Srila Sanatana Gosvami

Srila Sanatana Gosvami (1488-1558), Rati-manjari or Lavanga-manjari in Krishna-lila, was the elder brother of Rupa Gosvami and the senior-most of the Six Goswamis. A great scholar, he served as revenue minister (Sakara Mallik) to the Nawab of Bengal before leaving government service to join Mahaprabhu. In Varanasi the Lord taught him for two months on sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana, the essence of Vaishnava philosophy. In Vraja he lived under trees and in simple kutirs, rediscovered holy places, and worshipped Sri Madana-mohana, whose temple became the first of Vrindavan's great temples. His books include Brihad-bhagavatamrita, Hari-bhakti-vilasa and the Dasama-tippani commentary on the Tenth Canto. On Guru Purnima, when devotees gathered at his kutir at Chakra-tirtha for the annual Govardhana parikrama he always led, they found he had left his body while chanting. His samadhi is beside the Madana-mohana temple.

As a householder he wrote Sadachara-paddhati, gave food daily to brahmanas, the poor and lepers, and studied under Vidya-vachaspati, Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya and other scholars. In Vraja he moved from place to place, keeping bhajana kutirs at Vrindavan, Gokula-Mahavan, Kamyavan, Shyama-kunda and Chakra-tirtha, and was loved by the Vrajavasis as a father. The Madana-mohana temple, built with the help of the merchant Ramadasa Kapoor, was completed in 1580. Hari-bhakti-vilasa, compiled with Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, remains the standard guide to Vaishnava conduct.

Sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana: knowing one's relationship with Krishna, acting in devotional service, and attaining love of God. A devotee's behaviour should follow the standards set out in Hari-bhakti-vilasa.

Humility, Scholarship, Renunciation, Compassion, Charity, Love for the Vrajavasis