Sri Chandan Goswami Ji Maharaj

Sri Gopal Bhatta Goswamisome years, however, he became concerned: after
When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited South India onhis disappearance, who would continue the service of
His tour of the holy places, He visited the Sri RangamSri Radha Ramanji? He asked Gopinath Das, his
Temple. In front of the Deity He chanted and danced inbramacari disciple, to get married and take the service
ecstatic sanskirtana. The head priest of the Sriof Sri Radha Ramanji as a hereditary duty. Gopinath
Rangam Temple, Sri Vyenkata Bhatta was very muchDas did not want to marry but suggested his younger
impressed with Sri Mahaprabhu’s love of God.brother, who was maried. Gopal Bhatta agreed and
After Mahaprabhu’s kirtana, Vyenkata Bhattainitiated him.
invited Him to his house. There he requestedAfter the disappearance of Sri Gopal Bhatta
Mahaprabhu to stay during the four months ofGoswami, this disciple, known as Damodara Das
Caturmasya, which was soon to start. Mahaprabhu, asGoswami, continued the worship of Sri Radha Ramanji.
a sannyasi, accepted his request.Since then Sri Chandan Goswami descended from
Vyenkata Bhatta directed his son, Gopal Bhatta, toDamodar Das Goswami and, spiritually, from Gopal
render all services to Mahaprabhu during this period,Bhatta Goswami have continued the worship of Sri
and Gopal Bhatta with great sincerity took care of SriRadha Raman very nicely in Vrindavan to this very
Mahaprabhu’s every need. As a result he receivedday.
great benefit by Mahaprabhu’s association. BeingSri Sriman Madhva-Gaudeshwar-Vasihnav-achraya
pleased with Gopal Bhatta’s devotional affection,Padmanabha Gosvami Maharaj, a leading priest of the
Mahaprabhu gave him initiation and ordered him thatSri Radharaman temple and father of Vaisnavacharya
after the disappearance (death) of his parents heof Chandan Goswami ji Maharaj, who trace their
should go to Vrindavan to live there, performing bhajan,ancestry to Sri Gopala Bhatta, a close disciple of Lord
devotional service, and writing books.Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is a strong supporter and
At the age of thirty, after his parents disappeared,friend of ISKCON. His grandfather Sarvabhaum
Gopal Bhatta went to Vrindavan. When he reachedMadhusudan Gosvami, who was known as a
there, he heard that Mahaprabhu had already visiteddistinguished preacher and a Vaishnava scholar, met
Vrindavan and had returned to Puri. Hearing this, Gopalboth Bhaktivinoda Thakur and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta
Bhatta was disappointed, thinking that Mahaprabhu hadSaraswati Gosvami. He met Bhaktivinoda Thakur in
never ordered him to visit Him in Puri. Mahaprabhu,1906 and 1912, and Bhaktisiddhanta in 1911. He wrote in
however, through Rupa Goswami and Sanatanahis diary on September 6, 1911: “Sri Vimala Prasad
Goswami, sent Gopal Bhatta His personal asana (seat)Siddhanta Saraswati (Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja)
and cloth as signs of His blessings.today came at night, 9 pm. Ramananda Babaji was
Later, when Gopal Bhatta heard of the disappearancealso present. Very intimate thoughts were viewed and
of Mahaprabhu, he felt great separation from the Lord.discussed.” On September 7 he wrote: “At night
But in a dream Mahaprabhu instructed him, “if youwe heard the voluminous writings by Sri Vimal Prasad,
want My darshan, if you want to see Me, make athe writings very much appealed to us.” On the
pilgrimage to Nepal.”22th of December in 1914 he sent the maha-prasada
In Nepal, Gopal Bhatta visited the Gandaki River andof Radha-Raman to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Gosvami,
took his bath there. After his bath, he filled his waterwho at that time was doing the installation of
pot, but was surprised to see that someBhaktivinoda Thakur’s samadhi.
salagrama-silas had entered it. He empties them backHis holiness Padmanabh Gosvami maharaj's
into the river and refilled his water pot, but again hegrandfather met both Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja and
saw that some salagrama-silas had entered his waterA.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. H.H
pot. He emptied his waterpot one more time, and uponPadmanabh Goswami’s father, Viswambhar
filling it a third time, he saw that now twelveGosvami, was considered one of the main scholars of
salagrama-silas were there. Thinking that this must beVrindavan. Srila Prabhupad was very closed friend of
some mercy of the Lord, he decided to bring all theSri Vishambhar Goswami. When Srila Prabhupada
salagrama-silas to Vrindavan.came to Vrindavan in 1971, with a group of his disciples,
Gopal Bhatta gave initiation to Gopinath Das, athe Vrindavan municipality honored Srila Prabhupada
bramacari who lived with him and rendered him alland his Western disciples with a formal reception at
services.the town hall. Sri Vishambhar Goswami was the First
One day a wealthy man came to Vrindavan andMayor of Vrindavan town. Sri Viswambhar Goswami
offered Gopal Bhatta all kinds of dresses andgave the opening talk at this time in glorification of Srila
ornaments for his salagramas. Gopal Bhatta, however,Prabhupada.
told him to give them to somebody else, since hisIn his young age, He was the very famous criminal
salagramas were of a round shape and therefore thelawyer. But when he got the order from his father to
dresses and ornaments could not be used.start preaching. Then without saying anything, He
This incident made Gopal Bhatta think deeply. It wasfollowed his order and became very successful
Nrsimha Caturdasi, the appearance day of Lordpreacher on that time. He was the only Goswami in
Nrsimha deva, and Gopal Bhatta remembered how70s & 80s from Vrindavan who went to abroad to
Lord Nrsimha, in his form as half-lion, half man, hadspread Radha & Krsna's name. He was the great
come out of a pillar. Gopal Bhatta prayed to the Lord,scholer. After his golokavas, Sri Padma Nabh
“O Lord, You are very merciful. You fulfill all theGoswami ji maharaj gave the shelter to the devotees
desires of Your devotees. I wish to serve You in Yourand disciples. And started preaching in all over the
full form.” He read the pastime of Lord Nrsimhaworld. Time to time, oxford university, frankfurt
deva in the Srimad-Bhagawatam, and after chanting inuniversity etc. calls him to give the lectures. He is
ecstasy he fell unconscious. The next morning hespreading the message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
awoke to find that one of the twelve salagramas, theall over the world tirelessly, through his captivating
Damodara sila, had manifested as Sri Radha Raman.discourses on various scriptures like Srimad Bhagavad
He informed Sanatana Goswami and Rupa Goswami.Gita, Mahabharata, Srimad Bhagavatam, and Sri
Gopal Bhatta started serving Sri Radha Ramanji. AfterChaitanya Caritamrta.