Sri Gopala Guru Goswami

Sri Gopala Guru Goswami was a disciple of Sri Vakreshwara Pandit. He was a brahmana from Utkala. From early childhood, he stayed with Vakreshwara Pandit and remained under his care and guidance. Sriman Mahaprabhu was always very affectionate towards him and played many jokes on him. Out of affection, the lord would jokingly call him "guru" and so he became known as Gopal Guru Goswami.

Under the authority of Sri Svarupa Damodara and Raghunatha Dasa Goswami, he was instructed in the system of rasa and attained expertise in the rasik principles. At the place where Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu stayed at the house of Kashi Mishra, Vakreshwara Pandita later stayed. After Sri Vakreshwara Pandit passed away, Gopal Guru Goswami stayed at that place, where he installed the deities Sri Sri Radha-Kanta.

Sri Gopal Guru Goswami composed a book called Smarana-paddhati, or "The System for Remembering the Lord". This book has twenty-six chapters. Sri Dhayanachandra Goswami was a disciple of Sri Gopal Guru Goswami and an important acharya in the Gaudiya Sampradaya. He wrote a book called the Dhyana Chandra Paddhati.

Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura visited the house of Kashi Misrha when he went to Jagannatha Puri. There he met Gopal Guru Goswami. (B.R.8.382) According to some, Gopal Guru Goswami was the gopi known as Tungavidya Sakhi.

On the ninth day of the full moon in the month of Karttika he entered into the unmanifest pastimes of the Lord.

Vaisnava Saints Page