Bhajana Kutir of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami
A Comprehensive Guide to Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma
In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami's name in Vraja-lila has been given as Guna manjari. His birth was on the day of the dark fortnight of the month Pausa in the year 1503 (Christian), 1425 (Sakabda). His disappearance was on the sixth day of the dark fortnight of the month of Sravana in the year 1578 (Christian), 1500 (Sakabda). Age: 75 years.
Gopal Bhatta Gosvami's bhajan kutir is located in Sanket, which is a small village between Varsana and Nandagram. Sanket Devi is Yogamaya. Her temple is appropriately located here, as she arranges meetings between Radha and Krishna. Gopal Bhatta's bhajan kutir is next to to Yogamaya's temple.In Sanket, the midnight or night pastimes between Krishna and the gopis take place. When Krishna would go into the fields to herd the cows and Radharani would go to pick flowers, sometimes they would meet here.
Gopal Bhatta Gosvami performed bhajan here for many years.
From Bhakti Ratnakara by Srila Narahari Sarkara Thakura
O my divine master, Sri Gopala Bhatta, the bee at Sri Gaura's lotus feet. You are the sun which destroys the darkness of illusion, the ocean of mercy and the greatest of all brahmanas. You are the son of Sri Venkata Bhatta and are just like a valuable jewel of divine love and devotion. You have relieved the fallen souls from material bondage and awarded them real happiness. O master, please save me.
My dear master, Srila Gopala Bhatta, who is always situated at the lotus feet of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. You are the most expert devotee of the Lord.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu met Sri Gopala Bhatta in South India. I shall summarize the history of the Bhatta family: Sri Gopala Bhatta was the son of Sri Venkata Bhatta.
Sri Venkata Bhatta lived in the south and was a renowned brahmin scholar of all sastras. Trimalla, Venkata and Sri Prabodhananda were three brothers of whom Sri Gaura candra was the very life and soul.
Formerly they were worshippers of Sri Laksmi Narayana, but by the favor of Mahaprabhu they later became great devotees of Radha Krsna. During his visit to the South, Prabhu Gaurahari spent four happy months in the house of the Bhattas.
In the book Caitanya Caritamrta, there was a beautiful description of the Lord's Southern tour. There was no mention of Gopala Bhatta in the Caitanya Caritamrta but his family is mentioned. In Caitanya Caritamrta (madhu kanda 9/82-83) there is mention of a Vaisnava named Sri Venkata Bhatta who respectfully invited Prabhu to his house.
He washed the feet of the Lord and drank the water with all the members of his family. It was said that Gopala, the son of Venkata became ecstatically emotional by drinking that water. Although he tried to control his body it shivered in ecstatic love.
Gopala was a beautiful young man whose complexion was as bright as a golden champaka flower. His lotus like face had large eyes and eyebrows and his nose and forehead bore the bright tilaka of the Vaisnavas.
How beautiful were his ears and neck. How beautiful were his hands, chest and thin waist. How beautiful were his shank, knees, reddish feet. He wore bright clothes and was decorated with many ornaments.
Everyone was fascinated by his ever increasing beauty and his manliness.
Having received Mahaprabhu - his life and soul - Gopala engage himself most gladly in the Lord's service.
I worship Sri Gopala Bhatta Prabhu who was the best of all brahmanas and was engaged with utmost sincerity in the service of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. I am unable to describe how Gaurahari favored Sri Gopala Bhatta.
Prayers To
Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami Sucaka Kirtana by Manodar das
- sri gopala-bhatta prabhu, tuya sri carana kabhu, dekhibo ki nayana bhariya
- suniya asima guna, panjare vindhila ghuna, nichani niya yaire mariya
- pirite gadala tanu, dasabana hema janu, candramukhe aruna adhara
- jhalake dasana-kanti, jini mukutara panti hasi kahe amrta-madhura
- paranera prana yara, rupa sanatana ara, raghunatha-yugala jivana
- pandita krsna lokanatha, jana deha-bheda matra saravasva sri-radha-ramana
- premete vithara anga, caitanya-carana bhanga, sri-nivase dayara adhina
- sabhe meli rasasvada, bhava-bhare unmada, ei vyavasaya ciradina
- lilasudha-sura-dhuni, rasika-mukuta-mani rasavese gada gada hiya
- aho aho ragasindhu, aho dina-jana bandhu, yasa gaya jagata bhariya
- ha ha murti su-madhura, ha ha karunara pura, ha ha cintamani guna-khani
- ha ha prabhu ekabara, dekhao madhuri-sara, sri-carana-kamala Iavani
- aneka janmera pare, asesa bhagyera tare, tuya parikara pada payan
- nija karamera dose, majinu visaya rase, janama gonainu kholi khayan
- aparadha pare mane, tathapi tomara gune, patita-pavana asabandha
- Iobhete cancalamati upekhile nahi gati, pukaraye manohara manda
Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami Sucaka Kirtana (translation)
1. Whenever I see the beautiful lotus feet of Sri Gopala Bhatta Prabhu, my eyes flood with tears.
2. One becomes free from the cycle of birth and death by hearing about your unlimited qualities.
3. Being attracted by your moonlike face and lips radiant like the rising sun, I can't be pierced by Cupid's ten golden arrows.
4. Your beautiful teeth resemble a string of pearls. Your joyful words are saturated with sweet nectar.
5,6. The devotees Sri Rupa and Sri Sanatana Gosvamis, Raghunatha Dasa, Raghunatha Bhatta, Raghava Pandita, Krsna Dasa Kaviraja, Lokanatha Gosvami are your life. And your soul is Radha-Ramanaji.
7. With your body full of love you offer obeisances to Lord Caitanya, and like a honeybee you are attached to His lotus feet. You kindly gave shelter to Srinivasa Acarya.
8. Your only engagement is associating with pure devotees, relishing rasa, and tasting the divine madness of gopi-bhava.
9. The pastimes of Radha-Ramana flow through your mind like the celestial Ganges. You are the crest jewel of rasika Vaisnavas. Relishing prema-rasa, you become overwhelmed with ecstatic emotions.
10. Oh, ocean of spontaneous love for Radha-Ramana. You are the friend of the fallen. Your fame is sung throughout the universe.
11. Oh, your form is most sweet and full of mercy. And your unlimited qualities act like a touchstone.
12. Just once, Oh master, let me see your lotus feet, the essence of all sweetness.
13. After many many births, I have attained the rare fortune of serving the servants of your eternal associates.
14. Because of bad karma I have wasted my life enjoying sense-gratification.
15. I am full of offenses. But my only hope is that you, being full of merciful qualities, will deliver this fallen soul.
16. Although my mind is fickle and I'm greedy and sinful, still this Manohara Dasa calls out to you. Please don't neglect me.