Caitanya Caritamrta Compact
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  • Welcome to Caitanya Caritamrta Compact Online!
  • The Flow Of Nectar
  • Copyright
  • Dedication
  • Contents
  • Introduction
    • The God who Dances
    • Postgraduate Spirituality
    • A Humble Offering
  • Overview
    • Breakdown of Sri Chaitanya's Life
    • Layout of Book
  • ADI-LILA
    • Invocation
      • Auspicious Prayers
      • A Safe God
      • The Golden Opportunity
      • Five Stars
      • Writing Chaitanya-Charitamrita
      • The Desire Tree
    • Incarnation
      • The Rising Sun
      • Greatness and Sweetness
    • Education
      • Life Lessons
      • The Greatest Scholar
    • Transformation
      • The Turning Point
      • Birth of Kirtan
      • Exhibitions of Divinity
      • Overcoming the Opposition
      • The World is My Family
  • MADHYA-LILA
    • Renunciation
      • Snapshot
      • An Emotional Meeting
      • Lessons on the Road to Puri
      • Sarvabhauma’s Salvation
    • Propagation
      • The South Indian Tour
      • Returning to HQ
      • Preparations for Rathayatra
      • The Ecstatic Festival of Chariots
      • King Prataparudra’s Strong Desire
      • Expanding the Mercy
    • Aspiration
      • An Unfulfilled Aspiration
      • The Journey Home
      • Vraja Mandala Parikrama
    • Organisation
      • Systematic Documentation
      • Rupa and Sanatana’s Escape
      • Teachings to Rupa Goswami
      • Teachings to Sanatana Goswami
      • Essential Instructions to the Goswamis
      • Prakashananda and the Mayavada Sannyasis
  • ANTYA-LILA
    • Appreciation
      • Humility and Empowerment – Rupa Goswami
      • Devotion – Pradyumna Brahmachari
      • Pure Chanting – Haridas Thakur
      • Surrender and Vaishnava Etiquette – Sanatana Goswami
      • Renunciation – Raghunath das Goswami
      • Remembrance of Krishna – Gopinath & Vaninath
      • Service Attitude – Govinda
      • Spontaneous Love - Jagadananda Pandita
      • Following instructions – Raghunath Bhatta Goswami
    • Correction
      • Inappropriate Association - Chota Haridas
      • Dangers of Mayavada Philosophy – Bhagavan Acharya & Bengali poet
      • Criticism and Faultfinding – Damodara Pandita & Ramachandra Puri
      • Superficial Discrimination – Pradyumna Mishra
      • Respecting Teachers – Vallabha Bhatta
    • Intoxication
      • Feelings of Separation
      • Lessons in Eagerness
      • Instances of Ecstacy
    • Instruction
      • Shikshastakam
      • Closing Pastimes
      • Concluding Words
  • APPENDIX
    • Cover
    • Mangalacharana Breakdown
    • Ramananda-Samvada
    • CC Family Tree
    • Shikshastakam Breakdown
    • References & Extra Reading
    • End Notes
    • Shri Chaitanya's Travels
    • The Author
    • Wisdom That Breathes
    • Support this work
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  1. MADHYA-LILA
  2. Organisation

Essential Instructions to the Goswamis

[Madhya-Lila 23.103-23.105 / Antya-Lila 1.217-1.220 / 4.79-4.83]

PreviousTeachings to Sanatana GoswamiNextPrakashananda and the Mayavada Sannyasis

Last updated 1 year ago

After instructing Rupa and Santana Goswamis, Shri Chaitanya sent them both to Vrindavana (although He would later instruct them again in Jagannatha Puri). Their service was to lay secure foundations for the sankirtan movement. Rupa Goswami is specifically glorified in this regard: “When will Shrila Rupa Goswami Prabhupada, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfil the desire of Lord Chaitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?” The Goswamis were given specific instructions to achieve this task:

Holy Places – To rediscover and excavate the sacred locations of Krishna’s pastimes, and to establish Vrindavana as a holy town where pilgrims could meet saintly people and draw spiritual inspiration.

Deity Worship & Temples – To establish temples, install deities, and document appropriate standards of daily worship.

Literature – To write canonical literature which outlines essential Vedic conclusions and promotes the supremacy of pure, spontaneous bhakti, free from external formality and ritual.

Vaishnava Culture – To elucidate and exemplify Vaishnava character, culture and etiquette, and to demonstrate the proper behaviour and standards for renunciants.

Thus commissioned by Shri Chaitanya, Rupa and Sanatana took up residence in Vrindavana. They lived as ideal renunciants, sleeping under a different tree every night and adhering strictly to their vows of renunciation. Absorbed in hearing, singing and writing about Krishna, they renounced all forms of material enjoyment and minimised bodily demands to the bare minimum. Their spotless character, devoid of any pride or envy, endeared them to everyone who had the good fortune of their company. All the residents of Vrindavana were conquered by their profound devotion, humility and concern for all.

By the time they left this world, the Goswamis had fulfilled all the instructions given to them. They had restored the holy sites, erected ornate temples which attracted people from all over India, scribed over 200 different scriptural works, and established the standards of culture through their shining personal example. When Shrila Prabhupada came to the Western world and founded ISKCON, he followed the same guidelines to structure his missionary movement.

Shri Chaitanya repeatedly outlined indispensable elements which ensure the vibrancy of a spiritual movement. In many ways, a movement can be likened to a car:

• Spiritual Inspiration (fuel) – just as cars need juice, the impetus for a movement comes from the vibrancy of its spirituality. Only when members are inspired, nourished and happy, can the movement push forward and impact the world. To give life, one must first be alive.

• Organisation & Structure (machinery) – if mechanics are suspect, the car will regularly breakdown; lots of frustration and very little progress. Similarly, a movement can effectively progress forward when proper systems are in place to channel, focus and sustain the momentum. Even spirit needs to be managed.

• Culture & Ethos (steering) – cars need navigation through the urban landscape. Inattentive steering will damage the car, injure the passengers and wreak havoc for onlookers. Similarly, only when a movement is grounded in the culture of respect and saintliness, can we pass through inevitable conflicts, issues and obstacles without inflicting permanent damage.

Fuel, machinery and steering: all three are essential to reach top speed.

The Six Goswamis lived as ideal renunciants, sleeping under a different tree every night, and adhering strictly to their vows of renunciation. Absorbed in hearing, singing and writing about Krishna, they renounced all forms of material enjoyment and minimised bodily demands to the bare minimum.