Govardhan Hill

Glories of Govardhana Hill    Appearance of Govardhana Hill
Krishna's Lifting of Govardhana Hill    Govardhana Parikrama    Kusama Sarovara    Manasi Ganga
Sanatana Goswami Bhajana Kutira    Aniyora Village    Govinda Kunda    Parikrama Map

Sanatana Gosvami Bhajana Kutira

Right next to the Cakalesvara Mahadeva temple is the bhajana kutira of Srila Sanatana Gosvami. During the last years of his life, Sanatana Gosvami came to this place at Cakra-tirtha and performed bhajana. When Sanatana Gosvami first stayed here, there were so many mosquitoes he decided to move elsewhere. Just at that moment as he was packing up his few belongings, Chakalesvara Mahadeva (Lord Siva) appeared before him in the guise of a brahmana and asked him why he was going away. Sanatana explained that the mosquitoes were a constant source of disturbance and he found it very difficult when he was writing his books.

The brahmana informed Sanatana that from now on the mosquitoes would no longer disturb him and he could continue staying here at Cakra-tirtha. Sanatana stayed and found that he was no longer bothered by the mosquitoes. Local people still say that even today no mosquitoes can be found at Cakra-tirtha.

Even at the advanced age of nearly seventy, Sanatana Gosvami would daily go on parikrama of Govardhana Hill. One day Lord Krishna appeared before Sanatana in the guise of cowherd boy. Krishna informed Sanatana that as he was now very old it was no longer necessary to go on parikrama around Govardhana Hill. Sanatana replied that he could not give it up as it was part of his daily vows. Seeing that Sanatana was determined to continue, Krishna brought a rock from Govardhana Hill and gave it to Sanatana. Impressed upon the rock was the lotus footprint of Sri Krishna, the hoof print of a calf, and Krishna’s flute and stick for herding cows. Krishna informed Sanatana that circumambulating the rock seven times would be equal to doing parikrama of Govardhana Hill.

On seeing the wonderful Govardhana-sila, Sanatana felt ecstatic love, and tears flowed from his eyes. By the time he regained his composure the cowherd boy had disappeared. Sanatana then realized that He was none other than Lord Sri Krishna in the guise of a cowherd boy. Sanatana shed even more tears and condemned himself for not being able to recognize his most worshipable Lord.

Sanatana then took the sila to his bhajana kutira and, following the Lord’s instructions, began to circumambulate this sila everyday for the rest of his life. After his disappearance the Govardhana-sila was kept at the Radha Damodara temple in Vrndavana. Another sila (the size of a finger tip) was also found amongst the possessions of Sanatana Gosvami. This tiny sila is now being worshipped by the Gosain of Vrndavana’s New Madan-Mohan Mandira.

Sanatana Gosvami established the temple of Madan-Mohan in Vrndavana and wrote a number of important books including Hari-bhakti-vilasa, Brhad-bhagavatamrta, Brhad-vaisnava-tosani-tika, Lila-stava, Dasami-carita and a commentary on the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam known as Dasami-tipani. Sanatana Gosvami was the seniormost amongst the six Gosvamis and was regarded as the spiritual master of all the followers of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Even the Vrajavasis who loved him dearly, considered him to be their guru.

On the Guru-Purnima, it was the custom of the devotees from Vrndavana to offer worship to Sanatana Gosvami. Headed by the Gosvamis Rupa, Raghunatha dasa, Raghunatha Bhatta, Gopala Bhatta and Jiva, they all came to Sanatana’s bhajana kutira at Cakra-tirtha and requested him to lead them on parikrama of Manasi-ganga as he had done every year. When they saw that after a long time Sanatana Gosvami did not move but simply sat silently, they realized he had entered into samadhi.

A great cry of lamentation rent the air as the devotees shed tears in separation of their beloved Sanatana. That was in the year 1558. Sanatana Gosvami was the first of Lord Chaitanya’s disciples to leave the world, and his disappearance sent shock waves throughout the whole of Vraja as well as Bengal. The Gosvamis brought the sacred body of Sanatana Gosvami in a great procession to Vrndavana and entombed it in a beautiful garden next to the Madan-Mohan Mandira on the side of Dvadasaditya Hill.

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