Vrindavan, 23.12.17 (VT) On Friday, a joyous sankirtan party enlivened the streets of Vrindavan on the occasion of Sri Jiva Goswami’s disappearance day. The sankirtan was organized by Vrindavan’s Radha Damodar temple, one of the 7 main historical temples of Vrindavan.
P.C. Jagran
In lead up to Sri Jiva Goswami’s disappeance anniversary, there were festivities at Radha Damodar temple, beginning from 9am every day. The temple was beautifully decorated with flowers and was filled with devotees taking darshan and absorbing the atmosphere. On Thursday, JSK Madhukar arrived at the temple at 10am to sing bhajans in his superbly trained classical singing voice.
Sri Jiva Goswami is one of the 6 Goswamis venerated by Gaudiya Vaishnavas. The deities, Sri Radha Damodar, were manifested by Srila Rupa Goswami, who gave them to his dear disciple and nephew-Sri Jiva Goswami, for service and worship.
Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his disciples, Srila Rupa Goswami and Sri Jiva Goswami, emphasize the importance of bhajan and harinam sankirtan for spreading the glories of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. Singing and hearing the Lord’s name is so joyful that no one would say it is penance, and public performances help to further Lord Chaitanya’s mission to have the Lord’s name chanted in every village and every town.
The Jiva Institute in Sheetal Chaya also celebrated the occasion. Students from Radha Kund who study in the Jiva Sanskrit school there joined with the international students at the Institute who are learning Sanskrit and studying Jiva Goswami’s literary contributions to honor his memory.
Mahant Satya Narayan Das Babaji glorifies Jiva Goswami to the assembled devotees at Jiva. Photo: Vinode Vani Dasi.
In his discourse, Babaji said, “”…The means by which you get proper knowledge and experience is called pramana. Just like if you want to see, then your eyes are pramana for that. If you want to hear, then your ears are pramana for that. But if you want to know Krishna, if you want to have experience of Krishna, then these eyes and ears are not pramana for that. Pramana is only sastra.
says this in the very beginning of Tattva Sandarbha.
“Maharaja (Srila Haridas Shastri) used to say that Krishna is the fruit of sastra. We know that in Srimad Bhagavatam it is written, ‘nigama kalpa taror galitam phalam’, that Srimad Bhagavatam is the fruit of the tree of the Vedas. That fruit of Bhagavatam comes from the Vedas, and Krishna comes from the Bhagavatam. If you want to know Krishna as He is, ‘svayam bhagavan’, then you must know Bhagavatam. It is only Bhagavatam that says ‘krsnas tu bhagavan svayam.’
“Although this is written in Srimad Bhagavatam, it was actually Srila Jiva Goswami who established it in Krishna Sandarbha. Without his work, without his effort, without his research, you will not know how Krishna is ‘svayam bhagavan.’ Jiva Goswami very authentically, with pramana from sastra, synthesizes the differing opinions to establish that Krishna is not merely an avatar; He is the source of the avatari, Maha Visnu, the Purusa from whom all avatars emanate. This Krishna Sandarbha is the work we are presently working on, and hope to see published in another six months.
“So that fruit in the form of Krishna, if you want to taste this fruit, then you have to learn this knowledge. Otherwise, you cannot be sure which Krishna you are talking about: Arjuna? Krishna in Dvaraka? Krishna in Mathura? Krishna in Vrindavan? Svayam Bhagavan Krishna, if you want to know Him, this is the fruit of the work of Srila Jiva Goswamipada.
“Therefore we bow down to the feet of Srila Jiva Goswami on this day as he gave us this most unparalleled work in the form of the Sad Sandarbhas, and other commentaries. These wonderful books are the foundation of our sampradaya, Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s sampradaya. We are very indebted to him, Srila Jiva Goswami. How will we repay this debt? You can repay the debt by reading his books, and in the process, glorify Srila Jiva Goswami. In this way, make your life successful.”
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