Srila Gopala Bhatt Goswami Samadhi

Shrila Gopala Bhatta Goswami entered samadhi in the year 1585, and his sacred body was entombed at this spot where he performed his bhajana and worshiped his deity named Radharamana. In the Samadhi Mandira one can see the choki or small wooden sitting place and the chaddar or woolen shawl, given as a gift to Gopala Bhatta by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Gopala Bhatta, who was born in the year 1503, first met Lord Chaitanya during his childhood at Shrirangam (Rangapatnam) in Tamil Nadu, during the Lord’s tour of South India in 1511. When Lord Chaitanya arrived at Shrirangam, He met Gopala Bhatta’s father whose name was
Venkata Bhatta, in the famous temple of Seshashayi Vishnu, also known as the Ranganatha
Mandira. After seeing the transcendental beauty of Lord Ranganatha, Lord Chaitanya chanted
the holy names and danced in ecstasy before the deity. Venkata Bhatta, who was a sevak in the temple, also joined Lord Chaitanya, and chanted and danced along with the Lord in an ecstatic mood. After the kirtan ended, Venkata Bhatta invited Lord Chaitanya to his residence for prashadam, and also requested Him to spend the entire rainy season at his home in Shrirangam.
During the four months of the monsoon season, when it rains very heavily, especially in South India, sannyasis and other traveling mendicants generally remain in one place, therefore Lord Chaitanya very happily accepted Venkata Bhatta’s proposal.
Venkata Bhatta was a pure Vaishnava of the Shri sampradaya and was a priest at the temple of Rangaji, every day during Lord Chaitanya’s stay at his residence; he would discuss the
transcendental topics ofKrishna-katha with Lord Chaitanya. While the Lord was staying
at Venkata Bhatta’s house, the young Gopala Bhatta also had the opportunity to hear all the transcendental topics as well as render service to Lord Chaitanya, including honoring the remnants of Mahaprabhu’s prashadam. Lord Chaitanya, who could recognize the devotional
qualities of the young Gopala Bhatta, told him not to marry and in the future, when
he was old enough, he should go and stay in Vrindavana. Lord Chaitanya also met
Gopala Bhatta’s uncle, Prabhodananda Saraswati, who was one of the greatest scholars of the Shri sampradaya, and was also the initiating spiritual master of Gopala Bhatta. Probhodananda was also responsible for the education of Gopala and trained him in
Sanskrit grammar, philosophy, rhetoric, poetry, and all the important aspects of Vedic culture. Under the expert guidance of Prabhodananda Saraswati, Gopala Bhatta’s scholarship was unparalleled. While Lord Chaitanya stayed at Shrirangam, Prabhodananda Saraswati also had the opportunity to discuss philosophy with Lord Chaitanya and was so impressed with the Lord’s precepts and teachings, that he left the Shri sampradaya and became an ardent follower of the Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya, and eventually went to live in Vrindavana where he spent the remainder of his life.
After the death of his parents, Gopala Bhatta left for Vrindavana to take shelter of Rupa and Sanatana Goswamis. Lord Caitanya had already informed the two Goswamis that Gopala Bhatta would one day join them in Vrindavana, and they immediately accepted him as their younger god-brother. It is believed that Gopala Bhatta, who was an expert in the subject of deity worship, made significant contributions to Sanatana Goswami’s celebrated book, the Hari-bhaktivilasa and also helped to edit it. The Hari-bhakti-vilasa delineates the principles of devotional service as well as the authorized Vedic system of deity worship. Gopala Bhatta is also credited for helping to originate the six theses for Jiva Goswami’s famous Sat Sandharbha. Gopala Bhatta most celebrated disciple was Shrinivasa Acharya, and according to the Gaura-gannodesha-dipika Gopala Bhatta Goswami was Guna-manjari in Krishna’s Vrindavana pastimes.

Gopal bhatt Goswami smadhi
Vrndavana, the RadhaRamana temple management committee maintains the highest standard of worship at the samadhi of Sri GopalaBhattaGosvami. Living next to his samadhi, a crew of GaudiyaVaisnavababajis attentively and lovingly serve him throughout the day. Daily they chant first-class bhajans and kirtans, and recite the SrimadBhagavatam for his pleasure. Twice a day, (noon rajabhoga& evening) they offer him full plates of RadhaRamana’smaha-prasadam. They also offer him fresh cool drinking water in a clay kamandalu (water pot with a spout). In a separate kitchen, the caretakers prepare five more bhoga offerings for Sri GopalaBhattaGosvami. Five arotikas follow the food offerings. Directly after the evening
arotika, RadhaRamanaji’spujari gives the Lord’s maha flower garland to the samadhipujari for GopalaBhatta.
Sri GopalaBhattaGosvami also receives worship inside of RadhaRamanaji’s temple. At rajabhoga, the pujaris offer three plates: One for RadhaRamana and the Salagramasilas, one for SrimatiRadharani, and one for GopalaBhatta. Sri PadmanabhaGoswami, a pujari of RadhaRamana, explains why: “We feel that GopalaBhattaGosvami is personally there inside of RadhaRamanaji’s temple. He’s present in the remnants of the wooden asana that Sri CaitanyaMahaprabhu had personally sent here from JagannathaPuri as a gift for GopalaBhattaGosvami.”

Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami Sucaka Kirtana
sri gopala-bhaååa prabhu, tuya sri carana kabhu,
dekhibo ki nayana bhariya.
suniya asima guna, panjare vindhila ghuna,
nichani niya yaire mariya.
pirite gadala tanu, dasaban hema janu,
candramukhe aruna adhara.
jhalake dasana-kanti, jini mukutara panti
hasi kahe amrta-madhura.
paranera parana yara, rupa sanatana ara,
raghunatha-yugala jivana.
pançita krsna lokanatha, jana deha-bheda matra,
sarvasva sri-radha-ramana.
premete vithara anga, caitanya-carana bhanga,
sri-nivase dayara adhina.
sabhe meli rasasvada, bhava-bhare unmada,
ei vyavasaya ciradina.
lilasudha-sura-dhuni, rasika-mukuta-mani,
rasavese gada gada hiya.
aho aho ragasindhu, aho dina-jana bandhu,
yasa gaya jagat bhariya.
ha ha murti su-madhura, ha ha karunara pura,
ha ha cintamani guna-khani.
ha ha prabhu ekabara, dekhao madhuri-sara,
sri-carana-kamala lavani.
aneka janmera pare, asesa bhagyera tare,
tuya parikara pada payan.
nija karamera dose, majinu visaya rase,
janama gonainu kholi khayan.
aparadha pare mane, tathapi tomara gune,
patita-pavana asabandha.
lobhete cancalamati, upekhile nahi gati,
phukaraye manohara manda.
At the magnificent samadhi of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, ISKCON (The International Society for Krishna Consciousness) devotees offer first class worship full of devotion. The puja standard closely resembles Sri GopalaBhattaGosvami’s. Srila Prabhupada instructed disciples to learn proper puja procedures from the RadhaRamana temple.
Besides the daily puja and the yearly tirobhavamahotsava (disappearance day festival), there are other festivals held at the samadhis. Upon taking initiation into the GaudiyaVaisnava family line of rupanugas (followers of Sri RupaGosvami), a new disciple may sponsor a special utsava (festival). For example, at RupaGosvami’ssamadhi, he could arrange for HariNamasankirtana and Bhagavatakatha, offer an opulent feast to Sri RupaGosvami, and then distribute it to all the VrajavasiVaisnavas.
The tirobhavamahotsava is a three day festival. It begins the day before the Vaisnava’s disappearance day with a non-stop twenty-four hour Hare Krishna maha-mantra kirtan. The first day is called the Adhi vasa, when devotees sing different padas and bhajans (songs) inviting Radhaand Krishna, Sri CaitanyaMahaprabhu, the Panca-Tattva, Lord Gauranga’s eternal associates, and all the Guru-Tattva to attend the disappearance ceremony of Sri GopalaBhattaGosvamipada. (cited as an example)
On day two, the actual disappearance day (tirobhavatithi), devotees worship Sri GopalaBhattaGosvami in his samadhi and observe a full fast. The Goswamimahants of Vrndavana’s seven major temples will offer individual worship at the samadhi. In the morning, the Brahmana men, of every Goswami family serving RadhaRamanaji, will offer puja, arotika, garlands, and pranams at GopalaBhattaGosvami’ssamadhi.
In the evening, the brahmana’s wives must take darsana of GopalaBhattaGosvami. They offer whole coconuts in the samadhi and pray, “Please protect and maintain our family, and increase our number of male members.” Why males? Because only men can serve the Deity of RadhaRamanaji. This particular practice of the ladies is traditional only at RadhaRamana temple. Sri Hari-Namanagarsankirtana, joyous dancing, and maha-prasadam fill the third and final day of the festival.
Sri GopalaBhattaGosvami (the son of a VyenkataBhatta, a Sri Vaisnavabrahmana) appeared in Sri Rangam, South India. Lord Caitanya once stayed four months in his home, and converted the family to GaudiyaVaisnavism. A mere boy at this time, Gopala personally served the Lord. Sri Caitanya treated him affectionately giving His remnants and blessings to become an acarya.
During His four month stay, Lord Caitanya developed a close friendship with VyenkataBhatta, which Krishna DasaKaviraja describes as “sakhya rasa.” Freely conversing with each other, they would often laugh and joke together. One day in a humorous mood Lord Caitanya asked Vyenkata:
“Why does your worshipable goddess of fortune, Sri Laksmidevi, abandon the happiness of Vaikuntha and her service to Her Lord Narayana? Why does she go to Vrndavana and perform severe austerities to attain the association of My Lord Gopala, the cowherd boy of Vraja?”
“I can’t understand these mysteries,” said Vyenkata, “but You, being the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, can surely enlighten me.”
“Lord Krishna has one unique quality,” said Lord Gauranga, “He attracts the hearts of everyone with His personal conjugal love (madhurya). Lord Narayana only has sixty transcendental qualities but Sri Krishna has sixty-four. And all of them are saturated with His unique quality of madhurya (honey sweetness). The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, attracts the mind of Laksmidevi. But Lord Narayana can never attract the minds of the Vrajagopis.
“In Vrajalila, Krishna, disguised as Lord Narayana, once appeared before the gopis who were searching for Krishna. Seeing Lord Narayana the gopis said, ‘O Lord Narayana, pranams. Where did Krishna go, did You see?’ By following the gopis, who spontaneously love Krishna without awareness of His Godhood, one can attain Krishna. The Srutis worshiped Krishna in the ecstasy of the gopis. Following in their footsteps, they received gopi’s bodies to join Krishna in the rasa dance. Laksmi, however, wanted to enjoy Krishna but retain Her spiritual form as Laksmidevi. Without following the gopis’s footsteps no one can attain Krishna.”
After receiving initiation from Sri PrabodhanandaSarasvati, GopalaBhatta came to Vrndavana and became a dear friend of Sri Rupa and SanatanaGosvamis. He did bhajana in Vrndavana for forty-five years, mostly at Radha-kunda.
On pilgrimage he obtained twelve Salagramasilas. Later the Damodarasila manifested Himself as the beautiful RadhaRamana Deity. Since 1542, RadhaRamanaji has been worshiped with pure devotion following precise sastric rituals.
Lord Caitanya ordered GopalaBhatta to write a book to check the spread of pseudo-loving rasas and negligence to vaidhi bhakti. In corroboration with Sri SanatanaGosvami he compiled the Hari-bhakti-vilasa, the authorized book explaining the ritual and devotional practices of the GaudiyaVaisnavasampradaya. He also wrote Sat-kriya-dipika and the outline for Sri JivaGosvami’sSad Sandarbhas.
He eternally serves SrimatiRadharani as one of Herastamanjaris,Guna-manjari. His samadhi is within RadhaRamanaji’s temple compound behind the appearance place of the Deity. Sri GopalaBhattaGosvami initiated Gopinatha (Pujari Gosvami), a lifelong brahmacari who served RadhaRamanaji for his whole life. GopalaBhattaGosvami initiated SrinivasaAcarya and many other stalwart Vaisnavas.