By the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami remained a lifelong brahmacari. His service was constant chanting of Hare Krsna and readingSrimad Bhagavatam. In Jagannatha Puri, Raghunatha satisifed Lord Gauranga by his exceptional cooking and kirtana performances, which won him the title, kirtana acarya.
When he came to Vrndavana, the Vaisnavas (including Sri Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis) would regularly listen to his singing of Bhagavata slokas in four tunes as sweet as a cuckoo. His recitation was unparalleled; even Vyasadeva enjoyed it. He fulfilled Lord Caitanya’s order to preach the glories and peerless significance of the grantha raja Srimad Bhagavatam.
His tears of pure love for Radha Govinda would wet the pages. Raghunatha Bhatta was so absorbed in Krsna katha that he never heard or spoke worldly topics, what to speak of criticizing devotees. He believed that all Vaisnavas are sincerely serving the Lord according to their realization, and therefore one should overlook their faults.
Under his inspiration, a wealthy disciple built a gorgeous temple in Vrndavana for Sri Sri Radha Govindaji. Even after four hundred and fifty years, this intricately hand carved red stone temple remains the most beautiful temple in Vrndavana and all of Northern India. Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami faithfully served Govindaji for forty years.
He was a scholar in all subjects, although he didn’t write any books like the other Gosvamis. Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami learned everything simply by hearingsastras. Fearing that Muslims might desecrate Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami’s sacred form, Sri Jiva Gosvami had his body burned. The ashes were placed in twosamadhis, one in Radha kunda, another in the 64 Samadhis Area. In Radha Govindaji’s nitya lila he serves as Rasa or Raga manjari, one of Sri Radha’s asta manjaris.
(An excerpt from the book Gaudiya Vaisnava Biographies and Samadhis in Vrndavana by Mahanidhi Swami.)
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