Renunciation – Raghunath das Goswami
[Antya 6]
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[Antya 6]
Last updated
Raghunath das Goswami always had a strong inclination toward renunciation. In his youth, he travelled to Shantipur and expressed his desire to Shri Chaitanya, but the Lord told him to be patient and dutifully return home. Thereafter, Raghunath attempted to leave home and meet Shri Chaitanya on His Vrindavana tour, but he had to stay back to resolve a financial conflict with the tax collector. One year later, Raghunath actually ran away from home, but his father caught him and forcibly brought him back. Such incidents became a daily affair. Seeing his unwavering determination, Raghunath’s father finally concluded that no amount of opulence and material comfort could bind Raghunath to family life; he was destined to become a renunciant.
Later, Raghunath met Nityananda Prabhu at Panihati, and was inspired to organise a wonderful ‘chipped-rice festival’ for the assembled devotees. Shri Chaitanya mystically appeared at the festival and Raghunath honoured His remnants. Raghunath then approached Nityananda Prabhu, humbly begging for His permission and blessings to renounce family life. Nityananda fully supported him and declared that Raghunath would soon be able to fully dedicate himself to Shri Chaitanya.
Thus, Raghunath went home and began planning how to escape. One day, he managed to leave the house with Yadunandana Acharya, the family priest, and then secretly escaped through a concealed path. His parents tried to locate him but were unsuccessful. Raghunath embarked on a gruelling 12-day journey through the jungle, during which he ate only three times; nothing could check his intense desire to be with Shri Chaitanya. Upon arrival in Puri, Shri Chaitanya warmly embraced him and ordered Svarupa Damodara to take the young renunciant under his wing.
Taking up residence in Puri, Raghunath keenly inquired about the behaviour and duties of a renunciant. Taking the instructions to heart and fully absorbing himself in thought of Krishna, he gradually minimised his bodily demands, sleeping for less than 11⁄2 hours each day and eating a few morsels of decomposed rice which even the cows rejected. His daily sadhana was to offer one thousand obeisances to the Lord, two thousand obeisances to different Vaishnavas, and chant one hundred thousand holy names of Krishna. This regime would take him over 22 hours. Shri Chaitanya was extremely satisfied to see the natural renunciation and detachment of Raghunath. He gifted him a Govardhana Sila, which Raghunath began worshipping with great attention and devotion.
