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.