Humility and Empowerment – Rupa Goswami

[Antya 1]

[1.1-1.46]

When Shri Chaitanya reached Jagannatha Puri, the Bengali Vaishnavas immediately journeyed there to see Him. The party was headed by Shivananda Sena, who compassionately brought along a stray dog on the journey. Rupa Goswami also travelled to Puri, but was delayed due to his brother’s death. Upon arrival, the Goswami stayed with Haridas Thakur, readying himself for a second meeting with Shri Chaitanya where he would receive instructions on a drama that he was writing about Krishna’s pastimes.

[1.47-1.71]

Shri Chaitanya eagerly visited Haridas on a daily basis, and became overjoyed to see that Rupa Goswami had arrived. The next day, Shri Chaitanya introduced Rupa to all the Vaishnavas, imploring devotees like Advaita Acharya and Nityananda Prabhu to bestow choice blessings upon the young renunciant. Regarding the dramas, Shri Chaitanya instructed Rupa not to mix Krishna’s Dwaraka pastimes with the Vrindavana pastimes, and he thus decided to write two separate scripts.

[1.72-1.93]

After witnessing Shri Chaitanya’s ecstatic outpouring at the annual Rathayatra, Rupa composed a verse which captured the Lord’s innermost feelings. When Shri Chaitanya saw the verse He became overwhelmed and lovingly slapped Rupa Goswami for his literary craftsmanship. Rupa had been especially empowered to capture and convey the esoteric truths hidden within Shri Chaitanya’s heart, and he thus became known as the rasacarya, the informed authority on divine mellows.

[1.94-1.223]

Rupa Goswami scribed two separate dramas to narrate the pastimes of Krishna in Vrindavana and Dvaraka, naming them Vidagdha-madhava and Lalita-madhava respectively. One day, while writing Vidagdha-madhava, Shri Chaitanya read one of the verses and became exceedingly happy. When He returned the next day with His associates, Rupa and Haridas lovingly received them and humbly sat at their feet. Shri Chaitanya glorified the writing of Rupa and encouraged him to read his exquisite compositions, but the humble Goswami was hesitant. As they repeatedly insisted, Rupa finally acquiesced and began reciting selected verses, feeling himself to be an insignificant glow-worm in comparison to the exalted and effulgent sun-like Vaishnavas.

Rupa Goswami thus remained with Shri Chaitanya for ten months. Fully equipped and empowered, he returned to Vrindavana to spearhead the sankirtan movement.