Srila Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami Samadhi

It is believed that a portion of the ashes from the funeral pyre of Shrila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami are entombed here, while another portion of his ashes are entombed at Radhakunda, where the actual cremation took place. At that time, some of the great Vaishnava saints were cremated so that Muslim zealots could not at sometime in the future desecrate their sacred remains. The other Goswamis that were cremated were Raghunatha Dasa Goswami and Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami, whose samadhis are at Radha-kunda. Krishnadasa Kaviraja was renowned as a great scholar having studied all the branches of Vedic knowledge. He came to Vrindavana after Lord Nityananda appeared in a dream and told him to go to Vrindavana. He took initiation from
Raghunatha Dasa Goswami and lived at Radha-kunda with his beloved guru and each day he guru, he became celebrated as the author of Chaitanya-charitamrta, one of the greatest classics amongst Gaudiya Vaishnava literature which he completed in 1581, while he was living at Radha-kunda. The Chaitanya-charitamrta was based mostly on what he heard directly from Raghunatha Dasa Goswami, as well as from the personal diaries of Swarupa Damodara and Murari Gupta. In 1582, one year after completing the Chaitanya-charitamrta, Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami entered samadhi. According to the Gaura-ganaddesha-dipika, he was Kasturi-manjari in Krishna’s Vrindavana pastimes.
Some researchers believe that this samadhi at Radha Damodara is actually the Samadhi of Krishna Dasa Brahmachari, the famous disciple of Gadadhara Pandita, who was appointed by Sanatana Goswami as the first pujari of Lord Madana-mohana. Some others venture to say that it may be a dual samadhi of both the saints. Others have said that it is the samadhi of another Krishna Dasa, who was the disciple of ]iva, and after Raghunatha Dasa and ]iva’s disappearance, became the next Mahant of Radha-kunda. As far as most Gaudiya Vaishnavas are concerned, this tomb is accepted it to be the samadhi of Krishnadasa Kaviraja, whether it is a vibhuti-samadhi containing ashes, or a smriti-samadhi honoring his memory. During his stay at Radha Damodara, Shrila Prabhupada came here for darshana every day while circumambulating the Radha Damodara temple. Shrila Prabhupada respected this samadhi as that of Kaviraja Goswami, as well as that of Krishna Dasa Brahmachari, whom he said was the ashta-sakhi Indulekha in Krishna’s Vrindavana pastimes, and that either of the Vaishnava saints can be honored, as during their lifetime they both delivered love of Godhead to the fallen masses.

Appearing near Katva, Krishna Dasa Kaviraja left for Vrndavana after Lord Nityananda told him in a dream: are are krishnadasa, na karaha bhaya, vrndavana yaha tanha, sarva labhy haya, “O my dear Krishnadasa, do not be afraid. Go to Vrndavana. For there you will attain all things.” (Caitanya-caritamrtaAdi 5.195)
Krishna Dasa took diksa from Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami. He lived a renounced life at Syama-kunda near Manasa Pavana Ghat, Radharani’s midday bathing place.
Sri Jiva Gosvami, as per his custom of giving titles of honor to qualified devotees, gave Krishna Dasa the title Kaviraja (the king of poets) for his poetic masterpiece Govinda-lilamrta. Sri Narottama Dasa Thakura wrote in Prarthana: “Krishna Dasa Kaviraja, who composed the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, is the connoisseur among devotees. His Govinda-lilamrta moves stones to tears, but alas, my mind is not attracted to it.”
During Krishna Dasa’s life, all the Vaisnavas would gather at Govindaji’s temple to hear Sri Haridasa Pandit read Sri Caitanya Bhagavata. The devotees were eager to hear about Lord Gauranga’s later pastimes which were not elaborated in Caitanya Bhagavata, so they asked Krishna Dasa Kaviraja to write them. Krishna Dasa prayed to Madana Mohana for ability and blessings. The Deity’s flower garland fell down, indicating divine sanction.
Krishna Dasa Kaviraja’s Caitanya-caritamrta is the most accurate, authentic, and philosophical biography of Lord Caitanya. Every line is full of infinite humility, enthusiasm, and devotion for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Nityananda Prabhu. Krishna Dasa had the wonderful power of speaking without offending, even when rebuking his opponents.
He had vast knowledge in all Vedic scriptures. His books show his skill in the Srutis, Smrtis, Nyaya, Jyotir sastra, and the culinary arts. Although he was an erudite scholar, a strict ascetic, a paramahamsa rasika Vaisnava, Krishna Dasa writes about himself, “I am deaf, dumb, wholly illiterate, worldly-minded, and lower than a worm in stool.” His personal humility automatically attracts the heart of any reader of Caitanya-caritamrta.
Krishna Dasa Kaviraja was a living example of “humbler than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree.” A devotee will advance spiritually and understand Sri Caitanya’s teachings on Radha-Krishna prema bhakti by reading Caitanya-caritamrta.
By associating with Sri Krishna Dasa Kaviraja, an eternally liberated associate of Lord Caitanya, one will develop the Vaisnava qualities of humility, innocence, integrity, equanimity, gentleness, purity, selflessness, patience, kindness, gravity, freedom from material desires, mild temperament, control over the six passions, friendliness, honoring all beings, being silent, expert, poetic, and absolute surrender to Sri Krishna.