Extraordinary Qualities of Srila Raghunath Das Goswami

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Kolkata—Worldwide, 14 February 2021, part 2

Materialistic people, especially here in Bengal, do Saraswati Puja on this day—those who want to capture knowledge and education, worship Saraswati Devi, the education minister, or the knowledge minister. All Bengal is worshipping that day, but all devotees are worshipping this day as Vasanta Panchami and the appearance day of Srimati Vishnupriya Devi. This day is also the appearance day of Srila Raghunath Das Goswami. Srila Raghunath Das Goswami is a very great Vaishnav.

জয় রূপ সনাতন ভট্ট রঘুনাথ ।
শ্রীজীব গোপালভট্ট দাস রঘুনাথ ॥

jaya rupa, sanatana, bhatta-raghunatha
sri jiva, gopala-bhatta, dasa-raghunatha

"All glory to Srila Rupa Goswami, Srila Sanatan Goswami, Srila Raghunath Bhatta Goswami, Srila Jiva Goswami, Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami, and Srila Raghunath Das Goswami!"

You all know the history of Srila Raghunath Das Goswami's life. He left everything like stool and urine. People always pass urine, pass stool, and Srila Raghunath Das Goswami left everything—all his property, all his name, fame, everything he had.

Srila Raghunath Das Goswami was born in Adisaptagram, a place in the Hooghly district (it is not very far from our temple in Tarakeshwar). He first met Mahaprabhu in Srila Advaita Prabhu's house when he was just five years old—at that time, Mahaprabhu had just taken sannyas and came to Srila Advaita Prabhu's house in Shantipur. Srila Raghunath Das Goswami is a very extraordinary personality. He was extremely humble, tolerant, and always gave honour to others. He had all these qualities.

Actually, Srila Raghunath Das Goswami tried and tried so many times to come to Mahaprabhu, but Maya Devi always gave some trouble to him. Finally, he got the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu, and after that he was able to come to Mahaprabhu. Mahaprabhu accepted him and made him a servitor of Srila Svarup Damodar Prabhu. He gave him this service saying, "Stay and serve Svarup Damodar." So, when Srila Raghunath Das Goswami stayed in Puri, he served Srila Svarupa Damodar Prabhu, and everybody called him 'Svarup's Raghu'—he became famous throughout Puri as Svarup's Raghu.

When Srila Raghunath Das Goswami stayed in Puri, he always paid obeisance to all Vaishnavs—he could see the same Vaishnav ten times during the day, and each time he saw him he would pay him obeisance. Such was his quality.

At first, Srila Raghunath Das Goswami's father sent him some money, and Srila Raghunath Das Goswami used that money to make Vaishnav-seva. After some time, however, he understood that Mahaprabhu did not like it because he was taking a materialist's money and used it to make Vaishnav-seva, as a result of which some ego (abhiman, ahankar) could come to him, "Oh, I am spending my father's money! I am doing Vaishnav-seva!" So, Srila Raghunath Das Goswami rejected his father's money and started begging instead. At first, he would stand in front of Jagannath temple and beg for alms. Then, he thought, "Simha-dvare bhiksa-vrtti—vesyara achara (Cc, 3.6.284) I need some food for my stomach, and I am standing here like a prostitute! It is not good!" Then, he started going to the place where food was sometimes distributed to all beggars...

When Srila Raghunath Das Goswami left for Puri, he walked for twelve days, and I was thinking how much austerity he got at that time. We also walked recently for four days, visiting 120-130 houses every day, and we sometimes felt tired, our legs sometimes swelled, but I was thinking that we are walking wearing shoes, and Srila Raghunath Das Goswami went to Puri without shoes. Not only that, he walked for twelve days, and he took rice only three times during that time. Yet we walked four days and we took prasadam three times a day, but still we became very tired. Srila Raghunath Das Goswami walked for twelve days non-stop, he only stopped during the night and slept somewhere outside or maybe in somebody's goshala, and he took rice only three times during those twelve days. Such was his quality. He had an extremely strong attraction to Mahaprabhu—he had the highest, the strongest desire to come to Mahaprabhu, and when he got the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu, he immediately went to Mahaprabhu. Srila Raghunath Das Goswami's desire to get service was extremely strong.

Mahaprabhu taught certain things to Srila Raghunath Das Goswami, and everybody must learn from those instructions of Mahaprabhu's to Srila Raghunath Das Goswami.

গ্রাম্যকথা না শুনিবে, গ্রাম্যবার্ত্তা না কহিবে ।
ভাল না খাইবে আর ভাল না পরিবে ॥
অমানী মানদ হঞা কৃষ্ণনাম সদা ল'বে ।
ব্রজে রাধাকৃষ্ণ সেবা মানসে করিবে ॥

gramya-katha na sunibe, gramya-varta na kahibe
bhala na khaibe ara bhala na paribe
amani manada hana krsna-nama sada la'be
vraje radha-krsna seva manase karibe

"Do not listen to the mundane talks, do not listen to the mundane news. Do not eat fancy food, do not wear fancy clothes. Do not expect honour to yourself, but offer all respect to others. Always chant the Holy Name of Krsna, and in your mind serve Radha-Krsna."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Antya-lila, 6.236-237)

Do not wear fancy clothes, do not eat fancy food. Do not gossip. This is what Mahaprabhu taught Srila Raghunath Das Goswami.

স্থির হঞা ঘরে যাও, না হও বাতুল
ক্রমে ক্রমে পায় লোক ভব-সিন্ধুকূল
মর্কট-বৈরাগ্য না কর লোক দেখাঞা ।
যথাযোগ্য বিষয় ভুঞ্জ' অনাসক্ত হঞা ॥
অন্তরে নিষ্ঠা কর, বাহ্যে লোক-ব্যবহার ।
অচিরাৎ কৃষ্ণ তোমায় করিবে উদ্ধার ॥

sthira haya ghare yao, na hao batula
krame krame paya loka bhava-sindhu-kula
markata-vairagya na kara loka dekhana
yatha-yogya visaya bhunja' anasakta hana

"Be sensible, go back to your home. Do not be crazy. One reaches the shore of material existence gradually. Do not show your false renunciation to people. Serve accepting material things, but without attachment."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.16.237-238)

Go back to your home, do not become crazy. It is not necessary to show false renunciation. Mahaprabhu told him very good instructions. He also said that we must give respect to whatever is necessary for service: yatha-yogya visaya bhunja' anasakta hana.

We sometimes need certain things—for example, we use a car for preaching, and somebody can say, "Oh, this is too much!" For example, Indian foolish or jealous people like to say, "Oh, Mahaprabhu walked door to door, Nityananda Prabhu also went door to door on foot, but in this age of Kali sadhus are so degraded that they use cars and aeroplanes!" Such people are very foolish—they do not know that everything is meant for the service for the Lord. Everything must be used for service. It is necessary to understand this.

Everybody must think about Srila Raghunath Das Goswami's lifestyle, how much austerity he faced. You must also remember Srila Sanatan Goswami's character. Srila Sanatan Goswami Prabhu refused from taking new clothes—Sri Chandrasekhara Acharya wanted to give him some new clothes, but he refused, instead he said, "If you can, give me some old cloth of Mahaprabhu." Sri Chandrasekhara Acharya gave him an old cloth of Mahaprabhu, and Srila Sanatan Goswami tore it into two parts—he would wear one and use the other one as a chadar. Such was his lifestyle.

So, I was thinking when I am walking my legs swell, I cannot walk, etc. but I am wearing shoes, I am taking prasadam three times a day, but Srila Raghunath Das Goswami went to Puri barefoot, walking non-stop for twelve days, and he took prasadam only three times during all twelve days. This is what I wanted to say to everybody. Practise what is preached. You must understand Mahaprabhu's teaching: not to wear fancy clothes, not to eat fancy food. Yet we always follow the whims of our tongue (jihva-lalasa)—what fallen souls we are!

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