mahÄprabhura priya bhá¹›tya — raghunÄtha-dÄsa
sarva tyaji' kaila prabhura pada-tale vÄsa
mahÄprabhura - of Lord Caitanya MahÄprabhu; priya - very dear; bhá¹›tya - servant; raghunÄtha-dÄsa - RaghunÄtha dÄsa GosvÄmÄ«; sarva tyaji' - renouncing everything; kaila - did; prabhura - of the Lord; pada-tale - under the shelter of the lotus feet; vÄsa - habitation.
ÅšrÄ«la RaghunÄtha dÄsa GosvÄmÄ«, the forty-sixth branch of the tree, was one of the most dear servants of Lord Caitanya MahÄprabhu. He left all his material possessions to surrender completely unto the Lord and live at His lotus feet.
ÅšrÄ«la BhaktisiddhÄnta SarasvatÄ« ṬhÄkura writes in his AnubhÄá¹£ya, “ŚrÄ«la RaghunÄtha dÄsa GosvÄmÄ« was most probably born in the year 1416 ÅšakÄbda (A.D. 1494) in a kÄyastha family as the son of Govardhana MajumadÄra, who was the younger brother of the then zamindar, Hiraṇya MajumadÄra. The village where he took birth is known as ÅšrÄ«-kṛṣṇapura. On the railway line between Calcutta and Burdwan is a station named TriÅ›ÄbaghÄ [now known as Ä€di-saptagrÄma], and about one and a half miles away is the village of ÅšrÄ«-kṛṣṇapura, where the parental home of ÅšrÄ« RaghunÄtha dÄsa GosvÄmÄ« was situated. A temple of ÅšrÄ« ÅšrÄ« RÄdhÄ-Govinda is still there. In front of the temple is a large open area but no large hall for devotees to assemble. A rich Calcutta gentleman named Haricaraṇa Ghoá¹£a, who resided in the SimlÄ quarter, recently repaired the temple. The entire temple compound is surrounded by walls, and in a small room just to the side of the temple is a small platform on which RaghunÄtha dÄsa GosvÄmÄ« used to worship the Deity. By the side of the temple is the dying river SarasvatÄ«.â€
The forefathers of ÅšrÄ«la RaghunÄtha dÄsa GosvÄmÄ« were all Vaiṣṇavas and were very rich men. His spiritual master at home was Yadunandana Ä€cÄrya. Although RaghunÄtha dÄsa was a family man, he had no attachment for his estate and wife. Seeing his tendency to leave home, his father and uncle engaged special bodyguards to watch over him, but nevertheless he managed to escape their vigilance and went away to JagannÄtha PurÄ« to meet ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu. This incident took place in the year 1439 ÅšakÄbda (A.D. 1517). RaghunÄtha dÄsa GosvÄmÄ« compiled three books, named Stava-mÄlÄ (or StavÄvalÄ«), DÄna-carita and MuktÄ-carita. He lived a long time, residing for most of his life at RÄdhÄ-kuṇá¸a. The place where RaghunÄtha dÄsa GosvÄmÄ« performed his devotional service still exists by RÄdhÄ-kuṇá¸a. He almost completely gave up eating, and therefore he was very skinny and of weak health. His only concern was to chant the holy name of the Lord. He gradually reduced his sleeping until he was almost not sleeping at all. It is said that his eyes were always full of tears. When ÅšrÄ«nivÄsa Ä€cÄrya went to see RaghunÄtha dÄsa GosvÄmÄ«, the GosvÄmÄ« blessed him by embracing him. ÅšrÄ«nivÄsa Ä€cÄrya requested his blessings for preaching in Bengal, and ÅšrÄ«la RaghunÄtha dÄsa GosvÄmÄ« granted them. In the Gaura-gaṇoddeÅ›a-dÄ«pikÄ (186) it is stated that ÅšrÄ«la RaghunÄtha dÄsa GosvÄmÄ« was formerly the gopÄ« named Rasa-mañjarÄ«. Sometimes it is said that he was Rati-mañjarÄ«.
