govinda, mÄdhava, vÄsudeva — tina bhÄi
yÄá¹…-sabÄra kÄ«rtane nÄce caitanya-nitÄi
govinda - Govinda; mÄdhava - MÄdhava; vÄsudeva - VÄsudeva; tina bhÄi - three brothers; yÄá¹…-sabÄra - all of whom; kÄ«rtane - in the performance of saá¹…kÄ«rtana; nÄce - dance; caitanya-nitÄi - Lord Caitanya and NityÄnanda Prabhu.
The three brothers Govinda, MÄdhava and VÄsudeva were the eighty-second, eighty-third and eighty-fourth branches of the tree. Lord Caitanya and NityÄnanda used to dance in their kÄ«rtana performances.
The three brothers Govinda, MÄdhava and VÄsudeva Ghoá¹£a all belonged to a kÄyastha family. Govinda established the GopÄ«nÄtha temple in AgradvÄ«pa, where he resided. MÄdhava Ghoá¹£a was expert in performing kÄ«rtana. No one within this world could compete with him. He was known as the singer of Vá¹›ndÄvana and was very dear to ÅšrÄ« NityÄnanda Prabhu. It is said that when the three brothers performed saá¹…kÄ«rtana, immediately Lord Caitanya and NityÄnanda would dance in ecstasy. According to the Gaura-gaṇoddeÅ›a-dÄ«pikÄ (188), the three brothers were formerly KalÄvatÄ«, RasollÄsÄ and Guṇatuá¹…gÄ, who recited the songs composed by ÅšrÄ« ViÅ›ÄkhÄ-gopÄ«. The three brothers were among one of the seven parties that performed kÄ«rtana when Lord ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu attended the Ratha-yÄtrÄ festival at JagannÄtha PurÄ«. VakreÅ›vara Paṇá¸ita was the chief dancer in their party. This is vividly described in the Madhya-lÄ«lÄ, chapter thirteen, verses 42 and 43.
