.
Stavamala
A collection of prayers and hymns.
Hamsaduta
A poem written before he met Lord Chaitanya, in which a swan carries a message to Krishna.
Uddhava-sandesha
A poem of messages between Krishna and the residents of Vraja.
Mathura-mahatmya
On the glories of Mathura.
Radha-Krishna-ganoddesha-dipika
A description of the associates of Radha and Krishna.
Nataka-chandrika
A treatise on dramaturgy.
The acharyas
All acharyasMore acharyas
Continue along the disciplic succession.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
Founder of the Gaudiya Math and spiritual master of Srila Prabhupada
6 February 1874 – 1 January 1937
Srila Gaura Kishora Dasa Babaji Maharaja
Paramahamsa babaji and spiritual master of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
1830s – 17 November 1915 (Utthana Ekadashi)