Sadhu Baba's blessed tirobhava utsava

Sadhu Baba is often called a Rishi. Here is a nice definition given of Rishi by Devala Rishi in Brihad Bhagavatamrita (2.1.109 tika ) -

ūrdhva-retās tapasy ugro
niyatāśī ca saṁyamī
śāpānugrahayoḥ śaktaḥ
satya-sandho bhaved ṛṣiḥ

“A ṛṣi is one whose semen flows upward, who is fierce in observing austere vows, who eats moderately, controls his senses, is able to curse and bless, and adheres firmly to the truth.”

From 5th till 7th October 2009 the 23rd anniversary of the sacred departure from this world of Sitanath Kula-Kaustubha Om Viṣṇupad Sri Sri Nikunja Gopal Goswami (Sadhu Baba) is commemmorated at Sadhu Baba's Ashram with Kirtan and Mahotsav.

Sadhu Baba's Ashram is located next to the Bhajan Ashram at Prachin Mayapura, Navadwip Dhama.

We will feel very blessed with the presence and attendance of the holy Vaiṣṇavas.

Here is a copy of the schedule of this year's festival -

Handsigns, Gurvaparādha, Tulsī and śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu

Tulsī Mahārāṇī in Sādhu Bābā's āshram

Bhakta: “Aren't the signs of cakras and conchshells on Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s hands and feet signs of aiśvarya?”

Advaitadas: “Actually the hand- and footsigns themselves are already aiśvarya, as ordinary human beings don’t bear those marks.”

Bhakta: “Then why do They bear these marks in a mādhurya-abode like Vraja?”

Advaitadas: “God is God, even in His most human appearance. Mahāprabhu also has such marks on His hands and feet, and He is the most human appearance of God. Kṛṣṇa also has the Kaustubha in Vraja, though that is a clear sign of Nārāyan. Ultimately the juxtaposition of aiśvarya next to mādhurya enhances the mādhurya, just as a candle in sunlight gives less light than a candle in the dark. Also Jīva Goswāmī says that the aiśvarya in Vraja reminds us that we are not dealing with ordinary human beings, so we will not take it cheaply or identify ourselves with Them like the sahajīyas.”

Bhakta: “One should take bath after seeing the one who is envious of one’s Guru? So it won't be Vaiṣṇava aparādha for the disciple who is taking bath after seeing another Vaiṣṇava who is envious of the disciple's Guru?”

Advaitadas: “I do not think it is practical to take a bath when meeting someone who envies your Guru. It is better just to avoid such a person - yathā hoy guru nindā tathā nā jāibe // guru nindukera mukha kobhu nā heribe (padakartā Sanātan Dās) - 'Don't go there where the Guru is criticized // never look at the face of a critic of the Guru'. This is more practical.”

Bhakta: Does Śrī Jīvapāda say that one should not respect a Vaiṣṇava offender? What if the Vaiṣṇava offender is also a Vaiṣṇava (taken Kṛṣṇa mantra in dīkṣā)?

Advaitadas: “The above rule counts also for Vaiṣṇava. Having dīkṣā does not free one from the tendency to offend.”

Bhakta: “If there is a sādhaka who is aparādh free, he chants Nāma, one Nāma clears all sins and another Nāma gets prem, so how without Guru he has got his Siddha Swarūp and attain prem siddhi?”

Advaitadas: “Not taking a Guru is itself a nāmāparādha called guror avajña - therefore it is impossible for a person without Guru to chant without aparādha, and thus to attain svarūpa siddhi and prema siddhi.”

Bhakta: “Have you had any supernatural experience with Giridhārī? For instance with a message through a dream, something happened when you offered food, something like that...”

Advaitadas: No, but occasionally His prasāda is very powerful/blissful. “

Bhakta: “One friend of mine felt inebriated after prasādam and said it was because of Tulasī - he thought she acted like stimulating. Does Tulasī have that property?”

Advaitadas: Look at the last line of the morning Tulasī-song: śrī rādhā govinda preme sadā jeno bhāsi – ‘May I always float in the ocean of Rādhā Govinda prema (by Tulsī’s mercy)’.

Bhakta: “Is worship of Tulasī rāga bhakti or vaidhi bhakti?”

Advaitadas: “It is either or both. There is a morning and evening Ārati-song for Tulasī. The morning song shows her mādhurya (tulasī kṛṣṇa preyasī) and the evening song her aiśvarya (tulasī mahārāṇi vṛnde ji mahārāṇi namo nārāyaṇi etc.). “

Bhakta: “Why did Mahāprabhu make the animals in Jhārikhaṇḍa forest sing and dance in ecstasy and not the animals of Navadvīpa for instance?”

Advaitadas: “That is just mercy. No need for the adjective ‘causeless’, because mercy is by definition causeless. Look at the hunter Mṛgāri – he didn’t just kill the animals he hunted, he just pierced them so he could watch them squirm and suffer – yet he got the mercy of Nārada – he had absolutely no sukṛti. That is just at random.”

Bhakta: “Is it bona fide to offer articles on the fly by saying śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu?”

Advaitadas: “I have never seen anyone in India doing that in all the years I lived there. When I went for a journey from Sādhu Bābā’s āshram I asked Bābā if I should touch food-articles I wanted to eat to my neck-beads for sanctification. He said that that was all right, or alternatively I could travel with [dried] Tulasī leaves and place a leaf on the article before eating it.”

(This anecdote is added to Sādhu Bābā’s biography, p.46, on madangopal.com. Also pictures of Deva Prayāg, Rudra Prayāg and Kedārnāth have been added to the bio, in the section on Bābā's Himālaya Yātrā, pages 10 and 12)

Repeat-sin and material Vaikuṇṭha

I consulted Dr Satya Nārāyan Dās on two Bhāgavat-verses

Advaitadas:
"Prabhuji, I have been arguing with myself about the meaning of the following verse, particularly whether or not repetition of sin does or does not create more karma. Could you please have a brief look and comment on this?

samāna-karmācaraṇaṁ patitānāṁ na pātakam
autpattiko guṇaḥ saṅgo na śayānaḥ pataty adhaḥ

Śrīmad Bhāgavat (11.21.17)

I find the BBT translation here clearer than the one of the Gita Press:

"The same activities that would degrade an elevated person do not cause falldown for those who are already fallen. Indeed, one who is lying on the ground cannot possibly fall further. The material association that is dictated by one's own nature is considered a good quality."

The concept of na śayānaḥ patatyadhaḥ, if you lie on the floor you cannot fall any deeper, fascinated me from first reading. This verse confirms once more my opinion that ignorance is an excuse and sin and virtue are relative (autpattiko guṇaḥ saṅgo), though, as the BBT commentary prudently warns us, this verse and its principle does not provide a license to sin to initiated Vaiṣṇavas. As for the statement na śayānaḥ pataty adhaḥ ('One who lies down cannot fall any deeper"), repeating a sin does create more karma - in the orient women often turn to prostitution if they untimely lose their honour, thinking it is all lost anyway. However, one should not think that, because of a perceived loss of virtue, a repetition of the same sin will not cause accumulation of more bad karma. Śrīdhara Swāmī comments on this verse:

doṣasya kvacid doṣatvābhāve guṇatve codāharanaṁ darśayati. samānasya tasyaiva karmanaḥ sura-pānāder ācaraṇam apatitānāṁ patana-hetur api jātya karmana vā patitānāṁ punaḥ pātakam adhikāra-bhraṁśakaṁ na bhavati, pūrvam eva patitatvāt. ato’tra doṣasyāpi doṣata nastīty arthaḥ

'One man's fault is another man's virtue or at least lack of fault. It is the same act (samāna karma), but if an apatita (brahmin or Vaiṣṇava) drinks alcohol, it is the cause of his/her falldown, but for those anyway fallen (śūdras or non-devotees) this does not cause further degradation because it is their normal way to be. Thus, though it is a flaw (for some) there is no flaw."

It seems the phrase autpattiko guṇaḥ saṅga can be interpreted in 2 ways - 'material association that is dictated by one's own nature', and 'sex for procreation' (autpattika saṅga), because Śrīdhar Swāmi continues: tatha saṅgo’pi yo yāter doṣaḥ, sa gṛhasthasyautpattikaḥ pūrva-svīkṛto na doṣaḥ, api tu guṇaḥ. ṛtau bhāryām upeyāt ity-ādi-vidhānāt. "Saṅga (sex) is a fault for a sannyāsī, but not for the gṛhastha if he/she indulges in it for procreation - then it is a virtue instead. The Śrutis say 'ṛtau bhāryām upeyāt' - the wife must be approached in the season."

Dr. Satya-nārāyana Dās replied:
Advaitaji,
“The above verse is not a blanket allowance for the ignorant to sin. The verse is spoken for spiritualists and not for ignorant people. After this the Lord also speaks of the whole process of degradation, akin to the one described in the Gītā’s verse saṅgāt sañjayate kāmaḥ -verse (2.62-63). Although one sleeping on the ground will not fall because there is nowhere to fall, if he keeps on sleeping he will be so much caught in tamas that he will have a tough time getting up. Similarly if an ignorant person continues doing an activity which is forbidden for a spiritualist he may not incur sin (meaning going to hell, he is already in hell) he will make his saṁskāras stronger which will condition him.
Yes sin and piety are relative."

***

The second verse I inquired about is Śrīmad Bhāgavat 3.29.13:

sālokya-sārṣṭi-sāmīpya-sārūpyaikatvam apy uta
dīyamānaḿ na gṛhṇanti vinā mat-sevanaḿ janāḥ

“Pure devotees do not accept residence in My world, wealth equal to Mine, proximity to Me, a form equal to Mine or oneness with Me if it does not go with devotional service to Me.”

Dear Prabhuji,
Rādhe Rādhe
“Regarding SB 3.29.13 sālokya-sārṣṭi-sāmīpya - the verse ends with vinā mat-sevanaḿ janāḥ  Does that mean that there is a possibility of getting the five types of mukti also without sevā? If so, what is one doing the whole day in Vaikuṇṭha, without sevā? I thought sevā was anyway the only way to attain Vaikuṇṭha......”

Dr. Satyanarayana Das replied:
“The meaning is that a pure devotee does not want to have mukti but only sevā. But for sevā one or more of the four types of muktis may be necessary and so a pure devotee accepts it. But there may be other type of devotees who want, say sālokya mukti and do bhakti for that purpose. The Sri sampradaya is one example of this. Their goal is mukti through bhakti. Lord Chaitanya said bhakti is above mukti. Before him most bhaktas had mukti as the aim. What do they do in Vaikuntha? Of course bhakti. They are not averse to bhakti, they practiced bhakti to achieve mukti. But their predominant desire was to have salokya etc.”

Advaitadas:
“Secondly, in śāstra often a temporary trip to Vaikuṇṭha is promised as a reward for fruitive pious activities to fruitive workers, along with their families. Can we take such statements seriously or perhaps this applies to the Vaikuṇṭha in the material world's milk ocean [kṣīra sāgara]?”

Dr. Satyanarayana Das:
“Yes the temporary trip to Vaikuṇṭha is not a false statement. This is possible as a reward for pious action desired by the executors. It is granted in the Vaikuṇṭha manifest in the material world.”

Prabhus and dreadlocks

Recently there was a ‘prabhu’-debate going on on the internet. Here's my two cents -

The title Prabhu is highly watered down and devalued - in śāstra it has been used only for the likes of Vyāsadeva and Sanātan Goswāmī, but I have heard devotees addressing dopy bhaktas, sly Vrindavan-shopkeepers and meat-eating lifemembers as Prabhu and I really dont think the honorific is meant for them. Nārada calling his own disciple Vyāsa 'Prabhu' (in Śrīmad Bhāgavat 1.5.5) is a special case, as what would you do if God Himself (or His literary incarnation) becomes your disciple? This does not set a standard for calling every Tom Dick and Harry ‘Prabhu’. Prabhu is really just for those – Vyāsadeva, Sanātan Goswāmī (called ‘Prabhu’ in Vilāpa Kusumāñjali, verse 6) and the other great ācāryas.


Returning to the topic of why Vaiṣṇavas have shaved heads - (though it is not prescribed in śāstra) - it has been the custom of the bābājīs for a few centuries, and the Gauḍīya Maṭh, founded in 1918, also introduced it for its brahmacārīs and sannyāsīs. For Iskcon, however, there have been more than just such customary reasons. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami wrote to Brahmananda on October 11, 1967:

"Regarding change of dress, I beg to inform you that every Krishna conscious person must be clean shaved, must have Tilaka on the forehead and other eleven places and must have the Sikha on the top of the head besides beads on the neck as usual. Rarely one can continue to keep beard but it is better not to keep it to distinguish oneself from the hippies. We must let the public know that we are not hippies''.

And to Kirtanananda October 16, 1967:

"They must continue to have robes and tilak and flags and they must distinguish themselves from the hippies."

Another letter:

"Up to date gentlemen are all clean shaved so if we do not keep long hair and dress ourselves nicely with tilaka, flag and beads on the neck, apart from our devotional service, then certainly we shall be distinct from the hippies."

Of course, Sādhu Bābā was a different type of sādhu and he wore long matted locks (jaṭās), which is a respectable appearance in India, but is a hippy appearance in the west. Unfortunately this has led to a misunderstanding in the western public that comes in contact with Sādhu Bābā - they tend to believe that, because of his appearance and some of his activities, he is the 'hip Guru' who will allow his disciples everything (unintentionally, Sādhu Bābā does have Osho’s looks). As a consequence I am repeatedly approached for dīkṣā by people who think Sādhu Bābā is some type of clean-out-drain, that will accept those whom no one else will accept. This is not the case. Long hair in the Indian context does not mean being dirty, unchaste, disrespectful, lazy and addicted to intoxicants. In January, 1982 I was in Nepal, witnessing the Shiva Rātri festivities there - sādhus wearing matted locks [jaṭās] slept naked in the snow – hardly comparible with the comfy lives of dread-locked hippies in the west, lying on their warm waterbeds with their illicit girlfriends. We are not responsible for westerners’ cultural conditioning of linking dreadlocks with hippyism. The four Kumāras had jaṭās millions of years ago. The Bhāgavata (3.8.5) states that they had matted locks, too – svardhunyudād ardraiḥ sva jaṭā-kalāpair - and they are the school-example of celibacy. Those who want to take shelter of Sadhu Baba must follow all the rules like in any other Vaiṣṇava school.

Sādhu Bābā's arcanā

Tarjjanī

I just discovered, 27 years after receiving dīkṣā, that our tilak is applied with the tarjjanī, index finger, not with the madhyam, middle finger. Sādhu Bābā said in his Sanksipta Nitya Karma Paddhati: tarjjanī anguli dvārā dvādaśānge tilaka racanā koriben ẏeno nakha sparśa nā hoy – The tilak must be placed on twelve parts of the body with the index finger in such a way that the nails do not touch [the body].”

This exchange followed on Facebook-

Bhakta-
"What is tarjjanī? Could you explain, please?"

Advaitadas-
"The five fingers on the hand are 1. anguṣṭha (thumb) 2, tarjjanī [index finger] 3. madhyam [middle] 4. anāmikā [ring finger] and 5. kaniṣṭha [little finger or pinky]. I have been using the madhyam but I belatedly learned that in my Guru's family it turns out to be tarjanī. It is written in my Guru's paddhatī, which I even typed out by hand, but I failed to catch the point till one bhakta made me attentive to it today."

Bhakta: "Anyway, Advaita, was is the internal meaning /significance of applying tilaka with one's index finger? I'm really curious by now!"

Advaitadas- "tilaka racanāṅguli niyam [rules for fingers making tilak] is described in Haribhakti Vilāsa [4.221]:

anāmikā kāmadoktā madhyamāyuskarī bhavet 
anguṣṭhaḥ puṣṭidaḥ proktas tarjanī mokṣa-dāyinī

"The anāmikā fulfills material desires, the middle finger gives longevity, the thumb gives nourishment (food) and the index finger gives liberation."

Now that I have a cheap phone connection to India, it was no trouble consulting my senior Guru-brother Tapan Kumār Adhikārī:

Advaitadas: "We put on tilak with the index finger, but in the beadbag there's a hole for the index finger because it is said to be contaminated and therefore should not touch the japa-mālā."

Tapan Kumar Adhikary: "Yes but that is different. Tilak has different rules from (touching) the japa mālā - tilak is an exception."

************

No Rādhā with Madangopāl?

(Another) Bhakta: "I see there is no Rādhārāṇī-deity next to your Madangopāl-deity (in Sādhu Bābā’s āśram). How then do you worship Her?"

Advaitadās: “When I first came to Sādhu Bābā’s āshram I asked this to swayam Bābā, who told me that Rādhā’s name is carved on Gopāl’s chest – in this form we worship Smt. Rādhārāṇī.”

On the phone I asked Tapan Dā more about Sādhu Bābā’s Madangopāl. He confirms that Rādhā’s name is indeed carved on His chest and also that Bābā saw Him as Kiśora (adolescent lover) and not as a child (Bābā’s Gopāl manifests as Laḍḍu Gopāl, normally a child form of Kṛṣṇa). Bābā experienced Kṛṣṇa's childhood as adolescence as depicted in the third verse of Kṛṣṇa Karṇāmṛta:

cāturyaika-nidāna-sīma-capalāpānga-cchaṭā-mantharaṁ 
lāvaṇyāmṛta-vīci-lolita-dṛśaṁ lakṣmī-kaṭākṣādṛtam 
kālindī-pulināngana-praṇayinaṁ kāmāvatārānkuraṁ 
bālaṁ nīlam amī vayaṁ madhurima-svārājyam ārādhnumaḥ

"We worship that dark bluish young boy, who is the one limitless resting-place of cleverness, who causes the gopīs to slow down their gait with the rays of His restless glances, glances made restless by waves of ambrosial shimmer that are worshipped by Śrī Rādhā, the Supreme Goddess of fortune, who is very fond of the gardens on the bank of the Yamunā, who is the root cause of all Cupids and who is the independent kingdom of divine sweetness.”

Bābā stressed the word bāla, or child, was there and so He reconciled the child-form of Kṛṣṇa in His temple with the divya kiśora mūrti we actually worship. Furthermore, Tapan Dā said, Bābā stressed mental worship (mānasī sevā) over external worship in the temple, so even though Smt. Rādhārāṇī is not abundantly visible in the temple, She is overwhelmingly predominant in our meditations.

The gist of this discussion is added to page 43-44 of Sādhu Bābā's hagiography on my website, along with this teaching of Sādhu Bābā, which sprung to my memory, prompted by a discussion I read on a forum recently:

*****

siddha deha

On another occasion I asked Bābā how to understand these mysterious verses of Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta (Antya 4, 192-193):

dīkṣā-kāle bhakta kare ātma-samarpaṇa;
sei-kāle kṛṣṇa tāre kare ātma-sama
sei deha kare tāra cid-ānanda-maya;
aprākṛta-dehe tāńra caraṇa bhajaya

“At the time of initiation the devotee surrenders his very self – at that time Kṛṣṇa makes him equal to Himself and makes His body transcendental. In such a spiritual body he can serve Kṛṣṇa’s lotus-feet”

Bābā explains that this does not mean that our material bodies suddenly become spiritual – the last line of the verses clearly shows that this deals with the devotee’s spiritual body, whose seed is planted by Śrī Guru at the time of initiation."

Jīva Goswāmī at Nandaghāt

Śyāmakund in the 1970s

After debating this story at my Janmāṣṭamī-blog, I felt inspired to translate the entire story of Jīva Goswāmī being ejected by Rūpa Goswāmī (again, as I had originally translated most of Bhakti Ratnākara in the 1980s) –

ŚRĪ JĪVA GOSVĀMĪ AT NANDAGHĀT

[Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī rebukes Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī for breaking etiquette] - 5:1626-1670

śrīnivās kohe – ei nirjana ethāte; śrī jīva chilen ati ajñāta rūpete [1626]

kohi se prasaṅga – eka dina vṛndāvane; śrī rūpa likhen grantha bosiyā nirjane [1627]

grīṣma samayete sveda vyāpaye aṅgete; śrī jīva bātās kore rohi’ eka bhīte [1628]

yaiche rūpa gosvāmīra saundaryātiśay; taiche śrī jīvera śobhā yauvan samay [1629]

Śrīnivāsācārya said: “In this solitary place Śri Jīva Goswāmī lived incognito. I will tell you the context – one day in Vṛndāvana Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī was writing a book in solitude. Due to the summer-heat his body was studded by sweatdrops, so Śrī Jīva was by his side fanning him. Just as Rūpa Goswāmi was very beautiful, Śrī Jīva was also very beautiful in his youth.”

kebā nā koroye sādha śrī rūpe dekhite; śrī vallabha bhaṭṭa āsi’ mililā nibhṛte [1630]

bhakti rasāmṛta grantha maṅgalācaraṇa; dekhi’ bhaṭṭa kohe – ihā koribo śodhana [1631]

“Who was not fulfilled by seeing Śrī Rūpa Goswāmī? Once Śrī Vallabha Bhaṭṭa came to meet Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī in his solitary place. When he saw the introduction to the Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu, he told Rūpa Gosvāmī – I will edit it.”

eto kohi gelā snāne yamunāra kule; śrī jīva colilā jala ānibāra chale [1632]

śrī vallabha bhaṭṭa saha nāhi paricoy; ‘maṅgalācaraṇe ki sandeho – jijñāsoy [1633]

“After saying this, he went to bathe in the Yamuna and Śrī Jīva followed him, on the pretext of fetching water. Though he was not acquainted with Śrī Vallabha Bhaṭṭa, he asked him: ‘What is your doubt about the introduction of the book?”

śuni śrī vallabha-bhaṭṭa ye kichu kohilo; śrī jīva se sob śighro khaṇḍana korilo [1634]

prasaṅge hoilo nānā śāstera vicāra; śrī jīvera vākya bhaṭṭa nāre khaṇḍibāre [1635]

kotokṣaṇa kori’ carcā, carcā samādhiyā; śrī rūpera prati bhaṭṭa kohe punaḥ giyā [1636]

alapa boyos ye chilen toma-pāśe; tār paricoy hetu āinu ullāse [1637]

“Hearing this, Śrī Vallabha Bhaṭṭa gave his explanation which Śrī Jīva then swiftly refuted, point for point. During the discussion Śrī Jīva Goswāmī quoted various scriptures, which Vallabha Bhaṭṭa was unable to refute. They debated for a while and after it was all done Vallabha Bhaṭṭa returned to Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī and told him: ‘I have come here in glee to inquire from you who this young man is that is staying with you.”

śrī rūpa kohen – kibā dibo paricoy; jīva nāma śiṣya mora, bhrātāra tonoy [1638]

ei katho din hoilo āilā deśa hoite; śuni’ bhaṭṭa praśaṁsā korilo sarva mate [1639]

Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī said: “What can I say about him? He is named Jīva and is my student and nephew. He has been staying with me for a while, having come from Bengal.” Hearing this, Bhaṭṭa praised him in all respects.”

rūpa samādare bhaṭṭa korilā gamana; śrī jīva yamunā hoite āilā sei-kṣaṇa [1640]

śrī rūpa kohen śrī jīvere mṛdu bhāṣe; more kṛpā kori bhaṭṭa āilā mora paśe [1641]

mora hita lāgi’ grantha śudhibo kohilā; e ati alapa vākya sahite nārilā [1642]

tāhe pūrba deśa śīghro koroho gaman; mana sthira hoile āsibā vṛndāvana [1643]

‘After offering his respect to Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Bhaṭṭa left. Just then Śrī Jīva returned from the Yamunā. Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī told him softly: “Out of the kindness of his heart Bhaṭṭajī came to me and offered to help me by editing my book, but you could not tolerate even this little from him. Return to your home land and when your mind has become stable you may return to Vṛndāvana.”

gosvāmīra ājñāya colilā pūrba-pāne; katho dūre mana sthira koilā sābdhāne [1644]

gosvāmīra ājñā nāi nikaṭe āsite; ehetu āilā ethā nirjana banete [1645]

rahi’ patra kuṭire khedita atiśaya; kabu kichu bhuñje, kabhu upavāsa hoy [1646]

deha hoite prāṇa bhinna koriyā tvarite; prabhu-pādapadma pābo – ei cintā cite [1647]

“Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī thus left, on Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī’s order. After travelling for a while his mind calmed down. Thinking ‘Rūpa Gosvāmī ordered me not to come near him’ he came to this solitary forest where he stayed in a hut, feeling very distressed. Sometimes he ate a little, sometimes he fasted. He was rapidly proceeding to leave his body as he was absorbed in thoughts of how to attain Rūpa Prabhu’s lotus-feet.”

akasmāt sanātana gosvāmī āilā; grāmi-loka āgusari grāme loiyā gelā [1648]

parama ullāse bosāiyā gosvāmīre; jijñāsi’ kuśala punaḥ kohe dhīre dhīre [1649]

alapa boyos eka tapasvī sundara; katho dina hoilo rohe e bana bhitor [1650]

bhuñjāite yatna kori anek prakāra; kabhu phala-mūla bhuñje, kabhu nirāhāra [1651]

bahu yatne kiñcit godhuma cūrṇa loiyā; koroye bhakṣaṇa tāhā jale miśāiyā [1652]

aiche śuni’ jānilo – āchaye jīva ethā; bātsalye hoiyā ārdra colilen tathā [1653]

“Suddenly Sanātana Goswāmī appeared there. The villagers came out to greet him and take him into the village. In great bliss they seated Goswāmīpāda and when he inquired about their welfare they calmly replied: “Since a few days a young ascetic is staying in the nearby woods. We tried to feed him in so many ways, but he sometimes fasts and sometimes just eats fruits and roots. With great effort we convinced him to accept some wheat and he is now eating that, raw, mixing it with some water.” Hearing this, Sanātana Goswāmī understood that it was Jīva Goswāmī, so, melting with parental affection, he went there.”

śrī jīva chilen patra-kuṭire bosiyā; gosvāmīra darśane dharite nāre hiyā [1654]

loṭāiyā poṛe gosvāmīra padatale; śrī jīvera ceṣṭā dekhi’ vismita sakale [1655]

snehāveśe sanātana jijñāsilo yāhā; śrī jīva saṅkṣepe krame nivedilo tāhā [1656]

“Śrī Jīva was sitting in a leaf-hut; when he saw Sanātana Goswāmī coming, his heart ran after him and he fell and rolled at his feet. Seeing Śrī Jīva’s activities, everyone was astonished. Overwhelmed with affection, Sanātana Goswāmī asked him what had happened and Śrī Jīva briefly told him everything in good order.”

śuni śrī gosvāmī jībe rākhi seikhāne; grāmi-loke prabodhi’ gelen vṛndāvane [1657]

gosvāmīra gamana śuniyā sei-kṣaṇe; śrī rūpa gelen gosvāmīra daraśane [1658]

gosvāmī śrī rūpe jijñāsen samācāra; ‘bhakti rasāmṛta sindhu’ apekṣā ki āra [1659]

śrī rūpa kohen – ‘prāya hoilo likhan; jīva rahile-i śīghro hoto śodhan [1660]

gosvāmī kohen – jīva jīyā mātra āche; dekhinu – tāhāra deha bātāse hāliche [1661]

‘Hearing this, Śrī Sanātana Goswāmī kept Jīva Goswāmī there and went to Vṛndāvana after addressing the villagers. When, in Vṛndāvana, Śrī Rūpa Goswāmī heard that Sanātana Goswāmī had arrived, he at once came to see him. Sanātana Goswāmī asked him: ‘How much longer until Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu is ready?” Śrī Rūpa replied: ‘I almost finished writing it, but it would be quickly edited had Jīva been here.” Sanātana Goswāmī said: “Jīva is only still barely alive – he is so emaciated that the slightest breeze could blow him away.”

aiche kohi’ jīvera vṛttānta jānāilo; śrī rūpa jīve sei-kṣaṇe ānāilo [1662]

śrī jīvera daśā dekhi’ śrī rūpa gosāi; korilen śuśrūṣā – kṛpāra sīmā nāi [1663]

śrī jīvera ārogye sabāra hoy mana; dilena sakala bhāra rūpa-sanātana [1664]

“Saying this, he elaborated on Jīva Goswāmī’s condition. Hearing this, Śrī Rūpa had Jīva brought at once. When Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī saw Śrī Jīva’s condition he personally nursed him out of his limitless mercy. Everyone was concerned about Śrī Jīva’s recovery and Rūpa and Sanātana Goswāmī personally took all responsibility over it.”

śrī rūpa-sanātana anugraha hoite; śrī jīvera vidyā-bol vyāpilo jagate [1665]

vṛndāvane āilā digvijayī eka jan; bahu-loka saṅge sarva śāstre vicakṣaṇa [1666]

teho kohe – yadi carcā nā pāro korite; tabe mora jayapatrī pāṭhāho tvarite [1667]

śuniyā śrī jīva śīghro patrī pāṭhāilo; patrī pāṭhe digvijayī parābhava hoilo [1668]

aiche darpa kori’ joto digvijayī āise; parābhava hoiyā polāya nija deśe [1669]

śrī jīvera prabhāva kohite nāhi pāro; ahe śrīnivāsa – ei kuṭīra tāhāra [1670]

“By the mercy of Śrī Rūpa and Sanātana the power of Śrī Jīva’s learning spread over the world. Once a dig-vijayi (‘conquerer of the directions’, a travelling scholar that challenges other scholars wherever he goes) came to Vṛndāvana. He was expert in all the scriptures and was accompanied by many followers. Challenging the resident scholars, he said: ‘If you cannot debate with me then quickly send me your acknowledgement of defeat.’ Hearing this, Śrī Jīva quickly sent him a letter of defeat (here it means a letter to defeat the scholar instead), reading which the Dig-vijayī was himself conquered. In this way any such arrogant Digvijayi who came there was defeated and fled back to his own region. I cannot describe the prowess of Śrī Jīva Goswāmī. O Śrīnivāsa, this here is his hut.”

The last paragraph shows that Jīva was not rejected for arguing opponents because he clearly did that still after the incident with Śrī Rūpa – he was rejected due to not showing proper respect to a senior Vaiṣṇava. This translation is also added to the file containing my other translations of Bhakti Ratnākara, on madangopal.com, linktab Literature.