Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswamis apperance day

[Paramananda das]

This is Kali Yuga ,and many temples will not even mention that this is SrilaGopalBhattaGoswamis apperanceday? There is only one reason for this ,ENVY!
matirnakṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā
mitho ’bhipadyetagṛha-vratānām
adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ
punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām

“For those who have decided to continue their existence in this material world for the gratification of their senses, there is no chance of becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, not by personal endeavor, by instruction from others or by joint conferences. They are dragged by the unbridled senses into the darkest region of ignorance, and thus they madly engage in what is called ‘chewing the chewed.’”

Who was SrilaGopalBhattaGoswami ?A NityaParishad of Sri Sri RadhaKrsna ,that means an eternal associate of the Divine couple , GunaManjari. He appeared in Gaura Lila to serve Lord Caitanya .Imagine the Lords eternal associates comes to this miserable ignorant world to deliver the fallen souls and we take it for granted? We ourselves where all forced to be born in the womb of some sinful woman we called our mother and we where forced to eat meat and what not ? Still we can not respect SrilaGopalBhattaGoswami and fast half a day on his apperance day ,this is the nature of our pride and deciet.The apperance days of the great acaryas are also days of worship and fasting and reading the books they left behind .SrilaGopalBhattaGoswami had a very unusual uncle namely SrilaPrabhodanandaSarasvati, who is he? Non other that than the incarnation of Tungavidyadevi .Srila GopalBhattaGoswami took birth in Sri Rangam , it is a very holy place of Lord Ranganath ,and anyone born or lives there is free from sins due to the vicinity of Lord Ranganath .The sacredness of Lord Ranganath is another subject .So Lord Caitanya visited Sri Rangam and stayed there during His travels of South India. GopalBhattaGoswami was a child when Lord Caitanya visited Sri Rangam and still he was ordered to go to Vrindavana at one point when he grew up. He was personally trained by SrilaPrabhodanandaSarasvati his uncle.So later he went to Vrindavana where he also met Lord Caitanya and he was given some items from Lord Caitanya including an asana from Lord Caitanya and some cloth worn by Lord Caitanya ,still kept at Radha Raman Mandir .SrilaGopalBhattaGoswami went to Nepal to Gandaki river and obtained Salagramasilas. He worshipped them daily .Brahminical life is what SrilaGopalBhattaGoswami lived of course and part of such life is worship of the Salagramasilas .Sasta says that that anyone that lives in the radious 24 miles of a salagramasila that is properly worshipped gets liberated.

SkandaPurana :

mlecchadesesucavvapicakrankoyatratisthati
yajananitathatrini mama ksetramvasundhare
tanmadhyemriyateyastupujakahsusamahitah
sarvavadhavinirmuktopunah so apinajayate

"A Salagrama-sila, when duly worshipped at any place inhabited by any class of people, is able to purify an area with a radius of 24 miles. That area should be considered Visnu-loka, nondifferent from the abode of Visnu. If someone believing in the sanctity of Salagrama-sila, as per the verdict of the sastra, breathes their last within that 24 mile radius, he is sure to attain mukti, salvation from material bondage."

SrilaPrabhupada has given a whole list of the benefit of Salagram worship in his books :

a list of things SrilaPrabhupada mentioned in his books is the benefit of worship of Salagramasila :

SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF SALAGRAMSILA WORSHIP

1) Wherever Salagramasila and DwarkaSilas sit together, Mukti also resides .

2) Where both Salagram and Dwarkasilas sit together all classes of opulence increase unlimitedly.

3) Whoever touches a salagramasila, adorned with chakrasbecomes free from all sins.

4) Any sila, although broken, cracked, split or broken asunder, is never inauspicious.

5) Both LaxsmiDevi and Lord Narayana reside in salagramasilas.

6) Varaha Dev Salagram gives material enjoyment and mukti.

7) SudarshanChakraSila satisfies the aspirations of His devotees.

8) SesaAnantaSila has coils like a snake and is all auspicious.

9) Worship of Lord Narayana in a sila is more pleasing to Lord Narayana Himself than to His own deity in a temple.

10) By worshipping a salagramsila one benefit is equal to one agnihotra sacrifice and giving the entire world in charity.

11) If one serves a salagramsila he gets muktievenwithout giving any charity, doing any sacrifices study of the Vedas or going to tirthas.

12) In Kali yuga if a person worships a sila with faith , love, flowers, kirtan, and prayers, he will eternally enjoysublime spiritual happiness.

13) Any pious activity done within a 24 mile radius is multiplied a million times.

14) Anyone who dies within 2 miles of where a sila is worshipped goes back to Vaikuntha. (different Puranas says different things about dying within the radious of a salagramasila I quoted the above vers from SkanaPurana that states 24 miles ,some Puranas has stated 2 miles some 7 miles , they are all correct as they are in sastra )

15) Even if a lusty person or one who carelessly worships a salagramsila, he will get mukti.

16) The results of fruitive activity can be calculated, but by the worship of a salgramsila the benefits are Unlimited.

So on one NarasimhaCaturdasi he worshipped his Salagramasilas and prayed to Lord Narasimha that you appeared from a pillar and everything is possible for you , so dear Sri Krsna you please emerge from this Salagramasila and become a Deity ,ArcaVigraha of Sri Krsna . Now in Deity worship after the ArcaVigraha is installed if there is to many offences in the worship or against vaisnavas ,Krsna can simply walk of the alter and say : You rascals you offend my pure devotees I am out of here .That time only a statue of RadhaKrsna remains .Of course Krsna is present everywhere but Deities can become lifeless and Krsna leave however with the Salagrama and Govardhanasilas they are directly Krsna , they never leave. In my personal opinion Sri Sri RadhaGovinda have left ISKCON Brooklyn and due to the offences of Ramabhadra trying to become God , and having even had Bingo hall next to the temple room with meat prizes . So I am sure RadhaGovinda have left and needs to be reinstalled when and if ISKCON Brooklyn ever again become ISKCON Brooklyn, now all signs of ISKCON is removed from that temple , and it is due to unlimeted vaisnavaaparadha. When vaisnavas are banned from a temple Krsna jumps of the alter and leaves the temple and kanisthas think Krsna is still there but they are only worshipping a statue of Krsna not the Supreme Lord and they do not feel any reciprocation due to their many offences to Krsna .

Anyhow next morning the Salagramasila turned into Sri RadhaRamanji . He is the only of the original Deities of the 6 Goswamis that is still in Vraja ,the rest went to Jaipure .Vrindadevi is there in Kamyavana and Sri Gopal went to Nathavara and became known as Sri Nathaji but to us Gaudiyavaisnavas he is always Sri Gopal .

I mentioned about most of us having karmi families but SrilaGopalBhattaGoswamis families where vaisnavas so he stayed with his mother and father till they passed away and went back to Godhead .Then only he left home and went to Vrindavana .As far as I know he never took tridandasannyasa as none of the 6 Goswamis did there was no need , they where all renounced.Sannyasa are for those who are attached to the material world to renounce it. It is forbidden in Kali yuga because many persons fall down from sannyasa and others become mayavadisannyasis. GopalBhattaGoswami started Hari BhaktiVilasa and SrilaSanatanaGoswami completed it .

SrilaNarottama das Thakura has cried out that he could not get the association of SrilaGopalBhattaGoswami in his book Prarthana :

Dainya-bodhika (The Author Describes His fallen Condition)

Song 3

1 hariharikimorakoramagatimanda
brajeradha-krsnapadanabhajinutila-ardha
nabhjhinuragerasambandha

O Lord Hari, Lord Hari, how wicked I am! I did not worship the lotus feet of Radha and Krsna in Vrajabhumi even for half a moment, and I am completely unable to understand the mellows of transcendental love.

2 swarupasanatanaruparaghunathabhatta-yuga
bhugarbhasri-jivalokanatha
inhasabharapada-padmanasevinutila-ardha
arakisepuribekasadha

Even for half a moment I did not worship the lotus feet of SrilaSvarupaDamodaraGosvami, SrilaSanatanaGosvami, SrilaRupaGosvami, SrilaRaghunathadasaGosvami, SrilaRaghunathaBhattaGosvami, SrilaGopalaBhattaGosvami, SrilaBhugarbhaGosvami, SrilaJivaGosvami and SrilaLokanathaGosvami. How will it be possible for me to attain my desire?

3 krsnadasakavirajarasikabhakata-majha
jenhokaiacaitanya-carita
gaura-govinda-lilasunitegalayesila
tahatenahailamora cite

Among the devotees KrsnadasaKaviraja is extremely expert at relishing the transcendental nectar of the mellows of love of God. When the stones hear his Caitanya-caritamrta and GovindaLilamrta, they begin to melt in ecstasy. In spite of this, I have no appreciation in my heart.

4 se sababhakata-sangajekarilatarasanga
tarasangekenenahilabasa
kimoradukherakathajanamagonainuvrtha
dhikdhiknarottamadasa

Furthermore, I refuse even to associate with the friends and companions of these great souls. How sad is my tale. I have spent my life uselessly. Fie, fie on Narottamadasa!

Actually we are all very fallen we have no attachement for chanting 64 rounds and 128 rounds and what to speak of 192 rounds ,we are sick persons we have not taken the medicine given to us by SrilaRupaGoswami that ordered all vaisnavas to chant 64 rounds daily ,this was also followed by Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami

Text Seven — The holy name, character, pastimes and activities of Kṛṣṇa are all transcendentally sweet like sugar candy. Although the tongue of one afflicted by the jaundice of avidyā [ignorance] cannot taste anything sweet, it is wonderful that simply by carefully chanting these sweet names every day, a natural relish awakens within his tongue, and his disease is gradually destroyed at the root.
Text Eight — The essence of all advice is that one should utilize one’s full time – twenty-four hours a day – in nicely chanting and remembering the Lord’s divine name, transcendental form, qualities and eternal pastimes, thereby gradually engaging one’s tongue and mind. In this way one should reside in Vraja [GolokaVṛndāvana-dhāma] and serve Kṛṣṇa under the guidance of devotees. One should follow in the footsteps of the Lord’s beloved devotees, who are deeply attached to His devotional service.

I learned many things about Govardhana worship from VisvambharaGoswami from Radha Raman temple and he also once gave me lots of Carnamrta of RadhaRamanji on Apperanceday, so I feel linked to the Goswami family of RadhaRamanji and to Sri Radha Raman and to SrilaGopalBhattaGoswami .I think of Radha Raman almost every day of my life and and go on line to take daily darshan of Radha Raman. I have read Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami wrote a commentary of Krsna Karnamrta but unfortunatly never seen it in english .Former Rohini Kumara Swami translated some boating pastimes of Radha Krsna by Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami but by his falling away from sannyasa that has fortunatly all been lost .Srila Bhakti Ratnakara has a great deal of nectar about Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami , for my book Vaisna Calendar I intend to find these quotes and include them .

Ananga-manjari appeared as Srila GopalaBhattaGosvami. Some say that GopalaBhattaGosvami was actually the incarnation of Sri Guna-manjari.
(Sri Gaura-ganodesa-dipika - 184)

It is widely accepted in our Gaudiya line that SrilaGopalBhattaGoswami is GunaManjari and the gayatri mantra for the astamanjaris given by SrilaDhyanacandraGoswami identifies GunaManjari as SrilaGopalBhattaGoswami

"Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, the forty-seventh branch, was one of the great and exalted branches of the tree. He always engaged in discourses about love of Godhead in the company of Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami."

"Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami was the son of Venkata Bhatta, a resident of Srirangam. Gopala Bhatta formerly belonged to the disciplic succession of the Ramanuja-sampradaya but later became part of the Gaudiya-sampradaya. In the year 1433 sakabda (A.D. 1512), when Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was touring South India, He stayed for four months during the period of Caturmasya at the house of Venkata Bhatta, who then got the opportunity to serve the Lord to his heart's content. Gopala Bhatta also got the opportunity to serve the Lord at this time. Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami was later initiated by his uncle, the great sannyasi Prabodhananda Sarasvati. Both the father and mother of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami were extremely fortunate, for they dedicated their entire lives to the service of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They allowed Gopala Bhatta Gosvami to go to Vrndavana, and they gave up their lives thinking of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. When Lord Caitanya was later informed that Gopala Bhatta Gosvami had gone to Vrndavana and met Sri Rupa and Sanatana Gosvami, He was very pleased, and He advised Sri Rupa and Sanatana to accept Gopala Bhatta Gosvami as their younger brother and take care of him. Sri Sanatana Gosvami, out of his great affection for Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, compiled the Vaisnava smrti named Hari-bhakti-vilasa and published it under his name. Under the instruction of Srila Rupa and Sanatana, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami installed one of the seven principal Deities of Vrndavana, the Radharamana Deity. The sevaits (priests) of the Radharamana temple belong to the Gaudiya-sampradaya.

When Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami took permission from all the Vaisnavas before writing Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami also gave him his blessings, but he requested him not to mention his name in the book. Therefore Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami has mentioned Gopala Bhatta Gosvami only very cautiously in one or two passages of the Caitanya-caritamrta. Srila Jiva Gosvami has written in the beginning of his Tattva-sandarbha, "A devotee from southern India who was born of a brahmana family and was a very intimate friend of Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami has written a book that he has not compiled chronologically. Therefore I, a tiny living entity known as jiva, am trying to assort the events of the book chronologically, consulting the direction of great personalities like Madhvacarya, Sridhara Svami, Ramanujacarya and other senior Vaisnavas in the disciplic succession." In the beginning of the Bhagavat-sandarbha there are similar statements by Srila Jiva Gosvami. Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami compiled a book called Sat-kriya-sara-dipika, edited the Hari-bhakti-vilasa, wrote a forword to the Sat-sandarbha and a commentary on the Krsna-karnamrta, and installed the Radharamana Deity in Vrndavana. In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika, verse 184, it is mentioned that his previous name in the pastimes of Lord Krsna was Ananga-manjari. Sometimes he is also said to have been an incarnation of Guna-manjari. Srinivasa Acarya and Gopinatha Pujari were two of his disciples."

Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi lila 10:105

Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada.

please see also http://www.stephen-knapp.com/gopal_bhatta_goswami.htm

http://gaudiyahistory.iskcondesiretree.com/sri-gopala-bhatta-goswami/

http://www.hknet.org.nz/parishad21.htm

http://bvmlu.org/SBBTM/sbgb.html

I had a discussion with my diksa Guru Srila Narayana Maharaja in regards to the opinion of Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami being Ananga manjari , my Gurudeva was very firm about this that he is Guna Manjari ,and Ananga manjari appeared as Sri Jahnava Mata the consort of Lord Nityananda Prabhu

It is befiting to fast half day on the apperanceday of Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami or even a full day those who understand the bhajan Gauranga Duti pada can understand why .I have been told Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada observed full fast on Gopal Bhatta Goswami apperanceday ,they both realized their nitya svarupas in Krsna lila as Kamala Manjari and Nayana Manjari ,so it makes sense they would fully appriciate the glories of Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami .When will Srila Guna Manjari bless me with Nitya seva to Sri Sri Radha Krsna ? This should be our prayer ,when she will be merciful to us then we can understand bhakti to Radha Krsna

Guna manjari
In the northeastern part of Sri Campakalata’s kunja at Radha Kunda lies the beautiful Gunanandaprada Kunja, where Sri GunaManjari always resides. Her complexion is bright like lightning, and she wears a fine silk dress the color of a red jaba flower. She is famous for her strong desire to make Rupa Manjari happy. She is three days younger than Sri Tulasi (Rati Manjari) and is the delight of Sri Krsna. She is described as being daksina-prakhara in nature. Her age is 13 years, 1 month and 27 days. In gaura-lila she is known as Sri Gopala BhattaGosvami.

I will give a short summary of what I remember of reading Krsnas boating pastime from the translation done by fomer Rohini Kumara Swami from the work by Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami :

Radha Krsna have different boating pastimes ,mostly on Manasa Ganga at Govardhana but also on Yamuna , though I never seen any pastimes of boating at Radha Kunda /Shyama kunda they are to tiny for boating lilas

So Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami has explained that Krsna brings Radha and the Gopis from Gokula to Mathura to sell Butter and Yogurt and Krsna pretend to have problems with the boat and takes Radharani onto an Island in Yamuna where He has Nikunja lilas with Radha.

I just remember reading and laughing and was so happy reading these pastimes as Krsna and Radha are so funny and their loving exchanges are full of transcendental humor