Samadhi of Sanatana Gosvami
A Comprehensive Guide to Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma
There are several places throughout the Vraja area where Srila Sanatana Goswami performed his bhajana, but the last days of his life he spent at Govardhana Hill. He departed from this world on Guru Purnima, while residing at Govardhana. His body was brought to Vrindavana and placed in samadhi behind the Radha Madan-Mohana Mandira. There is also sweet water well here that Sanatana Goswami used. Good sweet water is rare to found in Vrindavana area since it is mostly too mineralized and taste salty. From many wells it is not even advisable to drink.
Just behind his samadhi is grantha-samadhi, which contains some of the original manuscripts of the Goswamis. Some of the books compiled by Sanatan Goswami were Hari-bhakti-vilasa, Brihad-bhagavatamrita, Dasama-tippani and Dasama-carita.
Srila Sanatana Gosvami was born into a Sarasvata-brahmana community in Bengal. His father was named Kumara Deva and mother was named Revati. His mother was the daughter of Hari Narayan Visarad of Madhaipur. Jiva Gosvami traces their ancestry to Sarvajna Jagadguru, a king in Karnataka. Sanatana appeared in 1484 (other dates are also given), five years before Rupa Gosvami.
In their childhood Sanatana and Rupa were named Amra and Santos. They studied nyaya from Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. They then studied in the tola (Sanskrit school) of the younger brother of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, Vidyavacaspati. It is generally believed that Vidyavacaspati was the diksha-guru of Sanatana. While engaged in studying, Sanatana would also read Srimad Bhagavatam.
Sanatana and Rupa were forced to become ministers in the Muslim government. When they worked for the king of Bengal, Hussain Shah, Sanatana was given the title Sakara Mallik, which means Prime Minister and Rupa was given the title Dabir Khas, which means Private Secretary. They became the right and left hand men of Hussain Shah and he would not do anything without consulting them. During the day they would dress like Muslims and speak in Arabic and Persian. In the evening they would purify themselves by taking bath and engage in their religious duties of japa, studying the scriptures and engaging in religious discourses.
When Hussain Shah attacked Orissa and destroyed the temples there, Sanatana decided that he had to get out of being Prime Minister. Rupa Gosvami first left his responsibilities. He left ten thousand gold coins with a merchant in case Sanatana needed it to escape his service to Hussain Shah. Sanatana gave up his duties and was then imprisoned by Hussain Shah, who was greatly in need of his services. Sanatana escaped from jail by paying the jailer the large amount of money, which was left by Rupa Gosvami. Both Sanatana and Rupa had written Lord Caitanya and asked Him to deliver them from the bondage of the world. In 1516, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to Ramkeli to deliver them. After meeting Lord Caitanya in Ramkeli, they were renamed Sanatana and Rupa. Sanatana was ostracized from the Hindu community because he accepted a post as a minister in the government of Hussain Shah. After meeting Lord Caitanya he quit his post as a minister. He lived as a grihasta (married life) for 27 years (some say longer).
After escaping from prison Sanatana Gosvami traveled to Benares (Varanasi) and met Lord Caitanya there. Lord Caitanya then instructed him on the science of Krishna consciousness (devotional service). Sanatana then went to Vrindavana and Lord Caitanya went to Jagannatha Puri. When he arrived in Vrindavana he met Lokanatha Gosvami, Bhugarbha Gosvami and Subuddhi Raya. He lived in a solitary place on the bank of the Yamuna, at Aditya Tila. Because hardly anyone lived in Vrindavana he would go to Mathura for madhukari (begging). He would also collect whatever leaves or vegetables that were in the forest and cook them without salt or spices. After staying in Vrindavana for a year he went to Jagannatha Puri. He stayed in Jagannatha Puri for about a year in the association of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Lord Caitanya then sent him back to Vrindavana.
He spent 43 years going from village to village in the area of Braja Mandala. His worshipable Deity was Madana Mohana. There are several places in the Braja Mandala area where Sanatana Gosvami did his bhajana. He did bhajana near Cakalesvara Mahadeva Siva temple on the bank of Manasi Ganga. When he stayed at Govardhana Hill, he would do parikrama of Govardhana Hill daily. He left this world on Guru Purnima, the full moon day in the month of Asadha (June-July) in 1564 (other dates are given). At this time he was residing at Govardhana Hill, where he spent the last days of his life. His body was brought to Vrindavana and placed in samadhi behind the Madana Mohana Temple.
“When Srila Sanatana Gosvami came to Vrindavana there were no temples. The city was lying like an open field. Sanatana Gosvami sat down on the bank of the Yamuna, and after some time he gradually constructed the first temple; then other temples were constructed, and now the city is full of temples, numbering about five thousand.” (Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi 7.160 purport)
He is described in Gaura Ganoddesa Dipika (verse 181) as being Labanga Manjari or sometimes Rati Manjari in Krishna-lila. Some books written by Sanatana Gosvami are Hari-bhakti-vilasa, Dasama-tippani, Brihad-Bhagavatamrita, Dasama-carita. Hari-bhakti-vilasa was written by Sanatana Gosvami, but was published in the name of Gopala Bhatta, who edited it. It is said that this was done out of humility and also because of the caste-ridden society. Sanatana Gosvami was supposedly converted to being a Muslim, because he served in the Muslim government.